making @ koskela

Yep, I'm a maker. There is nothing like the feeling of crafting a creation out of your own two hands, even if it's just a simple card for a loved one. When I was younger, I can remember making personalised singlets and undies for girlfriends, colourful artworks for my bedroom and a thousand and one beaded necklaces. For our engagement party last year, I insisted on DIY lanterns made from recycled tin cans, with thousands of tiny holes hammered into them in different patterns. The more time-consuming projects like granny blankets are even more rewarding, and I love  the process of making 'a little bit each day'. 

For something a bit different (and because we heart Koskela), my girlfriend Fiona and I attended a class at the Koskela Workshop on the weekend, where we learnt a new creative skill. And with  recycled plastic bags and wool sprawled out in front of us, we started to make a basket.  

The super talented artist Michele Morcos so generously took us through her basket weaving process, with friendliness, clear instructions, repeated demonstrations, honest advice and lots of genuine encouragement. Her beautiful baskets sat as pieces of art in front of us, with such intricate detail only achieved through  hours and hours (and weeks and weeks) of dedicated weaving. 

Sitting, making and chatting among a mixture of ladies of all ages was so lovely on this Saturday morning, especially in the colourful and inspiring surrounds of the Koskela Workshop.

A trip to Koskela isn't complete without an excited wander around  the warehouse, oohing and ahhing at the gorgeous furniture, artworks, books, homewares and the colourful collection of other delightful bits and pieces. 

While we didn't join the queue for lunch at Kitchen By Mike, I have been lucky enough to try those canteen-style plates of deliciousness before and highly recommend indulging in the whole Koskela experience - it's a treat! 

We finished off our morning appropriately admiring the HUGE woven light pendants and baskets made by the Tjanpi Desert Weavers.

I'm now in the process of making my first ever woven basket, 'a little bit each day'. It's an exciting project, and I'm in no rush to finish. I love the 'no knots' rule and the idea of weaving in found objects to create a story. I started with a recycled Lebanese bread bag, and then moved onto raffia. I'm keen to dig through my wardrobe for a once-loved pretty pattern, and weave that in too. 

i love zumbo

The first time I tasted a macaron was at the famous Laduree in Paris. I was mesmerised by the petite little morsel, and will always remember that first bite of .... perfection.

It wasn't until a few years later that Adriano Zumbo landed on my television screen and re-introduced me to the colourful french treat made of almond meal, eggwhites, sugar and sexy fillings. He made it look so easy, so I got straight to baking; excited by the fact that I would be able to make my favourite flavours and have them whenever I liked.

But macarons are not easy to make.

Obviously, a lot of other people figured this out and there was a hype, a craze and a huge demand to get inside Zumbo's tiny little patisserie in the heart of Balmain's Darling Street. Everyone wanted to get their tastebuds on a Zumbo macaron and sample the unimaginable flavours akin to what you'd find in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. There was a queue outside the shop for months and my girlfirends and I joined it one Saturday morning, drooling over pastries in the window for over an hour.

A Zumbo breakfast is always the perfect girlie date. We have re-visited his patisserie many times, each time feeling more satisfied than the last and not one bit guilty about having dessert for breakfast. A few weekends ago on a very rainy Saturday, we decided to check out Zumbo's cafe in Rozelle, hoping to find a cosy nook to curl up in and watch the rain. Of course the cafe was tiny, with only a few seats. Instead of watching the rain, we watched the pastry chefs in the kitchen (zumpa loompas?) through a huge glass window. We decided to sample some of Zumbo's savoury treats this time round and I went for a leek and goats cheese quiche. Served at room temperature on a wooden chpping board, it was the perfect meal to start my weekend and the coffee was extra strong.

One fellow Zumbo lover ordered a berry tart and then an African spiced sausage roll for dessert.

I love Zumbo. I love the macarons, the desserts, the pastries, the coffee, the colour, the flavour and the little white boxes with pink writing. I love the brand. I love that you have to wait in a line, squish into a tiny space and be forced change your mind of what you want a hundred times before finally deciding on something and never being disappointed.

 Macaron flavours this month: watermelon & orange, cola, lychee, salted butter caramel, milo, fingerbun and cherry & banana.

I chose a milo and a salted butter caramel to take home for the boy. Well, one bite each. Yum.

traditionally tropfest

Each and every year we pack a picnic, pick a patch of grass + plonk ourselves in the sunshine .... waiting to watch the 16 short films that are Tropfest.

This year (and I know it's hard to believe from the photos below) a huge thunderstorm decided to pay a visit as soon as the second film started! The rain was so heavy that we were forced to quickly throw everything into the esky and head home :(

We blocked out ears over the news announcing the winner, and held out the whole week until we got our hands on the DVD thanks to SMH. Tropfest take two @ home in the backyard on a warm Summer's night was amazing ...  

+ perhaps it will be a new tradition :) We never really agree on the winner but that's half the fun! A light-hearted and funny story about a man and his Grandfather, and their successful refreshment stand - LEMONADE STAND took out the top prize this year and it definitely put a smile on our faces.

NOTE: The Tropfest Signature Item item for next year is BALLOON - we always forget!

travel belly

Travelling through Italy with my girlfriends a few years ago, we were lucky enough to experience the Blue Grotto in Capri. The water inside was magical and out of this world, and as the old Italian man rowing our boat started to sing, we were mesmerised. The bluest water I have ever seen, we jumped in. Getting back into the boat was tricky, and our rower had had to lift us out from the water. Struggling, he responded in his thick Italian accent “too much spaghetti, too much spaghetti!” We looked down at our swollen bellies and laughed and laughed and laughed. We had the biggest bowl of spaghetti we could find for dinner that night.

A few months ago while travelling through Thailand with my girlfriends, we discovered the absolute perfectness of a 50 baht Pad Thai. The ultimate way to cure hunger cravings after trekking, elephant riding and shopping, we ordered our $1.50AUD meal every day. The tofu, the dried shrimp, the tamarind, the lime! We judged the style and technique from the different street chefs, taking mental notes which would come in handy for the rest of our lives. Laying on the beach in our bikinis every afternoon, we would poke each others swollen bellies and joke “too much Pad Thai, too much Pad Thai!”

Then there was “too much baguette!” in Paris, "too much schnitzel!" in Austria, “too much currywurst!" in Germany, "too much paella!" in Spain, "too much squid!” in Croatia and “too much turkish delight!” in Istanbul. All the while knowing that too much is never too much. There is no saying no to food while travelling, and there is no need to make excuses for having gelato twice in the one day.

For me, travelling is eating and eating is travelling. When I think of the countries that I have visited, I think about the food that I ate. I am constantly cooking food from different cultures and love the colour and smells that are created. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely times when vegemite on toast for dinner is the most satisfying meal in the world, but, my international cook book collection is growing and I aim to host more big cook ups at home – one pot, many bellies.

Friendship is eating and eating is friendship. Catch ups with my girls always involve eating and chatting, often about past and future travel. We are known to induce cravings into each others minds; ice-cream is popular amoungst our bellies.

 

A meal for two with a bottle of red is always special when shared with my man. I love eating with him, cooking with him, travelling with him and growing a travel belly with him.

I can’t wait to experience more international eating. This year, saving for a house and a wedding will take all of my saving strength, and will undoubtably mean that there will be many eggs-on-toast dinners. I'll be sure though, to add every coin I come across into my travel teapot, and hold onto the thought of growing a travel belly with too much tagine in Morocco, too much naan in India and too much pho in Vietnam.