A cook's journal

Roasted Tamarillo Salsa

30/6/2026

Considered one of the “lost crops of the Incas”, tamarillos are right at home in Wonthaggi.

By Matt Stone

WE HAVE a tree in the back yard that is currently laden with fruit. I have to say it looks rather magnificent with the large green leaves being offset by the bright red orbs, particularly in a season where there isn’t so much colour in our garden.

Of course it is the tamarillo, or known to me as the tree tomato. I am unsure how it got there, but I suspect Liane bought it at a nursery in a moment of inspiration, just like when she buys things like dragon fruit, avocados and finger limes – things that really should not enjoy our weather, let alone bear fruit. Given we are getting regular bunches of bananas this year, I hold great hope for the avocado and dragon fruit. One can but hope!

Yorkshire pudding

3/6/2026

A classic Yorkshire pudding - easy, impressive and evil!

By Liane Arno

WHEN Matt and I travelled to England some years back we ate really well. Now don’t guffaw as English food is not known for its interesting flavours. Reluctantly, as a Pom, I have to admit you would be right. But we had some of the best Indian food, including eating at one fabulous restaurant in the vaults of Bath’s old railway arches. In fact there are more Indian restaurants in London than there are in New Dehli or Mumbai.

Quince jelly and paste

1/5/2026

While you’re making the jelly, get two for the price of one by making a delicious paste.

By Liane Arno

WE PLANTED a quince tree at Blackberry House not long after we moved in and got troubled with codling moth so that, to be honest, we didn’t bother with quince paste at all.

Quince jelly is an entirely different matter of course as you essentially chuck everything, worms included, into the pot and then strain it all through a fine mesh so that all that is left is a luscious rose tinted liquid ready for sugar to be added and a bit of lemon juice to heat up to make the jelly.

Gluten-free Mediterranean quiche

13/4/2026

By Liane Arno

WE ALL remember the book, don’t we? Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche. Men were shifting from being steak-eating, macho types wearing flannel shirts and smoking Marlboro cigarettes to being new age sensitive types who supported their partners in domestic duties and might even venture into a non-carnivore meal. Move over Hemingway.

Well let me tell you that this quiche is so rich that even macho types might enjoy it. And to meet the approval of those who suffer from coeliac disease it is also gluten-free.

In this recipe rösti meets quiche because rather than pastry it has a grated potato crust. Better yet it has all the stuff you have in your garden at this time of year.

Banana and chocolate pudding

18/3/2026

By Liane Arno

WHEN we were in the pub we used to be visited by a lovely elderly couple who lived in the Dandenongs. They would come every couple of months and stay in one of the rooms out the back as their little getaway. They enjoyed sitting in the garden out the back. Seeing our fruit trees, they asked us if we wanted a banana tree.

We thought they were joking but next time they visited they brought one. We planted it in the beer garden and didn’t expect anything to come of it. But a few years later we were rewarded with a bunch of bananas.

When we left the pub we took one of the banana tree shoots and planted it in our garden in Wonthaggi. The banana continued to grow shoots and this year we have had three bunches.

Nectarine slice

16/2/2026

By Liane Arno

We bought a dwarf nectarine tree some years ago now and until this year we had only had either fruit that withered away, or simply didn’t grow. There was some black gunky stuff (technical term) that seemed to inhibit the growth and that was in addition to some leaf curl. Matt tried white oil as well as the occasional curse to urge it into fruitfulness but failed.

Then last year as we visited the Edible Gardens Weekend we came across one gardener (whose name escapes me) who said that she had had the same problem. Chemicals hadn’t worked for her either, so she just snipped off the offending leaves every time she passed.

Apricot Tarte Tatin

14/1/2026

By Liane Arno

MATT is the gardener is our family and last year I was lamenting to him that we had hardly any apricots on our tree.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “There’ll be plenty next year.”

This is because apricots are biennial bearing as they exhaust themselves one year and make up for it the next. So we have loads this year, which is lovely – but why I probably won’t be giving you an apricot recipe next year.

