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• Kitchen tips: Three mini tips from Mark Bittman – foods he keeps in the kitchen, to make meal preparation easier. I’ve used parmesan rind in soups and it’s wonderful – but never thought to freeze the stuff. * Quinoa breakfast: I’ve previously linked to some of Ricki’s wonderfully imaginative quinoa recipes, now Heidi at 101 Cookbooks has posted a nutty, cinnamon breakfast quinoa. This looks glorious and a great way to start the day. * *The difficulties of …

Read more 09 May, 2008

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• Grow your own: Wendy from A Wee Bit of Cooking has been growing her own micro salad leaves. A tasty, fresh and highly nutritious addition to any salad. * Indian porridge: Porridge is such a good way to start the day. Low GI, filling and guaranteed to keep you going. I was intrigued by A Life (Time) of Cooking’s Indian style porridge. Flavoured with cardamon, cinnamon, nuts and palm sugar – what a delicious combination. * *Easy, healthy …

Read more 02 May, 2008

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Working with a client last week, I put together this shopping list. She’s a busy woman, who’s struggling to eat well. Long days at the office mean she’s too tired to cook when home. She finds getting organised to take her lunch every day too difficult. And there are few healthy choices where she works. So she ends up eating toast and biscuits. And all the gorgeous healthy food she buys on the weekend sits in the fridge all week, ...

Read more 10 April, 2008

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Carolyn asks is using brown or raw sugar better for you than using white sugar? Brown sugar has a healthier reputation than white sugar. It’s often sold as “raw sugar” and has a natural, unprocessed image. But, there’s little difference between the two. h3. What is brown sugar? Brown sugar differs from white sugar because of its molasses content. Molasses is a dark syrup, that’s a by-product of sugar refining. When small amounts of molasses are mixed in with …

Read more 03 April, 2008

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Among my presents at Christmas was a jar of Moroccan spice blend. It was from my mum. A home-made mixture of ground cumin, coriander, paprika, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, turmeric, chilli and nutmeg. It’s delicious and has real oomph. It’s one of the foods that’s saved me while I’ve been super-busy because it’s instant flavour. I haven’t had to muck around with sauces, individual spices, stock or slow cooking. I haven’t needed to think, plan or do extra shopping. Instead, ...

Read more 13 March, 2008

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The next question is all about bread. Wendy from A Wee Bit of Cooking fame asks: bq. What’s the best type to eat? Brown, wholemeal, seeded, rye . . . Bread is a staple food for many. Different countries and different cultures have been baking bread for centuries. In our supermarkets bread often takes up a whole aisle of it’s own. It’s stocked by corner shops and service stations. However, all bread’s are NOT created equal. At the …

Read more 19 February, 2008

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It’s half way through the month, and I’m only just putting up the current list of what’s in season>/images/0000/0498/Rambutan981MetresPerSecond.jpg! * Apples – the new season apples start coming through in February, with galas one of the first to be picked. ...

Read more 15 January, 2008

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A couple of weeks ago I was posting all about tahini. I thought a summary page would be useful, to finish off that series. Below are links to my posts on the nutritional content of tahini, plus how I use it. At the end are links to other recipes and tahini ideas. h3. All about tahini * What is tahini and is it good for you * How to buy and store tahini * “How much calcium is in …

Read more 11 December, 2007

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• Love food hate waste: I was shocked to read that a third of the food bought in the UK is thrown out. I’m sure this is true here in Australia – what a waste. I found this stat on the Love food hate waste website – which contains lots of tips about using leftovers and cutting food waste. * Ten Minute Kitchen recipes: I found out this week some of the Ten Minute Kitchen recipes I write for …

Read more 07 December, 2007

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The first question in this week’s Q & A Thursday is from Jul at Veggie Chic: bq. What’s the difference between shoyu and soy sauce? A Japanese friend told me that “shoyu” basically means “soy sauce” in Japanese. So why do I keep hearing “shoyu” used by English-speakers as if it means something different? You’re right, shoyu is the Japanese word for soy sauce. However, Japanese soy sauce differs from that used in other countries. It’s made from fermented …

