Deep fried and served out by the recycled condensed milk tin on the road-side, who can resist these tasy crickets and beetles? Well, about 30 people judging by our bus load of mainly locals. There was one chap though who tucked into a big bag of beetles, the secret being that you flick off the [...]
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Food writers and editors eat everything right? Well almost anything and I must admit I recently baulked at spiders. So what do you think about the rumour that the new editor – I believe Veronica may be her name – of the Epicure food supplement of The Age newspaper is a vegetarian? Can anybody confirm [...]
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Judging by this picture Hendrick’s gin won. It comes is a stylish bottle that would look at home in the chemist shop (which is what I needed the next day). Still Martin Miller’s gin is good and far superior to Bombay Samphire or Gordons. More tests required. What do you think?
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The latest bunch of blogger valentine postcards have been posted, mine one day late I’m afraid, as masterminded by Meeta at What’s for lunch honey? Who receives this card and on what continent he or she lives, you will just have to wait. How I’m going to explain that I’m sending valentines postcards to 9and [...]
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Overwhelmingly dill seem to be the favoured herb this week although thyme, chillis/peppers and olives also seem popular. And what have we learned? Perhaps most importantly that dill relieves gas (who me?), colic in babies, induces sleep and wards off witches. Also it is possibly to make soup without onions. I might also add that [...]
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Note: Voting has closed. The Weekend Herb Blogging round-up will be posted soon. Phew, it’s a lot of work!. Meanwhile, vote for the Breakfast Blog as the best Australian/New Zealand blog in the Bloggies – it’s up against some tough hot nude gay action although I won’t link to it. The thing about the Breakfast [...]
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Everything seems mundane. I miss the sights and the sounds of Asia – the smell of lemongrass, BBQs, leaded petrol and the honking of motor scooter horns. The strange, noisy cats in Laos. I can’t get my mind into gear despite lots of exciting writing projects and I can’t even decide where next to go [...]
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Sports nuts will know it’s the Australian Open this week. Last night I was lucky enough to be entertained in the posh ansd quite stylish AO Club by American Express. Champagne, dumplings, curry, champagne, cake, cake, ice cream! Oh and row ‘b’ seats to watch Roger Federer. All bribes happily accepted here!
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You’ll want food for the eight hour trip to Battambang, the most beautiful boat trip in Cambodia. Plenty of locals will hassle you to buy French sticks bananas and water. The tiny bananas are delicious. But whatever you don’t don’t sit on the roof unless you want a very pink sore evening.
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It’s official. I’m back in Australia although I do still have a backlog of Cambodian posts (thanks to slow internet connections, dodgy computers and bowels and blacklisted ISPs). This Australia Day Weekend Tomato is hosting Weekend Herb Blogging, an event devised by the award-winning Kalyn’s Kitchen in October 2005 and one of the most popular [...]
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Jak prepares green papaya salad Usually my blog posts are from the opposite season from most other people. That’s because most of the time I live in the southern hemisphere. For this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Scott at Real Epicurean, Jak and I in the northern hemisphere at the Three Elephants Cooking School [...]
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It’s happy hour. Instead of one tumbler of rice whisky I am served two. At least a snack of deep fried Meekong seaweed helps line my stomach.
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I think it may be water rat season in Phonsvanh in Laos. There are also voles, flying squirrels and deer in the market. In five minutes though the whole lot is sold. Only a single haunch and head of deer is left. What really catch my eye are the beuatiful game birds. It’s a shame [...]
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As most of us know, curry is an English invention, Indian food being spicy but very different and regional in its styles. Chicken Tikka Massala, the national dish of England now, is apparently a Scottish invention. If you are lucky the chicken tikka element is made in a tandoor oven and the sauce is defrosted [...]
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Three years ago I went on a boozy winery tour with a busload of artist mates. Somehow along the way I managed not only to buy two small olive trees, but also two magnificent French oak wine barrels to plant…
There’s a rumour that Melbourne hospitals lay on extra staff in the Emergency Department at this time of year. Yes, it's tomato season and given our vast migrant population, there will invariably be a few home-bottling and canning disasters. Every Italian…
Making yoghurt at home is really simple and doesn't take much science. Here we make two different styles of yoghurt using both cows' and goats' milk.
It took four hours of a Saturday afternoon to construct this gigantic pie.
The recipes available are all pretty similar, three different types of pork with herbs and spices surrounded by jelly and encased in a hot water pastry. This one…
There's a lot of meat and fat in a pork pie including the hot crust pastry which is made with lard and butter.
I bought a whole tub of dripping, which is basically like lard (pig fat) but from beef, as…
Five days later and the bacon is cured. Salty and sweet, with a hint of juniper and sage, it was worth it.
Nothing is ever easy for me. Frustrated by the poor quality of filling and pastry in local pork…
Recent journalismWe don't see much innovation in cookbooks nowadays but The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adria is as you'd expect from one of the world's most innovative chefs.
What most…
Consult a financial adviser before drinking from a Riedel.
Dishwasher tablets erode your glasses and crockery. Use liquid instead.
Decant heavier reds at least 8 hours before drinking.
If you want to drink…
Three years ago I went on a boozy winery tour with a busload of artist mates. Somehow along the way I managed not only to buy two small olive trees,…
There’s a rumour that Melbourne hospitals lay on extra staff in the Emergency Department at this time of year. Yes, it's tomato season and given our vast migrant population, there…
Making yoghurt at home is really simple and doesn't take much science. Here we make two different styles of yoghurt using both cows' and goats' milk.
One of the most exciting chefs to be in town for the Sydney International Food Festival was the witty and erudite David Thompson. If you aren't familiar with Thompson, the…
I recently had a non-brush with death while eating what turned out not to be my last meal.
It made me think of all the meals I'd wasted. A bad…
Neil Perry (left), Thomas Keller and Heston Blumenthal (bald). Courtesy of the Melbourne Wine and Food Festival.
On the SBS Food site you can see my story on meeting Thomas Keller…
Typical. Just as the world peaked Paul Levi, the man who had no small part in bringing us the slightly dubious word “Foodie”, launches the Gastrosexual, a man with more…
With thanks to the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
It's 3.50 on a Friday afternoon. I've just finished a great meal cooked by Scott Pickett at The Point in Albert Park…
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