A flashback to my last hosted tour to Morocco – so special riding camels in the desert.
Thank you,
to those who gave me feedback about my newsletter. Seems like I have the mix just about right. However, please always feel free to email me with any requests or suggestions?
Time has flown in the last week making my time away ever more remote but it is fun to catch up with family and friends in Australia.
Before I went away my niece and I joined the wonderful With One Voice Choir. It’s such fun to go and sing with like-minded people for an hour and a half each week and we have an amazing leader. On Saturday we are singing in our first performance as part of the multi-cultural Spring Fair Market Day at Willoughby Uniting Church from 10 – 10.30am. The Spring Fair is a cherished tradition bringing together people from all walks of life to celebrate the vibrant spirit of the season. There will be entertainment, food, kids activities and plenty of stalls selling food, plants, second hand goods and more.
However, before that I will be undertaking the Chef’s Challenge on ABC radio NSW Weekend Mornings with Simon Marnie. Simon asks various providores what’s good this week and then I come up with a recipe or recipes. If you miss it you will be able to listen on line later.
On Sunday morning from 11.05 to 11.30am Sydney time I’ll be back talking to Simon to celebrate the 90th birthday of The Australian Women’s Weekly where I was Food Director from 1999 – 2008, then back consulting 2009 – 2010. We will be discussing how our cooking and meals have changed over the 90 years as reflected in the pages of the Women’s Weekly – the recipes tested and shared, food trends and the huge influence of the AWW Cookbooks, especially the Birthday Cake Cook Book and some stories of my time there.
Happy cooking, eating, drinking and travelling– Lyndey x
Recipes of the week
LAMB RAGU WITH PAPPARDELLE Why not make your favourite pasta sauce with lamb mince for a change? GET MY RECIPE HERE
APPLE & BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE MUFFINS These delicious muffins work perfectly with any berries you might have. GET MY RECIPE HERE
Leukaemia Foundation
This is blood cancer. You are not alone.
I have been participating in Blood Cancer Awareness Month as I am an ambassador for The Leukaemia Foundation.It is an incredible organisation andis committed to helping cure and conquer blood cancer – with care. They accelerate research that is delivering rapid advancements in blood cancer diagnosis and treatments and provide services and support that empower people living with any blood cancer to live well after diagnosis. They have Australia’s first and only blood cancer support line and encourage everyone impacted by blood cancer to contact 1800 620 420 or visit bloodcancer.org.au. This month the theme is You Are Not Alone. Such important work.
Tips and Know How
Smoked Salmon and Nori Rolls
I really like the many different types of seaweed in food. I used it quite a bit in Ireland but it is more widely available now so this is an interesting piece: How to use seaweed in the kitchen: tips, tricks and recipes.
Here are a couple of my recipes: Dublin Bay Prawns with Sea Lettuce Mayo Smoked Salmon and Nori RollsHow to clean your chopping boardI prefer a wooden chopping board because it is easier on knives. I absolutely don’t like glass ones. However, it is important to keep them clean. Keep your wooden or plastic chopping board clean by scrubbing it once a month with a paste made from equal amount of baking soda, salt, and water. Rinse thoroughly with hot water.If your chopping board smells after you chop onions, crush garlic or cut raw meat and chicken, you can get rid of the odour and help sanitise the chopping board by sprinkling salt on the board and rubbing it all over with the cut side of half a lemon.
New Selector Magazine
The September – October issue of Selector leaps into spring with an issue dedicated to exploring the strands of influence and inspiration in the world of Australian food and wine. From the inspired work of Rosheen Kaul, head chef of Etta and co-author of the award-winning Chinese-ish, to the lasting influence of e’cco Bistro’s Philip Johnson and the masters and apprentices of this country’s wine, it’s a stimulating journey to spark conversation around your dining table. There is also a special tasting that charts the sustained impact of Tyrrell’s and its wines and an article I have written on beautiful Streaky Bay, South Australia’s piscatorial paradise. I also wrote an interesting story on instant noodles, their evolution and we asked some chefs to use them as a base for some different recipes.
On sale now in selected newsagents or you can buy a digital copy or subscribe here.
Things to Read, Cook & Attend
Flounder Char-Grilled in Banana Leaves with Asian Flavours courtesy of Sydney Seafood School
Herbie’s seasonal newsletters are always interesting, so here is hisSpring Newsletter 2023. I especially liked his information of black garlic powder and the ingredeints listings on packaged goods.
