23

How does one become a food stylist? It's one of those professions that I think is somewhat exotic, mainly because it seems so unattainable, something that an elite few do. I base that on nothing whatsoever, aside from my own, sometimes warped, ideas. It's one of those vocations that I wish I'd known of to consider when I started working. Of course my 17 year old self didn't really give much consideration at all to what I wanted to do, let alone consider arranging food for a living. That teenage self seems so terribly young and uninformed now.

At times my 40 year old self wishes I'd realised sooner the things I'm good at and that I enjoy, but honestly I think more than anything I believe in time and place. The things I have now are only here because of what's come before. I really don't regret decisions once they're made, perhaps I really believe in destiny...


Very ripe nectarines and plums equals a delicious tea cake.

22

The first half of the day spent at the beach. Fish and chips and icy poles.

Happy Australia Day, from my family to yours.

21

Preparing from tomorrow's national celebration. The colours of the flag, the idea to decorate with our idea of Australia, the outcome wasn't quite what any of us had in mind, but they'll be delicious all the same.

20

Ella's cooking family dinner tonight. Her first choice was for dessert, chocolate mousse. I'm not a fan I must confess, of most chocolate desserts, but her father is and she and her sister follow suit. As a result of my lack of interest of things chocolatey, there has been no mousse in their life. Can you imagine her joy at finding that it contains all her favourite things - chocolate, cream and sugar! We've used Molly's recipe and agree, although very chocolatey it's not cloying and quite light.

Main course is a roast chicken, the first dish I prepared when I was a child, with roast potatoes, beans, broccoli, carrots and corn. It will be a plain salt and pepper chicken, as Ella isn't "fond of herbs", but there will be tarragon in the gravy "because that's Dad's favourite".

19

The garden's looking pretty good right now. Basil is going gangbusters, perhaps I'll make pesto for dinner?

18

I met my lover after work tonight.

Our girls went to my parents for a sleepover and we met here. I arrived earlier than he, ordered a glass of rose and waited. I gazed and thought and imagined and remembered and hoped moving forwards. A conversation with a girlfriend after a viewing of Bright Star earlier in the week reminded me that I (and he, my husband) am a traveller, a dreamer, not a settled, contented person. I remembered our numerous trips, the trips we still want to take that are currently on hold, I remembered what it is to be a lover, rather than a wife.

We drank, me a little more than he, we ate, we laughed, we kissed and I was happy.

On the way home I spied a perfect photograph. A battered yellow velvet armchair sat on the naturestrip beside a bus stop in front of a very large, very empty block on which horses graze. It was 8:30pm and and I told my love that we must rush home, he must get changed and we must return, he in casual clothes to sit in the chair reading a book under the streetlight. My love looked at me in horror. He would have done it if I'd insisited, but his vision is ever so slightly different to mine. So, I don't have the image, I have the words, and I share them with you.

Photo from here.

17

A resolve I've had before, which I stray from quite often, is using items from my garden and store cupboard to make a meal before I venture to the shops. I am on a buy less more often approach. I'm wishing I lived in France and could go to the market morning and afternoon, but failing that I'm trying to buy fresh every other day only. Most of our kitchen waste tends to be vegies that I don't use when I do a "big shop" and it doesn't get used because, frankly, I don't fancy it.

So tonight, using only what I have on hand, Spanish tortilla - not truly Spanish in terms of size (the true version is much deeper/thicker but uses twice as many eggs) but just as delish; zuchs from the garden cut into chunks and flash fried with lots of garlic, lemon and fresh dill, then the other side are what I call Greek beans. Again, garlic fried gently in oil, topped and tailed green beans, either freshly chopped tomatoes or some passata, cook gently until they're soft (not just al dente). Adjust sauce with salt, pepper (lots) and sugar (which I sometimes feel the passata needs only for balancing) and lots of chopped parsley. Serve the beans at room temperature.