Read more 06 December, 2007

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Summer produce is almost in full swing. Berries, cherries, peaches and nectarines are available and coming down in price. Asparagus is particularly good, as are eggplants at the moment. Enjoy the beginnings of summer here in Sydney. h3. Fruit * Apricots * Bananas * Berries – the berry season is coming into full swing. I bought three punnets of strawberries for $5 last night. Raspberries and blueberries are also looking good. However, continuing rain in Victoria may affect prices …

Read more 04 December, 2007

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So you’ve decided to include more tahini in your diet: what should you look for when buying it and how do you store it? h3. Where to buy it Tahini is available from supermarkets, health food shops, as well as Middle Eastern and Chinese grocers. h3. Hulled vs unhulled Sesame seeds have a fibrous outer coating – the hull – and tahini can be made either with or without this outer layer. Unhulled tahini is darker and has a …

Read more 15 November, 2007

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First up in this week’s Q & A Thursday, Peta asks if there’s a simple way to convert the dry weight of carbs like rice and pasta, to cooked weight or volume? Carbohydrate foods like rice and pasta absorb a lot of water during cooking. However, there’s no one rule you can follow to convert from dry to cooked weight. Instead I’ve found this list of conversion measures at Ellen’s Kitchen to be really useful. It covers a wide …

Read more 18 October, 2007

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Choice has a report on exotic frozen vegetables. You may have noticed the increase in variety of vegetables in the frozen food section of your local supermarket. While every pack used to contain peas, carrots and corn, you can now buy all sorts of mixes containing bok choy, sugar snap peas, broccoli, water chestnuts and so on. I’ve posted before about all the frozen stir fry mixes available, some of which are excellent. Some brands are expensive, although most are …

Read more 10 September, 2007

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I was wandering the supermarket over the weekend, looking at cereal bars. A client had asked about the Special K Bars and I wanted to take a look for myself. h3. What are they? Made by Kelloggs, these snack bars are part of the Special K cereal range, they have a yoghurty drizzle and come in two flavours – original and mango & passionfruit. They’re popular because each bar is low in fat (1.2g), carbohydrate (17.9g) and energy (419 …

Read more 05 September, 2007

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September is one of those months in Sydney where fruit and vegie choices contract. Winter produce is drying up, while the spring fruit and veg just isn’t quite ready. Spring is definitely on its way, as I’ve spotted the first new season asparagus in a couple of shops! It’s pricey but looks beautiful. As the weather warms up more produce will become available. You can track the latest list of seasonal fruit and vegetables in Sydney, by watching the “what’s …

Read more 03 September, 2007

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In today’s SMH there’s an article on one of my favourite local food stores – Alfalfa House in Enmore. Started 25 years ago, this food cooperative continues to provide minimally packaged, minimally processed, organic wholefoods at a reasonable price. Much of their stock is purchased in bulk, so you take along your own containers, fill them up and then pay by weight of volume. They sell a wonderful five-grain porridge, gorgeous dried apricots and one of the best olive oils …

Read more 28 August, 2007

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Time for my monthly round-up of what’s in season here in Sydney. The big price rises that occurred in July are starting to settle down, although a lot of fruit and veg are still more exy than usual. Next month we’ll be in Spring, so the fruit and veg selection should start expanding. You can track the latest list of seasonal fruit and vegetables in Sydney, by watching the what’s in season category. h3. Fruit * Apples * Cumquats …

Read more 03 August, 2007

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The recent heavy rainfall around Australia has been a wonderful for most farmers. Dams are filling, rivers are running again and the big picture is looking good. However, in the short term, the wet and unusually cold temperatures, mean most produce is growing very slowly. Over the next three to four weeks there will be short supplies and hence rising prices. In about a month’s time the situation should improve considerably and an increase in available produce will drive prices …