The other thing to bear in mind about apricots is that they are climacteric – in other words they ripen off the tree. As soon as you see your apricots getting a blush of colour it is time to whip them off the tree before the birds get to them.

Falafels

12/12/2025

Broad bean falafels, Egyptian style

By Liane Arno

I THOUGHT I might introduce you to my parents. Mum met Dad on New Year’s Day at a party of a friend. Dad had tried to first foot but was not considered tall enough or handsome enough, or perhaps it was because he wasn’t bringing a gift and was made to wait outside until someone of the right criteria could enter.

Not sure if you know of the superstition of first footing but it originated in the north of Britain and goes back to the days of the Vikings when if a fair-haired stranger turned up at your house after midnight things did not bode well. The first footer can bring good luck or bad luck for the year ahead. The tradition is that you have to bring some coal for the fire, a coin for your lodgings and some shortbread and whisky to share and to toast in the New Year. Dad was apparently three sheets to the wind and if he had any whisky it was not to share but was rolling around in his stomach as he tried to enter the house.

Pani Puri

12/11/2025

By Liane Arno

AS YOU know we recently travelled to India. Street food is on each corner with restaurant-grade appetisers at a fraction of the price. Many people will tell us not to eat street food but we think it is probably safer than eating in a restaurant. Let’s face it: when we as travellers eat from a street stall it is likely to be the only time we will ever grace that particular establishment but the throng of local people who are also eating there will likely eat there every day. If they become unwell after eating the food then they will find another vendor. The food is always fresh as there is no refrigeration so it is a no brainer as far as we are concerned.

One of our favourite street food was pani puri. We were drawn to a street cart that was selling them and asked to try one. We were refused. Not because he wouldn’t serve us - but we needed to order 10.

Lime marmalade

16/9/2025

By Matt Stone

IN OUR garden we have three types of limes – the kaffir lime, which is best known for using its leaves for cooking. It does fruit profusely, but the warty looking fruit is very bitter. We also have a finger lime, which drops its pod-like fruit when ripe. The tree is a nasty prickle bush, so even gathering fruit under its canopy will likely leave you scratched. The fruit is highly sought after by restaurants, mainly to add to the top of oysters or other fruity or sweet dishes needing a zing from the little pearls within the pods.

Lastly, the Key or Mexican or West Indian lime has a distinctive taste, is small relative to an orange and is thin skinned (probably should rename it the Trump lime!). They are more toward the yellow of a lemon in colour when ripe, rather than the better known Tahitian lime, which is a beautiful bright green.

Beer braised beef cheeks

17/8/2025

By Liane Arno

MATT has always wanted to stay in the Yarra Valley Grand Hotel’s Tower Room. The hotel was built in 1888, is two storeys and is typical of its era, being grand and ornate. The twist is that it has a tower on its southern side and it’s there that Matt had his heart set on.

We arrived for a late lunch and before checking in enjoyed their “Winter Warmer” which consisted of beef cheeks on mash accompanied by a glass of Penfold’s St Henri. What a combination! The beef cheeks required no knife – just a fork to pull apart. It also served as a reminder to never drink cheap plonk again!

Turkey stack

23/7/2025

Who said a low-fibre diet can’t be fun?

By Liane Arno

I KNOW it’s a strange introduction to a recipe but I thought I might share the rationale behind my latest endeavours in the kitchen. Like many of us I was due for a colonoscopy. My father had bowel cancer and so it made sense for me to have the procedure.

It requires a couple of days’ preparation. Two days beforehand you are required to have a low fibre diet before you move onto only approved clear liquids for the last 24 hours. The instructions are quite clear and list what to eat and what not to eat. Being a lover of food I scanned the list and found that I was allowed white bread, white pasta and white rice. Goody!

Rösti

26/6/2025

By Liane Arno

IT IS our tradition every Saturday morning to have a cooked breakfast. We get the Age newspaper delivered only on the weekends and spend a slow morning in our PJs feasting on food and facts (or fantasy if we read too much about what world politicians are musing at the time).

