IMBB#17: Green tea and almond cookies

Tea. n A clump of dead leaves steeped in hot water to create an aromatic drink.Of course not!As this month's host of IMBB, Clement, points out, tea is embedded with ritual. The Japanese are famous for their highly ritualised green tea ceremony. The English elegantly partake in a Devonshire tea of scones with jam and cream (altho' the way I pile on the cream negates any sense of dignity). And in

Flying Fish and Chips, Pyrmont

I've been the pitiful victim of constant overtures on the gastronomic joys of Flying Fish.Friends have waxed lyrical about the Sri Lankan snapper curry, others have raved on about the divine seafood degustation, and head chef Peter Kuruvita seems to be forever popping up in the pages of Good Living.So when we found ourselves heading back to the car after last month's Growers Markets at Pyrmont,

Grab Your Diary, 28 July - 22 August

SATURDAY 30 JULY 2005Organic Expo 2005Browse and sample organic food and wine at the first ever Organic Expo in Sydney. Free seminar presenters include Kylie Kwong and Stephanie Alexander.Where: Bayside Banquet Hall, Sydney Convention Centre, Darling HarbourTickets: $10 (Students $8, kids under 14 years are free)Orange Grove MarketsOrange Grove Public School, Perry Street, Leichhardt8am-1pm,

Chopsticks in Chinatown sweet conclusion: Emperors Garden and Passionflower, Haymarket

There is no such thing as too much dessert.Besides, we needed a little pick-me-up after an entire day of photographing, shopping, snacking and er, eating.After a quick whip-around the Emperor's Garden bakery--tray in one hand, tongs in the other--Saffron is keen to have an Emperor's Puff, a gastronomic urge I am obliged to help satisfy.It's not hard to see why any foodie wouldn't be addicted. A

Chopsticks in Chinatown, Part IV: Thai Kee Supermarket, Haymarket

I love supermarkets.Some people spend their weekends at the art gallery. Others go hiking. Whereas I'm quite happy to browse through the aisles of a supermarket for hoooouuuuurrrrrs.Of course when you're in an 'ethnic' supermarket, there are even more things to examine and scrutinise.Saffron, Pinkcocoa, Shin Chan and I headed to Thai Kee supermarket in Chinatown's Market City after a morning of

It's a Big Ad

It's not like I normally push the joys of amber nectar, but this latest campaign by Carlton Draught is an endearing mix of Iron Chef melodrama with Aussie bloke larrikinism.EDIT 11.30pm 25 JUL 05: Apparently the ad was created by by George Patterson Partners and shot in New Zealand, using 300 actors and more than 20,000 computer-generated men. The director credit to the "Academy Award-winning

Northside Produce Market, July 2005

We sniffed, poked and taste-tested our way around Northside Produce Market last weekend. Once again the sun was shining, wicker baskets and canvas carry bags were in abundance, and it seemed like anyone who was anyone was sporting a pampered pooch as well.L-R: Coriander and chilli pesto; pistachio and green olive pesto; and rocket and almond pesto from Pastabilities.Their chilli jam is dee-lish

Anzac biscuits

Anzac biscuits are as quintessentially Australian as Vegemite and lamingtons. Ensconced in national pride and beheld with reverent affection, Anzac biscuits were originally developed by hardworking mothers and wives, keen to send biscuits to their loved ones at the battlefront of World War I.The word Anzac is an anagram of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, who suffered heavy losses

Chopsticks in Chinatown Part III: Lucky Thai Sweets, Haymarket

Lucky Thai Sweets and Video.Remember that name.For it promises a hidden plethora of sweet nothings, exquisite in shape and size, bountiful in type, and lovingly infused or immersed with a tropical sarong of coconut.Saffron, Pinkcocoa, Shin Chan and I were in the midst of our Chinatown Gastro-Journey. We'd breakfasted on yumcha, we'd done some dim sum (the take-home kind) and now it was time to

