Occasional stories, food and travel inspiration
When I was younger I thought of life mostly in terms of goals. Everything was about achievements and new experiences. "Live overseas." Tick. "Get a great job." Tick. "Be a published
As the Australian Summer continues so does our love affair with fruit: we're spoilt for choice at this time of the year so my fruit bowls are overflowing. The other day I had a glut of peaches in
Regular readers may remember my grouchy Valentine's Day post from a few years ago, when I was newly separated from my ex husband and in no mood for romance. Back then, the very thought of being with
My baby recently turned six so to celebrate we had some family and friends over for a relaxed lunch. Deciding what kind of birthday cake to make J was easy as he is mad about chocolate. So I cam
I'm a Summer gal so I love this time of year - the baking heat, the endless blue skies and the regular swims automatically put me in a good mood. But even I can get testy after a run of 40+ Ce
I'm a little obsessed with Summer fruit at the moment but can you blame me? This time of year is when my kitchen is overflowing with beautiful berries, stone fruit, cherries, grapes, mangos, kiwi fru
Christmas day lunch in my family is not a small affair: each year around 24 people sit down at one long table at my parents' house to celebrate Christmas together. The Christmas day table is mad
This recipe came about when I offered to make a dish for a weekend brunch at my BFF's a couple of months ago. With four kids in the house that morning -- my young niece and nephew had slept over t
I have such happy memories of boisterous house parties when I was a child. There was always plenty of food and drink and laughter, everyone pitched in to help and we kids had the run of the house and
Last year, my lovely friend Sky asked me if I'd be interested in doing a shoot with Aspire, the excellent lifestyle magazine that she edits. "What did you have in mind?" I asked. "How about you
Redesigning a blog is like renovating a house. Or getting elective plastic surgery. You start off thinking that you're just going to make a few minor cosmetic changes and you end up with a ho
A month ago my ex husband had a vasectomy. When it was over and he was half the man he used to be -- his words, not mine -- I picked him up from the hospital and drove him home, teasing him onl
I lied to my son the other day. I don't usually advocate lying to small and innocent children but in this case I felt it was justified. You be the judge. My son is four and a half. I've blog
'I ate a whole 200 gram block of chocolate last night," my friend told me recently, shaking her head. I laughed and then sympathised with her. Like my friend and many women, I'm an emotional
Happy Birthday to The Hungry Australian! It was three years ago that I tentatively hit publish on my first ever post, my dad's Chinese Sausage Omelette. For any aspiring bloggers or photographe
I love taking risks in a professional and creative sense because I believe that I do my best work when I'm working without a net. It's when I'm working on something that really scares me that I ha
It's a stereotype -- but an accurate one -- that Asians express their love through food. Like my parents, I see cooking for someone as an act of love. Years ago my (Western) ex husband and I
Nearly everything that has happened since I started The Hungry Australian in mid 2011 has been a welcome surprise. But nothing has been quite as surprising (astonishing?) as finding out on Wednes
It was my brother's birthday last Sunday and my sister in law asked me to make the cake for his party. As they were expecting 60+ guests, I made this cake, as well as my Fig & Vanilla Bean Ch
Me: I don't feel like myself. Friend: What's going on? Me: Lots of stuff. Big stuff. Heavy stuff. I've started dating again, too. Friend: That's good. It's about time you got back o
I have mixed feelings about Autumn. I don't like the colder weather, the rain or the wind. On the other hand, plums are still in season at the moment and they're magnificent. I love plums for t
Freshly picked, beautifully ripe, crimson-hued figs. Is there anything better? Picking Figs Regular readers may remember that I went fig picking at Kate's house last year. Kate is a fellow foo
In case I'd forgotten that it's Valentine's Day on Friday my Inbox is filling up with media releases from restaurants keen to promote their Valentine's Day menus. Now I've had good Valentine's
Most home-cooked dessert should be simple - some fruit and yoghurt pots. An easy upside down cake. A boozy sorbet for the grown ups. It's the no-stress, no-fuss type of dessert you can put together wi
Sponge cake is like my favourite pair of skinny blue jeans. Worn with a fitted t-shirt and ballet flats, my blue jeans are my everyday wardrobe staple, suitable for the school run, cooking in, writ
Some things don't make sense to me. Home laser hair removal kits. Hipster beards. Trying to give new parents advice when you've never had kids yourself. Caring what people do in the privacy of thei
The other day I was at the beautician for a once-in-a-blue-moon appointment. A blonde lady in her 40s was examining my skin when she said, "of course people from your country always have an issue wit
I've been on a organisational binge lately. It's not nearly as exciting as a romantic binge or even a chocolate binge but I don't think my home has ever been so sorted. My study, studio, styling kit,
After the success of my Plum Upside Down Cake in honour of my literary heroine, Anne of Green Gables, I knew I had to continue down this topsy turvy path. So when I spotted some gorgeous rhubarb an
When my mother was pregnant with me she ate a family block of Cadbury Milk Chocolate every day. Yep, that's correct. 200 grams of chocolate. Every. Single. Day. Under those circumstances it
