Photo credit – Tamara Erbacher. Styling credit – Lucienne Bowden I am in the throes of the most amazing experience and journey in the making of my second book. On Thursday this week, I handed in the final manuscript to my amazing (& patient) publisher. There were tears from me (exhausted and elated) as […]
We had the absolute enormous pleasure of welcoming Rosa Mitchell to Relish Mama last Saturday. Our guests were treated to an up close and personal experience with one very special lady and a very passionate foodie. Rosa works damn hard here in Melbourne and spreading her message here and afar. She is soon off to […]
An excellent vegetarian feast was enjoyed yesterday at Relish Mama. Our fabulous and passionate Caroline Gray was behind the big Relish Mama bench, teaching truly wonderful Vegetarian dishes in the style of Ottolenghi. This class is very special. Lots of hands-on communal cooking followed by a vegetarian feast at the table….with wines, of course. […]
Nowruz – Persian new year – 21st March Today is Persian New Year. ‘Nowruz’ is celebrated across cultures, religions and national borders. Nowruz bring all Persians together. It unites them. Norooz marks both the beginning of a new year and the beginning of spring for Iranian families. Thirteen days of celebrations follow, filled with visiting family […]
How to make a pretty stone fruit salad…….. Oh my lordy be….how good is the stone fruit at the moment ? Certainly not as plentiful as has been in other years but they are utterly delicious am I am personally loving their versatility. Right now I am making plum cakes, I am grilling peaches on the […]
Gluten free lentil quinoa pomegranate salad For those in need of a nourishing new salad at this beautiful time of year, I’m so happy to share my gluten free lentil quinoa pomegranate salad. It’s a meal in itself, perfect for relaxed family dinners, and also a showstopper to take along when you’re asked to bring […]
I know we all associate December with cookies, cocktails, parties, pudding and turkey but what about the side dishes that really shouldn’t be called side dishes because they are stars, very much, in their own right. I think you likely know my adoration for a great salad. It’s no secret. It’s a good thing I do […]
Warming miso glazed salmon and soba noodle bowl Serves 4 Warming Miso Glazed Salmon and Soba Noodle Bowl: A Healthy and Nourishing Gluten-Free Delight Warming Miso Glazed Salmon and Soba Noodle Bowl This delicious miso-glazed salmon with soba noodles is sure to become a family favourite. It’s full of flavour, nourishing, and perfect […]
I have missed writing. It is one of the things I do for my ‘play’ and I worked out last week just how important my ‘play’ really is for my mental well-being. Yes, stating the obvious, I know but sometimes, we all forget to ‘play’. Going back a few paces, I set myself a challenge […]
I have so much to tell you right now but I worry I would bore you. Not sure anyone needs to hear my mixed emotions this week of how happy yet tired I am right now. How my feet hurt from this weeks daily15-hourr shifts yet how I don’t care because I feel so great that the […]
Invite someone over for a curry ….go on….do it! Usually, the response is an enthusiastic and loud “Ohhhhhhhhhh I love a good curry”. Sometimes it is a fist pump followed by a “yeeeeessss” but always, it’s a happy response. Curry nights are special. I love that sense of sharing, of communal dishes being passed around […]
I have the most lovely of books called ‘Lunch at the shop’ ; The Art & Practice of the midday meal by a clever man named Peter Miller. For many of us, lunch has become a rush. It is often eaten on the run without acknowledging that we need to take a break. I […]
A very quick post for a very quick yet beautiful salad. I promised this recipe to our lovely guests who attended a class at Relish Mama last Saturday. This salad is warming and nourishing and was the perfect lining before indulging in Guy Mirabella’s stunning desserts class that day. This warm cauli salad is divine […]
I swear this wholesome looking dish is not penance for anything (although I am quite looking forward to trying the pistachio and pomegranate cake that I can smell cooking in my kitchen right now in preparation for a guests birthday who is coming to a cooking class tonight. I will blog about that next […]
Poached chicken recipe Eating well is as much about great quality and nourishing produce as it is about forethought and planning. It can all go pear-shaped when you run in the door, much later than you had hoped, and have to get your head around preparing something nourishing for yourself and often others. Poached […]
I love this period between Christmas and New Year but usually for very different reasons than what I am up to this year. December is crazy (good crazy) for us and I find that when I actually get a few days at home, I become that crazy neurotic person who suddenly has an overwhelming urge […]
We taught our last Moroccan cooking class yesterday at Relish Mama. Of course, this class will be back bigger & better than ever in 2015 and in actual fact, I have added an all new menu so there are two choices now on the website. As many of you now know, the food and flavours […]
We had a pretty memorable pastry class this weekend at Relish Mama. Memorable for so many reasons in a good way but then there was also the small issue of loosing all power to the building mid class – quite memorable for me I can tell you. Our guests and Chef were incredible and truly […]