Grab Your Diary, 21 July - 22 August

THURSDAY 21 JULY 2005Does My Blog Look Good In This #7By my calcuations, you have about 15 hours to submit your favourite June photo to this month's host, Lynette from Lex Culinaria to be included in the peer-judged gallery of food porn.SATURDAY 23 JULY 2005Ashfield Gourmet Food and Wine MarketSt. Johns Anglican Church Grounds (Bland and Alt Streets), Ashfield11.00am - 4.00pm, 2nd and 4th

Bastille Day @ La Peniche, Stanmore

What better way to celebrate a gaol break than in the company of friends, with plenty of good food, wine and a restaurant all to ourselves?We headed to La Peniche in Stanmore for a special Bastille week themed dinner. We've been here before, and the allure of a private venue, a French host and nil corkage was *hic*, just too good to resist.We entered the tiny (but festively decorated) dining area

Chopsticks in Chinatown, Part II: Dim sum fun

Sticky rice bun from Lai Shing Dim SumIf you can't make it to yumcha, or even if you have just have, take-home dimsum enables dumpling goodness either at home or via the office microwave.Despite the efforts of our yum cha extravaganza still making its way through our digestive tract, Pinkcocoa, Shin Chan, Saffron and I head across Chinatown for more dim sum... the portable kind.First we head to

Chopsticks in Chinatown, Part I: Dragon Star, Haymarket

EDIT January 18, 2009: Dragon Star has closed and re-opened as China Grand.After relishing every minute of our action-packed spice tour hosted by Saffron, it seemed only fair that Pinkcocoa and I reciprocate the exchange of foodie fun with our very own shop-fest around Sydney's Chinatown.Of course a responsible foodblogger should never photograph on an empty stomach, so we headed straight for

Hot, blonde and full of kisses

Nic from bakingsheet has recently organised Blogging by Mail, an international baking spectacular involving twenty-two participants baking goodies for their fellow food bloggers.So when I received a package on Thursday I was amazed at the speed at which my bakee had dispatched their package (names and addresses were only distributed 10 days before). That is until I realised that my sweet parcel

New comments feature

Thanks to the tireless efforts by Ebenezer Orthodoxy from Blogger Hacks, you can now check out the five most recent comments and their authors by merely scrolling down the right-hand side panel.So if you comment, not only will I feel validated and abashed with joy (yes, it really does make my day), but you, too, will bask in fleeting fame.Who could ask for more?So grab your mouse and make a

SHF #10: Honey snaps

I love honey drizzled on toasted crumpets, dolloped onto hot buttered toast, spooned into peppermint tea and used to add a sweet caramelised glaze to everything from roast pumpkin to honey soy chicken wings.So the theme of honey for this month's Sugar High Friday seemed easy-peasy. Until, as usual, I panicked as I rifled through recipe books, consulted the Internet and put on my thinking cap

Good Food Show, 3 July 2005

We look forward to the Good Food Show (or the Good Food and Wine Show, as it's more accurately called) every year. Foodstuffs, samples, celebrity chefs, samples, cooking demonstrations, new products--and did I mention the samples? =)As always, the place was packed to the rafters on Sunday, the final day. At 10am, when the doors opened, a crowd of 300 had already gathered at the entrance and by

Grab Your Diary, 14 July - 10 August

FRIDAY 15 JULY 2005Sugar High Friday #10: HoneyGet your sweet treat to Nic from Baking Sheet for this month's Sugar High Friday.SATURDAY 16 JULY 2005Northside Produce MarketMiller Street, North Sydney (between Ridge and McLaren Streets)8.00am - 12.00pm, 3rd Saturday of every monthTHURSDAY 21 JULY 2005Does My Blog Look Good In This #7Submit your favourite June photo to this month's host, Lynette

Snapped: Winter sunshine

View from Pyrmont Bay Park looking out towards the Sydney Harbour Bridge, 2 July 2005.A quick snap as we headed back to the car after our monthly trek to the Pyrmont Growers Market. The skies were a heartwarming blue and the palm trees amongst grass reminded me of those touch footy scenes from The Secret Life of Us.We soaked up our bonus winter dose of Vitamin D before we stuffed the boot with

Cafe Kasturi, Haymarket

We'd been curious about Cafe Kasturi ever since it opened on George Street three months ago. Boarded up for months and months, suddenly there was glass frontage, modern signage and more Ikea-style furniture than you could poke an Allen key at.

