My brother and sister-in-law are in Wagga this weekend with their two kids. Sitting at Trail Street coffee shop this morning we were reminiscing of the days gone by when their visits to Wagga, pre-kids consisted solely of going from pub to pub to pub; managing to get kicked out of a few over the […]
I went through a stage of making butter chicken all the time when I was a teenager living at home. I was addicted. I used to use chicken breast, a jar of store bought butter chicken sauce, tomato paste and a tin of coconut milk. I’d always add carrots and green beans and the best […]
This pasta dish was inspired by my very first casual job which feels like it was donkey’s years ago – at Cafe Tropez. Soph and I worked there for a couple of years as teenagers and my favourite dish on the menu (apart from the hot chips with aioli and chicken risotto) was their tomatoey/creamy […]
I’m sitting here with a boiling hot cuppa enjoying some cold leftover bread and butter pudding. WOW! I don’t think there could be any better ‘special treat’ afternoon tea. My grandma Mim used to make this pudding often and I loved helping her butter the bread. I used to pick out the sultanas then, and […]
Growing up, my Aunty Jen (AKA hippy aunty) made the best spag bol. I remember she used to always have that grated parmesan cheese in a plastic shaker, container thingy. The one with a green label and yellow lid from memory? Oh how I used to love that stuff. Mum mustn’t of bought it because […]
I saw something on Insta today. I saw this clip of master baker, Claire Ptak making the Royal Wedding cake for H + M. (Which brings me to think – why haven’t fashion power house H&M been milking it for the royal wedding)? They probably have. Anyway, the royal wedding cake is reportedly a three […]
Mum’s butterfly cakes sat in pride of place at every birthday party we ever had growing up. I have lots of memories making these too when I’d go out to Mim and Pa’s farm in the school holidays. My job was always to line the muffin tins with the patty cases and as the years […]
If you’ve ever been to England, chances are, you’ve enjoyed a shepherd’s pie in a nice warm pub. Or if you’re like me – enjoyed one too many shepherd’s pies in too many pubs. Talk about the Heathrow injection. When I lived in England on my gap year, it was served at the school for both […]
The ultimate trick to cooking a good stir fry is all in the pan and the high heat. I would love to get my hands on a commercial wok like they use in restaurants. I’ve always loved watching the chefs toss the ingredients high in the air and adding in the oil and sauces using […]
Growing up, one of my favourite meals was Mum’s ‘mince in pastry’. Hands down. Basically, Mum would make her bolognese mince and instead of serving it with the usual suspect – spaghetti, (which she used to add some chopped parsley and a dash of cream to) she would wrap it in puff pastry instead. Served […]
The word on the street is that Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle over a home cooked roast chook. So with the royal wedding fast approaching I thought it fitting to cook some dinners inspired by some of my favourite British chefs, starting with a chicken. Everyone knows I’m a fan of Jamie (haven’t forgotten […]
I make this soup often. I make it when it’s freezing cold or when we’ve got friends or family staying for the weekend. It’s delicious, easy to make, freezes well and is really filling. It’s also Cork Daddy’s favourite. A good reason if ever there was one. If you make this minestrone, please leave your […]
A good friend of mine, who I mustn’t name, is always banging on about the ‘points system’. You cook dinner – you get points. You stay out too late at the pub and mope around the house all day – you’re in the red. Your wife goes on a girls weekend away and you look […]
9℃ in Wagga. You couldn’t get better soup weather if you tried. I’m sharing this recipe for the nicest soup I know how to make. Based on a recipe that my mother in law uses, it’s a delicious potato soup cooked with bacon, loads of onion and is so luscious and comforting. Make a batch […]
I’m on a bit of an ‘old school recipe’ roll at the moment. I’ve made three batches of jam drops in the last week trying to perfect my recipe before posting it (they taste out of this world but can’t get the jam to sit still in the middle). I’ve been scouring through the old […]
My mother-in-law Anne Corcoran is a wonderful home cook and has taught me a lot over the past 12 years since I’ve known her. It’s quite fitting that I write this post this week, considering Mother’s Day is this Sunday. Anne (or ‘Nee’ as my girls call her) cooks good, hearty, no-fuss, country style meals […]
How about a delicious warm salad for a healthy meat free Monday night meal? This cous cous salad is filling and delicious. Meat free Monday for me is really about playing around with ingredients and flavours. We’re constantly told to ditch the red meat for more veggies, (now please don’t get me wrong – I […]
I caught up with a good friend Jim for a few beers on the weekend. We were in Boorowa for the picnic races where Cork Daddy and I helped put some food together for the rugby tent. I was delighted to hear that he’d had a go at making my slow cooked honey, mustard and […]
This dish is inspired by a lovely dessert Mim used to make using homegrown peaches and oranges from her trees on the farm. She used to cover the freshly picked peaches with a sprinkling of sugar, some freshly squeezed orange juice and a generous amount of Cointreau. Oh my gosh- talk about heaven on a […]
I love a good recipe for the slow cooker. Especially when the weather is starting to get cool and you’re looking for something comforting to warm you up. This chicken recipe is so easy to make, tastes delicious and can be served with rice, salad, mashed potato or steamed vege. It’s so versatile, a must […]
