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    A Touch of (Cooking) Class

    May 20, 2014

    I consider myself a decent home cook. By this I mean I can joint a chicken, cook pasta to al dente and I also do a line in a good jus. But I can’t temper chocolate and frankly I wouldn’t even make the audition phase on Masterchef without threatening to cut someone. But like most home cooks, I like to expand my repertoire even if it is just in theory. What seems like a lifetime ago when I was a pre-teen, I was sent on some holiday cooking classes run by the local natural gas company (it makes sense if you are Australian). We learned how to make tuna casserole…

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  • Cheese,  Cheese in Cooking,  European Cheese,  Food,  Italian,  Italian Cheese,  Italy,  Recipes,  Travel,  wine

    The Grate Escape – Eating Pecorino in Italy

    May 7, 2014

    You may have heard, I recently went to Italy. To say this was a spiritual experience (bit like my visit to The ABBA Museum would be very accurate. I spent most of my time in Florence like Florence is well known for many things. some bloke called David, the setting of a million films and novels and of course, its’ food. I was there for the cheese – specifically Pecorino. Pecorino is the name of a family of hard Italian cheeses made from ewe’s milk. The word derives from Italian pecora meaning ‘sheep’, which in turn is from the Latin pecus meaning livestock. Like Parmesan we have all probably had…

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  • Cheese,  European Cheese,  Grilled Cheese,  Italian,  Italy,  Recipes

    Full Fontina

    February 17, 2014

    We all know the feeling. Work is a war zone. The car is on the blink. Traffic is at carmageddon levels. A friend isn’t talking to you. Even the neighborhood stray cat hates you. For me, this is a time when only a grilled cheese sandwich will do. See, grilled cheese doesn’t judge you. Doesn’t yell at you for doing something wrong. It doesn’t care that you are wearing tracksuit pants where the elastic is broken. It’s warm, gooey, non-judgemental goodness. This little number, made recently on a cool and wet Doha night, features fontina cheese, walnut bread and some sneaky ham. Fontina cheese has been made in the Aosta…

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  • American Cheese,  Cheese,  Food,  Recipes,  Travel,  White Cheese

    Taking a Punt – Football Shaped Cheese Is A Thing Now Apparently

    October 10, 2013

    Look, I am a football fan. I have been a lifelong and suffering fan of the Parramatta Eels who haven’t won anything useful in ohhh…three decades. I know the words to this song: And I remember this: I am, a football tragic. I am also a cheese tragic. But never, ever, in my darkest moments, have I thought to combine the two. But someone…has. Football Shaped Cheese Ball There is even a video of how to make it should you feel so inclined. It appears it’s a “thing” in the US Cheesy Football Each to their own I guess!

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  • Recipes,  Travel

    Middle Eastern Promise

    September 13, 2013

    There are eight new cheeses currently sitting in my fridge to try. But all week, I have been craving Lebanese food, specifically Fatteh. In my world, this is the perfect combination of salty, crunchy, creamy and savory (with the exception of a grilled cheese sandwich). Because I have been on a healthy living kick, buying it from one of the local restaurants wasn’t a option, given it can involve a lot of oil. Fatteh actually means crushed or crumbed. My version has chickpeas, oven baked eggplant, toasted pita and of course a garlicky yoghurt sauce with tahina and lemon. Some people like theirs with ground lamb or chicken, I like…

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