Australian / NZ Food Blog

Sometimes food just makes you happy.

Well, to be honest, all good food makes me happy.

But some food is especially delightful to look at.

I saw these tomatoes at my local greengrocers and they were so charming I just had to bring them home with me.

You can make this Colourful Tomato Salad with regular tomatoes but please do use the most flavoursome tomatoes you can find.

Do this and I guarantee this salad will bring a smile to your face. Enjoy!

I recently spent a week in Dubai on a famil (media trip), exploring the wonders of this fast-growing, fascinating Middle Eastern city.

On our final night we ate at a local Lebanese restaurant, enjoying a variety of grilled meats, seafood and fish and salads.

For dessert, the waiter prepared this dish -- Ricotta with Honey and Pistachios -- at the table.

I'd eaten it before in Australia without realising its origins. It's a absurdly simple and delicious dessert so well worth a try. Enjoy!

Do you have a stash of go-to dishes?

You know, those dishes you go 'go-to' whenever you're wanting to make something simple, quick and fool-proof?

This Chickpea, Avocado and Spinach Salad is one of my favourite go-tos. It's filling, delicious and so good for you.

Why not give it a go today?

I adore oysters.

So when I saw some gorgeous specimens at a local farmers' market I just had to snap them up.

Are you an oyster lover? Here are four great ways to enjoy oysters - simple, delicious and done in a flash.

Enjoy!

As the weather continues to grow warmer, and the days are sunny and fresh, my thoughts turn to seafood.

And why not? We're blessed with astonishingly good seafood in Australia from clean, cold waters.

This recipe - Mussels with Thyme and Verjuice - takes all of ten minutes to prepare and cook and it tastes simply divine.

Why not try it today?

Sometime you come across a dish so good you just have to share.

This Sensational Spinach Lasagne recipe is an adaption of an adaption given to me by my sister law.

Her friend, Missy, created the original recipe and it's so incredible, I just had to share it with all of you.

Cook it. Enjoy it. Share it. And so it will continue.

Enjoy!

Who loves chocolate cake?

Everybody, right?

Well this is a great, everyday chocolate cake, dressed up as a fancy-schmancy dinner party cake.

Isn't it pretty? Doesn't it look impressive?

But it's not hard at all. You can totally make this Chocolate Cake with Blood Oranges and Sea Salt.

Enjoy!

The other day I was invited to a bloggers' lunch celebrating the launch of a new beauty product at a well regarded steak restaurant.

The entree was an enormous chorizo salad while the main was a 400 gram steak, served plainly and proudly on the plate with only a lemon wedge.

Afterwards, I visited an Asian dessert bar with a few of my blogging pals because I am nothing if not a dedicated eater.

There I enjoyed sago with fresh mango and it was the perfect dessert to counter the richness and heaviness of the preceding meal.

So here's my version -- Sago with Mango and Coconut --for you to make at home. Enjoy!

Sometimes it's fun to plan a nice meal from start to finish, buying special ingredients from the markets and visiting speciality producers.

Other times I don't have time to get to the shops, let alone make anything elaborate, so I turn to my fridge and larder for inspiration.

This recipe -- Tangy Tabbouleh Salad -- was created because I had some leftover parsley and combined with what I had at the time in the fridge and larder.

It's a refreshing and healthy salad, and ready in minutes. Enjoy!

Meeting family and friends for yum cha (dim sim) is one of my favourite weekend activities.

Yum cha is always a noisy, bustling affair, with lots of laughter and conversation. It's great for kids, too, as the food tends to come out quickly so you're not hanging about for too long.

So check out my new article, The Insider's Guide to Yum Cha, and try it yourself.

Enjoy!