When you think of pear recipes, does your mind tend to wander towards, cakes, muffins, crumbles, poached pears?  I know mine does.  When I was contacted by Kellie from Impact Communications in regard to a competition they were holding during National Pear Month, I originally hummed and hawed about participating.  The reason for taking my time to say yes was basically due to being flat out.  I decided to participate, but I made the decision to push myself and come up with a savoury recipe using pears.

I do have one staple savoury pear recipe I whip up on the odd occasion.  Is perfect for lazy Sunday nights.   A thick slice of pane di casa toasted, topped with thinly sliced prosciutto, pan seared pears, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and them finished off with shaved parmesan cheese.  Sounds good, doesn’t it?  It is, regard that as your bonus recipe of the day.

Deciding I wasn’t going to use my good old staple recipe, I searched my brain to come up with something a little different.  Marry some flavours together that I thought would work well.  Guess what?  The recipe I developed rocks!  The filling works so well with the chicken, not over powering, and the flavours meld well together.  The addition of lemon in the butter and sage sauce adds the perfect amount of acidity to cut through the rich butter and lift the dish. Read more →

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Josh and I found ourselves yet again at Ms.G’s for another March into Merivale event, ‘The Morning After the Night Before’.  We were there the previous Saturday for ‘Milk Bar Memories’.

Even though neither of us were suffering from a hangover, both of us were looking forward to discovering what delights Dan Hong and Jowett Yu had lined up for us.  The menu reflected what Dan and Jowett craved themselves when hungover.  $50/person for five courses, including a drink on arrival, either an Ocean Mary, fruit smoothie or a glass of sparkling white. Read more →

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One of my favourite childhood memories (I have many) was when I was still in primary school.  The memory isn’t actually of primary school itself, but arriving home afterwards.  On the odd occasion I would walk through the front door and my nostrils would be greeted with the aromas of freshly baked cake. Read more →

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As soon as the email appeared in my inbox, I made the phone call. “Hello, I would like to book a table for three, for Sunday 18th March, for your 12.30 seating.”  The other person on the phone was very surprised that I was the second phone call in just as many minutes, “the email only went out!” she said.

I will admit, I wasn’t quite as surprised by the speedy response as she was.  It was a brilliant new addition to the Billy Kwong repertoire.  Yum cha lunch on a Sunday, $37.50/person including tea.  What nailed the deal for me was that I could actually book for one of the three seatings on a Sunday.  The one factor that had deterred me so far from visiting Billy Kwong was the no booking policy.  It was on my list of eats, but each time a decision was made on where to eat, it just kept being pushed back over somewhere I could book.

Kylie Kwong, head chef/owner of Billy Kwong, is an advocate of sustainability and ethical eating with a commitment to organic and biodynamic produce.  Her menu changes seasonally according to what can be sourced, with daily specials that reflect what is best at market that day. Read more →

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The Blocks has popped up at Walsh Bay for three weeks only.  A collaboration between Penfolds wines and London based designers, Studio Toogood.  A sensory journey that encourages visitors to discover their palettes using sight, touch and smell.  Once your senses have been heightened grab a table and enjoy some of the world’s greatest wines which have been matched to mouth watering dishes. Entry to The Block is absolutely free.  Read more →

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I have fond milk bar memories.  Who wouldn’t when you grew up right next door to one.   It was owned by an Italian family which we were close to.  Every afternoon before walking through our front gate after school, I would call in to the milk bar.  I would purchase a paddle pop or a mixed bag of lollies.  Sometimes I would splurge and buy a chocolate milk shake.  As we were neighbours and friends, they were always generous with the lollies.  I would hang out in the milk bar on the odd occasion and ‘help out’.  I was probably more of a hindrance than a help. Read more →

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We should of been heading to Jamie’s Italian for lunch.  Another failed attempt before our eventual visit.  At the 11th hour I realised they aren’t actually open on Sundays.  So on plan B, instead take the family to a Kings Cross to a brothel. Read more →

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