When I cook chicken, I never use anything other than a well-brought-up chook, the texture and flavour are so different from that of a mass produced bird, you wonder whether they are even of the same species. There is little point buying a free-range chook under 2 kilograms; the smaller birds haven’t had the time to develop in flavour or texture. Read the rest...
Everyone arrives at food knowledge in a different way; for some it is simply fuel to keep a busy life going, for others it is an activity bordering on obsession. Knowledge is key and I believe that whichever way you can increase an understanding of where your food comes from, and the best ways to utilise every ounce of it, is a good thing. Read the rest...
Last weekend, Colin and I had a great weekend away in Geelong. Friday night saw us eating fish and chips on the wharf, followed by lunch at Brae Restaurant on Saturday. We had a fantastic experience at Brae, with beautiful food, and incredibly knowledgeable staff who knew about every tiny element on the plate. It was the most beautiful room looking out on the country side and garden; it was really quite exceptional. On Sunday we had a fleeting visit to Werribee to visit my team at Fromage a Trois - Cheese & Cider Festival who were there sampling my heritage cider; what a lovely location for sampling such an array of food producers- MB | Read the rest...
The pear tree is integrally linked to my life in the Barossa, and in particular to my sentimental attachment to our cottage. We are lucky enough to have a grand old pear tree, well in excess of 100 years, defining our landscape at home and as I look down from my attic window, its majestic form, towering over the cottage itself, is one of the most beautiful of all those I’ve admired in the Valley in my time here. Read the rest...
On Wednesday night I was invited by Tourism Australia to experience Noma at Barangaroo in Sydney. It was certainly no ordinary dinner; the 10 course menu curated by Rene and his team goes with one of the most amazing meals I've ever had. To repeat what Adam Liaw said, it's like putting a megaphone on Australia and what we can do. We can be so proud of the produce that Australia has to offer. The whole experience was just an adventure from the first minute to the last. I was sitting with three amazing women journalists from France, Ireland and Malaysia; Camille, Orla and Julie helped to make it an extraordinary night. The details from welcome to goodnight were just impeccable; the night was certainly greater than the sum of its parts. And then to top off an already spectacular evening, on my way back to the hotel I came across the Marie's Crisis pop-up bar at QT, and was coerced in to standing around a piano in the foyer for a sing-a-long; what great fun that was!- MB Read the rest...
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