Read more 02 July, 2007

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While there is a growing locavore trend in the US, here in Australia it’s still a fledgling movement. Most shops do not regularly display where their produce comes from, apart from an occasional “Australian grown”, which makes it difficult to work out what’s local. In the Herald, Robert Cornish decides to eat locally for one week. He shows you can find a wide variety of produce grown within a small radius of where you live, but it takes many phone …

Read more 27 June, 2007

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According to this article on the Wild Oats website, people in the US throw out 25% of the produce they buy, because it’s gone off . I suspect it’s a similar situation here in Australia. What a waste! The article is an excellent guide to getting the most out of your fruit and veg. It covers storage tips, information on why food goes off and (my favourite part) a list of the fastest to the slowest spoilers. You can use …

Read more 22 June, 2007

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Paul has asked about nuts: bq. I do like snacking on nuts and I probably like them all. From a nutritional viewpoint, (assuming non salted and non toasted/dressed are best) which varieties are particularly beneficial? Is a selection better than one single type? Nuts are a wonderful, wonderful food. They’re high in protein (15 – 25%) and also contain useful amounts of fibre, potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin E, along with some B vitamins and antioxidants. Nuts are also high …

Read more 14 June, 2007

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I was in the City today during lunch-time, which is a rare event now. I used to work in the City and struggle through the hordes of people every lunch-time. It reminded me of something I often used to think – while there are hundreds of places to buy food in the Sydney, there’s very little choice. Every food hall now contains the same vendors: a pasta place, kebab shop, generic Asian, a chicken shop, salad place, somewhere to …

Read more 13 June, 2007

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And the final question for today is from Paul : bq. Today I went to buy eggs at Coles and was confronted by ridiculous choice: cage eggs, free range eggs, barn eggs, eggs based on RSPCA standards, organic eggs, eggs from hens fed grains/legumes only etc. Similar issues apply when buying chicken these days. Putting aside the ethical factor for the moment, any thoughts on what are better nutritionally? The only difference with eggs is in the Omega-3 eggs that …

Read more 07 June, 2007

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Time for the regular monthly list of what’s in season in Sydney at the moment. For the latest list of seasonal fruit and vegetables see the What’s in season category h3. Fruit * Apples (many varieties including fujis, granny smiths, red delicious, pink ladies, jonathons and golden delicious) * Avocadoes * Bananas (although they’re going up in price) * Chokoes * Custard apples * Dates * Grapefruits (the ruby grapefruits are especially beautiful at the moment) * Kiwifruit * Lemons …

Read more 05 June, 2007

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Today is the inaugural Q & A Thursday – your weekly opportunity to get answers to all those niggling nutrition, food and diet questions. h3. Question Matt asks about “lite” yoghurts, following the release of a new Choice report – are they good for you and what exactly qualifies as “lite”. I have to say that food labelling is one of my favourite topics, so I’m very happy to be starting off with this question. h3. Light / lite yoghurts …

Read more 31 May, 2007

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I recently came across this article on the current top US food trends and it’s an interesting read. While we do follow many overseas trends, there are strong differences between the US and Australian food industries. Dining at home is on the rise in the US, because of economic concerns, however we’re in a different economic situation here in Australia, plus we still have so many reasonably priced eating out and take-away options. I do think we’re catching the US …

Read more 26 May, 2007

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In June I’m running another Healthy Shopping Tour in Gladesville. I find that for most people eating well starts with the shopping. If your house is full of healthy, tasty and easy-to-use foods, then it’s more likely you’ll eat well during the week. However, for many people the supermarket can be a minefield, there’s just too much choice, too many products and too little time to read food labels, and make informed decisions. The Healthy Shopping Tours are run …

