Month: November 2005

Drinks

Wagyu beef: the virtual farmer

This story came out in The Australian on Friday. I can’t find the link online so have posted the raw copy here. When the cast of Hollywood tucked in to beef burgers after this years 77th Academy Awards, it was made from Blackmore Wagyu Beef. When the first Yarra Valley truffles arrived at the Botanical restaurant in Melbourne, chef Paul Wilson served it with Blackmore Wagyu Beef. And if you visit what Gourmet Traveller has rated as Australia’s top restaurant, […]

coffee, Restaurants

Warming up for Sunday breakfast meme

Just warming-up the new Ricoh for Andrew at Spittoon Extra’s breakfast meme. Saturday morning at ikea. I was ready to be apaled. Two sausages, two hash browns, bacon (I avoided the spongy looking scrambled egg), tomato and beans plus an orange juice and a pretty good long black for AUD6. That’s about £2.50. And it was better than many hotels I’ve stayed in. I’m impressed. Let’s not forget the flat white. Delicious but sloppy with dribbles down the side of […]

journalism

Religion: tread carefully in business overseas

Commissioned for an advertising report on The Australian that didn’t go ahead. Already companies investing is Asia have had to be savvy recognising whether they are working with the aggressively entrepreneurial Chinese or supposedly laid back Buddhist cultures. Asian is a cultural melting pot in terms of race and religion. About 88 per cent of Indonesians are Muslim. In Malaysia the figure is 56 percent, Singapore 14.9 per cent and Thailand 4.6 per cent. Thailand is dominated by Buddhists (88 […]

journalism

Super insurance: Do you need it

Commissioned by The Australian for an advertising report that was spiked. Insurance and superannuation are two of those necessities that most of us choose to ignore. We are baffled by the concepts let alone the detail in the small print. In short, these products are not friendly to the average consumer. Yet it is the average consumer that needs to know most about both of these topics. Since the introduction of super choice on July 1 this year it has […]

Paraphernalia

Keep it stupid simple

New camera. Fifth shot. No touch-ups. Fast Company recently noted that what makes Google so great is that it is simple. Just one box on a page without the pretensions of being a portal. Simple is what I like. Simple food. Simple gadgets like the Apple Macintosh and the Ipod. A camera should be simple too. That’s the beauty of those cardboard disposable ones. Just point and shoot. My original Canon Ixus was relatively simple to use. Alas my first […]

Restaurants

Steak sandwich

A stroll up the road. Yum. One steak sandwich and an Asahi. AUD16. Inkr7 7 Inkerman St, St Kilda, Vic (03 9534 6011). Oh, did I mention the whizz bang digital camera? More on choosing one later.

Cooking

Caesar Salad with the old camera

Shot with the old camera. I’m a bit of a purest when it comes to certain recipes. I do sometimes, however, break the rules and surprise myself. So it was with surpise that I found myself ordering a Caesar Salad with chicken at Langtons (annoying music) 61 Flinders Lane, Melbourne (03 9663 0222). I like the fact it’s hidden in a basement down a laneway. It’s something that reminds me of the clubs such as the Somali and the Silver […]