Couldn’t you just stare at that view forever?

Lush, green pastures.

Stunning, sunlit valleys.

Mother Nature at her finest.

Perfect for a getaway don’t you think?

And get away is exactly what I did recently.

A group of us were back at ”Redleaf”-that gorgeous property I managed to stay at a few years ago.

And if the property has a twenty metre pool you know it’s going to be better than good!

We were here to celebrate the milestone birthday of a good friend.

And we did it the best way we know.

With food (and copious amounts of Australian Shiraz!).

We enjoyed lunches on the deck, bathing in the warm, autumn sun.

In the evening we lit log fires and warmed our insides with hearty soups and stews.

Some of the dishes that we made included:

• Lamb Koftas with tzatziki 
• Mushroom, zucchini and green kale lasagna
• Barbecued ”picanha”. If you’ve ever been to a Brazilian steakhouse this piece of rump is considered gold. It was marinated in a simple medley of olive oil, salt and pepper. I have to say I was quite nervous about cooking this on the barbecue and was happy when it turned out.
• A Potato and chorizo soup finished off with cavolo nero.
• Beef stewed in red wine with cauliflower mash.
• My lime, yoghurt and olive oil cake. With limes picked off the nearby trees on the property.
• A double chocolate, caramel and coconut cake. Decadent!

It was quite a varied menu but everyone chipped and enjoyed the fruits of their labour.

I love cooking holidays!

We also managed to sneak in a few other activities too.

We went on a small hike in the surrounding area and came across some llamas (of all things!) goats and cows.

I think hiking is fun-to a point. I just wish there were more coffee shops in the bush! Those espresso withdrawals come at the most unfortunate of times!

And finally we had a fun afternoon swimming. Such is the beauty and geography of this region that the beach is only half an hour away.

I just love this contrast. One minute you’re battling baby red belly snakes in the mountain (a long story…) and the next you’re walking on pristine white sand.

I hope you enjoy my little picture essay.

Oh! And if you’re interested in getting a few friends together and staying at that gorgeous property known as ”Redleaf” -click on this link to get all the details. (no one paid me to say that either!).

Cheers!

P.S. All photos you see here have been taken with my beloved Fuji X100

Me and my Fuji X100 braved the slightly chilly weather (thank goodness there was no snow!) and made a day of exploring this magical city.

Like last time, I started in Westminster and made my way over the bridge. I whisked past the ”Abbey” and explored the local parks surrounding this historical area.

Up next, Trafalgar Square. It was full of visitors everywhere! People were scrambling to get shots on the lion statues and posing in front of the fountains.

Hunger pangs set in and I found myself at ”Jamie’s Italian” restaurant in Covent Garden. Dining for one certainly has its advantages as I managed to get a table immediately.

One antipasto board with cured meats, a spaghetti with rabbit ragu (recommended by my lovely waitress), two glasses of Sicilian Shiraz and one espresso later I was one happy camper! (the total came to £25 which is roughly around 35 Aussie bucks…not bad considering that’s the price of a main in some Sydney restaurants!).

After my mini Italian feast and trying to fight off the effects of jet lag (body clock thought it was 1 a.m. When it was actually 2 pm…aargh!) Covent Garden was looking a little manic for my liking. I snapped some shots of the street performers and hastily made my way back toward Waterloo Bridge.

Once I was over the bridge, I could smell food being cooked and I notice quite a bit of activity. Oh! It’s a market! This is the real food market (as my research later informs me). Artisan breads, cheeses, real home made cider all are vying for my attention. You name it it’s here. However, it’s the gigantic piece of mortadella that’s calling my name!

Look at the size of it! A kind gentleman offers me a taste and is baking mini pizzas in a small makeshift oven.

”Would you like a pizza with mortadella?”

”Um…is the queen English?” I respond!

After greedily enjoying my snack, I notice that day is quickly becoming night…but it feels so early.

The air is cool and crisp. I think a red wine might be in order to warm me up.

Thank you London. You’ve made me a happy visitor once again.

For all you photography buffs some of these shots were processed in black and white because I like the mood they convey. It was a ”bright grey” sort of day on my little stroll and I thought these tones were more reflective of that.

Take care and enjoy your weekend everyone.

It was nice to throw on an overcoat, scarf and hat and wander around soaking all the Xmas atmosphere. (although if you live in Sydney at the moment, you’ll notice we’re not too far off wearing our winter woollies!…so much for whinging about early summers!).