Read more 14 May, 2007

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Sometimes when I see the advert for McDonald’s food, particularly that photo of the Big Mac, I find myself thinking “you know, that almost looks healthy”. Don’t worry, this insanity only lasts a moment, but the whole burger looks fresh and home-made. The bread seems to have substance and body, there’s a noticeable volume of vegetable and the meat looks juicy. So, why is it, when you buy the Big Mac it actually looks like this? It’s all …

Read more 10 May, 2007

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Time for the monthly list of the fruit and vegetables in season. Fruit: * apples (fuji, golden delicious, granny smiths, gala&jonathons) * avocadoes (fuerte&hass) * bananas * chokoes * custard apples * dates * grapefruits (yellow&ruby-reds) * grapes * kiwifruit * lemonade fruit * lemons * limes * mandarins (imperials) * nashi pears * oranges (navels&valencia) * passionfruits * pears (packham, williams&beurre bosc) * persimmons * plums * pomegranates * quinces * rhubarb * tamarillos Vegetable: * asian greens * ...

Read more 03 May, 2007

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April is here, while we’re still having beautiful weather, the mornings are getting more crisp. Autumn is upon us. So what fruit and veg are in season this month? h3. Fruit: * Apples (especially Jonathon, Royal Gala, Pink Ladies&Red Delicious) * Avocadoes (particularly Fuerte) * Bananas * Custard Apples * Fuji fruit * Grapes (although the main season is probably over) * Guava * Kiwifruit * Lemons * Limes * Mandarins (Imperial) * Melons (while they’re going out of …

Read more 03 April, 2007

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There’s anecdotal evidence that Sydney-siders are cycling more. Whether it’s biking to work every day, or about town on the weekend, more and more people seem to be getting on their bikes. Which makes this Saturday’s chocolate and fine food cycle ride a cute, interesting and timely event. It’s organised by the Marrickville-South Sydney Bicycle Group and is a 20 kilometre cycle, over three hours, that winds its way around the cafes, patisseries and chocolate shops of the inner west. ...

Read more 30 March, 2007

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Yikes, I’m so behind with my blogging that I’ve forgotten my monthly what’s-in-season list. It may be the middle of the March, but here’s my list of the in-season fruit and vegetables in Sydney at the moment. We’re into autumn, so they types of fruit and veg available are gradually starting to shift. Stone fruit and berries are going out of season this month, which will be reflected in sharp price increases. While the new season apples, pears and nashis …

Read more 16 March, 2007

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When shopping at the supermarket it’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the the choices. I’m an avid food label reader, but even I’ll admit it sometimes takes too long to make an informed decision. It’s easy to be overwhelmed and end up buying the cheapest item, or the one you always buy. If you’re in any way concerned about animal welfare, one of the tricky decisions can be in the egg aisle. Eggs are no longer just eggs – ...

Read more 28 February, 2007

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Below is my regular list of the fruit and vegetable in season in Sydney this month: Fruit: * Avocado * Bananas * Blackberries * Blueberries * Figs * Grapes * Kiwifruit * Limes * Lychees * Mangosteens * Melons * Nashi pears (the first of the new season nashis will become available this month) * Nectarines * Oranges (valencias) * Passionfruit * Peaches * Pears (Howell&Williams) * Persimmon * Pineapples * Plums * Rambutans * Raspberries * Strawberries Vegetables: * ...

Read more 03 February, 2007

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We’re well into the summer fruits and bananas have definitely come down in price – I’ve been consistently seeing them for $4.99 over the past three weeks. Here’s my usual list of what’s in season this month: Vegetables * asparagus * beans (green and flat) * capsicums * celery * cucumber * eggplant * lettuce * mushrooms * onions * okra * peas * potatoes * radish * rocket * sweetcorn * tomatoes * zucchini Fruit * apricots * avocado …

Read more 03 January, 2007

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December is here already, which means we’re well into the summer fruit season. Bananas are definitely coming down in price, while they seem to be averaging $8.99 – $9.99 a kilo, I did buy some for $4.99 / kg last week! Anyway here is the list of the fruit and vegetables that are in season in December: Fruit: * Apricots (down to $3.99 / kilo in my local shop) * Avocadoes * Bananas (expect them to “continue coming down in …

