crazy food combinations

Ingredients: 3 Carrots, peeled and diced 3 Celery, sticks peeled and sliced 1 Onion, peeled and diced 3 Garlic cloves, crushed 1 Butter knob 4 Beef Cheeks 200ml White wine 500ml Beef Stock Seasoning Oregano Bay Leaf Orecchiette Pasta Method: Combine diced carrots, celery, onion and garlic in a slow cooker and sweat down with a knob of butter. Add in Oregano, Bay leaf, salt and pepper. Add wine, stock and Beef cheeks into the slow cooker, cover and set on high for 8 hours. After 8 hours your Beef cheeks should be tender and starting to fall part. Remove cheeks from slow cooker and pull the meat. Transfer stock to a smaller saucepan and season to taste.  I added more salt and pepper with a touch of red pepper, cumin, caraway and hot chilli spice. Transfer cheeks to pan and reduce on low for approx 1 hour or until you have a thick sauce consistency. Cook up the Orecchiette pasta to al dente. I chose this style of pasta to catch the sauce, but you can choose any pasta of your choice....

It's funny how we think that the only places to eat are in local cafes or restaurants and how dependant we come to relying on apps to find the great eateries. Well I am here to say that at Melbourne Zoo they have outstanding food facilities that you are missing out on.  Compass Group located at Melbourne and Werribee Zoo are delivering some magnificent catering. Recently I was honoured to attend an event where to start we were presented with flavoursome canapes of: - Smoked fish croquettes with yuzu mayo & furikake sprinkle - Delicate Beet tarts with creamy goat curd and cumquat marmalade - Wagyu bresaola with horseradish creme fraiche, red sorrel nestled on a potato gaufrette - Eggplant and pecorino fritters with minted yoghurt Add these with a glass of champagne in the warm summer breeze, and lions roaring in the background and you have a sensational concoction to celebrate Mains alternate but of course I got my hands into try the dish beside me, when no one was looking (you ...

Cooking is always supposed to have the special ingredient of love, as my Nanna used to say. Homestyle cooking is always what I adventure to find when eating out at smaller venues where family is the key to making the cafe or restaurant work. There dedication shows from that first step you through the door through to the end of the farewell, and today I have found it. Olive oil & Butter is a family restaurant making all there delights on premises and delivering sensational meals with great service. The cafe is quaint but homely with touches of Greek heritage through out. From the moment we stepped in front of the door to enter we were greeted with a friendly smile and welcome. Settled down with specials explained and coffee orders taken instantly. Brunch was in order but hard to decide on what to have. Everything sounds great. So with the trust of the staff I left it in there hands to decide for me, and they impressed. A delicious and impressive dish of the Egg & Pumpkin breakfa...

We all have a time in our lives where we cringe at the fact that after a long days work you then have to return home and cook a meal. For some of us it's always, for others it's occasional but there is no denying that there hasn't been a time where all you want to get home change into your sweats or pyjama's and slump on the couch and have delivery bring you your dinner. Lately moving into the west side of Melbourne we were discovering a shortage on good take away venues that delivered to our door, or still be open when we actually realised that it was getting to that time of evening where we should have taken something out of the freezer about 6 hours ago. The stumble onto Menulog was a great option that was made aware to us, and to be honest we haven't looked back. A website where they don't just deliver the multiple option of cuisine, but the service is included through till the end, and for those who have used Menulog will understand what I am talking about,...

Saturday morning in Melbourne where the skies are blue, the sun is shining can only inspire every coffee and breakfast lover to roll out of bed earlier and embrace this delightful day. With the early morning rays over head and the peaceful back streets of Fitzroy brought me to Industry Beans. I have been following them for the past few weeks on social media and every day with out fail I envy anyone who was dining and enjoying there when I wasn't. Glutenous food porn photos only edged me more and more to be a fellow patron and discover the inspirational flavours along with a silky cup of joe. An Industry Charcuterie was a luscious serve of delicate meats with Jamon Serrano (Spanish cured ham) and Duck bacon served with Manchegro cheese croquette, Pedro Ximenez soaked prunes, tea marbled egg with a salt cured yolk and a celeriac remoulade. What a sensational starter for grazing the morning away in the sunshine. Rich but delicate flavours of the Duck bacon blends so well with the prun...

Fairly new to the scene and making a significant entrance would be Ascot Food Store. A perfect possie for anyone wanting an explicit menu followed by outstanding service, all with smiles and grace. There is nothing on this menu, that I wouldn't want to eat. Every dish is exciting within itself, and for me it's like a kid in a lolly shop who can't decide whether to get the 5 mates for 5 cents or some musk sticks. It's not a standard affair for breakfast dishes, it's bold luscious flavours intwined together to lift and gage the love of food that everyone is on the hunt for. Wild pine mushrooms, with parsley garlic butter on a toasted brioche, delicate pecorina and finished with a rich duck egg sets a new standard to just mushrooms on toast. Soft toasted brioche slice soaks the juices from the grilled mushrooms, and combined with a duck egg that has a runny golden yolk, truly takes you away from your morning blues. Mix it up with a little side of pork belly instead of ...

The salt waves are rapidly hitting the shores of Half moon bay, and I'm sure you have read that in the last week that part of their pier has been washed ashore, but this shouldn't deter you from venturing down to Cerberus Beach house for an impeccable meal. Cerberus is an outstanding family restaurant that is here to separate themselves from the surrounding competition and deliver something so mouth watering, that you will be in an awe of amazement and happiness. Today I had the honour of meeting Cerberus's new Head Chef James Blight. Impressive talents have been brought to us from UK Michelin kitchens and years experience through the Private Dining RACV club. Speaking with James I was able to get in touch with his inspiration and how Cerberus Beach House will create the best dinning experience you could ask for. To be able to separate themselves from the basic calamari and chips that most of the Brighton - Moordialloc coast restaurants show on there menu's, Cerberus co...