McDonald's vs Tecoma

This may be a somewhat controversial subject but McDonald's in Tecoma, pro or con???
I'm not sure where I stand on this subject... After living in the Dandenong ranges for a few years I understand that it is a place of tranquility, community and a foodie haven which is why at first thought placing a McDonald's in this part of the world may be a bad decision.

All I know that protesters have been working around the clock to get this mega fast food chain to "burger off".
Locals are worried about the impact it will have on there homes including higher levels of traffic, noise and not to mention the potential risk of rubbish pollution of the beloved Sherbrooke forest which is only 800 m away from the proposed building site along with being 50 m away from a local primary school.

This is why Tecoma is in such a state of rage, why build a 24/7 McDonald's when there is one situated less than 10 km away.

Now this is one side of the story...
What about supporting the takeaway food giant?
Do McDonald's not do a lot for the community and family's eg. The Ronald Mc Donald house??

Do McDonald's not hire people for work experiences ? Which from my opinion in hospitality more people are likely to hire staff that have worked for McDonald's because of there high training standards.

Do McDonald's not use Australian produce in their restaurants?
And should they be blamed for potential rubbish and pollution when us as humans are to lazy to place things in the bins which are provided by the company??

But I have to say that I think that the Dandenong ranges are known for their beauty and uniqueness. Being able to enjoy a relaxing cup of earl grey at Miss Marples tea house in Sassafras, climb the "100step" hill or have breakfast at the scrumptious "earthly pleasures" in Belgrave these are what attract the tourists
The uniqueness!

But it's up to us to choose to have your say there is a Facebook page I will put a link at the bottom.
So what do u think ... I may be leaning to one side now more than the other.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Mcdonalds-in-Tecoma/218824078128439

Julie and Julia

Question... Has anyone seen the movie Julie and Julia?
Well I watched it on the weekend and I am a little behind the times I know! however I was absolutely was fascinated from beginning to end.
For those readers that haven't scene it it is about this young woman (Julie)sick of the everyday cycle of life and wanted to do something that she loved and enjoyed for a living and not get stuck into a boring 9 till 5 journalist job.

To cut a long story short she decides to Cook every recipe in the french masterpiece of a cookbook written by none other than Julia Child.

Julia child was an American Chef born the eldest of 3 in California.
She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public then the world with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking is for both experienced cooks and beginners who love good food and long to cook, braise and bake a selection of true authentic french dishes.
Traditional favorites such as beef bourguignon, bouillabaisse, and cassoulet are featured, as are instructions on how to prepare vegetables in a more appetizing way than that of the 1960s American kitchen.
The cookbook includes 524 recipes and the aim for young Julie in the movie is to cook every recipe in the book and write a blog about her cooking journey and adventures!

It is a really inspirational movie and Julia Child herself is a remarkable woman who is inspirational in her own right.

It got me to thinking that this may be a challenge that I would enjoy but I would never know where to start Or what challenge to do.
So if by some odd chance anyone happens to read this and wants to encourage me to do something any suggestions and ideas would be greatly appreciated on how I could spice up my passionate adventures.

But until my next passionate foodie blog I hope u all see the movie!

Congee

Lately the asian food has been calling me!
It's funny how we go through food phases. For me it's about every week I get cravings for different cuisines and dishes.

This week it started when we went out to a little Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant named thien phu' in Springvale south that started my cravings!

it's almost like a little Asian diner nothing fancy just tables with some assorted condiments on it packed with people and a tv in the background.

We started with the classic rice paper rolls, they were served with this gorgeous satay peanut sauce.

Then a lovely Congee which is a type of rice porridge popular in many Asian countries. additional ingredients, such as meat, fish, and flavorings, are added whilst preparing the congee, it is most often served as a meal on its own.

Despite its many variations, it is always a thick porridge or soup of rice which has usually disintegrated after prolonged cooking in hot water.