Recently I picked up some smoked salmon marked down at the supermarket and decided to have, rather than our usual of bacon and eggs, rösti.

Rosti originated in Switzerland and was, and remains, a common breakfast dish of farmers and in particular those who speak German as their predominant language. So much a part of the culture is this dish that the geographical line in Switzerland that marks the division between the predominantly French speaking part and the German speaking part is called the Röstigraben: literally the 'rösti ditch'.

Spiced goat

6/6/2025

Arabian spices combine with an African barbecue in this delectable one pot dish.

By Liane Arno

WE volunteered in Kenya for 12 months some time ago. I know when you think about Kenya you will immediately envisage tall and lean Maasai jumping high in the air while ram rod straight. This dance was performed by warriors to demonstrate their prowess in hunting and protecting their tribe.

As herdsmen their cuisine is quite limited to meat, fat, blood, milk, honey and tree bark. And more meat. Nyama Choma means grilled or barbecued meat and you will find plenty of places to eat choma either as street food or in restaurants. The most famous choma place is called Carnivore and in its early days it used to serve meat from giraffe, wildebeest, ostrich and crocodile.

Spicy orange chicken wings

15/5/2025

By Liane Arno

MANY of us at one time or another have been to “the local” for a meal. Other than the traditional parma, it seems we, for our culinary sins, have also embraced an American favourite – buffalo wings.

They seem to be offered in various states, but generally are spicy, battered and deep fried.

Well, like all good things from America (let us not go there!!!) it is time for a change, with an Asian slant to chicken wings.

Though very time consuming, I like to smoke the wings after marinating in a blend of soy, sweet chilli sauce, garlic, mustard and ginger – add a little chilli for zing, if that’s your thing.

Fish pie

15/4/2025

By Liane Arno

WHEN we were in the Archies Creek pub our first chef was a master of fish pies. He used to tell us that his success was due to the fact that he didn’t skimp on ingredients. They were packed full of lots of goodies like scallops and all sorts. I don’t know if you have seen the price of scallops lately but they are well out of my budget. The pies were priced accordingly, of course, and he used to do a roaring trade over Easter.

While this chef cooked for our patrons he was also the cook for anyone who was unlucky enough to end up in the lockup in the Wonthaggi Police Station. So while they were banged up they would at least have some good food to enjoy. On one occasion the police were unsuccessful in contacting the chef and so came to the pub to pick up a meal. Matt didn’t know what to do – but gave the police a couple of these pies. The inmate would have been in heaven and would have questioned whether a life of crime wasn’t too bad after all!

Mint jelly

25/3/2025

While the mint’s still flourishing, whip yourself up some home-made jelly.

By Liane Arno

WE DECIDED to buy ourselves a spit roaster – as you do. Our plan was to use it for a suckling pig but we found it impossible to get a true suckling pig. There are a couple of reasons. The first is that the pig farmers don’t want to sell them that young because they think they should have a little longer to live. I must say I struggle with this – after all they are raising the pigs to eat them so does it really matter how old they are? Clearly I am in the minority when I don’t think it matters. The other reason is that the abattoirs are not set up for small animals and so the killing and butchering needs to be done on the farm – and it's a messy business.

Orange and almond cake

27/2/2025

By Liane Arno

I’VE just renewed my food safety supervisor training. For those who haven’t worked in the food industry you would be shocked (and hopefully reassured) by the number of processes that food handlers need to follow in order to ensure the meals served to you won’t poison you. The ways in which people can be killed from eating are numerous and the new rules place significant obligations on businesses to ensure that they label all ingredients to ensure that those with food allergies can ascertain whether the consumption of the food stuff will result in their discomfort if not demise.

Zucchini fritters

2/2/2025

Zucchini fritters with a difference, courtesy of a quick spin dry.

By Liane Arno

MATT told me one of the funniest nights he has had in his life when he went to a show by Spike Milligan. You will remember that Spike was one of the Goons. He is dead now with “I told you I was ill,” etched in Gaelic on his headstone indicating the irreverent fellow who lies below.

