Yesterday I received a lovely email from Dolce Debbie informing me that I had won her 'Name that recipe' competition and that she was going to dub her tasty new creation 'Spiced Lamb Pillows'. I was gobsmacked because 1. I never win competitions and 2. I never win competitions. Needless to say my winning mood was cut short as my conscience got the better of me. I had to come clean with Debbie and let her know that the truth of the matter was that I did not come up with the idea entirely by myself. Yes, I have to give credit where credit is due and so I confess to all and sundry that the genius behind my inspiration was none other that little Miss Hoover herself (as she refers to ravioli as 'pillow pasta'). I did suggest to Debbie that rather than mail me the winning prize she should perhaps put a lollipop in the mail for the rightful winner - Hoover!

Hence, this got me thinking about the journey thus far since launching Gourmet Worrier. I have only been blogging for six weeks and I can't begin to tell you how it has impacted my life. Apart from the fact that I never sleep (as I am constantly online a twittering, face booking, commenting or chatting) I have surprisingly made some wonderful acquaintances in a very short space of time.

The overwhelming reception has been warm and friendly despite my naiveté. Within moments of my debut I was already guilty of being in major breach of blogging 'netiquette' - dare I say it, for asking for a link exchange! I had no idea the term existed let alone being in breach of it. As far as I was concerned asking for a 'link exchange' was the equivalent to asking for a 'cup of sugar'. But I was quickly put in my place and now realise the error of my 'uncool' ways - but hey you live and learn.

Despite my major faux pars and the huge learning curve before me, fellow bloggers have been incredibly generous and helpful with their suggestions and advice - to this I thank you!  I am also blown-away by the incredible kindness I have received, thrilled about meeting new people every day, and still coming to grips with being followed by perfect strangers.

I enjoy the many conversations that now fill my day with people I would probably never get the chance to chat with due to the obvious constraints of time, geographic location, various time zones and cultural differences. For someone who is painfully introverted, deeply suspicious and at times can border on paranoid - blogging has proven to be just what the doctor ordered. And so, in reflecting on the road thus far I have only one regret and that is that I did not take up blogging years ago, as I could have saved myself a truck load of money in therapy!

As it's summer here I have packed away all my heavy double enamelled cast iron ware as we tend to use the Barbeque more during the warmer months. I must have been unconsciously pining over my Le Chasseur because the other day I found myself on the Staub website and was completely gob smacked.  I know, why would I be looking at enamelware in the midst of a record breaking heatwave? But bear with me and follow my train of thought. Summer - seafood - mussels - Staub Mussel Pot in Royal Blue thank you!



I was sold on the concept and colour even before I read the fine print. Apparently this clever contraption has a stainless steel strainer that separates the mussels from the sauce so you can jump right in and dip chunks of crusty bread into the mussel juices before the pot has left the stove. Now that's what I call ingenious. Obviously a hungry person designed this clever pot.



Mussels are one of my most favourite things to eat irrespective of the weather and one of the easiest things to make. Don't be put off by those pesky looking beards. Just pop on a pair of kitchen gloves when your de-bearding the mussels and think happy thoughts. You don't have to have a Staub Mussel Pot to cook mussels, but I'm sure it would be far tastier and a lot more fun cooking mussels in a creamy Pernod sauce in this clever little pot.

Today's mid week find is Re Jin Lee both founder and designer of Bailey Doesn't Bark. Originally from Brazil, Re Jin possessed a love for art from a young age and began to draw when she was a child. Thus 'inspired by her own life, memories and dreams, Re Jin wanted to create simple, yet humorous designs on functional products'.



Each item whether it be a cup, bowl or plate starts off as a drawing.  Re Jin will then 'either hand paint directly onto the porcelain with a ceramic glaze, or she will transfer the artwork onto ceramic decal'. Both processes of which are finished with a kiln firing. Bailey Doesn't Bark is based in New York, where Re Jin resides with 'her most loyal companion and the company's namesake - her dog (who doesn't bark) Bailey'.  Re Jin's current range is available to purchase through her online store.

