Twig Cafe

I'm a big fan of Petersham Nurseries. It's one of those treat places that you go when you're feeling a bit flat and you're in need of some countryside and cake. Whilst its predominately a garden centre, the choice is a lot better than your average, and it has lots of ethnic wood, funky bulbs and nice welly boots to offer, as well as talks and of course the wonderful food from Skye Gyngell in the restaurant that has to be booked months in advance to get a sniff at a table. I've often dreamed of starting my own food and plant combo, two of my favourite things.

The boys at Garden Life in Surry Hills have done just that. Inspired by Petersham, they have a stylish little shop with a great cafe out the back. Its inside/outside which helps with the weather we're having at the moment and seems always to be buzzing, which is nice. Not many cows though, but I suppose you can't have everything!

GARDEN LIFE

357 CLEVELAND STREET

SURRY HILLS

NSW 2016

TEL 02 8399 0666

Christmas pudding

This year, for the first time ever, I made my own Christmas pudding. Hardly remarkable to most, but when you consider that it was only about 2 years ago that I learned to cook scrambled egg, I'm very proud of my achievement - even though its not perfect, as the picture shows! I had a lot of fun though, chopping and mixing and I felt a bit like Bridget Jones trying to find string that wasn't coloured, to bind the lid before steaming it for 3 hours.

Previously I bought my puddings from either Harvey Nichols, or the wonderful pudding lady at Borough, although she hasn't been there the last few times I've been and I'd love to know what happened to her. Although I'm sure there is somewhere, I haven't found anywhere yet in Sydney that makes puddings that are big enough for my family, who adore pudding.

There are a zillion recipes online, and mine came from here. I'm planning to make brandy butter to go with it too.

I shan't bother with mince pies because they are cheaper to buy in Woolworth's!

Santa's grotto in Sydney

Making mince pies wearing a bikini is all very lovely, but I think its natural to miss home at certain times of the year, especially Christmas. London does Christmas so very well - twinkly lights, indulgent shopping trips to Liberty and Fortnums, and this year even crisp weather and snow.

Its a rainy Tuesday and after too many cups of tea, I decided to take a walk to Redfern and visit the Seasonal Concepts shop, run by the very talented Ken Wallis.

The shop's motto is 'delight the eye, cheer the heart' and my, how it does! Stepping into the shop was like entering Toyland with a (very young) santa, sitting behind the desk at the far end next to a full size giraffe. A massive Christmas tree, filled with vintage glass decorations, brings back memories of a childhood, I wish I'd had if only plastic hadn't been invented! Roses, peacock plumes, dolls and other Christmassy paraphernalia sit on a long table, with jumbled up seating, just like you'd have at home if only you could. And a wonderful modern tree made with knitting needles and balls of wool shows you that you can create something fabulous with a bit of imagination. Something Ken has in sackloads!

Seasonal Concepts

122 Redfern Street

Redfern 2016

02 8399 2435

And... breathe...!

It's been a while since I posted and I thought I might pop in and explain why. With the excuse that my elderly father is coming over from the UK for Christmas, and what was I going to do with him in Sydney, let alone with all those stairs in the Surry Hills house, I've rented a little somewhere special on the northern beaches for a couple of months.

And oh, how lovely it is to be back! I feel sane again. There are birds popping in for morning visits (M calls me Dr Doolittle), dolphins, morning runs and swims. I'm cooking and I feel inspired again. I even managed to do some writing work (unofficially of course) last week for a event concept and it was one of my best evers, even if I do say so myself!

M is coming up after work on his gorgeous motorbike on days that he doesn't have his children. And I've got space from them all when I don't want to be part of somebody else's family. Hooray!

All things bright and beautiful

This is a totally biased blog but I'm so in love with this shop that I had to brag about it! My new but already very dear friend, Nic has opened a fabulous new shop on Bronte Road, called 'Better World Arts'. She asked me to help her last week with setting up the shop, and I had a wonderful few days wallowing in all kinds of gorgeous things and being allowed to play.

The name suggests perfectly what she stocks, which is everything fair trade, thereby allowing you to shop with a continence. She could very well have called it The Happiness Store - with all that eye-popping candy on the walls in pinks and oranges, blues and greens. There are original paintings by well known, and not-so, aboriginal artists. There are also rugs and textiles produced in collaboration with artists and weavers. Also baskets and bright hand painted jewels, along with hanging space for perfectly formed Christmas decorations. Prices are more Waverley than Woollahara. In fact, all my christmas shopping done in one hit. Can't say fairer than that!

Better World Arts

254 Bronte Road (next to the Post Office)

Waverley 2024

Sculpture by the Sea

Already rather stunning, my morning run has been elevated somewhat this week, firstly by the sighting of wales and also by the installation of Sculpture by the Sea which opens on Thursday. Each day, I've watched the artists and dig little coffin squares of turf, and lovingly begin to place their pieces, either by hand, or by crane as I saw this morning.

There are still many half installed, which I didn't photograph, but it was lovely to meet some of the artists, watching their works come to fruition.

I think the concept is such a good one which could be adapted for many locations, including the not so glamorous.

What a tart!

Ottolenghi Cafes are like high-end fashion stores. They are all white with the odd bit of abstract wall art and staffed by the perfectly formed whose body shapes confirm that they have never even licked one of the perfect meringues that they sell, piled high on the countertop. There are loads and loads of big white bowls with delicious exotic salads, salmon wrapped in delicate tissue pastry and passion fruit cakes that whisper your name when you go in to buy your mellow latte (in a white cup). Often I’ve tried to emulate the broccoli, chill and flaked almonds but never succeeded to get it just right.

Yotam Ottolenghi writes a column for the Guardian on a Saturday, with a vegetarian slant. He’s kindly packaged his recipes up in a (white) book so that now I can try with more success. M unkindly said that the food in the pictures looked like the top of your rubbish bin when you take off the lid. They are all messy and deliciously half-eaten-looking. I don’t care, I love food like that, and Mr. Ottolenghi’s book, 'Plenty', has remained on the kitchen table permanently.

I’ve tried lots of the offerings. They’ve all come out perfectly, although some of the ingredients required are not your average. They are often a tiny bit fiddly, including the caramelized garlic tart, which I made yesterday, which took about 2 hours. Mr. Ottolenghi claims that this is the most delicious tart ever. He isn’t lying. I made mine in a massive frilly pie tin and it’s all gone now. I’m not going to bother typing up the recipe because I think you should go and buy the book so you can make lots of fabulous bin food.