It's such a delight to be back in my kitchen after being away from home for several weeks galavanting across the UK and Europe. Spring has arrived in Australia, the days are gradually getting warmer and the sunshine now streams in through every window and French door in the house. My inner child is jumping with joy. ♥
The days and months are flying by and I'd like to take this opportunity to share with you a few good things in the form of food news and snippets that have caught my eye of late.
After a particularly cold winter (most of which I missed), the folks at the Australian Asparagus Council are celebrating spring and the bountiful harvest of new season Aussie spears. There's a whole new range of asparagus recipes featured on the Council's web site, including a few of my own. This asparagus with lemon herb pasta is next of my list of dishes to try. Floriade, Australia's major flower festival, takes place in Canberra's Commonwealth Park from 12 September to 11 October. If you've been planning a trip to the nation's capital, now is the perfect time. Highlights of the 2015 program include a visit from award-winning chef, restaurateur, author and television presenter, Karen Martini, who will showcase her passion for food in The Kitchen Company Tasting Plate on Saturday, 10 October. My lovely friend Viviane, pâtissier and chocolatier a.k.a. Chocolate Chilli Mango, loves choux pastry as much as I do. I've been fantasising about her exquisite salted caramel profiteroles with blood orange crème since I first saw them a while back. They too are on my list of things to bake. Another dear friend, Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial cooked Beggar's Chicken recently. I have that Chinese cooking class cookbook! Must dust it off and give the recipe a try. Speaking of blood oranges, I was chuffed to see my recipe for piri piri chicken with tangy blood orange on a Redbelly Citrus recipe leaflet! A very pleasant surprise. Blood oranges are in season now and the fruit from Redbelly is spectacular this year. I mentioned in a recent post that I've been revisiting the idea of creating a family memoir and cookbook. This article from Diana Henry, one of my food writing heroes, might prove to be helpful in my planning. Interesting to read that a team of plant biologists believes that common rice varieties, domesticated over thousands of years and now grown around the world, may have their ancestry in northern Australia. Great news from Australian food producer, SPC Admona, who won the battle against two Italian companies found to be dumping tinned tomatoes into the Australian market. This is an important decision for the Australian food industry. I enjoyed hearing restaurateur and food writer, Bill Granger, speaking on ABC Radio National about his philosophy on cooking and dining. Similarly, my number one food hero, Rick Stein, was interviewed on ABC RN about his new book, From Venice to Istanbul and the Isle of Torcello, in the Venice lagoon, a place that he says is close to his heart. He speaks so eloquently, don't you agree? A new Australian study provides more evidence that junk food has a dreadful impact on our health. The researchers have found that a bad diet causes not only physical but also mental problems, particularly in older folk. I don't know about you, but I need all the brain power I can get! CHOICE has released a 'free-range eggs buying guide' to assist Australian consumers and show which brands do and do not meet the recommended model of 1500 hens per hectare, and which brands are under investigation by the ACCC. This is a very good thing indeed, methinks. Please stay tuned, as I have a feast of new recipes, postcards and traveller's tales to share with you in the fullness of time. 
Redbelly oranges and my recipe for piri piri chicken with tangy blood orange
Floriade is paradise for photographers and plant lovers
Note: lead image appears courtesy of Scrapologie.
So my dear readers, what good things have captured your attention lately? Do please tell.
19 Comments
13/9/2015 06:00:08 am
What an eclectic array of foodie tidbits!! Congrats on your recipe being used - it looks like a beauty!
Lizzy
13/9/2015 07:45:47 am
Thanks ever so much, Red xx
Lizzy
14/9/2015 07:32:23 pm
Thank you my lovely friend! xx
Lizzy
14/9/2015 07:32:51 pm
If you do come sometime, it'd be lovely to catch up, E.
Lizzy
14/9/2015 07:33:13 pm
Nothing quite like home cooking, is there Amanda xx
Eha
13/9/2015 09:02:47 pm
Lizzy: please do go ahead with a 'family memoir and cookbook' - a joy for you to compose and for your myriad of followers to read and keep. One such from one of your readers being published in Chicago as we speak. Can't wait!! Rick Stein, Bill Granger, Karen Martini - voices from the past, present and future . . . and, oh yes, spring has sprung - am madly planting tomatoes, peppers, chillies and herbs :) !
Lizzy
14/9/2015 07:34:56 pm
Hopefully some interesting tidbits for you my friend. Keep well xx 14/9/2015 02:05:11 pm
Wow, you have been busy. Such nice little tid-bits to read about. The image used on the leaflet sounded like a surprise, did they ask you for it? I sure hope so, I've found my images being used by companies without permission and it's infuriating. As your spring approaches, our winter is sneaking in, slowly but surely. Soon I'll need to wear socks and shoes and I'm not looking forward to it.
Lizzy
14/9/2015 07:34:19 pm
Hi Eva... I knew my grower friend was looking for recipes for his leaflets as I helped him find some food blogger friends who might like to participate... I did not realise he'd use one of mine, but yes, he did ask first and I was more than happy to say yes x 14/9/2015 08:18:42 pm
So many good things happening! Your trip looked amazing but there is nothing like coming home. Congratulations on the recipe feature and I am off to take a look at some of the other lovely items you have highlighted. K x 17/9/2015 03:07:55 am
We are of the same thought. I have been planning a family memoir and cookbook as my second recipe book. Good luck and have fun :)
Lizzy
27/9/2015 01:08:06 am
Thank you Tandy, let's 'chat' when we can xx 17/9/2015 08:38:20 pm
Some fun news on your kitchen this month Lizzy! :D
Lizzy
27/9/2015 01:08:16 am
Thanks Lorraine : )
Mark Harris
7/10/2015 01:36:06 am
This is a very interesting collection of links. Thank you Liz. 9/10/2015 01:52:31 am
Oh you've just gotta write that family memoir and cookbook. :) Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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Hello, I'm Lizzy, the writer, cook and traveller behind
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