Yesterday while I was flicking through this months delicious magazine I came across an inspiring article about Jim Denevan, chef and renowned land artist and founder of Outstanding in the Field. For the uninformed the sole purpose and mission of this inspiring collective 'is to re-connect diners to the land and the origins of their food and to honour the local farmers and food artisans who cultivate it'. Hence, dinner is always served 'between the soil and the sky', close to the source and next to the 'person who planted the beans, raised the lamb and shaped the cheese on your plate'.



For ten years now this roving culinary restaurant without walls has 'set the long table at farms or gardens, on mountain tops or in sea caves, on islands or at ranches'.  Sometimes the table is set indoors in a 'beautiful refurbished barn, a cool greenhouse or a stately museum'. Despite the constant change in location the theme remains consistent - 'to honour the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table.'

All that talk the other week about family traditions and succulent roast chook on a Sunday evening. Well it's way too hot here to cook let alone turn the oven on for a couple of hours, so last nights dinner was quick, green and ready in fifteen minutes. The added bonus is that it got the thumbs up from one of my two children (Hoover of course) who has now dubbed this meal 'yummy green spaghetti'. I think the child is showing all the signs of becoming a world famous food editor don't you think? Free magazine subscriptions here I come!



So in my haphazard kind of way I did a quick inventory of the pantry and fridge which was looking a bit thin by late Sunday afternoon. At my immediate disposal was - a bunch of fresh basil, a lemon, garlic, and a packet of organic spaghetti, oh and a wedge of grana padano. Milk and toilet paper are often overlooked in this household, but we are always fully stocked when it comes to the cheese department.

Hence, you do not need to be a rocket scientist to know that you are 'almost' staring pesto in the face here. I was all out of pine nuts but I did have some ground almonds. Call it genius or sheer laziness (or a bit of both), but I quickly announced to my ravenous tribe that dinner tonight was going to be 'not quite pesto and spaghetti' and if they were lucky there may even be dessert.



Not quite Pesto
Recipe source - one desperate and lazy Ms.Gourmet

Sunday is a day of rest, but one is still able to window shop or better still lounge around on a gorgeous deck chair from Ici et la. Situated in Surry Hills, Sydney, Ici et la is always high on my 'to do' list when there. It's like stepping into a little piece of France as the store is filled with gorgeous 19th century garden furniture, striking industrial pieces and quirky objet de charme for the kitchen and home.



Famed for their huge range of old and new upholstery fabrics, linens and French striped canvas deckchairs, Ice et la has since expanded and now have stores in Brisbane and Perth. Do take the time to have a look as there are shipments arriving from France on a continual basis and their range is ever-changing. Oh and the good new is they now have an online shop!

Forever the dreamer and very much the forward planner, I recently set about planning my next birthday (well it is only nine months away)! You see this year I celebrate a 'significant' birthday, one that I wish to celebrate incognito. So what better way to commemorate this momentous occasion than to leave the country for a month and go frolic in the Mediterranean.

Hence, I have been searching online for some time now for the perfect destination. Should we rent a villa in Italy or Spain? The upside is that the villa option gives us far more space and with two very active young children, space is of the essence. The villa option also comes with a fully equipped kitchen and for us that is vital, because what's a holiday without a kitchen? So a villa with a kitchen and a pool with a view would be ideal.


On the other hand we could dump the 'precious cargo' in Malta for a couple of weeks with umpteen capable babysitters who will spoil them senseless and then scoot off to Il Palagio in Italy. To take the children or not take the children, that is the question? Let me see - romantic, magical Tuscan villa in the acclaimed Chianti region with our two running, jumping, climbing children? What kind of fool do you take me for? I think the best possible scenario for all involved would be that the children stay with the relatives in Malta!

A couple of days ago I decided to get Mr Man a 'Man Bag'. When I say Man Bag I am not referring to your every day Man Bag that you see parading in and around town, but a 'Gourmet Getaway' insulated lunch bag made by that clever group BuiltNY. I love this brand because of their ability to 'transform the ordinary into the extraordinary'. And let's face it, who would have ever thought you could get such extraordinary results from mundane neoprene wetsuit material?



The reason for the Gourmet Getaway is that Mr Man often takes his lunch with him to work. He usually shoves his lunch, two pieces of fruit, nuts and protein powder into his computer bag in amongst all his other work related stuff. And so most mornings without fail you can hear him carrying on as he hastily attempts (unsuccessfully I might add) to shove everything into his computer bag. This flawed system usually results in 1. A rather squished and unappetising lunch or 2. Nasty food leakage all over small electricals and important and confidential work documents!

