Trawl through any old C.W.A. recipe book from the 1960s onwards and you’ll most likely find a version of this slice. It’s a classic, and for good reason. There is something about ginger that elevates any dish in which it is included. I first ate a version of this slice made by one of my…
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When I made this avocado and rocket salad, my eldest son suggested I call it avocado slammer salad, because of the lemon wedges and little pile of salt on the plate. And when we eat it, it has a certain slammer-like quality – take a wedge of avocado, sprinkle on salt, squeeze over some lemon…
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When I was growing up zucchini was the most uninspiring green vegetable served at our table. My mother, bless her, would boil it until it was very soft and then serve it with a little butter and salt and pepper – squishy, flaccid, and bland. It was the way most people cooked green vegetables in…
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Hot summer’s day, vine ripened tomatoes, basil explosion in the vegetable garden and a loaf of fresh sourdough. All the elements were aligned in our house today to make this oh, so simple, but so delicious lunch. It’s nothing more than really lovely tomatoes gently roasted with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and…
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In love. There are no better words to describe my feelings about this panna cotta. Creamy, silky smooth, delicate, and flavoured with intensely fragrant passionfruit syrup, it fulfils all I could ever desire in a dessert. It’s also simplicity itself to make, and perfect for summertime. The passionfruit syrup can be made a day ahead and then the panna…
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Our annual pilgrimage to the Granite Belt for New Year’s always inspires me to cook, as our dear friends who live there love food, own a winery, and are great fun to be with. The area is the main stone fruit and apple growing area in Queensland, and so apples, plums, peaches and cherries are…
Read MoreI’ve been thinking a lot over the last week or so about what to feed my family this Christmas time, experimenting with ideas and recipes old and new. We need joyful, bright food this year, to counter the almost savage sadness of another empty place at the table. My sister-in-law Lesley died quite suddenly in…
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Onions are an integral part of my cooking, and their sweet, aromatic flavour adds depth and intensity to so many dishes. But in this dish they shine on their own. I saw something like this on Nigella Lawson’s Nigellisima Italian themed cooking show, and have been itching to make a version of my own ever since.…
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When I decided to make my own granola I looked at lots of recipes and found several that I liked, but they all seemed far too sweet for my taste, so I made up my own recipe that was loosely based on one by David Lebowitz via Nigella Lawson via Andy Fairfield with a large…
Read MoreOh, to be in Queensland in the springtime. Warm days; long, sunny afternoons fading to soft twilight; jacarandas smudging the landscape with purple; and the garden full of new growth. I wanted to make some fruit waters as a refreshing alternative to soft drink and this combination is one that I love. The apple, cinnamon…
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Simple food 