Australia’s recent Summer of drought, heat and bushfires has made global headlines. So imagine the relief this weekend with heavy rainfall finally dampening many long burning fires. It’s been such a non-stop downpour that forecasts are predicting the most rain in over 20 years and mass flooding. It truly feels like a case of ‘from …
Australia is in the midst of a crazy flu season – so much so that over 40,000 cases of the flu were reported during June – compared to less 2,000 for the same period in 2018. It’s a flu that’s hard to avoid – even if, like me, you tell yourself “my strong immune system …
On a recent trip back to Yorkshire for my sister’s wedding I was lucky enough to spend a day in the kitchen with one of the best Gujarati chefs in England. Or at least that’s what me and my husband think. Who was it? Not a celebrity chef nor even a professional chef, but my …
I’ve often thought about what stands between my love of food and going vegan. Really it’s just one thing – milk, cheese and yoghurt. Some of my favourite foodie pleasures are simple ones that involve dairy – like milk in my coffee, cheesy pizzas and yoghurt based ‘nice-cream’. So, despite being happily vegetarian I’m unlikely …
Oats have long been one of my go-to fast breaking meals. But, after one too many times under or overcooking oats on the stove I resorted to a more foolproof, and better for you, alternative – soaked overnight oats. I haven’t looked back since. Last week I was explaining to a colleague why he too …
Whether you call it a blogging birthday or an anniversary I just hit a big milestone. Feast Wisely turned five years old. I started this creative foodie outlet in January 2014 and almost 250 posts later my own diet has transitioned massively. I’ve gone from a meat based to a pretty much vegetarian or plant based …
I’m more of a muffin maker than a cookie monster but last week I mixed things up a little. Why? Because I’m a stickler for routine and doing things I’ve always done. So, when something goes well in the kitchen I tend to put the recipe on repeat. It’s a good thing for someone like …
Although I love to cook the electric gadgets in my kitchen are pretty thin on the ground. There’s the obvious kettle and toaster as well as my ‘can’t live without’ stick blender….but that’s about it. I don’t even own a microwave let alone a slow cooker. In our last apartment we installed a fancy Miele …
It doesn’t take much to get me excited when it comes to fresh ingredients. And for as long as I can remember ‘free’ has been one of my favourite words – music to my ears as they say. Pair these together and you can imagine my joy when I received a whole box of free, …
Being hangry is now official. Why? Because in early 2018 it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary along with over 1,000 other new entries. In my last post I talked about ‘me time’ as a new dictionary entry and when I spotted ‘hangry’ on the new words list I couldn’t resist sharing this news …
If you’re always looking to fill up and fuel on ingredients that promote your health today and your future longevity then it’s worth being in the know on resistant starch. What is resistant starch? Essentially it’s a type of fermentable fibre that fuels the healthy bacteria in our gut. Also known as a prebiotic. You …
A sneaky feeling that I was about to come down with something caught me off guard on Saturday. Something unpleasant enough to be energy zapping without making me bed ridden. Just days earlier my husband had been under the weather and his symptoms started with a tickle in his throat. Exactly the kind of tickle …
My inspiration for this post came from my mum, a lifelong jam lover. Growing up I remember her enjoying lashings of jam spread on toast at least once a day. In hindsight it was far from nutritious but 25 years ago little did we know about added sugar…. A huge amount of sugar is typically …
A few weeks ago I read a celebrity chef interview in one of those glossy newspaper magazines. The chef, a meat eater, said something that really stuck with me. He said that with daily access to Indian food he could envisage happily being a vegetarian. Similar thoughts have been shared by another famous chef, Rick …
It’s funny how time seems to pass so quickly as you get older. With the start of 2017 I couldn’t believe how the last year had flown by. And then January disappeared in a flash. Speaking of time flying by, WordPress recently sent me a ”Happy 3rd Birthday” message. It reminded me how far Feast Wisely has come since early 2014. …
Over the Christmas period, during my almost digital detox, a couple of posts by Elaine at Foodbod caught my attention. Her posts were all about spices – where to begin with spices, how to use whole spices and more. Whether or not you’re a spice expert I’d recommend checking them out here – because, as Elaine …
‘Hearty, authentic curry made from scratch’ and ‘Effortless & quick curry to prepare’. Sounds appealing? The challenge is finding a recipe that features both of these sentences. That’s because, as anyone who’s cooked a curry from scratch knows, there’s usually a labour of love involved. Provided, like me, you shun short cuts like store bought …
“The main meal of the day, taken around midday or in the evening. A formal meal, typically in honour of a person or event.” These intrigue building words greet guests as they enter the long dark corridor that separates the Crown Towers hotel from Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. October 2015 saw the opening of Dinner …
You can’t beat using a wet and dreary Sunday as the perfect excuse to spend a few hours in the kitchen. I welcomed a recent downpour for just this reason. After whipping up my weekly loaf of paleo bread I moved onto these bites of gluten free goodness. My inspiration for these muffins was twofold …
What can I do with a bag of red capsicums that are going soft? I asked myself that question this week, with way too many almost past their best red peppers sat in my crisper drawer. Of course this was because of my ‘can’t resist buying specials in bulk’ shopping behaviour – something I do way …
I’ve been officially off sugar since early 2012. Today, a few years on my sweet tooth is easily satisfied. Where once I could easily devour a whole (large) bar of milk chocolate I’m now happy with a few squares of 85% dark chocolate. Giving up sugar hasn’t meant giving up my favourite desserts – because so …
I was having a pantry clear out last week expecting to find a few items close to their best before dates. To my surprise I only found one – a full bottle of premium fish sauce containing 72% anchovies (with salt the other ingredient). With a month to go before it passed its prime I had …
Australia boasts golden beaches and iconic landmarks, unique native wildlife and a laid back Aussie lifestyle. More recently it’s also becoming known for producing some of the world’s best food and wine. And when it comes to the food and wine there’s no better experience than overindulging for a carefree day or two in a wine region.
