Elizabeth Chong’s Roast Duck & Nashi Salad

Categories | Asian, Recipes, Salads

The Nashi season coincides with the celebration of Chinese New Year – The Year of the Tiger, February 14th – 28th.  The Tiger, deemed a manifestation of royalty in Asia, shares centre stage with the fruit of Emperors – the Nashi, which the Chinese first grew in Australia during the 1850’s Goldrush.
Cut  the duck meat [...]

Chinese New Year

Categories | Journal
Selection of Alice Cho

Sydney’s Chinatown offers something for every budget and every tastebud. At the bustling Dixon House Food Court, you’ll find a range of reasonably priced Asian dishes, representing the cuisines of northern China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Here, the most popular dish is the sizzling beef, ginger and shallot hot plate for $8.50, also [...]

Pancake Tuesday

Categories | Journal
Delicate lacy pancakes, Langkawi food markets

On a recent visit to the Top End,  I stumbled across Ken’s Crepe stall at the Mindil Beach Markets in Darwin. Scott Harris and Heather Pope-Daley were busy ladling out batter onto large French non-stick crepe-makers, rounding them out with a wooden swizzle stick and enclosing a wide variety of fillings.
A long queue had formed [...]

Buttermilk Pancakes

The perfect breakfast dish for Shrove Tuesday – or make them for dessert tonight.
Put the buttermilk, eggs and oil into the bowl of a food processor or blender.  Process until well combined.
Sift together the dry ingredients onto a piece of greaseproof paper and add to the buttermilk mixture.  Process 1 – 2 minutes or until [...]

Forget the Roses, Send Chocolate

Categories | Journal
Chocolate fondue at Chocolate @ No 5 Hahndorf Adelaide Hills

Potent, irresistible and ever so smooth.  You might think I’m talking about one of the world’s legendary womanisers, and why not?  Indeed, the 18th century Casanova had a penchant for chocolate.  Apparently he consumed gallons of the liquid stuff  and is alleged to have served it in much the same way that today’s playboys hand [...]

Heart of Salmon

Categories | Recipes, Seafood, Starters

A lovely light starter to kick off your Valentine’s dinner.
Lightly spray inside of moulds with oil.  Press plastic wrap into moulds to sit evenly.  Drape two slices of salmon over each mould so that they slightly overlap each other. Press into the sides to give a good shape.  Refrigerate until the mousse is ready.
In a [...]

Banana Cabana

Categories | Journal
Hand of Bananas

Here’s a curious fact: the banana is actually not a fruit at all, but really a giant broad-leaved herb!
Now grown throughout the world, it is believed to be one of the first plants gathered and cultivated by humans.
Edible bananas originated in south-east Asia in the region stretching from New Guinea to India and were carried [...]

Lovedale Long Lunch May 15/16 2010

Categories | Journal
Firding up for the Lovedale Long Lunch

It’s the road less taken by visitors to the Hunter Valley.  Most turn left into Broke Road and head unblinkingly for Pokolbin once they exit Cessnock, never thinking to make a right turn into the lesser known Lovedale Road.
Little do they realise how much they miss, for this less built-up part of the valley boasts [...]

Scilatelli veloci al pomodoro e basilico (Pasta with tomatoes and basil)

“Here’s a quick and easy way to dress pasta with huge flavour,” says chef Guy Grossi.  “It uses fresh ripe tomatoes bursting with flavour.  When heated, the tomatoes release their juices forming a luscious coating for the pasta. The pasta has a little ‘chew’ to it which creates texture and depth”.
Wash and core the tomatoes [...]