Today's mid week find is Lindsay Pemberton from New Zealand. Charmed by the simple domestic ritual of brewing a pot of tea led Lindsay to experiment with vintage tea cups which resulted in the -'Tea Bangle'.

Lindsay dissects vintage tea cups with a diamond saw thus giving them a new lease of life as elegant, yet surprisingly strong 'Tea Bangles'. In the same range are Lindsay's delicate 'Heart Pendants' which are made by joining two former tea cup handles to form a single heart.


Her products are 'designed to challenge our thoughts about everyday objects and rituals' and her brand 'Rekindle' is yet another great example of 'recycling the old and unloved and making it cherished again'.  Lindsay's current range is available to purchase through her online store.

Growing up I did not spend hours by my mother's side in the kitchen watching her cook, bake and serve traditional Maltese cuisine. I did not learn the secret to making the perfect Timpana, Minestra, or Aljotta. I was in a world of my own too busy studying, writing poetry and clubbing (yes I was an 80's child). In hindsight, I can safely say that I was way too self-absorbed as an adolescent to glean any pearls of wisdom that were on offer in my Mama's kitchen.

At twenty four years of age I was thrown into the kitchen as a young bride and 'hit the ground running' so to speak. I had no idea how to boil an egg let alone feed a husband. So during the first couple of years of marital bliss Mr Man did all the cooking as I happily ploughed through my Arts Degree. After a year or two of having my three square meals catered for by my loving spouse the honeymoon came  to an abrupt end as Mr Man decided that enough was enough and that I needed to acquire some new skills - Pronto!

It's suppose to be summer here in Melbourne, but with the crazy weather patterns of late and in the absence of heat and sunshine the only proof for some that summer is here would be the presence of summer fruit. Summer berries, melons, plums and stone fruit are out in force so even though it's not warm enough to go to the beach we can at least 'pretend' that it is summer by eating accordingly.

Little Miss Hoover loves peaches, bananas, watermelon and is slowly coming around to strawberries. She is still undecided as to whether or not she should add grapes and plums to her repertoire. For a girl who can eat a whole head of broccoli in one sitting, this tendency to dither over some of summer's best offerings seems completely inconsistent with her Hoover profile and tendencies. Mr Fussy on the other hand is a straight kind of apples guy. So in the absence of apples during the summer months he will eat only mangoes and strawberries.

Sunday is a day of rest, but one is still able to window shop, or better still go to an open air cinema and be entertained under the summer stars. If you are fortunate enough to live in Melbourne why not pack yourself a gourmet picnic basket for dinner and grab a bottle of your best champagne and head over to the Roof Top Cinema on top of Curtain House on 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne.



If you prefer the sea breeze on a warm summers evening then why not head over to the St Kilda Open Air Cinema which is located on the roof top of the iconic Sea Baths on 10-18 Jacka Boulevard, St.Kilda. Hence, a 'fully-licensed bar and affordable festival food complete the summer sunset vibe'. Both venues offer an eclectic program ranging from retro classics, summer hits and the best that European cinema has to offer.

If I had to choose anywhere else to live in Australia I would choose the funky, laid back beachside suburb of Avalon on Sydney's Northern beaches. Rumour has it that Avalon was apparently named after the legendary island that King Arthur's sword 'Excalibur' was forged and where he was taken after he was wounded at the Battle of Camlann (the things you read about in a food and lifestyle blog)!

Avalon is an idyllic suburb surrounded by picturesque hills overlaid with native gum trees. It boasts excellent views of both the Pittwater and Pacific Ocean and throughout the summer you will find sun gatherers and great surf. Avalon has excellent food, relaxed cafés and a variety of eclectic shops that you can spend hours rummaging through.

Hence, one of the stores I return to time and time again is The Cooks Larder on Old Barrenjoey Road.  Samantha and Dugal Mackie the owners of this lovely establishment are both passionate about food and are eager to share. So if you enjoy cooking or simply love to eat The Cooks Larder is your destination as it's a 'unique space combining a food store, delicatessen, cooking school and café'.