 I started my journey at Westminster Bridge and like my last visit here, snapped away like a madman. The area takes on a whole different vibe in the evening. The buildings are all lit up and glow so gorgeously. I’ll leave those night shots for another post though.

I made my way to Piccadilly Circus to meet up with a long time friend, who now calls London home.

From there we made our way down Regent street and marvelled at the beautiful Xmas lights on display. I know I can be quite repetitive but I was really mesmerised. Different sections of the street glowed in various colours. Some were gold and others took on a red hue.

We made our way down Oxford Circus and took a turn down Oxford street and the Xmas light displays took on another perspective. Presents and umbrellas all sparkled and looked like they were floating in mid air. Just brilliant!  A lot of the big department stores had also showered their storefronts with magical light displays. 

My friend said I was a bit like a kid in a candy store! I’m not usually one who goes “ga-ga” over Xmas but I’m not a grinch either. (I just despise those department stores that play those cheesy songs this time of the year!…Mariah Carey anyone?).

When you’re a visitor in a big city like London of course you can’t help but  “soak it all up”.

So what are the Xmas decorations like in your city?

It’s great to be posting pics again for this “Photo Friday” feature.  These shots were taken on a recent trip to Singapore.  When you have views like these you kind of get obsessed about taking photos all the time.  If you are curious these were taken with the new iPhone 4s.  Not bad for a little camera on a phone.  I have applied a few effects to the top two but it wasn’t major.  All in all I’m impressed!

Take care and enjoy the weekend.  I’ll be back next week with a few recipes. Cheers!

My apologies for not getting out some recipes this week.  I have been incredibly busy photographing for a few projects and time just slipped by.  Last time, I showed you the Andes and this time I want to share some aerial pictures of the Hindu Kush.  Again, I cannot repeat myself how beautiful it is to gaze at Mother Nature’s work.  I hope you enjoy these!

Take care and I’ll see you next week.  I promise.

Cheers!

Fried chicken anyone? This image was taken on the streets of Bangkok. One of my favourite cities. Oh how I miss Thailand! (No fancy take out containers here. Just plastic bags!).
Hope you have a lovely weekend everyone. Will be back next week with a few recipes.

Where does one even begin to talk about a city like London? Like New York it has a multitude of things to do, places to eat and see. I’m going to primarily focus on some captures I took whilst I was in the Westminster area recently.

Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye are just some of the attractions you will find in this highly historical part of London.

I’ve gone for a (mostly) black and white feel with these pictures. I find it suits the mood perfectly. (some were taken with my older Nikon D40 camera and some with my iPhone). You can also read about the last time I blogged about London and my visit to the Portobello road Markets.

Also, I’ve made another little video that runs for just under two minutes. You can find it at the end of the post. Editing video to make these mini features is a whole different ball game for me. I’ve tried to keep the edits short without boring you too much. Let me know what you think.

The video is a little intro to London-particularly focusing on some of the sights around Westminster. I’ve also included some footage of my day at the Borough Markets. If you ever get to London, you definitely need to visit here. Call it a cliche but it really is a foodie’s paradise. I spent half a day there and didn’t want to leave. I sampled lots of great food and drank some amazing coffee.

I hope you enjoy it folks!

When I last blogged about Hong Kong I wrote about the many eating options available on this vibrant, busy island. Cheap and cheerful, high end dining or yum cha (dim sum)-the options are endless. As I explained before, Kowloon is my favourite part of Hong Kong. It’s busy, “in your face” environment leaves you with no surprises.  On this night we decided we wanted something local and outdoors.

Along the Temple street markets you will find a myriad of eating options including dining “al fresco”. Laminex table and chairs litter the open streets as hawkers try to lure you to their outdoor restaurants. It’s a whole lot of fun trying to get a table (because it’s crazy busy) but there’s always a spot somewhere!

The eating options range from Cantonese influenced dishes, noodles (and I mean lots of noodles!) seafood and a myriad of greens.  And let’s not forget the many Heinekens to wash it all down!