Read more 04 December, 2006

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With domestic supplies of canola affected by the drought, Cargill (which imports, processes and markets agricultural and food products) will be receiving a consignment of genetically modified (GM) canola from Canada, within the next month. This is the first time GM canola has been imported into Australia and between 40,000 and 50,000 tonnes of canola is being imported. Labelling laws in Australia mean that products containing highly processed GM foods do not need to be labelled. “As Claire Hughes from …

Read more 29 November, 2006

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Did you know that in the outer suburbs of Sydney, around Liverpool, Leppington, Austral and Bringelly there are over 2,000 small farms? These farms grow 90% of Sydney’s perishable vegetables – all our Asian greens are grown there, as are 80% of mushrooms and most of the tomatoes, snowpeas, Lebanese cucumbers, herbs, spring onions and shallots that we consume. It all adds up to a farmgate crop that’s valued at about $250 million per year. As Sydney grows more and …

Read more 28 November, 2006

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There’s been a whole lot of stuff in the media about food labelling over the past month and I’ll be blogging about this more extensively next week. In the meantime, the herald reports today that food manufacturers may not be giving the correct information on their nutrition panels (story here ), plus the introduction of national standards for use of words and phrases like “organic” and “free range” (story here ).

Read more 24 November, 2006

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Disturbing reports over the last few weeks have painted a bleak picture of the future of our marine environments. At the current rate, it’s estimated that by 2050 all fish and seafood species that are currently being fished, will have collapsed. As the perfectly named Professor Worm says: bq. “Whether we looked at tide pools or studies over the entire world’s oceans, we saw the same picture emerging. In losing species we lose the productivity and stability of entire ecosystems,” ...

Read more 23 November, 2006

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I’ve seen bananas selling for $9.99 in two different locations this week. While a year ago it would be madness to regard this as “cheap”, it’s significantly better than the $14.99 prices we’ve been seeing over the last few months. Following the havoc caused by Tropical Cyclone Larry in March, early predictions were that banana supply would be restored by September of this year. However wet weather in north Queensland, particularly around Tully and Innisfail, delayed the planting of new …

Read more 21 November, 2006

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The issue of ethical foods and sustainable farming seems to be gaining some momentum here in Australia. The recent Good Food Month included “ethical food” events , plus concern is being voiced over farming practices that may be exacerbating the drought in rural Australia. The release of Peter Singer&Jim Mason’s book The Ethics of What We Eat , along with The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Fast Food Nation , have encouraged many to think about …

Read more 14 November, 2006

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Over the weekend it was announced that 93.6% of NSW has been declared a drought zone. This means that only 2.7% of the state is considered unaffected . The area has increased from last month, when 89.3% of the state was drought affected and is higher than Queensland, where 61% is considered to be in drought. This has further increased the likelihood of food price increases, including meat, vegetables, bread and milk. The ABC reported : bq. The “Queensland Farming …

Read more 13 November, 2006

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Hmm, already seven days into the month and I’m finally getting to the list of what’s in season at the moment. Sorry folks, better late than never . . . All the “in season” lists I’ve seen so far have listed bananas, but price-wise they’re still rivalling gold bullion, so I’m not including them. Surely they have to come down in price some time soon? Fruit: * Apples (Lady Williams) * Apricots are coming into season, although they’re still exy …

Read more 07 November, 2006

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During this year’s Good Food Month I’ve most enjoyed the opportunities to try out new shopping locations and new places to buy produce. While not always following the official trail, by going out of my normal comfort zone, I’ve discovered new foods and ingredients – which have, of course, led to new recipes and eating experiences. Campsie , the Castle Hill growers’ market and Hawkesbury Farmgate Trail have led me to the tastiest of strawberries, vegetables fresh-picked that morning, ...

Read more 29 October, 2006

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