What I love about this place is that the quality of the food is excellent. There is also a definite Mediterranean emphasis that is evident in the products that are available at the deli. The relaxed atmosphere and Samantha and Dugal's food knowledge is also impressive. Without fail you can 'expect to find a knowledgeable staff member always on hand to assist with any cooking, food or entertaining advice and should you need more, there is a cooking class for every occasion and level of skill'.

So if Barcelona is a bit out of your reach maybe you should consider booking into one of the classes that are on offer at The Cooks Larder?  For those parents in Sydney who are at a loss during the school holidays why not enrol your budding little cook into one of the Junior Cooks classes?

You know something is amiss when all your waking hours are consumed with thoughts of plastic. Not just any kind of plastic I might add, but the only plastic that matters - Tupperware. Well a girlfriend is having a 'Plastic Party' in a couple of weeks and so last night I found myself perusing through the latest Tupperware catalogue. I generally tend to steer clear from such gatherings as I have a great aversion to anything that comes remotely close to 'party plan'. I firmly believe that the first step towards maturity is to 'know thy self' and I know that I can't deal with a room full of oestrogen charged party plan goers.

In the past I have tended to shy away from Tupperware, instead choosing to deck out my pantry with gorgeous Guzzini acrylic canisters which are not only funky but incredibly practical. Maybe my eventual concession to the Big T is symbolic of my coming of age? Or maybe it's just my unconscious attempt to reconcile myself with all that hideous orange and brown Tupperware from the 70's?

Hence, late last year I decided to push through my preconceived stereotypes and embraced healing via eBay. It still amazes me how much Tupperware can be found on that site. So with only the slightest reserve I decided to finally part with all my daggy, old, unmatching plastic and get myself a Tupperware 'Fresh n Cool Tower of Power'!  You got to admit it has a certain ring to it. For those of you who have no idea what I am on about the 'Fresh n Cool Tower of Power' range is the 'mighty sequel to Tupperware's trendy Modular Mates'.

Tupperware - Fresh n' Cool
 

Today's mid week find is Rae Dunn from San Francisco. Rae is inspired by the simple forms that surround her and 'finds beauty in simple shapes, natural forms and found objects'. You can visit her website to view her complete line of plates, cups, bowls and platters. Rae also has a manufactured line that is sold throughout America.



Items found in her Etsy store are often only one of a kind pieces and limited editions. You can also contact her directly for custom made orders. Do take the time to have a look as Rae's work as it is stunning in its simplicity and 'deceivingly straightforward'.

I don't know about you but I can't face the world, breakfast, school lunch boxes, my bulging inbox, Twitter, Facebook or my children for that matter before my morning coffee. Call it ritual, habit, addiction or basic primal need - my brain just does not work before coffee.

Some people find that they can't function before their early morning yoga session, ten minute shower or five mile run around the river. Hence, for me it's all about the coffee. That first morning caffé latte is both life giving and vital, for it is like an internal shower that flushes away all of life's impurities and some how magically assists in aligning the planets! Everything just 'sounds better, looks brighter and tastes better'... after that first coffee.

Photo - Enzo Maisano (2008).






























Now when I say 'coffee' I am not talking about any old coffee I am talking about Genovese coffee which is made right here in Melbourne. Over the years Genovese has endeavored to 'provide the Australian market with a true Italian espresso coffee experience'.  And so the company prides itself in being a 'third generation family owned company' and is passionate about the traditions that have been handed down to them. Their 'product is roasted and blended using artisan techniques and state of the art equipment, and as such the Genovese Espresso Coffee experience is second to none'.

I have tried many brands of coffee over the years and have drunk coffee in four of the seven major continents. I have also been fortunate enough to have experienced having my caffeine needs fulfilled at the coffee Mecca itself - Roma! Although it was quite a buzz to stand in a bar in the heart of Rome, surrounded by stylish Romans drinking their morning cappuccino or afternoon espresso I was sadly underwhelmed by the coffee itself. Don't get me wrong - Rome was, is and ever will be breathtaking and without flaw, but when it comes to coffee - Genovese to me is - 'the world's greatest coffee'.

Photos - Enzo Maisano (2008).


Well that's my humble opinion with regard to coffee - the comments box is all yours! Oh and thank you Enzo for doing the coffee justice.

