Category — Tips and hints

The way a meal looks is almost as important as how it tastes. Food that is pleasing to the eye always tastes better: imagine being served a plate in a restaurant that looked like a dog’s breakfast – your taste would likely be negatively influenced.

Approach the presentation of your meal like an artist would a blank canvas – strive for a pleasing arrangement and be mindful of composition, colour, lines and textures.

As a home entertainer no one expects you to go to the lengths that Michelin Star chef’s go to for their food presentation, but following these basic guidelines will transform your tasty meal into a memorable one: [Read more →]

Chocolate can be very temperamental when it comes to melting, so it pays to know how to do it properly. Follow these tips and you’ll be melting chocolate like the professionals every time:
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Lemons are a citrus fruit with a tart taste which enhances the flavour of many foods and dishes. There are a number of varieties, Eureka, Meyer and Lisbon being the most popular. Lemons are available year-round in Australia, but are in season now when you’ll pay significantly less for them than you would in summer.

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More and more people are avoiding gluten in their diets. Whether they have been diagnosed with Coeliac disease or have non-coeliac gluten-intolerance, chances are you know someone who falls into this category. But what do you serve your gluten-free guests when they come over for a meal? [Read more →]

Prized for its tangy flavour and emerald-green flesh, June’s fruit of the month is the kiwifruit. The kiwifruit originally hailed from China and was introduced to New Zealand at the beginning of the 20th century where they were commercially grown. They were named “kiwifruit” after their supposed resemblance to New Zealand’s national bird and the name was officially adopted by international trade in 1974.

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It seems most people are watching their pennies these days, and dining-in has become the option of choice to get together with friends and family. However, having guests can be a costly exercise if you don’t plan your menu wisely. Is it possible to serve an impressive meal whilst still keeping a check on your budget? Yes it is! The following winter entertaining ideas should provide you with some inspiration: [Read more →]

June’s fruit of the month is the orange. Navel oranges have just hit the shelves and this year’s crop is smaller but full of flavour. Other common orange varieties include Valencia (in season mid-spring to mid-autumn), Seville which is the preferred variety for making marmalade (in season late winter to early spring) and Blood oranges (in season late winter to early spring).

A navel orange

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For a nation of food-lovers, we also like to waste it: last year over $5 billion worth of food was thrown out in Australia. That amounted to 3 million tonnes, about 145 kilograms per person. Put another way, it is estimated that the average Australian throws away 20% of the food they buy.

Apart from the obvious financial consequences, such waste has a huge environmental impact. We can all take steps to reduce waste: follow these tips and you’ll not only be helping the environment, but looking after your own wallet. [Read more →]

April’s fruit of the month is the pear. Pears have been grown in Australia since the arrival of the First Fleet and there are many varieties to choose from including Packham, Williams, Beurre Bosc, Corella, Nashi and Josephine.  Australia’s Williams pears are used to make the famous French liqueur poire William. [Read more →]

April’s fruit of the month is apples. Australia is said to be the world’s healthiest apple-growing environment and apples are grown in all states with Victoria being the leading producer. There are many varieties of apples grown in Australia, some of the more familiar being Bonza, Gala, Red and Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonathon, Pink Lady and Fuji. Seasons for the different types do vary, so ask your greengrocer which variety is the best at the time.

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