Having recently completed a unit on practical pastry for school, where we dabbled in the likes of sweet shortcrust, the different puffs, strudel, pies and choux; I got to thinking about the savoury shortcrust, and how it would be fun to play around with the textures and flavours of this oft-neglected crust...
Read MorePyjamas and pancakes
I can't remember the last time I ate pancakes. Once a regular Sunday morning feature, as both life's circumstances and my tastes changed, over time they sort of just fell by the wayside. I rarely opt for sweet breakfasts these days, and a lazy breakfast on my day off usually involves heading out so that someone else can do all the hard work (and dishes) for a change...
Read MoreBrioche con gelato alla fragola
When travelling, my plans are primarily guided by food. For every destination a list and map develops, with coordinates plotted to work out what may or may not be possible. While I'm certainly getting better at refining my strategy the list is invariably larger than my ingestive capacity allows, and there are always a few dilemmas...
Read MoreSavoury cake
Some recipes I try because they read like instructions to the most delicious thing in the universe. Others, I pursue purely out of curiosity. Take, for example, this pistachio and chorizo cake. A quirky combination that I struggled to get my cerebral tastebuds around, there was only one way to find out what such a thing was all about...
Read MoreThe pleasures of pasticciotto
I'm often reminded of how little I know about food. Despite being something about which I am genuinely obsessed, it's easy to get slightly overwhelmed by the number of different cuisines left to delve into and new ingredients and flavour combinations still to try. That is, of course, all part of the fun; there's a lot to be said for that perpetual sense of discovery...
Read MoreThe big pink
After a few weeks waxing lyrical about conscious eating and how a respect for the seasons and the people who grow and raise what we eat has a significant affect on our physical and mental wellbeing, I thought it worthwhile reminding ourselves that while all that stuff's important, food is also about fun, so it—at least in the eating of—should never be taken too seriously...
Read MoreSweet celeriac
Of the lesser loved vegetables I feel celeriac, in particular, is underappreciated when it comes to delicious mealtime inclusions. Despite being rich in nutrients many find its knobbly, odd-shaped appearance a little off-putting, and when it's oft described as being 'bulbous' and 'turnip-like' we're certainly not doing its image any favours. But delve beneath the rough exterior...
Read MoreJosey's loaf
In considering what we choose to consume I'm personally not a big fan of faux foods and, wherever possible, try to eat as naturally and as unprocessed as I can. The thought of 'imitation meats' when you could just make the most of seasonal vegetables frankly sends shivers, and I've just never seen the appeal of 'replacement' ingredients...
Read MoreBreakfast pastries
Melbourne is a city of brunchers. We love to breakfast and, on the whole, do so very well, but one thing I feel we're missing is an excellent savoury pastry. Muesli and eggs however you like them, no problem, but if you're not up for a big morning feast then, more often than not, you have to settle for something sweet...
Read MoreLittle rhubarb tarts
Sometimes the things we bake are weeks in the planning; a recipe we've had bookmarked for ages, an annual tradition or impending celebration. Other times things just fall into place; an overgrown crown of rhubarb that needs trimming at the peak of blood orange season, a half block of pâte sablée waiting patiently in the freezer...
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