Without conscious effort and quite unexpectedly I have started a family tradition of my own. Of course all good family traditions (well in my family) centre on food, so why should I deviate from the simplistic genius of my ancestors? Well my newly acquired family tradition consists of an uncomplicated roast chicken of a Sunday evening - simple, rustic, peasant food.

Never one to hoard, I am more than happy to share the secret of my success. There are only a few things that you need to adhere to at the outset to ensure perfection is achieved every time (well every Sunday in my case). Firstly, your chicken needs to be organic and I find the Inglewood chooks are superb, as the 'taste and texture is superior, the meat lean and succulent'. Secondly, and most importantly your splendid organic chook can be taken to a whole new realm with just the simplest of tweaking. Hence, the way I tweak is by shoving unwaxed lemons, a handful of organic garlic and fresh bay leaves 'up the Jacksie' - works without fail every time!

Sunday is a day of rest, but one is still able to window shop. Here are just a few items from one of my favourite French brands Côté Bastide. Hence, Côté Bastide draws it's inspiration from forgotten lessons in an attempt to 'reawaken our dormant senses' so to 'remind us of the simple pleasures in life'.



Their kitchen range includes glazed ceramics, exquisite table and pantry linen, stunning glassware and various other gorgeous accessories. Thus, Côté Bastide rediscovers life's daily pleasures 'to be enjoyed, shared and never to be forgotten'.

Some people dream about lying on a secluded beach with a gorgeous view and a great novel. I on the other hand fantasise about running away for a couple of weeks to Italy, France or Spain and learn to cook like a local. But having recently dumped my two children with my mother for two weeks while Mr Man and I flitted off to Malta and Italy, I think I am deluding myself into believing that I will be on a plane again any time soon!

Hence, I have been hinting to Mr Man for some time now that I am not interested in him getting me an eternity ring as I would much prefer if he gifted me with a ticket to Spain and sent me on my merry way for a couple of weeks to cook with Alicia at the Catacurian in Barcelona. My logic is that an eternity ring would just sit on 'my' hand for only 'me' to admire, but the advantage of me going to Spain would be far reaching and would in turn benefit the whole family!

So - the eternity ring or the Catacurian Cooking School, that is the million dollar question that is currently being debated at our house at the moment? I know what I want but how about you take a look at this captivating video and decide for yourself (and then maybe help me convince Mr Man that the only real answer is Spain)!

 

And then after I have stuffed myself senseless in Barcelona and learnt to cook and eat like a local, and filled my suitcase with one too many pairs of shoes I could head back home (via Roma of course) to do a little more shopping at ZARA. That reminds me again - why don't we have ZARA in Australia?

All this talk about garlic and I failed to mention probably the best innovative gadget that gives you perfectly minced garlic - every time. In the past I have had your normal run of the mill garlic press, which I not only found to be fiddley (as you could only mince one clove at a time), but also proved to be rather difficult to clean.



The Garlic Twist on the other hand is an ingenious gadget that leaves the problem prone, hard to clean, garlic press for dead. As well as being easy to clean and dishwasher safe you can mince up to four cloves of garlic in it at one time! No - Garlic Twist are not paying me to write this, I just happen to use a lot of garlic (locally grown, organic, purple garlic that is) when cooking and this little gem is brilliant!



Hence, at the 'heart of each Garlic Twist is a matching set of cross cutting mincing teeth that allows garlic to be minced to perfection'.  Oh and did I mention they come in range of colours? I opted for the rather dazzling shade of red as I have this red thing happening in my kitchen at the moment. How about I stop talking about the thing and you go watch the demonstration video for yourself?

Today's mid week find is Asya Palatova the founder of Gleena. Originally from St. Petersburg in Russia, Asya spent many endless summers as a child at her family dacha, a Russian country house. There in amongst her grandmothers 'carefully tended gardens and apple trees' the dacha proved to be a constant source of inspiration for Asya. Hence, Asya 'merges classical and modern to develop objects with a purity of form that compels people to touch and use them'.

Some people enjoy lighting scented candles so to fill their homes with the wonderful fragrance of cardamom and fig, Genoa lemon basil or vervaine olive leaf. Others prefer to burn essential oils, whilst some enjoy the scent of cinnamon and orange or candied fruit incense from Provence. I however have always been partial to the heady scent of freshly crushed garlic sizzling in a pan of extra virgin olive oil.