There are many different varieties that differ from country to country.
Countries like china, India, korea, Vietnam, Cambodia or even Burma all have variations of congee that makes it traditional to their country.

And then We shared a beautiful pork prawn and beef omelette just as described succulent meats in an omelette with garlic,chilli, Vietnamese mint, bean shoots and lettuce.

Fresh, Simple and Yummy!

Lebanese and Baklava

Lebanese! When we think of Lebanese food we think of tabbouleh, hummus, baba ghanoush and baklava (mmmm...baklava) but traditionally there is so much more to this amazing cuisine.

Now similar to the Italian antipasto or the Spanish tapas, the Lebanese serve Mezze .
Very rarely is a beverage in lebanon served without a Mezze platter.

It is a selection of hot or cold small dishes with different varieties of colours, tastes, textures and aromas. It is wonderful if you are like me and like a selection or you can never decide what to order.

Mezze may be as simple as some hummus and bread of some pickled vegetables with baba ghanoush. Then there is the Mezze that consists of all of the above with seafood and lamb, raw and cooked vegetables or salad. All these amazing dishes placed in front of you in one sitting, a foodies delight!

Another great thing about Lebanese food is the sweets.....
Baklava as I mentioned is this delicious sweet pastry layered with crushed nuts and sugar syrup or honey.
Then there is Sfouf, an almond semolina cake seasoned with turmeric,sugar and pine nuts.
Ma'amoul, a small shortbread biscuit filled with dates, pistachios or walnuts, and my personal favourite Meghli a rice pudding spiced with anise, caraway and cinnamon.

Now I bet your thinking where on earth can I get this stuff? Well I have done some research and there is a place right here in the not so sunny melbourne!
It's on north road towards Oakleigh named Oasis Bakery. Not only do they have everything listed above they do cooking classes, coffee equipment, baking ingredients, typical Mezze dishes and oh my gosh the sweets... The baklava is everywhere!!!
There is even a lebanese cafe to sit and enjoy a coffee and lunch.

To sum up or to shut me up this place is brilliant! Great shop, Great Food and Lebanese... Great cuisine!

Oh and thank you whoever invented the Baklava.

Vietnamese in Richmond

So today after a hectic morning Sam and I ventured to Richmond where we decided to have lunch. We found a lovely little Vietnamese cafe and went in there we were greeted by an amazing smell of Vietnamese mint and spice.

It was the kind of place that truly got my mouth salivating! We sat by the window looking out at the everyday hustle and for a moment I felt I wasn't even in Melbourne.

Now on our table we had all the usual condiments traditionally found in Asian restaurants: Chili, Soy, Vinegar, Hoisin and some other goodies and the menu was really great written in English and Vietnamese with pictures of the most popular dishes.

Now after some Ummming and Arghhhing we decided to share a Chicken Congee (which is a traditional soup made from stock and broken rice with coriander, spring onion and dried shallots) and a Vietnamese pancake with pork and prawn.

For those of you that have never had one before it comes out about the length of 2 dinner plates with a crispy outer egg and coconut pancake and filled with freshly cooked meats, bean shoots and onions.

Now incase your meal still isn't satisfying you get a bunch if Vietnamese mint, lettuce, extra bean shoots, chilli, lemon and a sweet chilli type vinegar just to ensure your pancake is extra delish!

We started with the congee which was so yummy with a lovely fragrant broth perfectly cooked rice and juicy tender chicken, and the best bit was the pancake it was so delicious that words cannot explain how good it was the crepe/omlette was so crispy and the meet had been cooked into
The batter before it is flipped then by adding the vinegar and fresh lemon and mint it was like having a party in your mouth ... Unexpected beautiful edible fun!!!

To conclude I have come home super inspired by chefs such as Luke Nguyen and I am pulling out the Vietnamese cookbooks and I'm ready to cook!!!

Apologies to my readers!

To anyone that regularly read my blog I am sorry it has been so long!
So much has happened since my last blog and I have forgotten about things that excite me! Well no more! I am back and going to write again about things that make me happy! I am no longer going to dwell on the past!

