food & travel blog
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…
There’s something fun about making beer can burgers. The moulding of the burger mixture around a beer can remind me of a craft project. Then you wrap it in bacon and stuff it with whatever your heart desires. It is very hands on. Originally the beer can burgers were destined to be barbequed. Unfortunately the…
Emirates A380 inflight bar, oh baby this has been a long time coming! Finally on a short Auckland to Sydney flight I had my chance at last to experience it. Ever since the Airbus A380 took to the skies, I have been excitedly reading how various airlines have been fitting out these double decker super planes. Like…
I’m sharing a sensational casarecce recipe by Matteo Zamboni with you today, casarecce with Western Australian Yabbies, capsicum and hazelnuts. But first, a little about how I came across this mouthwatering dish. We were invited along to Casa Barilla‘s authentic Italian Cooking School in Annandale. Located at Barilla’s Sydney head office. The classes have local and international guest…