I still remember the day I had my first cooked peach. I loooooove peaches. I love all stone-fruit really but wrapping my mouth around my first barbecued peach is a moment I will never forget. My first barbecued peach was enjoyed many moons ago relaxing after dinner around a campfire with my chilled out husband […]
Spiced chicken salad I hope this finds you happy and well. I hope things are not feeling too hectic as we head towards this busy end of the year. It is not yet Christmas day, and I have thoughts and plans for Summer picnics and gatherings on our back deck and perhaps down by […]
This is for a family whom I love with all of my heart. This is for a man with more optimism and positivity than I could ever hope to possess. This is for a family who exemplify what family is. This is for you because it is how I can love you right now. […]
This is a great salad on it’s own for lunch or dinner. It can be served warm or cold and stores really well should you want to make it in advance for something special the following day. I am enjoying ‘as is’ for my lunch today as a little delicious ‘something’ given Meatless Monday has […]
We have an olive tree and it is stunning. We give this olive tree nothing….. it doesn’t get a lot of love…… it doesn’t get a lot of additional water or food and yet each and every year, for the past 10 years, it just gets better and better……it has flourished. This year, it has […]
We are drawing near to the end of another year ; another year that has flown by in a flash. We have had such a great time. This year, we added a huge amount of new and now very popular classes, introduced some very talented and highly skilled teachers to our school, we have been […]
This here salad was my contribution to our Melbourne Cup day festivities. This and a jolly bottle of bubbles! I know that it may look pretty healthy and therefore you may think….not so tasty but I can assure you that it has everything going for it. This soba noodle salad is good looking, good […]
Today marks the annual celebration and movement for healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. Although Food Day is focused on North America, its values and mission can be transferred anywhere across the world. On this special day, I thought I wanted to share some great information on Quinoa and a delicious and healthy ‘real food’ recipe […]
Grilling your vegetables is a very exciting thing to do. The flavor that it imparts adds a lot of magic to the finished dish. I love my veggies cooked like this and I love that the vegetables take centre stage here instead of hovering in the wings. I know this dish is extremely good […]
In my last blog post, I mentioned I would post our family challenge each week to our supportive and wonderful facebook community in hope that you would join us. The weekly challenge’s will have a positive impact on our health, on our planet and or on our families. The challenge for week 1 is ‘Meatless […]
I’ve had another love for quite some time now. It is a deep love. A warm affection and a constant yearning. I. love. lentils! Lentils would be my favourite of the pulses closely followed by a perfectly cooked chickpea. For those of you who are still to be convinced that the humble lentil is a […]
Firstly, Happy Easter to you all. I hope you had a lovely time with your chocolate and loved ones. Today I will not, I – absolutely – will – not, post about chocolate. This I know for sure, however sometimes I find it so hard to choose which recipe I want to write […]
How’s your ‘to do’ list going this week? I wanted to give you a little something that you can whip up and enjoy during this busy Christmas week. I can tell you first hand that these tasty zucchini fritters are best enjoyed with a Mojito. Both are extremely moor-ish and Mojito has fun written all […]
Preserved lemons are a really lovely and super easy thing to make. They add a fantastic freshness and zing to dishes. Preserved lemons can be added to rice dishes, tagines & slow cooked stews as well as salads and dressings. Delightful added to fish or poultry too (I love them with with a good roast chook). Play […]
Our fridge & freezer recently died and naturally, this happened on a day that wasn’t particularly convenient. Then again, is there ever a convenient time for your refrigerator to decide to call it a day? On the day that ours decided to go, I was hosting a lunch in honour of my Sister with twenty […]
I had too much wine last Saturday night! It was just that ‘one extra glass’ that did it – it’s such a pain that last ‘one glass’! I blame it for a lot of things like a) that I find myself, the next morning, sluggishly walking around the house humming bad tunes the likes […]
I just love putting Brussel sprouts on the menu! Not that I am a spiteful person but it is always fun to watch everyone’s faces when they arrive on the table – I do think they seem to mess with everyone’s heads! Brussel Sprout’s cop such a bad wrap, in my opinion. You are […]
It’s getting cold outside which causes me to live like a hermit, wax way less often than one should and the inevitable struggle to get the kids out of bed. The good news is, it also means wonderful, wonderful cauliflower does this make up for hairy legs??!!). This dish is delightfully simple and has […]
