Now that we’ve picked up the pace in our run towards December, there’s no getting around Christmas being here in a minute. Which also means it's time to start thinking about what delicious goodies will be filling our tables on the day! It's likely you've mentally checked off what meats will be featuring on the menu, but what about the sides? We've picked out four of our favourite trimmings to help you along... Read the rest...
Especially across the festive season, I can want for an occasion to still be very much celebratory, but just without the addition of alcohol. I might often be convinced that the best part about a celebratory drink is the ritual of clicking glasses with something special in hand, and mocktails tick all the boxes for me in that case. Here are some of my favourites for you to add to your Christmas repertoire regardless of whether you are avoiding alcohol altogether, or just needing a few options for those times you don’t feel like drinking! Read the rest...
Here at Maggie Beer, we’re more than keen for any excuse to celebrate, but especially so when the warm weather of Spring reawakens our social calendars and sees a particularly enthusiastic circle around the first Tuesday in November. Read the rest...
I love the ease of pre-dinner drinks when I have dukkah on hand; it’s an essential in my pantry. It couldn't be simpler to add a bowl of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and some crusty bread to the table while wine is being opened, providing that perfect nibble with drinks, yet still leaving plenty of room for the main course. Which is where I also like to utilise the crunch and spice of dukkah; the fact that it steps in for breadcrumbs when coating fish or chicken is another great tip for anyone who loves to entertain, because it looks far more impressive than the easy steps it takes to create! -MB Read the rest...
All animals reflect the feed they are given, but none more so than a pig. If you can buy from farmers who allow their pigs to range in a field of fallen apples, figs or even onions, you’ll taste the difference. The pig has always been central to the Barossa tradition, given the German heritage of the Valley. When I first settled here in 1973, almost every farm was mixed, including a vineyard and it was normal practice to have a couple hundred chooks, fifty turkeys and geese for the Christmas market and a pig or two, complete with mud holes for wallowing. This tradition of the mixed farm has dwindled in later years, but there are still those who keep their own pigs to slaughter each year, and they are rewarded with the most amazing flavour as a result of their farming efforts. -MB Read the rest...
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