Food reviewing, photographing chefs and reflections on ragu

As I'm a tad too busy to blog at the moment and have limited internet access (I've done a quick trip to Perth for my mother's birthday and Mother's Day and to see my sister and her family), why don't you drop over to my husband Terry's blog Wide angles, wine and wanderlust and check out his latest posts on restaurant reviewing (and how we deal with less than satisfactory experiences), the art of photographing chefs, and his various reflections on ragu, the real name for 'bolognese', for starters, in its most authentic form, it's made with tagliatelle, not spaghetti.

Pictured? Not ragu of course, but another divine dish from chef Rebecca Bridges at EVOO at Sky City in Darwin - a restaurant that was a joy to review and a chef who was a delight to interview and photograph.

'Don't believe the hype': tales of Hollandaise in Tetra Paks and other travel research disasters

As I'm way too busy writing books at the moment to blog, I'm going to post about the things I'm taking pleasure in reading during my coffee breaks. For starters, I'm enjoying catching up on my co-author and husband Terry's blog Wide angles, wine and wanderlust, and his recent post on Hester Blumenthal's food poisoning scare at the Fat Duck and how some journalists have been 'reporting' on the incident. Horrifying stuff! I also enjoyed Terry's post Don't believe the hype on how serving Hollandaise sauce in a Tetra Pak is not cool at all, and is a sure-fired way of getting your cafe crossed out of a popular guidebook. I'm glad Terry mentioned the Indian waiter in Abu Dhabi at a Korean restaurant we ate at years ago who showed us the Yalumba wine cask (wine 'box' for North Americans?) to demonstrate that the house wine was indeed a decent Aussie drop! But I was disappointed Terry didn't tell you the guy brought it out from behind the bar on a silver platter with a white linen cloth over his forearm. It was a 5-star hotel after all. Keep in mind this was nearly 11 years ago. As dreadful as the stuff was to drink, I was both bemused and touched by the gesture. I wasn't amused by the Tetra Pak of Hollandaise on the other hand. Mainly because that was my revolting breakfast and my $18 wasted (add another $30 to that, because Terry's breakfast was mediocre too and both the coffees were bad); because it's a place that gets glowing reviews in the guidebooks; and because it's a cafe that's in a rather hip Victorian surf town not far from Melbourne that should know better. Their reaction to my complaint was also appalling. Once again, something I might have expected from a waiter in Abu Dhabi 11 years ago who didn't know any better, but not from a... well, you get the picture. Now, Terry's Eggs Benedict (pictured) on the other hand, I'd gladly pay $18 for. This is the kind of food I get to eat when we're holed up writing. As busy as we are, he always makes time to cook good food. Rather spoilt, aren't I? So, go take a look at his blog and tomorrow I'll let you know what else I'm reading. Back to the writing...

Dubai's Global Reporting Meltdown

Speaking of Dubai, the little city-state has taken quite a beating in the media lately with a number of negative articles about its apparent economic meltdown, written as if the rest of the world weren't in recession. My partner and co-author Terry Carter, who is also a writer and photographer who blogs at Wide angles, wine and wanderlust, has posted about recent coverage in 'Dubai's Global Reporting Meltdown' in which he analyzes the sloppy journalism that at times verges on racism. Take a look and let us know what you think.

Wide angles, wine and wanderlust

We're currently on the road in outback Australia, with little access to the internet, which is why you haven't been hearing from me much. However, my husband and co-writer, Terry, who occasionally posts here, has been inspired by various experiences (which no doubt he'll tell you about), to start his own blog: Wide angles, Wine and Wanderlust. You can read about why he started the blog and how he hopes to differentiate it from all the other travel, photography and food and wine blogs out there, here on the first post: Dear God, not another blog. We're in the Northern Territory and we're hitting the road again now and going bush, so you'll hear from me at the end of the week when we should have access to the internet again. Pictured? That's Terry shooting a pic of a gorgeous lizard on a post recently at Uluru (Ayers Rock).