I’m back… and, I owe you an apology for my hiatus. In true cliché fashion, life got in the way. Since I last wrote, I’ve been traveling a lot, missing the comfort of my own bed and cooking whenever I can (though not nearly enough). It’s been a chaotic, yet joyful time.
Winter in Sydney was fleeting, as I hopped over to Europe, visiting Paris and my beloved Italy. Returning to Paris felt like a shot of pure adrenaline. From food to people-watching, music to architecture, everything breathed new life into me. A perfect dinner at L’Orillion, the beauty of Versailles, Oscar Niemeyer’s brutalist masterpiece in the French Communist Quarters, and hours spent food shopping at Le Bon Marché, each experience was an antidote to my creative block, reigniting my inspiration.
Traveling is a privilege I never take for granted, especially when it opens up exposure to such rich cultures, traditions, and ways of life. These experiences remind me just how vast and interconnected our world is (and just how small I am). Some of my fondest moments were spent in the rooftop apartment of a dear friend, cooking with fresh produce from the market, staging impromptu still-life shoots with the most Renaissance-worthy radishes I’ve ever seen.
Italy, on the other hand, was blisteringly hot. So hot that a diet of stone fruit, Franciacorta, gelato and caffe shakerato were about all a day entailed.
Now, back in Australia, Melbourne greeted me with a 40-degree drop to 2 degrees—definitely a shock to the system! With so many climates and continents in the mix, my desire to cook has never been stronger. Inspiration is flowing from all directions.
As I settle back at home in Sydney, I’m greeted by the sight of magnolias that have just finished blooming, evenings stretching longer with skies painted in shades of blue and bubblegum pink, and market stalls bursting with the first offerings of spring: broad beans, fresh greens, and all the bounty the season brings. A start to spring and an appreciation for slow days, pottering around the house and cooking in my own kitchen. The following recipes are ones I have enjoyed lately, I hope you do too.
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