2009: A Grab Your Fork digest

Where did the year go? It must be a sign of getting older when the year swoops by faster than a food blogger's camera over your main course.People often say to me "you seem to eat out a lot" to which I always reply "oh no, not really, just a few meals here and there". And yet reviewing a year's worth of posts seems to prove otherwise - so much food. How did I fit it all in?With ease, of course.In

The day I met the Luther Burger

Oh yes. They really are donuts.A meet-up with food bloggers is guaranteed to bring a few interesting dishes. We gathered at Richard's for a post-Christmas catch-up, but perhaps the star of the show was Suze's Luther Burgers.The Luther Burger, a bacon cheeseburgersandwiched with a Krispy Kreme donut by SuzeThe Luther Burger is named after Luther Vandross - some say it was his favourite snack,

Stomach's Eleven: Christmas dinner

Chocolate with olive oil and saltI really am grateful. I'm grateful for a family, friends, good health and a bounty of amazing food. All too often it can be easy to get caught up in the trivial squabbles of life, and whilst there are many things you cannot change, there are many more you wouldn't want to - moments of good fortune you take for granted every day.I like to think that this is what

Eating well?Don't forget to check out the round-up of Christmas pics on the Christmas feasting post. 32 pics of an Australian Christmas - thanks everyone for sharing!

Christmas feasting

EDIT 27/12/09: Latest food pics added at the end of this postRoast turkey or seafood?I love that despite the heat of an Australian summer, so many of us continue to indulge in the traditional English Christmas dinner of roast turkey, gravy, plum pudding and all the trimmings. Our family has always done leg ham and seafood - it's so much easier with minimal preparation, and besides, Mum always

Big Rig Diner, Darlinghurst

I've always had a romanticised affection for diners.Blame it on a childhood brought up on American sitcoms, movies and teenage fiction, but alongside Twinkies, Kool Aid and Milk Duds, diners have always been that elusive promise of the quintessential American experience. The jingle of the bell as the door opens, the gum-chewing waitress with a pen tucked behind her ear, the cosy booths in which

Behind-the-scenes: Food photography shoot for Mad Mex

Food photography? It's not so hard is it?I know it is. As a food blogger, personal experience tells me I have much to learn when it comes to droolworthy food photography.Hence when Billy contacted me to get involved with a food photography job for Mad Mex I leapt at the opportunity. Officially I was hired as his lighting assistant. Primarily this meant I was in charge of the softbox lights. It

Bright Star movie winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Bright Star movie ticket giveaway.The winners are: Arradius, nvmeii, Andrea, gillianlisa and the fashionate traveller. Enjoy the film!

Stomachs' Eleven: Shabu shabu with wagyu

Miniature ramen replicasWhy does everything look so much better in miniature?The first thing I did was grab the camera when I spotted these in the display cabinet at the home of Silverlily and Supermario. Collected from toy stores on a recent trip to Japan, they held pride of place in the cabinet. I was enamoured immediately.Tiny bowls of ramen with chopsticks suspended mid-air, steaks of wagyu,

Wuxi pork spareribs

Do you like it saucy?No, no, I'm talking food. Of course I am. Are you the kind of person who gets your spoon into the bottom of the casserole dish to get the last dregs of sauce? Do you sneak a spoon into the bottom of the takeaway container of roast duck to collect the puddle of rich juices for your rice?Me too.My obsession with sauce explains my affection for Wuxi pork ribs. You have meat on

Rowda Ya Habibi, Newtown

Baba ghanouj eggplant dip

It's always funny to watch your friends get pulled up to join the belly dancer, until you realise, with horror, she's coming straight for you.

There's a belly dancer at Rowda Ya Habibi most Friday and Saturday nights. This spot seems to have become my fall-back venue for group functions. It's not hard to see why. The most expensive banquet will only cost you $30 per

Restaurant Review #224: Viva La Pasta, Simi Valley

Gnocchi al pomodoro e basilico

With its location near Ralph's in the Wood Ranch shopping center, you probably wouldn't think to try Viva La Pasta for dinner unless you had heard good things about it. Despite the cheesy name, I decided to try it because it had lots of good reviews on Yelp! They also send out lots of coupons in the mail, which I guess finally wore me down. Besides, there are not

Churrasco, Coogee

Stop and Go coastersIt's the coasters that excite me most.For a while now, I've been meaning to get to Churrasco--not just for the promise of all-you-can-eat meat; not because the meat is served to you on swords that are brought to your table; but primarily because you can control the arrival of food to your table by flipping your personal coaster to Red (stop, I'm full) or Green (keep it coming!

