From the category archives:

Wild foraging

Foraging for abalone and a recipe for abalone and chicken congee

October 9, 2011

Foraging is the new black. No longer solely a pastime of individual or community hippies, herbalists, naturalists or ethnic groups – foraging is going mainstream and from the highly specialised and exclusive kitchens of Noma to local commercial kitchens, foraged food is finding its way onto menus and plates everywhere. It’s encouraging but not entirely [...]

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A New York food pilgrimage from Katz to lobsters

July 21, 2011

Being “The Tourist” is usually an unsavoury concept for those who deem themselves as worldly and widely travelled. They are words that are spat out with arrogant contempt and unbridled pity when you’re in the know and count hole-in-the-wall joints and speak easy underground bars amongst your “local hangouts” and are on first name terms [...]

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Frisbees, tiles and lessons in wastage from Wasted popup

May 28, 2011

What’s the most adventurous, most challenging thing you’ve ever eaten? That was the question I posed to my friend, Jo, as we waited outside Ten Buck Alley – the location of Wasted, a new pop-up restaurant in Darlinghurst offering a value-packed 6 course degustation for $70 or matched wines for $120. Most pop up restaurants [...]

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Foraging for sea urchin roe

May 22, 2011

Or should that be sea urchin gonads? Let’s not beat about the bush here. There’s no “roe” per se, the revered Italian ricci di mare or Japanese uni you find atop sushi is actually one of 5 gonad segments in a sea urchin. Didn’t think you’d ever eat reproductive organs? Sorry to burst that bubble. [...]

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Paddock to Plate: Pulled beef and pine mushroom cannelloni

April 8, 2011

There are plenty among us that have heard of mock meat or the more “appealingly” named, meat analogue where things like soy protein, wheat or vegetable protein are moulded, flavoured and transformed into the likeness of your everyday meaty goodies. My intriguing local mock meat store sells a mind boggling array of curious meat phonies [...]

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Foraging for pine mushrooms and yabbies in Belanglo State Forest

March 19, 2011

For most people when a stranger makes contact and invites you to Belanglo State Forest, it sets off alarm bells at orifice-damaging decibels. And… you might consider my decision to accept the invitation a sure fire bet to win me a Darwin award. For those unfamiliar with the infamous Belanglo State Forest, it is a [...]

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My top 10 memorable food holidays

December 25, 2010

What a whirlwind year! 2010 has zipped past me like the Stig in a speeding Koenigsegg, with only the whispering ghosts of his lingering cologne as a souvenir to remind you that anything ever happened. Whilst we still have days to go till we launch into 2011, it’s not premature of me to call it [...]

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Diary of an amateur mushroom forager

November 30, 2010

Obsession [noun] – an idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on one’s mind. I am prone to phases of intense obsession. The infuriating elusive bird that is STILL periodically waking me up at 5am has launched a small obsessive phase of compulsive bird spotting. My obsessions seem to keen my senses into hyperdrive [...]

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Anaconda hunting and piranha fishing in the Amazon pampas

September 26, 2010

I’ve always had a fascination with wildlife documentaries. Long before I discovered Sir David Attenborough and his mesmerising BBC documentaries chronicling creatures one can only imagine, as a child I was addicted to the weekly program, “The World Around Us” and more than a little in awe of Malcolm Douglas and the deft ease with [...]

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Foraging for truffles at the Truffle Festival, Canberra

June 26, 2010

Did someone say “truffles”? For months, FineDiner and I have been anticipating the Truffle Festival in Canberra. When the details were finally released on the website we booked ourselves in for truffle laden long lunch at Senso (it took a persistent and enthusiastic FineDiner to convince the establishment to take our booking before they were [...]