‘The Great Australian Cookbook’ – Cookbook review

Until Barnaby Joyce’s identity crisis, I knew who I was. At least I thought I did. Born in Australia and adopted as an infant by New Zealand-born parents, I spent much of my childhood in rural New Zealand, and my teens in Sydney. Besides State of Origin night (an even more complicated story), my identity […]

‘Shortcuts to Glory’ – Cookbook review

My fondest memories of my son’s childhood are the things we did together. During school holidays we’d catch trains, visit parks and playgrounds and spend hours watching big machines on worksites. In between, we’d cook. Sitting in his high chair at the kitchen bench, my son would help with the cooking – mashing banana to […]

The Great Australian Baking Book – Book Review

There’s nothing like baking to show a little love. Baking for someone you love is an indulgent, made-to-order way of saying that you care. There’s no ‘standard fit’ for baking. Everyone has their own favourite dish, determined by taste, culture, flavour palate and food intolerances. Our family baking needs range from Gluten-free orange to almond […]

Eat Local – Book review

Eat Local – Food, Farming and Conversation in the Scenic Rim By Brenda Fawdon & Christine Sharp We’re mad about real food. The sort that is grown by local farmers or in home and community gardens, the produce arriving in our kitchen after travelling minimum food miles. There’s something grounded about scrubbing soil off vegies […]

Book review: ‘Paired’ – matching wine and food

‘Paired: Champagne and Sparkling Wines’ by Fran Flynn & David Stevens-Castro For many people, pairing food and wine is a scary concept. Picture a special dinner or a romantic liaison when you want to choose just the right wine to accompany a special dish. Perhaps it’s a case of a little information breaking open the […]