Diary of a home cook and avid food lover
I remember going to pubs as a child and ordering classic pub grub. Steak and chips, chicken schnitzel and lasagne were some of my all time favourites. The Henson is not one of those traditional pubs. Arrive on the weekend and you’ll find a buzzing venue full of families and groups enjoying the outdoor beer…
Hands up if you have been out and about shopping, and suddenly realise you’re starving and it’s way past lunchtime? You find yourself getting hangry while wandering around to find somewhere to stop, then resort to an underwhelming eatery that was most convenient because, really, you just needed to satisfy your stomach. It’s a situation…
Mappen, Dera-uma and Oiden are three sister eateries well known among those with a hankering for cheap Japanese food. They’re prime examples of the fact that one can eat well on the cheap, without compromising quality or size. If you are of the belief that it’s hard to find a delicious, satisfying hot meal for under…
Located just a stone’s throw away from the bustle of Darling Harbour, 84 Union Street occupies the space where the old Hog’s Breath Café used to be, before it was transformed late last year. The space is busy on a Friday night, full of people easing their way into the weekend. There is a distinct,…
Lounge. The very word conjures images of relaxation, bliss and comfort. A place where you can sit back, drink in hand, and let time pass by. Named after the Chinese sailing ships, called ‘Junks’, Junk Lounge is inspired by the concept of a voyage and draws upon influences from all over Asia. From its position…
If there was one thing I was dying to do on our trip to Italy, it was to dine at a noisy, authentic, family-style Trattoria. There are a few different types of eateries in Italy: the trattoria, a casual, modest and often family-run eatery, the more formal risorante, and the rustic ostaria. Trattoria Mario is…
Going to high tea always makes me feel somewhat glamorous. It’s not every day you get to go to a hotel or decorated tea room to eat delicate cakes off tiered stands and sip tea from fine china. As a child I’d always marvel at the finesse of the beautiful petit fours and rejoice at…
Fire. It’s perhaps the most primitive form of cooking there is. Watching flames dance around and cook your food – whether it be meat on the barbeque, dough in a woodfired pizza oven or a even simple toasted marshmallow – is always enticing and exciting. While fire is usually associated with the great outdoors, the…
Yottam Ottolenghi is famous for his wholesome, Mediterranean-style cooking and championing of the humble vegetable. Before our visit to London, which was one leg of our recent European family holiday, I’d never had a chance to cook or sample any of his recipes. Having heard of the buzz around his cookbooks and restaurants, I knew…
I have to admit, I was never really a coffee person. While some have a ritual cup to wake them up in the morning, and others crave it simply for the taste, I was indifferent – attracted to only the smell of coffee, as opposed to the drink itself. That all changed when I visited…
Maddie Loves Food 