Tag Archives: chef
Going Bananas
Unfortunately for me, I can’t eat raw bananas without upsetting my stomach. I’m also too unfit to swing from trees – so I would make a lousy monkey. There is something in them (maybe tannin) that makes my feel unwell. I can … Continue reading
The Squash Racket
I’ve discovered over the years that there can be some confusion categorising squash, depending on where you live in the world. There is a whole range of vegetables that belong to the ‘Marrow’ family. They include squash, melons, cucumbers, gourds, … Continue reading
Sushi For Beginners
My love affair with Sushi began in the mid 90s when I worked as a Pastry Chef in a large hotel. One of the hotels restaurants was a Japanese Teppanyaki style dining room. I would smuggle the Japanese Sushi Chef’s desserts as a … Continue reading
Little Red Beauties
Although strawberries appear to be at their best and cheapest in summer, they are available all year round. The colour, size and flavour can vary dramatically according to the variety. Some of the varieties readily available in Australia include Redlands … Continue reading
The Culinary Quiet Acheiver
It’s one of the most humble and least glamorous vegetables on Earth; however most cuisines would be unrecognisable without them. Onions have a long and colourful past, and are probably one of oldest culinary ingredients in human history. Egyptian hieroglyphics … Continue reading
Artichokes 101
There are three varieties of artichoke – the Globe, the Jerusalem and the Chinese artichoke. The most common of which is the ‘Globe’. The globe artichoke is in fact, an unopened flower bud of a perennial of the thistle group … Continue reading
Stalking Season
Asparagus stalks are the young spear-shaped shoots obtained from a perennial plant native to both Europe and Western Asia. It is a member of the lily family and thousands of years has been eaten as a vegetable. The most common … Continue reading
The Great Watermelon Heist
When I was a youngster, I swiped a watermelon from a neighbour’s property. I stealthily crawled under the barbed wire behind his chicken shed, and with military precision pinched the biggest melon I could roll back to my yard. With … Continue reading
The Alfalfa Experiment
I’ve learnt heaps from my kids various science experiments. My daughter once grew alfalfa. The instructions on the pack of seeds read “Grow your own edible natural sprouts in just 3-6 days”. The seeds went in jar with a little water … Continue reading
What Came First… The Egg Or The Plant?
Often referred to as ‘eggplant’, Aubergine is commonly used as a vegetable, but it’s actually as a fruit, related to tomatoes and potatoes. In fact, the fruit itself is botanically classified as a berry. And, believe it or not, the … Continue reading











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