Melbourne’s much-loved food festival is heading across regional Victoria for a 10-day program from 10 to 19 November. Some of the highlights across the program include the Gippsland Seaside Weekend event, and the festival’s signature World’s Longest Lunches in the Yarra Valley and Ballarat. Tickets are on sale now on the link above.
Malaysia’s Kita Food Festival, an annual multi-platform food and gastronomy event, makes its return in September and October, taking place in both Malaysia and Singapore. Designed to bring together the people who make up Southeast Asia’s incredible food scene, the event features a line-up of fascinating speakers, symposiums, four-hand dining experiences and workshops for both young ambitious industry professionals and consumers.
A Word About my Hosted Tours
I have always loved travel and the opportunity it provides to see, taste and smell the foods of other countries and experience their culture. I have travelled extensively over the years – even hosting food and wine events on a ship from Ushuaia to Antarctica. I am lucky to have visited every continent on earth. This has given me some firm views on how people should be looked after on organised group tours and I am thrilled to have been able to put this into effect. First with 3 hosted tours/cruises of the Mediterranean from 2015 – 2017, and then hosting several bespoke tours to different countries.
These are not cooking tours, they’re culinary tours (which of course includes wine) but we also visit the must-see famous sites and experience the culture as we go. There are a couple of cooking classes, usually with the locals and what makes it special is that we venture off the beaten track to share experiences that the individual tourist/s can not. Safety is always paramount, so we’re always with a fabulous bilingual tour guide resident in that country and I am with my guests 24/7, being alert to individual’s needs and preferences, explaining the unfamiliar – but mostly to ensure everyone has fun. I only work with highly reputable tour companies who are specialists in their region.
If you’re considering a holiday in 2024 that is well-planned, social and filled with memorable cultural and culinary experiences, please read on below.
Taking in the best Morocco has to offer, this authentic gastronomic experience will see you visiting ancient palaces and medinas and enjoying exclusive dining experiences.
We will travel from Rabat the capital, to spiritual Meknes and Fes, and then onto intoxicating Marrakech, the red city. On the way, we will explore the archaeological site of Volubilis, visit a Berber village in the Atlas Mountains and relax by the coast in tranquil Essaouira. Together, we will discover the delicacies of Moroccan and French food, dine in humble local eateries and upmarket restaurants, and experience the making and flavours of Moroccan dishes during cooking classes. Luxury accommodation is in charming, authentic riads.
Inclusions
Personal hosting by me
11 nights accommodation
Meals as per itinerary: breakfast daily, 7 lunches, 11 dinners with ½ bottle of wine per person
Transportation throughout in luxury air-conditioned vehicles with professional experienced English-speaking driver, including related expenses and allowing for physical distancing
4×4 pick up and drop off to and from the desert camp
Bottled mineral water and hand sanitiser in the vehicle daily
English-speaking local licensed guides in Rabat, Volubilis, Fes, Marrakech and Essaouira with all entrance fees included to the sites visited with the guides
Atlas excursion including mules and the specialist trek guide
2 cooking classes
Local tourist taxes
Porterage
Restaurant tips
Drivers and guides gratuities
Bank transfer and currency fluctuation fees
Cost $10,000 per person (twin share).
More information HERE, full itinerary HERE or email me or travel@bypriorarrangement.com with any questions. I’ve just seen that Singapore Airlines has some early bird saver flights to Europe on sale now.
Puglia Culinary Adventure – May 2024
Spend an unforgettable week with me learning the secrets of a deeply passionate and undiscovered region of Southern Italy. Puglia is the sun-drenched heel of the boot that spans two seas, the Adriatic and the Ionian. Basilicata is its neighbour to the West. Both agricultural regions are abundant with healthy soil, over 50 million olive trees and a tradition of wine growing that has seen a fabulous dynamism in the last ten years. This area produces some of the most exciting food and wines on the planet.
Trip Highlights
An in-depth visit to the UNESCO site of Matera, with free time to explore and shop
Bakery visit in Altamura at a DOP bakery
Visit to the Trullo Capital, UNESCO Heritage Site, Alberobello
A hands-on cooking class with a Nonna and me
Insider’s look at burrata cheese making from cow to table
Salsa di Pomodoro tomato experience
Olive grove tour and oil tasting at an ancient olive oil estate
Private lunch at Li Veli Winery
Visits to Lecce and Ostuni (the White City)
A half day on the water from Polignano a Mare followed by a seafood lunch
Leave A Comment