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 – Chicken!

Robin BoyleAustralian, Indian & Sri Lankan, Lunch, Main course, North American, Poultry

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 some new and some old favourite chicken recipes. The last …

Lockdown Standbys – Easy Flatbread Pizzas!

Robin BoyleAs easy as ..., Australian, General Interest, Italian, Lunch, Main course

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 recipes cut out from newspapers and magazines. Not everything we have tried has worked but we are generally very pleased rather than disappointed. In this post we include one our favourite standbys – pizzas …

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 …

Asparagus – One Of The Most Versatile Vegetables!

Robin BoyleAustralian, General Interest, Lunch, Main course, Recipe, Vegetables

The asparagus season in Australia starts around the beginning of September – maybe August in some regions. Imported asparagus can be obtained all year round, but it is the local season that one waits for. And then you have an abundance of a vegetable that is so easy to work with, has a lovely flavour and texture and which is …

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 …

A Pan-Fried Cheese & Ham Toastie – With an Egg!

Robin BoyleAustralian, Cheese, Lunch, Snack, Supper

One great aspect of lockdown is having the time and inclination to try old-favourite recipes. Recently The Melbourne Age ran an article on How to make the perfect toasted cheese sandwich. It provides heaps of ideas and options. So recently we have been cooking our version. It derives from a visit to Dallas, Texas, some years ago. The Lumen Hotel …

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 …

Making The Impossible! No. 5

Robin BoyleAustralian, Dinner, Impossible?, Miscellaneous, Vegetables

My father had a huge garden and used to grow all sorts of vegetables. We loved practically all of them, but even the way Mum and Dad cooked them, we kids never really took to Brussels sprouts. They are tricky to cook well. They can be tough or unevenly cooked. Overcook them and they can turn mushy. Worst though is …