There may be no harbour bridge or opera house but NSW Central Coast has its own maestro. The Central Coast has changed a lot over the years. My last memory of visiting the Central Coast was many, many years ago where I attended a work conference at the Crowne Plaza Terrigal. The organisers then probably…
Taste
Billabong Retreat Sydney :: Where silence is a rare treat
Say the words ‘yoga retreat’ and I think of getting on a plane to blissful sanctuaries high up in the mountains in India, the lush green jungle of Bali or on secluded beaches in Thailand. I could do that, or I could experience bliss by making an hour car trip from Sydney CBD to out…
Recipe :: Easy vegetarian bolognese
Is it possible to make vegetarian bolognese sauce taste good too? Yes it is and ever since I discovered nutritional yeast, a delicious umami, savoury taste and a source of complete protein and vitamins, in particular B-complex vitamins making it a great superfood, I find I can go wholly vegetarian but still have the similar flavour and…
Recipe :: My humble healthier carrot cake
Nothing compares baking your own carrot cake once you have nailed the recipe. I went down to my local bakery to grab some afternoon tea during the work week and I thought to try their carrot cake. It tasted like there was unnecessarily a lot of cream and white sugar. The carrot cake I usually…
Banana cake recipe :: a healthier version
I’ve been inspired after a trip by the billabong, the Billabong Retreat to be precise, out in the bush an hour out northwest from Sydney CBD where I experienced a profound sense of serenity and quietness and on diet of vegetarian food for 3 days. I felt pretty amazing after that retreat and was determined…
Easy recipe : Baharat spiced lamb cutlets
After all my travelling, it’s good to be back in my kitchen making my own meals, always with the freshest quality ingredients that’s easily available to me. That said, what I make has to be easy too and preferably with left overs I can take for lunch on Monday as I usually have a busy…
Banyan Tree Ungasan, Bali: What to See, Taste and Do in 5 days
I was off the grid for 5 days when I travelled to Bali, Indonesia, an island known for its lush green forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice terraces, temples, monkeys, traditional markets and beaches. It was nice to getaway for a few days away from high rise city buildings and just see lush greenness and panoramic ocean views….
Blu Bar High Tea Buffet in the Skies at Shangri-La Sydney
As the lift stopped on Level 36 of the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney today I stepped into the Blu Bar, natural light streaming in on a glorious Saturday, you cannot help but look out the enormous glass windows and expansiveness of Sydney Harbour with unrivalled views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, before…
Recipe: Spaghetti with truffle
It’s always nice to play with the real deal truffle and not a version of it bottled up in oil. It’ the first time I tried using this powerful fungus (thanks to MD Provodores) that gives you the oomph and sexiness in a pasta dish. I tried a truffled spaghetti recipe published by Acadamia Barilla…
Recipe: Lebanese Fattoush Salad
I could’ve walked down to my local shop and bought Lebanese bread for $1.50 to make my fattoush salad but I chose not to and decided to make my own Lebanese bread. I recently learnt to make an Italian focaccia from scratch thanks to the teachings of Francesco Zarella who I met when he…