May 4th, 2012
On Tuesday night I was lucky enough to catch Heston Blumenthal's live show in Sydney. Heston, for the uninitiated, is a celebrity chef whose restaurant The Fat Duck (in Bray, England) is one of only four restaurants in the UK to be awarded a three-star Michelin Guide rating. In addition to this, his new London restaurant Dinner was yesterday declared as the 9th best restaurant in the world ... Read more
May 2nd, 2012
I've recently returned from an adventure through several Asian countries, where I checked out the local history, culture and cuisine. Even the odd appliance! Here are a few of the local delicacies I sampled on the road, and a quick guide on how you can prepare them yourself. No passport required; just a few handy appliances. Cambodia: Fish Amok Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are amazing destinations. The first has ... Read more
May 1st, 2012
If a cook is only as good as their appliances then Sunbeam will be hoping this year's MasterChef contestants create masterpiece after masterpiece. It will be the third year running that Sunbeam is the small appliance sponsor of MasterChef, having recently had a similar deal with rival reality cooking show, My Kitchen Rules. My Kitchen Rules drew 2.6 million viewers during the finale and Sunbeam is hoping for ... Read more
April 30th, 2012
When selecting the right appliances for our kitchen we often look to the experts for guidance. What appliances do chefs find practical, easy to use, and efficient? A recent dinnertime debate between gas cooktops (the mother) and induction cooktops (the daughter) became muted when the daughter asked the table which famous chefs used induction. No one came to mind quickly enough, her point proven. (What is induction?) However, of course ... Read more
April 24th, 2012
It's not only a fishy smell that indicates if fish is fresh or not. And unless we've been lucky enough to catch it ourselves, we can never really be too sure how fresh the fish at the market is. Fostering a good relationship will our local fishmonger will help, we might even get a wink and a bonus lemon every once and a while as well! Otherwise, we ... Read more
April 24th, 2012
Looking over last night's recipe booklet from the Sydney Seafood School there is a sharp sensory reminder of the eve's fare. No, not because of a cut finger, or words or pictures, but smell. The paper is pungent with cooking oil infused with Sichuan pepper, lime, coriander, deep fried squid and prawns. Our task was to prepare salt and pepper prawns with a prickly ash (that's a Sichuan ... Read more
April 19th, 2012
You've got what? Food poisoning is one of the most unpleasant, ungainly, unwanted experiences out there. And raw meat is a principle source of dangerous, illness causing-bacteria like Listeria and Salmonella. We'll do anything to avoid a bout of tummy trouble but can we go too far? Are we throwing away edible, safe food? Of course we're better off safe than sorry, still, is the fear of poisoning making ... Read more
April 18th, 2012
Butter, sugar and syrup. Sounds good. Sometimes the finest things in life are the simplest, like my Mum's ANZAC biscuit recipe. As with most things she does in the kitchen, it is straightforward and delicious. ANZAC biscuit recipe What you'll need: 130 grams of butter 2 tablespoons of golden syrup 120 grams of sugar 120 grams of flour 1 cup of rolled oats 120 grams of desiccated coconut 1 teaspoon of baking powder. What you'll do: Melt the butter and add ... Read more
April 18th, 2012
As part of its new marketing campaign Miele has revealed the hardcore testing the German appliances undergo to ensure that they are 'Forever Better'. Good looks and charm will get appliances in the door, but hardworking and durability are features that will keep them there. The German engineered appliances are tested to the equivalent of 20 years usage and in some cases, such as Miele washing machines, appliances ... Read more
April 17th, 2012
The new Fisher & Paykel Gas on Glass cooktops will be getting a workout at the renowned Sydney Seafood School. The Seafood School sees over 13,000 people drawn in each year by well known guest presenters such as Mathew Moran, Christine Manfield and Guillaume Brahimi, who teach food lovers how to prepare seafood dishes from around the world. Presented most weekdays, nights and weekends, the classes range from ... Read more
April 10th, 2012
Appliances Online has teamed up with classy Italian appliance maker, Emila, to give away an Emilia gas oven. Entering the competition is as easy as cooking with gas. The Facebook entry asks what you would cook with such a snazzy oven and hey presto, you're in to win. The 60-centimetre Gas Fan Oven (EMF61MVI) is a little beauty, too. Made in Italy, this oven usually retails for $1,299, although ... Read more
April 4th, 2012
Why leave it up to a factory in China to tell you that "Life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change," or "Enjoy yourself while you can," or "If your cookie is still in one piece buy Lotto". Instead, decide your own delicious destiny with a personal fortune cookie maker. Not yet available in Australia, the Sunbeam Cookie Maker (FPSBFCM40) gives you the power ... Read more
April 4th, 2012
Brussels sprouts? Urgh! Even Bear Grylls would rather eat an animal's balls. The mere mention of the little green balls can give kids nightmares and make adults shudder. Funnily enough it's that strong taste which hints at the nutritional punch a brussels sprout packs. So let's give them a break and see if we can find a few good reasons to give them a second chance. It's a matter of ... Read more
April 2nd, 2012
As the fanfare over My Kitchen Rules subsides, MasterChef is sharpening its knives in preparation to air after Easter. Apparently, it will be watched by Australia's most confident people. New data by Roy Morgan Research suggests more optimistic people watch the cooking show than any other programme on TV. The researchers measured people's feelings about their financial outlook and found MasterChef viewers to be the most positive about ... Read more
April 2nd, 2012
I love hot chips. They're crispy, salty, golden, cheerful and delicious. What's not to love? …Oh yes, that's right. The high fat content. Boo! Like most things in life that are enjoyable, hot chips can be bad for your health. But before you relegate yourself to a life of brown rice, bean sprouts and All Bran, take a look at this baby: New to Appliances Online, it's the Tefal ActiFry, ... Read more