Mushrooms

Mushies! On toast, stuffed, roasted, sautéd, with garlic, in risotto, in a good stroganoff anyway u choose to have them they are a really nutritious meal.

Mushrooms are the fleshy body of a fungus, commonly found above ground on soil.

Many species of mushrooms tend to just shoot up overnight.
There is even a common English saying "to pop up like a mushroom" based purely on how quickly they grow.

Mushrooms are low in calories, fat and carbohydrates and provide a great source of B, essential minerals and potassium.

Most mushrooms you buy from supermarkets have been grown in mushroom farms and they grow different varieties from shiitakes to oyster, enoki to portabella there is always a selection.

However not all mushrooms are good for you there is a variety that are toxic and can even be fatal if consumed.
There is also the mind altering mushrooms that make you hallucinate commonly known as "magic mushrooms" or "shrooms" these mushrooms are illegal if sold or grown purely because the effects are unknown and could cause harm.

So for me I play it safe and stick to the every day Mushies that you buy from the grocer.
But I have some weird facts about these little stubby toadstools :

Did you know that More than 85% of Australian households purchase fresh mushrooms regularly and that In the mid 1970’s most of the mushrooms eaten in Australia were sold in cans.

So to ensure you get yourself some top quality mushrooms and keep them tasting great look for the ones that are firm to the touch, have no bruises and have a slightly shiny surface then store in a brown paper bag on the bottom shelf of the fridge this allows the mushrooms to breath and draws the moisture into the bag and not the Mushies and using these tips they should last at least a week.
So they will be right there ready to spice up a dish, use to garnish and wow your family at dinner!

Liquorice

Yes liquorice! It's a love hate relationship for most when it comes to this.

I think it's sensational ... I grew up with lots of liquorice it was what we would get for my dad every fathers day because he loved it.
we used have to take the Irish moss syrup when we were sick which was a liquorice flavoured cough mixture and my pop used to say would cure anything, which is why I still use it today.

Even the liquorice flavoured sarsaparilla which I was told as a little girl was "pigs blood" so that I wouldn't drink my parents stash, even now my hubby Sam is obsessed with the boiled liquorice blocks and bullets so for most of my life liquorice has made a mark In my existence.

To make liquorice there are a base of ingredients they are liquorice extract, sugar, and a binder.
The binder is typically starch/flour, gum arabic, or gelatin, or a combination of the 3. Then ammonium chloride, and molasses are added to give the end product the familiar black colour.
Some liquorice is flavoured with anise oil instead of or in combination with liquorice root extract.

The process of making is quite straightforward the ingredients are dissolved in water and heated to 135 °C the liquid is poured into molds, to get the desired shape or size. The licorice liquid is then set and when they are they are sprayed with beeswax in order to give them a shiny appearance.

Even Alexander the Great supplied his troops with rations of liquorice root whilst marching, due to its thirst
quenching qualities.

It has been around for centuries
and I hope it stays that way, because it has been a great thing for my family when I can't think of any present ideas.
Try it ! It may surprise you!

Quinoa

Quinoa pronounced Kin-wah is one of the latest foodie trends.
High in protein, iron and even fibre it has great health benefits especially of you are a vegetarian.

So after hearing all the hoop-lah about it I thought I had better give it a go.
So I headed on down to Thomas Dux grocer a little gourmet grocer in Black Rock, Melbourne. They had all types...red, white, royal mix, flour even cereal and as it turns out at this stage I had no idea what was the difference. As it turns out you can just get different colours and it in different forms.

Just as I was about to pick it up I realised they sold quinoa bread and salad already made so I got a coconut, roasted almond and coriander quinoa to go.
Now It is a grain grown primarily in a crop for its little seeds, it is generally cooked and is lite and fluffy and has a distinct nutty flavour about it.
To my surprise it was delish! It was crunchy yet light and simple yet flavoursome it would make a great substitute to rice or Couscous.

