Yesterday I found in my fruit shop some fresh asparagus. I eagerly grabbed two plump bunches, and some hazelnuts, and when I got home steamed the asparagus, made a browned butter and hazelnut dressing and was transported to heaven. Tender crisp, sweet and nutty, they were perfect. You might wonder why I am rhapsodising about…
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According to Tennyson, in the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love; mine, however, turns towards thoughts of salad. I love them all – green salad, Greek salad, Caesar salad, Cobb salad; salads with roasted beetroot, salads with spinach and cous cous and quinoa; Asian salads, potato salads and Middle Eastern salads. I love the simplicity…
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Unless you have tasted really beautiful tomatoes you might think this salad would be dull, flavourless and not worthy to grace your table. So many tomatoes are like that – lacking in flavour, almost chalky in texture, watery and unappealing. And with this dish there is nowhere for the tomatoes to hide. There has, however, been…
Read MoreI have been very reluctant to jump on the kale bandwagon, which seems to have exploded in my part of the world in recent times. Evangelists of green shakes full of pureed kale and other greens are everywhere, but I have failed to be compelled by their vocal praises of kale. However, after trying it a…
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No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure had invaded my senses, something isolated, detached, with no suggestion of its origin. And at once the vicissitudes of life…
Read MoreI made this super quick salad to use some of the fresh ricotta I have been making for the last couple of weeks. Along with a green salad, grilled chicken, and crusty bread it made a delicious dinner on a weekday evening. It was so pleasurable to spread the ricotta on the bread, add a…
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I was going to call this recipe “Rustic ricotta and raspberry tarts” but that seemed a little too alliterative, even to provide an excuse for pastry that did not turn out quite as it should. However, it was very delicious and a perfect vehicle for my latest obsession – home made ricotta. It was a revelation to…
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Perfect for a simple Sunday lunch, this salad is rich with salmon and creamy avocado, balanced with touches of caramel and spice, and the clean bite of radishes. The recipe is based on one that I saw in the October 2014 issue of Delicious magazine. It’s one of my favourite food magazines, because the recipes are almost always…
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Anzac Day (25th April) was a special occasion this year for many Australians and New Zealanders because it was the centenary of the landing at Gallipoli in Turkey during the First World War, a defining campaign, although ultimately unsuccessful. My working life has been closely tied to commemorative activities related to the First World War, and…
Read MoreA prosaic title for what is a super dish, quick and easy, full of flavour, and pretty much loved by all (at least in my family). It’s so easy because the meatballs are simply prepared and then baked with a rich tomato sauce, with no need for cooking first. I like to make them on weeknights…
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Simple food 