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
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
We're a mere seven days into 2016 and I'm wondering how many of us are actually sticking to our New Year's Resolutions? And how many of us are already mentally consigning them to the trash? Well,
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
After a particularly long, cold and tedious Winter, Spring has finally arrived in Australia. Hurrah! For me, Springtime is about enjoying the sunshine, catching up with the friends I've neglecte
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
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
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
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
It's still crazy hot in Adelaide so I've been experimenting with home-made ice blocks and sorbets. I can't stop eating the beetroot, carrot and berry flavoured ice blocks I made recently but my kids w
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
Summer is my favourite season and an Australian summer takes some beating. I love the longer days and warm nights, the brilliant blue sky, the steady hum of happy insects in the garden, the endless
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
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
Last week I was lucky to spend three days on Hamilton Island for the start of Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, Australia's largest offshore yachting regatta. It was ultra glam and très chic and I di
A few days ago the kids and I got caught in a heavy shower as we went for a walk and scooter ride along the beach foreshore. As we hurried back to the car, my three year old fell over and hurt his kne
Each time before I go food shopping I write out a list - it's the only way I can possibly remember what I've run out of and what I need to buy for client and blog projects. 50% of the time I end up le
When it comes to alcohol I'm a cheap date. As is the case for many Asians, alcohol is not my friend; consumed in anything other than small quantities alcohol makes me itchy, red and ill. Back in my
