I am thrilled to finally be able to give you a glimpse of my upcoming book, Delicious Days in Paris. Here is the gorgeous front cover. The team at Lantern is so talented!It will still be a little while before Delicious Days is sitting prettily on the shelf (2014) but I should have a copy to hold in my hands very soon. So exciting!For more information about Delicious Days visit the Penguin Australia website.I'll keep you posted re the book's progress!
Affordable Paris
In Paris, style, attention to detail and the art of living well are infused into the everyday - from the gorgeous display in a florist shop window to the exquisite packaging of a strawberry tart. This culture of beauty and elegance extends to all corners of life and makes it possible to drink in the very essence of Paris without opening your purse. There's something to catch your breath on every street so button up your trench and get walking! I still think it's the best way to see Paris, and it doesn't cost a centime.There are loads of things to do ...
On Vintage Cookbooks & Chocolate Cake
Like most kids growing up in rural South Australia in the '70s, exotic holidays were not part of our lives. Summer school holidays mostly meant carefree, barefoot days at home, the risk of fire too great to leave the farm unattended. Shearing time often fell during the May and September breaks, when the whole family rolled up their sleeves and got to work.Goodness knows how many cakes I cooked during those times! As well as a necessity on the farm, baking was my creative outlet and I spent hours in the kitchen at my mother's side. Just as one cake was placed ...
Breakfast in Adelaide: Three Favourites
Hot Chocolate at The House of DonkeyWith busy lives, my girls and I find that breakfast or brunch is a great way for us to catch up with minimal planning and fuss, and a renaissance in the Adelaide breakfast scene makes our outings all the more enjoyable. Cool and quirky cafés are peppering the suburbs and seasoning the city as diners snap-shut tired menus in large generic cafés and turn to smaller spots with personality.At many of these vibrant addresses you will still find a classic 'big breakfast' of bacon and eggs made from quality South Australian produce but there is also ...
Congratulations Adelaide!
Have you heard the wonderful news?!Adelaide has just been named one of the Top Ten Cities in the world 2014 by global travel authority, Lonely Planet. Coming in at number nine, Adelaide is the only Australian city to win a spot, and with Paris ranked number one I am thrilled that my two favourite cities (and the places I most write about) are now on the list!Read more about the Top Ten Cities here.A decade ago, after returning from Paris to a rather buttoned-up Adelaide, my youngest daughter Annabelle remarked as we drove through the city streets one evening, 'Where are ...
On Country Schools & Pet Shows
Last week I spent hours trawling through boxes of old slides in order to put together a photo board for my father's 80th birthday. In the process, I was excited to discover a stack of nostalgic shots that had never seen the light of day, including this picture below that I just had to share. Hynam School Pet Show, circa 1968Frozen in time, it perfectly captures life in the late 1960s in a small country school in South Australia. What makes it all the more precious is that formal class photos were scarce; in fact I have few shots of ...
The Best Time to Visit Paris
During the past week or so I have been ridiculously busy, and with not enough hours in the day I have welcomed the solitude of the wee hours to work on the final edit of my upcoming book. With my head full of France, how could I not take a bit of time out to book a flight to Paris?While I was planning dates for my trip, it occurred to me that rarely a week goes by without someone asking me, 'When is the best time to visit Paris?' The answer is not a simple one. A host of things must be ...
Adelaide’s Linear Park
When the words on my computer screen start to play up and I need a break from writing, I often head down to the River Torrens and walk along Linear Park. Just a boomerang throw from the Adelaide CBD, I am suddenly in the bush, bounded by towering gums and golden wattles. Birdsong fills the air and frogs croak in the reeds and rushes, the mesmerising sounds echoing along the banks. Sometimes I hear a kookaburra laugh or see a cheery flock of rainbow lorikeets; there are ibises, pelicans, wood ducks and all kinds of native waterbirds. Occasionally on my travels I spy a ...
French Cheese Tips & Etiquette
When my mind turns to Paris, I can think of nothing more enjoyable that unwrapping an oozing slice of perfectly-ripe cheese, slathering it on a fresh baguette, baked bien cuit with a crackling crust, and pouring a glass of red wine. For cheese enthusiasts like me, it represents pure joie de vivre. Fromageriesare sprinkled in every quarter of the city and stopping to buy a cheese or two for dinner is a part of everyday life. Step inside and you'll find a mind-boggling array of seasonal delights from tiny logs of soft, creamy chèvre to giant wheels of farmhouse Saint-Nectaire. Often, you'll bump into big bowls of thick, ...
On the Moon Lantern Festival
Tonight, I was going to write about OzAsia's Moon Lantern Festival 2013. Under the light of a full moon, it promised to be a very special event at Elder Park on the River Torrens with food stalls, performances, fireworks and a parade of astonishingly beautiful glowing lanterns. Unfortunately, due to rain and 70 km/hr gusts of wind, the event (which stems from Asian mid-Autumn harvest festivities) was cancelled in the 11th hour; an incredibly disappointing outcome for the community groups and schools who put so much hard work and effort into the lead up. With marquees nearly taking off across the park and ...