I look forward to baking this cake in autumn when mandarins are at their peak; some varieties continue into June and winter, which gives you time to get into the kitchen and start baking. In this cake, the lusciousness of the pistachios and the sweetness of the mandarins, make a perfect and flavoursome match. They [...]
One of my favourite dishes to cook in my French cooking class used to be salmon en croûte. However, over the past few years or so I have been made aware of the shocking and shameful state of our ‘once treasured and prized’ Tasmanian salmon industry. So, I no longer use salmon; I have replaced [...]
Preparing for the weekend Italian classes, I was reading a lovely book called Acquacotta: recipes and stories from Tuscany’s secret silver coast, by Emiko Davies, given to me, recently, by my dear friend Jenny Peters. Along with some wonderful Tuscan recipes, Emiko mentions the story of Stone Soup or in Italian zuppa di sasso. This [...]
One of the world’s most expensive foods is the truffle. Truffle hunting – called le cavage - was always one part of our week’s program at la Combe en Périgord. Nearby to our village of Les Eyzies, is a tiny village called Pechalifour, where Edouard Aynaud, the trufficulteur, lives on his truffle farm, Truffe en [...]
I received this email from a friend and thought I need to share the information with you. The meat glue story has been going for some time and I see this is dated 2011! Interestingly, I was just talking to my cooking class over the weekend about meat glue as we prepared and cooked our [...]
Last week we had three days of classes cooking our Mediterranean – Touch of Spice. All those wonderful flavours of the region; this time we featured Morocco, Egypt, Spain, Italy, Greece and the Middle East. The flavours are robust and intense, the textures varied and the aromas rich and heady. At home you can cook [...]
I love my early morning walks along the foreshore at St Kilda. They are a great start to my day, allowing me to think, plan, revitalise whilst absorbing the beauty of the bay. No matter what the weather it is always lovely, and on very still mornings you can see up to 5 or 6 [...]
All the seasons bring us their special fresh fruits and vegetables. It is nature’s way of ensuring that we have a varied diet. Summer is always much anticipated for its delicious fresh fruits – all the berries, stone fruits, tamarilloes, persimmons, pomegranates and the sweetest and oldest of them all – figs. The fig is [...]
Cooking on the Bay opened in June this year with the first class A Taste of Melbourne – Modern Australian Cuisine. Since then the classes have rolled on with many happy cooks coming through our doors...thanks to you all for contributing to a very happy and successful year at Cooking on the Bay. It is [...]
The best way to learn French is to live in France. So go to the Nancy University L’Ecôle d’Eté and spend July learning French! It was a wonderful three month visit to France. Barging, touring, cooking at La Combe and studying French at L’Ecôle d’Eté, Summer School at Nancy University. The [...]
