A balanced diet is a Luxbite Macaron in each hand.

Melbourne's newest ode to the Macaron - Luxbite, on South Yarra's Toorak Road - would surely make French pastry-making maître, Pierre Hermé proud. The duo behind this new venture are Yen Yee and Bernard Chu, both of whom are eminent pastry-chefs. Their Macaron are incredibly delicate, with glossy egg shell-like crusts that yield to reveal moist and airy interiors. Spectaculaire! Traditional flavours including Pistachio, Chocolate and Passionfruit, as well as the less expected Kaya Toast, Match Azuki and Pina Colada are featured in Luxbite's repertoire of sixteen flavours. Luxbite also make a selection of delectable St.Honoré Cakes. The classic French dessert is a homage to puff pastry and pâte à choux. Crowned with crème chiboust, they line the pastry cabinet in all their cellulite-creating splendor. Get into it. Bon appétit!

* Above photos feature Pina Colada Macaron and Black Forest St.Honoré.

www.luxbite.com.au   38 Toorak Rd, South Yarra, Melbourne 

Shriver's Salt Water Taffy: the green pattern matches my throw pillows

Salt Water Taffy has been produced since the late 19th Century. It has become a signature of Atlantic City, New Jersey, long before the other "Jersey Shore" became synonymous with the area.  Taffy is a chewy, fluffy candy which thankfully does not contain actual sea water. At last, this sweet piece of history is now available at Third Drawer Down... www.thirddrawerdown.com

Whether you're nostalgic for Atlantic City or that episode of "Sex and the City", or if you simply like beautifully packaged, mouthwatering, artificial colour-laden candy, then Salt Water Taffy may well be your new sweet fix.  

I will leave you with this delicious excerpt from a society journal... I realized I needed a box one afternoon at the height of summer when I was lounging on my pale pink divan in my new Boudicca dress, fabulous, life is so fabulous, listening to Chopin with some friends and not quite delicately enough eating chocolate covered cherries one by one. What to do with the drips down the chin? Devastating! How to carefully nibble around them rather than eating whole? My lipstick? Crisis! Christ help me! My guests were mortified, as was I, you might well imagine. The next day I sent Francis out to find a solution. He came back with the only option, Shirver’s Taffy (founded in 1898!) in an oh so lovely decorated box. The green pattern matches my throw pillows and with so many colors inside, there is one to coordinate with everyone’s dresses! Even purple! Now we eat salt water taffy, cherries are such a thing of the past. Oh yawn, life is such a bother.

*Journal extract sourced from Third Drawer Down website. 

Southern Ocean Lodge. Luxe to the max.

Yes, it is true. I am lucky... and I got REALLY lucky last month when an assignment took me to Kangaroo Island's Southern Ocean Lodge. The warmth with which we were greeted by Lodge Managers Ben and Louise Lanyon made me feel as though I was at a friend's place, not a hotel. They have created a secluded sanctuary of warmth, luxury and style. Head Chef Jed Archdeacon prepared impeccable food - locally sourced and homegrown. The delicious barramundi I had for my main was farmed at the local high school. I'm serious! Sell your house, sell your children, cash in your Super - whatever in takes - get yourself there! It is so good, that as our check-out time neared, I frantically searched the property for places to hide myself away. I was hoping that the group would leave without noticing that I was gone... Alas, I was not so lucky this time... However for next time, if you do hear that I've disappeared on assignment, please tell Mum I'm under the bed.  
www.southernoceanlodge.com.au

Celsius. Unexpectedly Adelaide.

A recent assignment to South Australia included dinner at the newly opened Celsius Restaurant & Bar, Adelaide's latest contemporary fine dining restaurant. Chef/co-owner Ayhan Erkoc has worked for René Redzepi at Noma in Copenhagen. Yes, THAT Noma. So my curiosity was peaked to say the least. The vibe in the kitchen was nothing short of joyous and that energy certainly translated to the plate. The produce felt nurtured. Like there was a dialogue between it and Chef... “Sorry I’m pulling you from the ground, but don't worry, it'll be worth it, I promise you’ll be delicious…" Perhaps I’m projecting. Well anyway, that's how it felt to me. Ayhan has a clear sense of purpose - to nurture locally sourced, South Australian produce, to be innovative and to provide the diner with a gastronomic experience.  The dishes were seasonal, with loads of fresh vegetables, herbs, spices and wild plants – all meticulously prepared. Celsius would be equally at home in Melbourne or Sydney (or New York for that matter), but the fact that it’s in Adelaide, makes it all the more special. It should be the reason that visitors stopover in the city when on their way to the myriad of other exceptional food destinations South Australia has to offer.  

Celsius Restaurant & Bar, 95 Gouger Street, Adelaide www.celsiusrestaurant.com.au

MoVida. Still bloody fabulous.

I could never get a last minute reservation at Movida and it was starting to piss me off! I began trying to convince myself (as well as my friends) that there were other options, better options, don't worry, it's "just" MoVida I would say... And then I found myself eating there for "work" with Gourtmetreise Magazine and remembered just why it is so hard to get a seat - it's really bloody fabulous! On this visit I also had the pleasure of meeting Frank. He is such a sincerely delightful man, who was a real trouper when I was shoving my lens in his face and asking him to "look relaxed". Thanks to Frank Camorra and his team for maintaining this little slice of Iberian heaven. His signature dish of croutons with Ortiz anchovy and tomato sorbet (photo above) is still insanely good. Takes me to my happy place every time. 

MoVida, 1 Hosier Lane, Melbourne.  www.movida.com.au

Curiously Violet

Violet was my last dog, so of course I have a soft spot for Violet related anything... ice cream included. Andrew McConnell's Violet ice cream, chocolate ganache, hazelnut sponge and clove spiced meringue is certainly a unique point of view. Andrew's food is clever and unexpected and his sense of humour comes across in each dish. I like that. I'm always curious to see what comes next. Like in any good relationship, it's always good to keep us ladies a little on our toes.   

Cutler & Co 55-57 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, (03) 9419 4888. www.cutlerandco.com.au

Thymus gland. How sweet you are.

I (heart) offal. And I especially love sweetbreads. I have daydreams about Nicolas Poelaert's calf sweetbreads (photographed above). As owner/chef of Embrasse Restaurant in Carlton, Nic pan fries those lightly floured babies (perhaps a poor choice of word...) in salted butter and serves with peas and grated fresh horseradish. A Poelaert Family recipe, tweaked by Nic, with a large dose of French whimsy.

Embrasse Restaurant, 312 Drummond St, Carlton, (03) 9347 3312. www.embrasserestaurant.com.au

Mirko Reeh and Gourtmetreise

I have recently had the pleasure of working with Frankfurt-based chef, Mirko Reeh on a story for Gourmetreise Magazine. Gourtmetreise's Katharina Wolschner, Mirko and I travelled to the Barossa and Clare Valley, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsular and Melbourne. Superb food, incredible suppliers, amazing scenery and oh so much fun. Abundance, abundance, abundance. By the end of the trip, I was ready to give birth to a food baby. More specific posts relating to the trip to follow. 

Pope Joan and the humble carrot

Ben Foster and Matt Wilkinson have at long last opened their cafe, Pope Joan, on Melbourne's Nicholson Street. Ben and Matt (my favourite rascally chef), have created a place which feels like an authentic representation of them. Sophisticated simplicity. Matt's salad of Heirloom carrots, honey with roasted almond and yoghurt dressing, (photographed here) is my idea of a good time. The multicoloured heirloom carrots, paired with the crunch of roasted almonds, is fun on a plate.   

Pope Joan, 79 Nicholson St, East Brunswick. www.popejoan.com.au