I don't know what it is about the smell and aroma of garlic, but the moment I get a whiff of it my whole being begins to unwind and let go. Bizarre I know and to be honest who cares, I just know that garlic does it for me - all the time!



A few years ago I thought I might try my hand at growing my own garlic so that we were guaranteed a constant supply. 

Having school age children is a wonderful thing. No longer is Mr Fussy the dependant being that he was at two years of age. At age eight, he is beginning to define his personality, make his own choices and develop his own likes and dislikes. One surprising thing for us as parents was how quickly he was confronted with 'peer pressure'. This can present itself in all sorts of ways such as him 'needing' to have the latest toys or gadgets that Sam has. Or 'needing' to watch the same television shows as his mates so that he can keep up with the play ground chitchat, or 'needing' to play the same after school sport as little sporty Tom.

We have done several things in an attempt to educate and curb the inevitable onslaught of senseless consumerism in our family. Our first line of defence has been to stick a big 'NO JUNK MAIL' sign on our mail box outside. This seems to be an effective strategy, in that we are able to circumvent the plethora of marketing directed at our children by way of the noxious 'catalogue'. Phase two of our plan has been a conscious decision to only allow the children to watch non commercial TV (in Australia that's ABC Kids), or their own DVD's. Hence, if these two lines of defence fail I then resort to my 'Needs vs. Wants' argument in an attempt to tackle the almost daily plea - "please can I have?". If for whatever reason all else fails I then break into my 'Landfill' soliloquy which up to date seems to stop all protests and clear the room in four seconds flat!

Sunday is a day of rest, but one is still able to window shop. Here are some stunningly bright resin pieces 'hand made with love' from one of my favourite Australian design teams (Olsen, Ormandy & Rossler) aka Dinosaur Designs. Fret not if you are unable to get to one of their stores in person as they now have an online store on their website.

Calder 2007



Mother Nature 2008

I've got this ongoing love affair with smoked salmon - I just can't get enough of the stuff!  Unfortunately my family does not share this passion with me, and this pains me to no end. I thought I may have had an ally in little Miss Hoover but she has proven to be the loudest protester insisting on calling it 'stinky pink fish'. Needless to say my covert campaign over the years with smoked salmon has proven futile as my efforts have been systematically met with a consistent and unified 'yuck'. Alas, smoked salmon is now the thing I eat when I'm alone and I think I have come to terms with this.

I remember returning from my first obstetrician's appointment when I was pregnant with my son, with a hand full of literature detailing all the things I could and could not eat. High on the list of taboo foods was smoked salmon and closely ranked after that was soft cheese (but that's a whole other story in itself)! I can't begin to express my utter indignation and disbelief. I mean how absurd  - women in France, Italy and Spain are not treated this way whilst pregnant so why was I to be deprived in such a ludicrous manner? It was as if someone had pulled the rug out from under me and in this case it was Dr Ras (my 6.4ft, red headed, burly looking obstetrician)!

Would you think ill of me if I admitted to waking in the morning having blissfully dreamt about Glick's boiled bagels smothered with cream cheese, piled high with smoked salmon and a sprinkling of capers and salad greens? Well I did on countless occasions and worked myself into such a state that on one particular morning I had the most terrible altercation with Dr Ras accusing him of negligence because of the senseless smoked salmon moratorium. I insisted that both myself and my unborn child were missing out on a whole host of vital nutrients that could only be found in smoked salmon.

As I sit here this morning sipping my 'effervescente al limone' trying to silence the rumbling emanating from within, I feel my new year's mantra begin to form. I have the power to say no to chocolate, custard, cream and sugar (and to second helpings of tiramisu) - say it out loud Ms Gourmet 'no thank you I have had an elegant sufficiency'...

I will begin again!

As last years festive season comes to a sad close and is all but a fleeting memory, and life begins to return to its normal rhythm and rhyme, I feel my resolve begin to stir as my mental list of 'resolutions' grow (even as I type) - I will exercise more, I will resume my gym membership...

I will begin again!

As my morning coffee begins to kick in and the sound of birds singing outside make me want to reach for the nearest shot gun (my poor aching head), I hear myself mutter under my breath - I will stop drinking wine this year and where on earth is Dr Sandra Cabot's 'Liver Cleansing Diet' book...

I will begin again!