Love is in the Air
Dishes to Impress, Seduce, and Spoil Your Boo. When I was single, I absolutely employed cooking in my dating arsenal. Food was my love language and, frankly, my best flirting strategy.
A Season for Slowing and Sharing
At this time of year, I think of everyone working in retail and hospitality. I was one of them for most of my life. The pressure to go the extra mile is real, especially when you are already stretched thin. This year feels different.
Palate Nudges and a Very Good Eggplant Dish
Our ideas of what is normal to eat begin at home. They stretch and shift as we venture further into the world, gathering influences from friends, cultures, travel, and the happenstance of what we’re offered.
Grounded: Notes From a Hands-On Cook
Some days, the kitchen feels like the only place that makes sense. A space where you actually touch the world instead of scrolling past it. Cooking feels so much better than watching cooking.
What We Pass On: A Story of Omelettes and Cookie Swaps
Traditions don’t enter into the world fully formed. They start as a good idea at the time. You gather a few people, raise a glass to something worth celebrating and somewhere between the food, the laughter and the decision to do it again next month/year/season, a tradition quietly slips into existence.
Saltwater Memories and Seafood Suppers
I never used to cook a lot of seafood at home. I didn’t need to; if I wanted a delicious seafood meal, I’d just visit my parents. It took until I was in my forties to really start cooking seafood at home on a regular basis. Pan-frying the odd fillet of Atlantic salmon doesn’t count.
Joy of the In-Between: Why Apéro Matters
Here’s to apéro hour — not a meal, not an afterthought, but a celebration of the small things done well. A drink that feels earned. A snack that sparks conversation. A reminder that joy often lives in the in-between.
The Spoon Test: Learning to Trust Your Palate
If I had to name one habit that makes the biggest difference in how I cook, it wouldn’t be knife skills, fancy equipment, or even the quality of the ingredients. It would be this: tasting as I go.
From Peas to Philosophy: The Art of the Tweak
There’s a school of thought that treats recipes as sacred texts — immutable, untouchable, to be followed exactly lest your dinner collapse in shame. I am not enrolled at that school. I transferred long ago to the far more chaotic (and frankly more fun) institution of Recipes as Templates.
Katsu, Curry, and Omurice: The Case for Fusion
Somewhere along the way, fusion became a bad word. It used to mean excitement, creativity on a plate, and borders blurred in the best way. When did fusion lose its charm?
Nigella, Delia, and Grease-Stained Pages
I’m revisiting my own well-loved cookbooks — Nigella’s for pure comfort, and Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course for nostalgia. There’s also a small-batch recipe for Oatmeal Parkin, the kind of sticky ginger cake that makes rainy days something to look forward to. Put the kettle on, and let’s talk about flour, memory, and finding joy in the bake.
Cabbage: The Humble Powerhouse of the Vegetable World
Unfortunately, cabbage has a reputation problem. Too many people first meet it boiled beyond recognition, limp and overtly sulfurous. But when prepared with a little care, cabbage delivers main character vibes in spades.
A Reluctant Eater’s Guide to Surviving Breakfast
I’ve always struggled with breakfast. Even now, as I sit down to write this, it’s 10:40am and the only reason I’m eating now is because we’re going out for a 1pm lunch. If I skip food until then, I will be very unpleasant to be around.
Dinner in a Hurry: Quick Fixes, Clever Shortcuts, and the Ingredient That Matters Most
From microwaved eggs exploding on the ceiling to lasagne that takes all day and leaves me too tired to eat it… I’ve been rethinking how we cook when we’re in a hurry. Spoiler: flavour doesn’t have to be sacrificed.
Small Touches, Big Impact: Quick Wins for Tired Cooks
Some days cooking feels like a slog and you need a little something extra to make your meal sing. The good news is you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen – or restaurant-grade equipment – to create that sense of “oof, that’s special.”
Fun Frugal Dinners: Retro Recipes Worth Reviving
The weekly grocery shop seems to creep higher every time, yet most of us still want dinners that feel comforting, nourishing, and satisfying. When budgets are tight, the temptation is to think of “cutting back” as a joyless exercise. But there’s another way to approach it.
Three Bottles of Worcestershire and No Noodles? Your Pantry Needs a Reset
If you’ve ever gone looking for one ingredient and instead uncovered culinary archaeology, it might be time to give your pantry a proper spring clean. Here’s how I tackled mine.
