I never quite know where to start with these blogs, so I usually just start typing and see where we end up.
On the 21st, we held our final Sunday Chef's Table before I head away. The menu consisted of Irish soda bread with warm goat's cheese, pickled vegetables, cured meats, chicken terrine, and a beautiful beetroot relish made from produce grown in the Lagom Farm garden.
This was followed by pumpkin, bower spinach and ricotta gnocchi, before moving on to a hearty beef bourguignon with creamy mash and braised cabbage. For dessert, guests enjoyed chocolate cake with wattleseed chocolate mousse and an orange and polenta cake.
We welcomed more than 50 guests and, thankfully, only had a few dietary requirements to cater for. I was the only one in the kitchen, but I had a wonderful front-of-house team who were always willing to lend a hand. Service flowed smoothly, and it was a fantastic afternoon filled with wonderful guests.
Rather than heading to the local afterwards to celebrate, I knew I had an early start the next morning at Ararat College for a pre-NAIDOC celebration. I spent the day with an amazing group of students, making kangaroo pizzas, crocodile sausage rolls, lemon myrtle chicken and rice, and a beautiful chocolate mousse featuring quandongs and muntries. It was such a rewarding day, although I was certainly feeling tired on the drive home and was very happy to put my feet up that evening.
Last night we held our final Better Futures cooking class for the term. Better Futures is a program designed to support young adults by building confidence in the kitchen and helping them create meals at home. We made a chicken, bacon and mushroom pasta and talked through the process of making a sauce, giving participants the skills to adapt flavours and create their own variations at home. We'll be back for another block of classes in August, and I am really looking forward to cooking with this wonderful group again.
And guess what? I had my birthday!
I had the absolute best time. Usually when I sneak away, it's only for one night, but this year I made sure it was two. I booked an apartment in the city for Paddy, Caitlyn and myself and spent a few days eating, walking and catching up with family. My heart is very full.
How do you like to spend your birthday?
On the day itself, I woke up excited. I'd already enjoyed a lovely evening the night before, starting at Ellios (of course and as always), then went to Roma, where the staff looked after me beautifully, and I'd accidentally found myself in the Irish bar on Little Collins Street, enjoying a Guinness.
I was up early and walked to Fitzroy for breakfast, picked up a few goodies, and then wandered back to the apartment. Later, I headed to the markets, stopped by Lune for a pastry, and walked past Gimlet. I thought I'd see if they had a seat available, and to my surprise, they did. So I perched myself at the bar, ordered a few starters and enjoyed a couple of gimlets.
From there, I wandered over to Ellios Place for a cheeky cocktail before heading back to the apartment to wait for Paddy and Caitlyn. That evening, we went to Bar Lourinhã for dinner before heading to the footy, where we were lucky enough to be joined by my eldest nephew, Kynan.
Over the next week or so, I still have a few events to finish up, but I'll also be catching up around the house and garden and getting organised to pack for my next food adventure.
I'm heading overseas to Ireland.
My father is from Northern Ireland, and over the past few years, I've been trying to learn more about Irish food and incorporate some of those influences into my cooking. To continue that journey, I'll be spending time in a kitchen in Galway, learning from local chefs and exploring the food culture firsthand. I'll also be eating my way around the country, tasting and learning as much as I can along the way. And then popping to Wales to catch up with my cousins and my Nan ( my nanny’s sister), and really looking forward to seeing them all again.
The exciting part is that the more I learn, the more I can bring home and share with all of you through future menus, events and stories.
A recent podcast/blog episode has also been released, hosted by Wallas. He is a genuinely beautiful human, and I really enjoyed listening to the conversation—always a strange but lovely experience hearing your own story told back to you through someone else’s perspective. I’ve added the link below if you’d like to have a listen:
Just a reminder that the restaurant will be closed throughout July and August while I am away.
As always, thank you for your support and for joining me on these adventures. I am incredibly grateful that I get to do what I love and share it with such wonderful people.
Big food love
Cat
