food & travel blog
Bale Dutung Restaurant in Pampanga, the Philippines. A nose to tail Lechon dining experience from celebrity Chef Claude Tayag. Gated communities are common in the Philippines, but this was my first experience of dining in a gated community. As our bus drives past suburban homes, it feels strange that there would be a dining establishment…
Oh Tanuki’s Cave how I have fallen in love with this yakitori smoke filled basement bar. It is very rare for me to eat at the same place twice when away. I say rare, as I like to fit in as many places as possible. On the odd occasion there will be a restaurant that…
Here are 52 Taco Tuesday recipes to get you through the year. No matter your taste bud preference I am pretty sure that we have you covered. There are even a couple of breakfast and dessert tacos thrown in for good measure. Before we get to the recipes, have you ever wondered where on earth…
Wild scampi caviar, gorgeous sapphires of the ocean. I probably wouldn’t go asking for wild scampi caviar as “sapphires of the ocean” as nobody will know what on earth you are talking about. But how else would you describe these little glistening bubbles of various shades of blue? Reflecting light just like sapphires, with the…
Pies, winter, Southern Highlands, that must mean it’s Pie Time. During June the Southern Highlands of NSW are paying tribute to this Aussie icon. With more pies and events than you can poke a sauce bottle at. What would Aussie life be without pies? We love our sport and we love our pies. Could you…
HAPPY MARTINI DAY! To celebrate this martini day I’ll be serving up the history along with two recipes for this iconic classic cocktail. Plus answer the question, should a martini be shaken or stirred? In 1911, a New York City bartender named Martini di Arma di Taggia began serving a cocktail made with gin, vermouth,…
I’m back to baking dog friendly recipes with pea and rosemary dog treats. What a pealicious way to start the ball rolling! Plus they have only four ingredients. You could say they are easy peasy. Long time readers will remember Sally and know it has been a few years since she passed. If you receive our newsletter…
If you can choose only one fine dining experience in Auckland, then I suggest Clooney. Which is exactly what I did as soon as I knew I was flying over the ditch from Sydney. In fact Clooney was my first eating port of call when I disembarked my Emirates flight. I have to admit, and…
Hilton Hotel Auckland is my favourite Auckland hotel. I’m stating upfront, this is not a paid post, nor was I on a freebie during my stay. I was, and have been many times in the past, a paying guest of the Hilton Hotel Auckland. You could say I am a raving fan. There aren’t many five…
Filipino empanadas, another snack food I fell in love with when visiting The Philippines last year. I shared a recipe for lumpia a little while back, another favourite from our food tour of Manila’s Chinatown. Filipino empanadas were tried on that same tour. As with the lumpia, I researched to find an empanada recipe that was…
When travelling I tend to take myself off on my own little guided food tours. Spending time researching before heading to a destination. For me, part of the fun of travelling is the planning. Having travelled to Auckland many times before, a food wasn’t really high on my list. Then I thought, why not. “You…