The bread was gorgeous as well quinoa and soya bean loaf crunchy outside and light in the middle and guess the brand ... Brasserie bread.
For those who follow I did a blog on brasserie not long ago.

After some research quinoa is very versatile it is a gluten and wheat free grain that is basically treated as a rice boiled or cooked in a rice cooker for the same time you would usually cook rice for, then you can then add Vegetables and seasonings to vamp it up.
Chicken stock can be substituted for water during cooking, it can even be transformed into a classic pilaf with a funky new twist.
I actually think that I have been converted I never, well I try to never follow trends however in this case I think I will defiantly be investing time into creating dishes with quinoa.

My only challenge I have ahead of me is to convince "Hubby" that good things DO taste good.

Tasmania top 5

Growing up in Tasmania I was surrounded with some of the most sensational produce Australia has to offer.
I don't think I truly appreciated the gorgeous "apple isle" until leaving there 9 years ago, I have had several trips back over the years and still it never ceases to amaze me.

There is way to many possibilities as to what to write about when it comes to this topic but I am going to try by creating a top 5 list of fabulous Tasmania products

Ok so... No.1 Salmon!
Tasmania is one of the best producers of Atlantic Salmon. The pristine conditions and water temperatures is what helps them farm these beautiful fish, the environment is also beneficial in the breeding process as the farms are more natural to the salmons habitat preventing risks of disease.
With health benefits such as being high in protein, iron, magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin B this is a fish that should be enjoyed more often!

No.2 Honey
Honey is developed by bees using the nectar from flowers it is used to sweeten, preserve or to eat as you please. In western Tasmania the rainforest is home to the beautiful Leatherwood trees in summer they start to flower and it is then that these little busy bees produce Leatherwood honey. Leatherwood honey is thick, creamy and amber-yellow in color and I personally don't think it is as sweet as other honeys.

No.3 Cheese

Ah.. Cheese, There are several awarded Tasmanian cheeserys around including Ashgrove, King Island, Heidi Farm and even Mersey Valley.
With cool climates and some of the best dairy farmers in Australia it's no wonder they produce lovely cheese.

No.4 Oysters
Barilla Bay is one of the best places for Pacific oysters in Tasmania.
They have a small family run oyster farm and a beautiful restaurant that showcases these ugly little creatures.
Nutritionally speaking Oysters are an excellent source of zinc, iron, calcium as well as Vitamin A and Vitamin B12.
They are considered the healthiest when eaten raw shucked right from their shells, I think though with these little fellas you love them or hate them.

And lucky last No.5 Apples
They don't call us "the apple isle" for nothing.
Tassie is home to a lot of varieties of apples from Democrats, Red, Granny Smiths, Jonathans, and Red and Golden Delicious to the Less common Pink Ladies, Jonogold and Braeburn, a delicious snack at anytime of day.

As your driving through "the apple isle be on the Look out for roadside signs advertising apples and pears. Most are sold on an honour system. You help yourself from a small stall or shed and leave the money in a tin or a bucket.
I think that's a great way to have your produce admired by getting people to appreciate the effort that goes not only into the growing and farming but the picking as well.

Well there is my top 5 hope you all got something out of it, I am now thinking I am going to book another trip to Tasmania soon!

Chocolate

Ahhh chocolate it's one of life's sinful pleasures!
Chocolate is produced from the seeds of the cocoa tree the seeds are fermented they are ground,dried then roasted to produce cocoa mass, which is then melted to a liquid called chocolate liquor, that is then added to the milk and sugar etc to produce chocolate.

It is a product that is used on nearly all holidays at Easter in the form of egg and bunnies and Christmas as Santas and even in hearts for valentines day it is the perfect gift! Well if I got givin it I would defiantly not complain.

I think that chocolate has some form of secret ingredients it truly can make u feel warm when your cold or happy when you are sad.
And I think that if you can learn to really appreciate it in small proportions you can really have the cure to any problem you may face.

Wether you are in to dark,milk,white or with fruit or nuts, chilli,salt or even soy there is a type for everyone.

And if you ever meet anyone who says they don't like it well I gotta say that I think they may be lying

Garlic

Oh garlic what is there to say .. You love it or you hate it!
I was inspired for this blog by some really good Greek lamb gyros with garlic sauce that we had out at lunch and let me tell you ... Deeee- lish!

Garlic is used around the world in all types of cuisine for its pungent scent and flavour and what's fascinating is once its cooked the dimensions of the flavour totally change to a mellow sweet taste.

Garlic is so versatile it can be used with nearly every meat and vegetable.
Garlic has been used in history not only for cooking but for its medicinal treatment as well, it is said to contain anti fungal, antibacterial and antiviral molecules.
Studies have shown that it can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, lower blood sugar levels and even prevent some varieties of cancer!
One negative to this delicious stinky goodness is in fact that.... Garlic breath!
Even the great William Shakespeare was quoted saying

“Most dear actors, eat no onions nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath.”

So everyone knows once eaten no matter how flavorsome it is it makes you smell!
The breath is caused through a compound found in garlic called Allyl methyl sulfide.
It settles in your bloodstream,lungs which travels through your breath and even travels through your skin, it's hard to cure but mum used to tell me to eat parsley but that may be an old wives tail.

For the record mum if you read this I did not just call you old xx.

The one thing I do always think of now and you probably remember is when you were sick as a child and mum used to cook you chicken soup and somehow it always made you feel better! Well when you think about it soup usually always has garlic in it.
Coincidental or Fact that mums chicken soup with garlic is a natural flu remedy??

Gets you thinking doesn't it? For me though no matter how bad it gets the breath I couldn't go without it and as a chef i believe that cooking and garlic go together like salt and pepper.

Eating for the scent of it.

Food... its one of those things you cant live without, well i cant anyway.

In the last few weeks i have seriously been considering giving up the thing i love the most(apart from Hubby) "food", I've been thinking of leaving the industry and stop talking about the things i love.

Then i was in the middle of a little suburb just outside of Melbourne called Bacchus Marsh, surrounded by fresh homegrown produce and little bakehouse's and i stopped and realised that there is no way possible i would give this up.

Cooking, Eating or Dining is what helps us restore all our senses, if you stop and think about it what would food or the whole experience be like if you couldn't see what we were eating? and if we couldn't see what we were eating would you still eat it if you couldn't smell it?
I have a challenge for you.. next time you crack into a block of chocolate before if your anything like me you devourer the entire thing take a small piece and block your nostrils!
as you chew you can feel that its smooth and taste that its sweet now before you swallow it unblock your nose then .... WHAM!!
You are hit with this scent of pure indulgence one that I'm sure you don't appreciate as you sit on the couch watching a soppy Hugh Grant movie while eating enough chocolate to get your entire calcium intake for a year, maybe that's just me?

Anyway food is a precious thing, but because it is so readily available everywhere i don't think we truly understand how enjoyable it can be.

As i  sit here writing this blog and actually wonder if anyone is reading this, wondering if i can get people to see food how i do or if we are a dying breed and that we are just eating because we have to.

when i wrote my macaroon blog i had a comment and i have to say that i have never been SO EXCITED that i had someone that wanted to read what i had said, what i had thought and wanted me to keep talking. So to that person i would like to thank you for helping me get the confidence to keep writing.

Basically what i am asking of people is to let me know what you think? what would you like me to write about? any tips or recipes you may need? plus it will also help me find out how i can get others thinking about food ?

So Please Get Commenting!

Brasserie Bread

On Tuesday I was sent to a "breaducation"class for one of our new suppliers at work ... Brasserie Bread.

Bread to me and many seems like one of those everyday items you throw into your shopping trolley on a weekly or daily basis, but can I say that after my little bakery tour I am certainly going to be using brasserie bread all the time.