So it seemed like the perfect candidate for Sarah's latest instalment of Dine & Dish #3: The Freshman, where bloggers were urged to post on a restaurant

Spice Up Your Life Part III: Janani Sweets, Homebush

We'd stuffed our bags with spices, we'd stuffed our stomachs with lunch and now it was time to stuff the emergency stomach with dessert.The tiny takeaway section of Janani seemed to have a constant queue of locals. We patiently waited our turn before squeezing our way in, oohing at the various goodies, and emerging with far too much sugar for our own good.Gulab jamunMilk toffeesMilk toffeesLaden

London terror attack

More than twenty-four hours have passed since the bombings in London but I am still in shock and deep sadness.Having spent 2.5 wonderful years based in London, it has been chilling to recognise the streets, landmarks and tube stations which were once an everyday part of my life. Watching the images of aftermath has been surreal. I cannot imagine how Londoners must feel.Thankfully, my dear friends

Grab Your Diary, 7-24 July

SATURDAY 9 JULY 2005Ashfield Gourmet Food and Wine MarketSt. Johns Anglican Church Grounds (Bland and Alt Streets), Ashfield11.00am - 4.00pm, 2nd and 4th Saturday of every monthMONDAY 11 JULY 2005Dine & Dish #3: The FreshmanThis month Sarah urges us to get out there and welcome a new restaurant on the block.Paper Chef #8 entries dueSubmit your culinary masterpiece featuring the theme ingredients

EoMEoTE #8: Something fishy

"Here's a story........ of a lovely lady,Who was bringing up three very lovely giiiiirrrrrrllllls.All of them had hair of gooooold--""Can you stop singing that song Jan? It's driving me crazy." Marcia sighed. "And besides, you better get this blindfold off me cos Chip is picking me up in half an hour, and you know I have cheerleading practice this afternoon... and all the girls voted me to be at

Spice Up Your Life Part II: Janani, Homebush

"I have this place in mind for lunch; it's a little plain and dodgy-looking so I hope you're not too disappointed."

We'd spent Sunday morning on an Indian and Sri Lankan spice tour led by fellow foodblogger Saffron. Pinkcocoa and I had discovered gulab jamun, idli and stringhoppers in the aisles of various grocery shops and, after three hours of relentless pavement pounding and compulsive

Spice Up Your Life: Saffron's Spice Tour

One of the best things about having a food blog is meeting other food bloggers. People who are similarly passionate about what they consume, who showcase amazing feats of culinary creativity, and who share it all so willingly and with such dedication for the visual hedonistic enjoyment of passing strangers.I love that I can tap into a network of homecooks, dining critics and chocaholics. I love

Pyrmont Growers' Market

Olive oils from Pukara EstateAfter a week of heavy rain (which yes, we did need), it was nice to see the sun again today. With clear blue skies as far as the eye could see, Sydney foodies made their monthly pilgrimage to the ever-popular Pyrmont Growers' Markets, soaking up the sun with a lizard-like affection.And each time we're at Pyrmont, I will--without fail--bump into someone I know. Hardly

Aniseed it, and you don't...

Mango and green apple liquorice from Darrell LeaDarrell Lea's soft-eating liquorice is always a firm favourite. Forget the Dutch-style salty liquorice, the gaudy liquorice all-sort, the tarted-up liquorice bullet. Darrell Lea liquorice straight from the packet is manna from heaven; soft, pliable and sweet with aniseed.So we were intrigued and excited when Darrell Lea released two new flavours: