For me, the act of tasting wine has always been somehow aligned with my spirituality. You may laugh, but for anyone who has studied a subject they genuinely love, I’m sure they share this feeling. The idea that a vocation could be so perfectly attuned to both one’s desires and aptitude must surely be some... Continue Reading →
When my family packed up and left Melbourne 10 years ago, the only brewery in the city that wasn't a massive commercial production was Mountain Goat, which existed out of a couple of sheds in the industrial eastern zone of Richmond, in the shade of giant CUB. They used to open up the doors maybe... Continue Reading →
Mothers' day lunch at the Main Ridge home of my sister in law and her husband concluded in a take-away selection from the harvest box at their front door. They've got a mighty veggie garden and orchard down there, and the whole family is thankful for the samples of their produce we've received since we... Continue Reading →
What the hell do you do with a persimmon? I've been discovering exactly what over the last few weeks, as I realised that all the summer seasonal fruits have dwindled off the shelves, and left me with a few recognisables that have food miles well over the 300 mark, a bunch of weird things, or... Continue Reading →
Sometimes, I really have to give myself a pat on the back. Cooking is not hard, and throwing together a salad is probably one of the easiest things to do in the kitchen. But putting something up that is green and this banging is rare. It's one of those recipes that just fits in every... Continue Reading →
Necessity is the mother of invention, they say. And I'm the mother of children who forget to buy flour when you send them down to the shop with family friends so you can whip up a nice little dessert for a hungry hoard while you're away on a weekend retreat. Blame iphones, blame music blaring... Continue Reading →
Well the harvest is in, so we've got chestnuts all over the place. Australia's chestnut season begins in March, and goes all the way through to the start of July, but my favourite variety, De Coppi Marone, has just been picked and they're on the shelves now. Other varieties you might see around are Buffalo... Continue Reading →
I can't believe I was finally back in Melbourne at chestnut harvest time, and I still missed the pick up at Greta's place in Beechworth. Purely life getting in the way, no real excuses. Isn't it silly how we all let that happen? After 10 years in Dubai and never getting to see a real... Continue Reading →
I do wonder if the designers of Willow Creek's metamorphosis have ever seen Donnie Darko. This fairly recent incarnation of one of the oldest wineries on the Mornington Peninsula has the Jackalope as its mascot - a peculiar, antlered bunny with more than it's share of the dark side. I suppose it's a Wyoming drop... Continue Reading →
Although Melbourne's zucchini season is tapering to its end, just a little further north of us, in more arid areas around the Murray, it's still possible to get the odd young zucchini or even zucchini flower in season. Luckily, most Australians can able to put their hands on a fairly local local courgette at almost any... Continue Reading →