They originated in Sydney but now have a melbourne bakery in thistlewaithe street in south melbourne.
You walk into this beautiful smelling place and there is a cafe open 6 days a week selling some beautiful cakes and savoury dishes that promote their produce.

The thing that fascinated me was this sourdough bakery which pump out thousands of loaves a week is a complete man made product! That's right no machinery it is all kneaded and shaped by hand.

The head baker Mick ran the "breaducation" class showing us how to knead an sculpt the bread and taught us about the process of a sourdough.
Firstly a starter dough is made which is continually fed to grow bigger and mature in flavour the bakery had classed this as their baby and seeing that they have had it for the past 16 years and fed it every day 3 times a day for that entire 16 years I can understand why they feel that way.

The brasserie range is quite extensive from fruit loaves with sour cherries to rustic ciabatta or even soya and quinoa and don't even get me started on their chocolate brownies or raspberry and pistachio friands! Yummy!!!!

I think though the stand out loaf was their caramelised garlic loaves a deliciously gooey sticky garlic sourdough which was left alone with me would not stand a chance of survival!

They roll out their sourdough and lather it with this caramel garlic jam then shaped into this rustic looking loaf which smells amazing!
All I can say is that after eating all that garlic I'm glad I didn't have to go back to work.

Brasserie bread supply several cafes and bakeries in melbourne and can be purchased from several retail stores across melbourne like Thomas Dux Grocer.

So to sum up I highly suggest you check it out.

Merrywell, Crown

So Tuesday night Sam and I left our humble suburban home and ventured out to the city.

We ended up at crown to meet friends for the newest burger bar in town.... The Merrywell.

It is located on the corner of clarendon street and south bank just opposite the melbourne exhibition centre.

It is Melbourne's latest Gastro pub (a trendy pub that serves high end food and beer without the pretentious atmosphere) it's owned by two great American chefs Sam DeMarco and Grant MacPherson.

As we walked in there was two dining areas upstairs was a stylish dining area with candles and a balcony overlooking the yarra
Then the downstairs area had a funky little bar perfect for after work or pre dinner drinks and a small dining area which was a stylish hamburger bar.

We sat down eyes bigger than our stomachs and ordered a feast from chilli fries to onion rings and hamburgers served in little red baskets just like in the movie Grease.

I had a KISS burger which had onions, cheese, tomato and my favourite pickles!! And for $12 it was the best burger I've had!!!

The selection was great and even had an alcoholic float menu they also serve the classic American cherry cola and root beer!
Over all it was a great night reasonably priced, good sized portions and really trendy atmosphere.
Plus to feed 4 pretty big eaters for under $100 is really good I think

I've now decided that I'm going to give the restaurants i write about a rating out 5 (5 being Excellent, 1 being poor)

The Merrywell gets a total of 3.5

I really recommend it!
Until next time
The Passionate Foody

Cheese

This would have to be my favourite topic of all time!
I am so passionate about it that once I get talking about I literally get so excited that I am a bit of laughing entertainment for my family and friends.

I guess the reason I love it so much is it not only is delicious and versatile it was a complete man made accident .

There are many stories about how it first originated but the most common is that originated in the middle east where Arabs would transport or carry milk in sacks which were made from Sheep's stomachs, now the natural rennet from the stomach and the desert heat would cause the milk to curdle and form curds and whey which then found the natural invention of Cheese.
Now when it comes to cheese I believe the smellier the better so bring on the blues, washed rinds and smelly sock cheeses I reckon!
I also believe that it is no question that the French truly know their stuff when it comes to the fine art of cheese making but I do believe we have a wonderful range of fine cheese makers right here in our own back yard.

An example of this is a beautiful little cheesery on the mornington peninsular in Red Hill.

Red Hill Cheese offer a lovely range of blues, washed rinds, feta and Camembert to accompany local wines in the area even naming their cheese after local towns in the area.

