Virtual Dinner Party No. 14 – Terrine, Tomato Sugo, Trifle!

Robin BoyleAustralian, Dessert, Dinner, Dinner Party, French, General Interest, Italian, Main course, Nibbles & Hors d'oeuvres

Mid-August we held VDP No. 14 – six of us in attendance. The menu was prepared by our Melbourne friends and designed so that all dishes could be more or less ready when we sat down. There were two inspirational recipes from the night. One was the terrine in green aspic. The terrine recipe is a favourite of our friends …

Virtual Dinner Party No. 13 – Leeks, Chicken, Citrus Fruits!

Robin BoyleAustralian, Dessert, Dinner, Dinner Party, French, Fruit, General Interest, Main course, Poultry, Vegetables

(Update: For VDP No. 14, click here) Coronavirus Lockdown – 2021 Here we are in July in Melbourne, 2021, and we are in lockdown again. Other states and territories too have been locked down when Covid outbreaks occur in the community, having escaped from our hotel quarantine system. Each lockdown only means several dozens of infections, or even less than …

Lockdown Tryouts – Eggs!

Robin BoyleAustralian, Brunch, Dessert, European, General Interest, Lunch, Main course, Pastry, Picnic

Covid-19 lockdown has given everyone plenty of opportunities to experiment with their cooking, to go back to old favourites and to try out some of those newspaper cut-out recipes. Not everything we have tried has worked but we are generally very pleased rather than disappointed. In this post we include two savoury and one sweet successes where eggs are a …

Virtual Dinner Party No. 12 – With an Apple and Honey Pancake Gâteau from 1973!

Robin BoyleAustralian, Dessert, Dinner, Dinner Party, Fish & Seafood, French, General Interest, Latin American, Main course, Poultry, Vegetables

(Update: For VDP No. 13, click here) Coronavirus Lockdown Mid-September in Melbourne 2020 and we are still in lock down, possibly until mid-October. We are largely confined to our homes. Country Victoria has fewer restrictions, while the other states of Australia have resumed fairly normal lives and lifestyles. We were pleased when our Adelaide friends were in contact to organise …

Virtual Dinner Party No. 11 – To Celebrate a Birthday!

Robin BoyleAustralian, Dessert, Dinner, Dinner Party, General Interest, Lunch, Main course, Poultry

(Update: For VDP No. 12, click here) Coronavirus Lockdown At the end of August in Melbourne 2020 we were still in lock down, with some weeks still to go. We were – and still are – largely confined to our homes. However, the same does not apply in other states, which have moved back towards a more normal lifestyle. For …

Virtual Dinner Party No. 10 – With an Elegant Fish Soup from 1973!

Robin BoyleDessert, Dinner, Dinner Party, European, Fish & Seafood, General Interest, Main course, Poultry, Soup, Vegetables

(Update: For VDP No. 11, click here) Coronavirus Lockdown August in Melbourne 2020 and we were back in lock down for six weeks. We are largely confined to our homes. However, that only applies for the state of Victoria; other states have moved back towards a free lifestyle. We and our two Melbourne friends were keen to have another VDP …

Virtual Dinner Party No. 9 – Cauliflower Soup, Garfish, Ranch Dressing, Latvian Layered Cake

Robin BoyleDessert, Dinner, Dinner Party, European, Fish & Seafood, General Interest, Main course, Soup, Vegetables

(Update: For VDP No. 10, click here) Coronavirus Lockdown Well in Melbourne we were out of lock down for about six weeks, though still with social distancing in place. But then the virus got away from us and so for two weeks we have been largely confined to our homes again. However, that only applies for the state of Victoria; …

Rhubarb and Marzipan Torte & Rhubarb and Strawberry Buckle Cake

Robin BoyleCakes & Biscuits, Dessert, Dinner, European, Morning or Afternoon Tea, North American

There has been lovely quality rhubarb in the markets over the last two months. Being under COVID-19 lock down restrictions much of that time has given us the chance to try new recipes. Here we give two rhubarb recipes that are terrific for morning or afternoon tea or as a dessert. Both last well in the fridge and both reheat …

Icelandic Rhubarb Cake – A Family Farmhouse Recipe!

Robin BoyleCakes & Biscuits, Dessert, Dinner, European, International Travel & Photos, Morning or Afternoon Tea

Iceland is covered in ice! Well that perception needs to be debunked. It’s all rhubarb! Is it not perhaps the most amazing country on Earth! Even the food – like this remarkable cake – is full of surprises. The scenery Yes, there is a lot of snow in Iceland, and the weather is cool, with July summer temperatures only averaging …

Virtual Dinner Party No. 8 – French Onion Soup, Vinegar Chicken, Rhubarb Clafoutis!

Robin BoyleDessert, Dinner, Dinner Party, French, General Interest, Soup

(Update: For VDP No. 9, click here) Coronavirus Lockdown With most of us in self-isolation or even total lockdown, a VDP (virtual dinner party) is one way to catch up with friends and to continue to test your cooking skills. We have now had a number of VDPs. Here is the link to the first of those: Virtual Dinner Party …