I’ve never quite understood why people buy wine purely for the label, but sometimes – just sometimes – a label can really grab my attention, like those of Between 5 Bells. The team at B5B have ties with Lethbridge Wines. Lethbridge is known for some pretty quirky marketing too – they call one of their […]

This recipe is a fantastic alternative to store-bought frozen chicken nuggets. You can’t get much healthier and both the little people and big people in your household will love them. This recipe makes enough to feed a family of three to four, or a platter of fun finger food for the next time you host […]

When I was a kid growing up in New York I used to watch a show called Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. It was about a nice guy that brought you to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe to experience all sorts of fun in a puppet-populated, pseudo-medieval kingdom. Two months ago a bar/restaurant called Neighbourhood opened up in […]

Now that 2013 wines are starting to appear, how was the vintage? South Australia South Australia was dry and hot. Dry can be good (less disease, fungus etc.), but vines need water to grow. While some were irrigated, in general, the yields are down. What got through, though, was very good. The wines that are […]

This savoury, protein-rich tart is perfect for springtime picnics, lunches and light evening meals. Just whip up a simple side salad (tomato, baby spinach and avocado is nice combination) and your meal is complete. While it does contain dairy products, it is completely grain and sugar free. The filling predominantly comprises eggs and almond meal […]

“It’s so Randwick” is how my companion described Bus Stop Café as we sat down for our brunch on a sunny Saturday just before noon. Assuming she meant that it’s got an urban edge to it, I had a feeling I’d be enjoying myself for the next hour or so. Only time would tell if […]

Who doesn’t love Thai food? Thai cuisine, or at least Aussie Thai takeaway, is filled with lots of vegetables, fresh herbs and spices and is relatively healthy compared to other cuisines… or is it? From what I can gather, Thai takeaway, restaurant dishes and published recipes all contain copious amounts of palm sugar, which from […]

For a long time there was a well-known café in Clovelly called SPECC, but last November a new eatery evolved in its place, and it’s called Deviate. Using ‘deviate’ as a verb, its tagline is “To where locals meet”. So will Deviate permanently lure me off my current dining path, or just be a quick […]

The Mornington Peninsula is known mostly for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and it is a sensational place for a scenic getaway. Those who know their wine will be aware of some of the famous names from the region (Yabby Lake, Kooyong and Port Phillip are a few of my favourite wineries). There are a lot […]

This recipe idea came to me whilst on a group holiday recently. It’s something I came up with when I had very few ingredients on hand but lots of hungry mouths to please. You see, we had gone BYO with most of our holiday food but toward the end of our stay the nibblies supply […]