They even milk their own goats and get their milk from local farms then once the cheese making has started they use the excess whey as a natural pesticide in local apple and cherry orchids.

To make it better and to save the travel they sell direct from local melbourne farmers markets and some delicatessens or for a nice day out head to their cellar door and try a tasting plate in the beautiful bush land.

I have a really lovely blue cheese recipe that I thought you all may enjoy...

Potato gnocchi with Gorgonzola and roasted walnuts.

Firstly blanch some gnocchi 500 gr you can make your own or purchase some fresh from a local deli.
While that's happening in a pan sauté 1 garlic clove and 1 diced shallots in about 100g of butter.
Now before we go on this dish is almost certainly not good for you.

Then to the butter mixture add a dash of white wine and roughly a cup of cream and season to taste.
Remember Gorgonzola can be quite salty do don't over salt.
One all combined add your cooked gnocchi then crumble over a good Gorgonzola i like to go with less is more in this dish but if u love blue as much as me a bit extra to serve makes a luscious finish.
In a separate pan place some walnuts and toast them up with you guessed it a tsp of butter.
Serve up your gnocchi and garnish with the toasted walnuts and and fresh thyme sprigs
Delish!

Macarons

So in light of mothers day I thought it would be fun to make a batch of Macarons.

Simple enough I thought...
a French confectionery made from meringue almond meal and granulated sugar the filled with a buttercream, ganache or jam centre.
Let's just say I'm defiantly no pastry chef!

Macarons have been around for centuries, some have traced it back to the arrival of Catherine de' Medici (wife of Henry II of France in 1533.
They were traditionally served with port and wine as a petit fore.

Today Macarons have become a trend because of famous Australian patissier Adriano Zumbo and shows like Masterchef.

They are a challenging part of the culinary industry but when they are mastered they are delicious.

My advice would be to fold the almonds into the whisked eggs ensuring not to knock the air out of your meringue giving you the end result of a light crisp shell and to be creative with flavors anything can be done from chocolate to Vegemite.

Even places like McDonald's in Paris sell Macarons in McCafe stalls even with one resembling a hamburger.

After my third attempt I had lemon meringue pie flavored Macarons but they look a bit less than appealing, think I will leave it to Zumbo.

Heston!

So last night I had the privilege of seeing Heston Blumenthial live in Melbourne.

I have got to say that he is one of the most amazing inspiring person to have entered the culinary world!
He not only has two amazing michelin star restaurant ( The Fat Duck and Dinner) which produce some almost unbelievable scientific dishes, but his personal achievement List is incredible including chef of the year for 2010 and 2011, an Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen and his cookbook "The Big Fat Duck" has recently been announced the best cookbook of the year worldwide.

He has truly inspired me as a Chef by putting his scientific spin on some already fabulous classic French dishes and yet he still makes them somewhat better than the originals.

His show last night was really to quote Heston " falling down a rabbit hole into wonderland" he made the audience feel like a child again enjoying every moment and seeing food with all our Senses.

As you can probably tell I am almost truly in love with this mans work and talent that by the time I reach my prime of my career if I am a fraction of the chef that he is I will consider myself a very luck woman.

My First Post

Ok so it is 6.45 pm and I have decided to start a blog!
For those who knows me, would understand that this makes me feel completely out of my comfort zone being on display for constant judgement but here I am.
My life so far consists of this...
I currently live in Melbourne and am married to by best friend Sam.
I have been a chef for 6 years and am still completely in love with food (especially cheese) and I have a goal to open a business.
I have a cute little French inspired wine and cheese bar in mind showcasing local wines and produce.
I am a dreamer and I have a million ideas in my head so no doubt my mind will change again, but for now that is the plan.
I think the plan for my blog will be to attempt to inspire people to get back in the kitchen, cook for and with family and friends and to help support local small businesses promote thier produce, Then maybe if anyone ends up reading this you can help me further my food knowledge and help me find new places to eat and shop!

Let's see how it goes....