When the Market Whispers Spring
Winter’s hanging on with both hands, but the market is starting to tell a different story. Between the beetroot and borlotti, I’m spotting the first shy hints of spring – spears of asparagus, tropical perfume, and produce that whispers of warmer days ahead. Here’s what I’ve been finding (and cooking) while we wait for summer tomatoes to make their grand return.
5 Recipe Green Flags: What I Look for Before I Cook Anything
There’s something magical about a good recipe. It’s more than a list of ingredients and steps. As a food writer and home cook, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what makes a recipe worth coming back to.
Texture Is the Secret Ingredient to Great Taste
When it comes to good food, most of us know when something just hits right. Maybe it’s that crunchy bite of roast potatoes, the silky spoonful of a well-made custard, or the contrast of crisp greens and creamy dressing in a salad. We say ‘it tastes amazing’ but what we’re actually loving is more than just flavour.
Salt Smart, Pepper Wisely: The Home Cook’s Flavour Guide
For many home cooks seasoning is often rushed or left to the last minute. But with just a bit more attention to when and how we add salt and pepper, we can transform simple meals into something much more satisfying.
Spice It Up: A Quick Guide to Buying, Storing and Cooking with Spices
Whether you’re dipping a toe into new spice territory or deep-diving into your pantry’s potential, spices are here to help you cook with more confidence, creativity, and joy.
Prep Now, Thank Yourself Later: Flexible Meal Planning for Busy Weeks
Life’s about to get hectic. A bit of prep now means I’ll be feeding future-me well without the fuss. Read my 7 top tips so you too can be a meal prep girlie.
Pantry Plot Twist: Surprising Recipe Ideas That Flip the Script on Familiar Foods
We all have those ingredients we buy on autopilot. What if those pantry and fridge staples could do more than their usual tricks?
Whether you’re trying to avoid food waste, inject some fun into your meal routine, or just impress yourself with a little creativity, these recipes give common kitchen items a delicious new identity.
Decoding Common Kitchen Terms
I’ve been teaching a friend some basic recipes and it strikes me that very often those in the food and hospitality industries forget that not everyone understands their language. Did you watch The Bear and now you say “Behind!” when in your own kitchen? Do you know why?
Autumn Fruits to Fall For
Autumn in Australia is bursting with some of the most flavour-packed, cook-friendly fruits of the year. Let’s take a look at six of the stars of the season—plus a few tips on picking, storing and enjoying them at their peak.
DIY or buy?
Homemade vs. Store-Bought: What’s Worth the Effort? As a devoted foodie, I love cooking, but that doesn’t mean I make everything from scratch. There are some foods I always buy for convenience, while others I prefer to make because they taste better, suit my dietary needs, or help me reduce food waste.
Autumn Brings the Best Cheese Moments
As the crisp autumn air sets in, cheese lovers are rubbing together their hands – not to keep warm but in anticipation of all the cheese they’ll soon be enjoying.
Making a meal for the most important person
Eating solo means eating however I like and that includes licking the plate. I’ve never been one for breakfast in the morning, yet I’ll happily tuck into bacon and eggs at 3 p.m. And let’s be real—who hasn’t eaten cereal for dinner?
Easy Entertaining
After years in hospitality and catering, these are my best tips for helping everything run smooth, whatever the occasion. And most importantly, be present and enjoy yourself. It’s supposed to be fun after all.
Lasagne Love Letter
Generally, I’ll make the bechamel and the ragu ahead of time and assemble the whole thing whilst it’s cold. You choose what suits you. Chunking the workload is more achievable for me most days but if I’m in the mood, I can get it done in a day. Yes, it’s a project but then I never promised otherwise.
Respite
We’ve been travelling for less than two weeks and I feel the need for some breathing space from the festive dining and drinking but also from the continuous forward momentum that travel involves.
Memories of Dinner Parties Past
I peek around the door jamb and pull at tufts of the yellow shag pile carpet. Even now I can smell the stale dust odour of that carpet and hear the chaotic conversation mixed with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass echo into the hallway.
Cooking From Memory
The octopus legs I purchased were already fully cooked so they just needed some grilling or frying for colour and texture.
Maximum Impact Minimum Effort
I have many kitchen creeds: recipes are ideas not just a set of instructions; if you’re going to turn the oven on, cook more than just one thing; balance of textures is just as important as balance of flavours; eat something green with every meal; woo the eater with visuals first. You get the idea..
Bangin’ BBQs
I’ll often use my bbq on weeknights when I want to cook something quickly at a high heat without setting off the apartment’s smoke alarm. Yes, I speak from experience.
The Humble Mollusc
My best tips for cooking with mussels, why we should eat more and even a recipe for you to get started.