The Entree….

Welcome, here’s a bit of an intro to me and my food…. I am a self confessed foodie! I love to cook, to eat, to share and to discover new ingredients and ways of cooking. Whenever I’m travelling I like to explore the food options open to me, and will add a deli or food market to my itinerary if I can…

This blog is my food diary – from things I’ve cooked, memorable meals I’ve eaten to exciting new flavours I’ve stumbled across..

As a home cook I do BIG food. Nothing makes me happier than a group of friends around the table sharing plates, platters and bowls. I feed a large group of family and friends, and that often means stretching out a dish to feed “just one more”, or adding a side dish to suit everyone’s taste.

I follow whole food and the slow food philosophies – that is cooking pretty much from scratch, using seasonal food, and putting in as much flavour as possible.  Seasonal means you won’t find me posting tomato salad recipes in winter, but come autumn I’ll share some of my tricks for saving the goodies from summer to pep up winter recipes.  I do use pantry staples though – canned tomatoes feature in a lot of my recipes – if its good enough for the Italian Mamas, its good enough for me.  And different spice mixes – again it’s about putting flavour in.

And lastly I try to use the best ingredients that I can buy.  I don’t mean fillet steak or caviar, but the freshest and best veges I find,  and the cuts of meat that are appropriate for the dish. Long slow cooking often calls for those cheap cuts that tenderise over time and have deeper flavours.

But mainly I  have fun! A meal that starts with the cook dancing in the kitchen, often lives long in the memories of those who share it round the table.. Enjoy!