Sydney does so many things well when it comes to spoiling locals and tourists with top places to feast. Like restaurants with glorious water views. And menus that showcase the best local produce. Affordable food prices that allow you to justify becoming a regular. And drinks lists that hero Australian wines and craft beers. But …
I have many fond memories of Indian feasts growing up in the UK. And it’s these memories (and the end of the mango season) that inspired this, my 100th blog post……. In most British towns curry loving parents introduce their children to the local Indian restaurant or take-away at a relatively young age. Many of …
An extravagant Sunday brunch is a must do experience for any foodie visiting Bali. Every week restaurants around the island offer all inclusive brunch packages, each one a feast of local and international cuisine. After some research I booked ‘The Astor Diamond Champagne Brunch’ at Kayuputi Restaurant in The St. Regis hotel.
When it comes to dips there’s the easy, quick fix route – being supermarket bought dips. The downside? They’re often expensive and contain less than saintly added ingredients, like sugar and preservatives. Couple this with plastic packaging and you can see why most ready made dips aren’t nourishing for your body, your wallet or the … Continue reading
The big Australian supermarkets publish free monthly ‘recipe’ magazines and I always pick up a copy to browse. It’s rare for a recipe to catch my eye – because most of them are cleverly designed to promote packaged (and often processed) products. But in last month’s Coles magazine the ‘green shakshuka’ recipe looked like a … Continue reading
Becoming a blogger is pretty easy. You decide on a topic, choose a blogging platform and before you know it you’re up and running posting content. But that feeling of excitement that comes with starting a shiny new blog can all too quickly fade. And the blog can fade with it. This means it’s crucial … Continue reading
There’s nothing more satisfying than creating a vegetarian version of a meat based dish. Especially when it tastes as good as, or even better than, when meat is involved. This classic rogan josh curry is a great example. Having been raised a ‘Yorkshire las’ in the UK it’s perhaps not surprising that my favourite childhood … Continue reading
Save over $100 a week by smarter spending on groceries… Over the years I’ve learnt that saving money on groceries doesn’t have to mean making sacrifices, like giving up my favourite snacks and treats. That’s because there are easy ways to save on your regular grocery shop. Here I’m sharing my personal tips and tricks … Continue reading
As I was moving to a vegetarian diet during 2016 one of the first veggie recipes I shared was ‘beans on toast’. A recipe that came thanks to Jamie Oliver’s Comfort Food book. ‘Beans trump pork’ At the time my most popular recipe was for slow roasted pork with crispy crackling – with over 10,000 … Continue reading
Growing up many a fond memory was made in Turkey. It was my mother’s destination of choice for family holidays in the 1990s – thanks to the guaranteed Summer sun (and bargain prices before Turkey started accepting the euro). I was recently reminded of the richness of Turkish culture and the diversity of its natural … Continue reading
When it comes to learning from by the experts it’s true that our grandmas, or nonnas, are up there with the best professional chefs. At least that’s what I’ve come to appreciate after watching every inspiring episode of ‘Jamie Oliver and The Nonnas‘. In the show he tours Italy in search of some of the … Continue reading
Circadian rhythms – they’re important right? Yes of course. And our circadian clock is something I’ve been learning lots more about – thanks to my husband passing on his new found knowledge. He’s reading a book called ‘The Circadian Code’ (highly recommended) and, among other things, is now convinced on the benefit of natural light … Continue reading
Aloo Gobi is one of my favourite ways to feast on cauliflower. It’s an Indian vegan/vegetarian dish that’s quick and easy to make and packed with flavour. Flavour that comes from a few simple spices and a little desiccated coconut. Aloo Gobi is traditionally made with cauliflower and potatoes. But after my first few attempts … Continue reading
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