Freebie Friday winner: And the love is free

Congratulations to Kate who has won a copy of the cookbook And the love is free... by Jules Clancy. If you missed out, dont forget that Grab Your Fork readers qualify for a 10% discount on all orders placed before Christmas. Simply use the discount code "Christmas" when you order online or call Naomi Clancy on 0407 014 232. Free postage applies anywhere in Australia.Like the idea of seeing a

Elvis Cupcakes and a Sydney Food Bloggers' Christmas Party

How big is Sydney's food blogging community?It numbers at about 112 according to research by Suze and I. We know this because this was the number of invitations we sent out for the first all-inclusive Sydney food bloggers' event, a Christmas picnic in Hyde Park.A gluttony of 50 food bloggers descended on the day, each bearing a plate of sweets or savouries for our afternoon tea. I revelled in the

Freebie Friday: Win tickets to see Bright Star

Are you all set for the silly season?What with the hive of activity in the lead-up to Christmas, it's usually not until Boxing Day that everyone breathes as sigh of relief. Traditionally a big day for movie-goers, why pay when you win yourself free tickets courtesy of this week's Freebie Friday.Movie tickets to Bright Star(five in-season double passes to win)Bright Star is the latest film by

Popcorn cupcakes

Popcorn cupcakesSo yes, I'm starting to get a reputation. Bring a dish? I always end up bringing cupcakes. They're so easy to make, they come in easy individual packaging, and I love the way you can tailor them with different decorations or flavours for every occasion.After variations that included black sesame, Coca Cola and chocolate bacon, I decided to continue my current salty obsession with

Restaurant Review #223: Golden Deli Vietnamese Restaurant, San Gabriel

Eggrolls

Golden Deli is supposed to be the best Vietnamese restaurant in LA, so I came with high expectations. I braved an hour's worth of scary freeway driving with lots of large trucks to eat my favorite cuisine (or is sushi my favorite?), which I don't eat nearly often enough.

The restaurant was easy to find, thanks to the exterior shot I'd seen on Yelp! and the good fortune I had to hit a

Malacca Straits, Broadway

Silence.There's a welcome sense of peace and quiet at Malacca Straits, tucked away in the courtyard of the Quadrant building, off Broadway. You wouldn't know that, less than 100 yards away, six lanes of traffic are steadily weaving their way across the Great Western Highway.A signboard outside is a helpful reminder to passersby. And yet Malacca Straits seems to enjoy a steady stream of customers,

South Restaurant, Neutral Bay

Three time's the charm.After two foiled attempts to visit South Restaurant, it's not until my third attempt that we finally get a table. The difference? Trying to book on a Friday and Saturday night, a week prior. On a Tuesday evening, we ring up on the spur on the moment and get a table with no problem.Once we arrive, it soon becomes apparent why getting a table can be difficult - the restaurant

Chairman Mao Chinese Restaurant, Kensington

The orange red walls of Chairman Mao Chinese Restaurant are an ideal backdrop for the propaganda posters that adorn its walls. The hue might also give an indication of the heat your tongue is about to endure - this is a restaurant that specialises in Hunanese cuisine, its spicy offerings favoured by Chairman Mao.Celery salad (complimentary)Most of us love chilli; Suze, not so much. She obligingly

Elvis, a wedding and 99 macarons....

Allllllll my friends are getting married...Friends The Department and Wingdingo got hitched recently, but rather than go the route of a church service or a garden wedding, they headed straight to Las Vegas to exhange vows with Elvis at the Graceland Chapel. A few weeks after they returned, friends and family were invited to a casual low-key party to celebrate.Balloon cupcakesThe wedding cake was

Freebie Friday: Win a copy of "And the Love is Free"

What would you do without your mum?When Jules Clancy's mum passed away suddenly in August 2007, she was inspired to create a cookbook of family recipes as a tribute to her mother. After the book was completed, Jules decided to self-publish the book and share her mum's life and recipes with others. The result is "And the Love is Free", a cookbook with 57 classic Australian recipes (each with

Restaurant Review #222: sugarFISH, Marina del Rey

Tuna Sashimi

sugarFISH is a sushi restaurant by Chef Kazunori Nozawa (of the cult favorite Sushi Nozawa in Studio City) that emphasizes simplicity and quality over trendiness and pretention. You won't see the words "spicy," "crunchy," "rainbow," or "California" anywhere on the menu. In fact, you'll see very little on the menu, period--it's so basic that it's only a page long.
In addition to

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival launch at Omerta, Darlinghurst

Confit baby artichokes and Shaw River buffalo mozzarellawith tomato butter and pangrattatoserved with 2009 Tahblik MarsanneIs there really a bitter rivalry between Sydney-siders and Melbourne-ites about which city is best?It's a question we debate at our table during the [Sydney] media launch for the 2010 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Sydney has its iconic harbour, Opera House, Harbour Bridge

The Counter, Crows Nest

EDIT: The Counter is now closed

I'm not sure whether I'm filling out a census form or taking a test.

The Build Your Own Burger concept at The Counter is either a blessing or a curse for hungry customers. On the one hand, the five-step process gives you the opportunity to customise your burger with the exact toppings you like, down to the size of burger patty, the type of cheese and which