On this visit last July,the weather was really hot with high levels of humidity. As soon as we had finished our 18 course extravaganza (there were seven of us!) all I wanted to do was plonk myself in an air conditioned bar and drink more beer.  Mother Nature had other plans for us though. The heavens opened and you should have seen the rain!  Everyone ran for whatever cover there was nearby and waited the storm out. I think calling it a “storm” is being kind. For about fifteen minutes it felt like a typhoon!  And then it was over. Just like that, it stopped. The tables and chairs were wiped down and business resumed as per normal. LOL!  I was glad I had my camera with me and I hope you enjoy some of these memorable snaps of the mad weather and food.

To call Hong Kong busy would be an understatement. The everyday hustle and bustle of this Asian Metropolis is, in my opinion, best described as manic. If you’re used to the madness of living in a large city you probably won’t mind.  If however you’re a first time visitor here you might find it a tad overwhelming.  I actually love  Hong Kong’s infectious buzz and energy.  There is never a dull moment to be had.

It is a city of many contrasts. It’s “yin and yang” in action. Whilst a small part of the island is densely populated with high rise concrete structures, a trip to the outer parts of the territory might surprise you. The landscape here is quite rugged-made up of parks, rocky mountains and beaches.    You wanna shop?  Sure go ahead. You will be spoilt for choice. Designer names and glamorous labels are on show in high end boutiques and department stores.  However, walk a few metres down the road and you can find their fake counterparts for one third of the price.   My tip if you’re visiting-get a tailor made suit. You won’t regret it. The quality and craftsmanship are superb.

Then there’s the food. The choice is simply astonishing.   Again, you can eat at grand hotels where caviar and champagne are flown in to cater for a clientele who have never heard of the GFC.   Or you can walk into a local noodle bar and enjoy some of the best hand made noodles and dumplings. Your taste buds will thank you many times over! Even those pompous gits who run the Michelin rating system could not overlook the local food.  Tim Ho Wan has been awarded a Michelin star for its simple, unpretentious offerings.  Just be prepared to wait in the snake-long queues.

The Kowloon side of Hong Kong (and more specifically the Mongkok area) is my favourite place to explore. Markets, malls and “tucked away to the side restaurants” make up this labyrinth-like part of the island. It’s very easy to feel a little like Alice in Wonderland here.  Turn one corner and someone is selling fresh seafood and noodles ready to be turned into a local delicacy. Turn the next corner and you’ve got the latest designer Gucci-for next to nothing of course!  Kowloon can be a little suffocating but it’s always fun.

And what visit to Hong Kong would be complete without having yum cha?  It’s a must.  It’s served everyday and for about ten Aussie dollars (yes I’m not joking!) you can feast on a variety of fried and steamed morsels fit for an Emperor. The social adrenalin along with the noise is high when enjoying yum cha.  It looks chaotic but it’s all part and parcel of the experience. Trolleys zoom past, bamboo baskets fly about like frisbees and tea is continuously poured.  Between the many “mmm’s” the conversation is always about food!

Hope you enjoyed my little “tour” and pictures of Hong Kong.  Stay tuned soon for an outdoor feast that ended up being “washed out”.

In “late breaking news” you may want to read and hear an interview I did recently regarding my techniques for food photography.  Check it out here.

When you have very limited time in an iconic destination, such as New York city what do you do?  You go non-stop!

It had been a little over six years since my last visit and let’s just say that it didn’t disappoint.  I tried to cram in as much as I could in less than 24 hours.  I know some of you actually live here and for that I envy you.  I love the buzz, atmosphere and vibe that New York has.  Always something to do….

Armed with my older, little Nikon D40 camera and braving the cold I headed out to the lower East side for a quick bite and a catch up.  Taxiiiiiii!!!!

Off I zoomed in the familiar talking taxis…now with advanced GPS!

A cocktail is always a great way to start the evening….we drank and dined at Les Enfants Terribles.

Especially with long lost friends….

A quick walk through the neighbourhood revealed that the Lower East Side had a lot of “happening” and busy places.  Being a Saturday night the bars were full of people.  I also love the little food shops you see along the way.

Ceviche anyone?

Cupcakes?

The fire escapes are still there (ok I wasn’t expecting them to go anywhere!).  They are pretty synonymous with the architecture found in a lot of neighbourhoods in New York city.

Fondue anyone?  LOL!  Right out on the street.  And finally when you continue to drink till the wee hours, a 24 hour diner is always your good friend.  Ok I don’t always eat like this but there’s something satisfying about a cheeseburger, fries, onion rings, pickle and coleslaw that really hits the spot!