Wednesday November 18, 2009
Summer in the southern hemisphere has well and truly arrived.
People are firing up their barbecues and breakfast at beach side cafes is a favorite weekend activity. And there's nothing like a hearty breakfast to start the weekend.
While for some the word 'hearty' may conjure up images of bacon and sausages, I'm offering up something less meaty but just as fulfilling -- poached eggs with sautéed garlic mushrooms on toasted Turkish bread with ricotta cheese. Accompanying this dish are Roma tomatoes slow-roasted with fresh thyme. This is a delightful breakfast I enjoy regularly at one of my favorite beach side haunts.
Photo: © S. Wongkaew (2009) licensed to About.com, Inc
Tuesday November 17, 2009
I have been a willing convert to the gospel of fruit in salads.
I have found exquisite partnerships and unlikely complements with fruits too numerous to list in this short blog post.
This white asparagus, orange and arugula (roquette) salad is one of the most elegant I have discovered.
The contrast in color and flavor is so stark; so inviting; so perfectly balanced that it takes all my restraint not to make loud, appreciative noises while I eat it.
More salads with fruit
Photo: © S. Wongkaew (2009) licensed to About.com, Inc
Monday November 16, 2009
These versatile shortbread cookies can be coated with melted chocolate, icing sugar, infused with lemon zest or enjoyed unadorned for their buttery goodness.
They are just as shortbread should be - crumbly, buttery and just sweet enough. I often use this shortbread recipe as a base for tarts.
Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture -- a result of working with the dough very gently and allowing it to rest. This allows the butter to inhibit the formation of gluten. For the best tasting results it's also important to use good quality, unsalted butter and pure vanilla extract.
More Cookie Recipes
Photo: © S. Wongkaew (2009) licensed to About.com, Inc
Wednesday November 11, 2009
I am a very particular traveler. I love travel and I plan meticulously. I want to explore the local food scene thoroughly and in my own time. So I have never been one for group tours... that is, until very recently.
I left Sydney for a weekend away which I couldn't have planned better myself. And I made ten new friends in the process.
VictorsFood offers a variety of food-centric activities including cooking classes, corporate team-building and regional and international food tours.
I went for the 'Hungry for the South Coast' tour. Just south of Sydney is magical. The beaches are stunning and often deserted, the escarpments are dramatic and the emerald hills undulate under cows and tall palm trees.
For two days I was dazzled by the quality of the produce and the skill of the artisans who manipulated it. We visited bakeries, vegetable farms, confectioners, vineyards, oyster farms and tree-top restaurants.
Even for someone who knows the south coast quite well, it was a journey of discovery.
Many tourists come to Sydney to enjoy its world-class food. Few realize that there are culinary wonders waiting to be discovered on Sydney's doorstep.
Read more about my south coast food adventure.
Photo: © S. Wongkaew (2009) licensed to About.com, Inc