Spike came to Australia not only to visit his parents who lived in Woy Woy but also to tour. On one such tour Matt was in the audience when Spike walked on stage and started talking about jam rolls. He told the audience that on walking into a shop he came across a huge display of jam rolls. “I’m a bit partial to the old jam rolls – so I bought the lot.”

Portuguese Lamb

10/1/2025

By Liane Arno

MATT celebrated his 21st birthday in Portugal and has very fond memories of it. Like all of us at that age embarking on the “grand tour” after leaving school he didn’t have much money, but he had enough to buy a small bottle of white port which he kept untouched and safe despite walking away from so many possessions in his life’s journey.

And so more than 50 years later we decided to travel back and see if we could find the place where he reached the age of majority.

We didn’t manage to find the Port House where the bottle of port was manufactured but that was easily made up for the fact that we absorbed ourselves into the Mediterranean way of life, which means plenty of eating and drinking.

Liquorice ice cream

13/12/2024

Recreating a famous local dish – Malcolm Bain’s liquorice ice cream.

By Liane Arno

SOME of you knew Malcolm Bain. Long story but when we owned the Royal Mail Hotel at Archies Creek I painted my VW Beetle post box red and even popped a crown on its bonnet. Needing the best of care of course we went to Mark Robertson to get it serviced. Knowing that he knew a thing or two we asked him if he knew any good chefs. He immediately referred us to Malcolm Bain and a recent article in the Bass Coast Post.

Malcolm was a larger than life character who, like all brilliant chefs, could be a bit snarky from time to time. I think it was an even split between me loving him and getting grumpy with him. He refused to put food into the sealed containers that I supplied at great expense! Instead he covered everything in many layers of gladwrap. At the time the council had instructed us to make sure everything went into the sealed containers so every evening I would go into the cool room and swap the gladwrap for the containers. And every morning he would get grumpy at me for doing so.

Mandarin upside down cake

15/11/2024

By Liane Arno

One of the really delightful things that happen to us is when our friends’ children Fox and Wise come to visit and go ‘shopping’ in our garden.

Shopping’ means taking a tightly woven basket that we were given in Bougainville when we worked there and wandering around our garden to pick up what fruit is ripe or what vegetables are ready to be plucked. It is a wonderful reminder of how the local subsistence farmers of Bougainville would do this very same thing every day and it gives the children so much joy.

Gado Gado

13/10/2024

Gado gado, or "a big mix"

By Liane Arno

I WORKED in Java for a few months at an organisation that was working with local farmers and forest villagers enabling them to bring their organic produce to the international market. It was an incredible experience and it is where I discovered a love of Indonesian food.

Of the organic produce I love seeing coconut sugar being farmed and made. Villagers would climb the coconut palms daily to collect the nectar from the flower bud, then boil the sap and leave it to dry and crystallize. I can’t tell you how superior it is to cane sugar.

Indonesia is also where I discovered Kecap Manis. It is a sweet soy sauce which you can’t go past as a dip for fried tofu, or basting fish on the BBQ. Both the coconut sugar and kecap manis are used in the recipe below.

Carrilleras de cerdo al vino

9/9/2024

A Spanish tapas dish inspired this dish of slow cooked pork cheek.

By Liane Arno

WE WERE devastated to learn that our neighbours, John and Amy, were moving. We had loved watching them start a family, and, having no children of our own, became surrogate grandparents to their children. I don’t know who had more fun – us or the kids?

So it was a great sadness when they told us that they had bought the old school house at Buffalo. We filled in the gate that we had put between the two properties to allow easy access between us as who knew who would be the next neighbours. We packed up the toys that we had collected for them under the day bed as we felt sure they wouldn’t be used again. And we helped them move to their dream home.

Asian style lamb with a twist

15/8/2024

A twist of pomelo and lime add an Asian touch to this lamb dish.

By Liane Arno

Our great mate Hitch loves nothing more than collecting memorabilia as well as a collection of animals at his Heritage Farm on Fuller Road. He got some sheep in, even salvaged a sheep shearing rig from the Jones Farm in Almurta, only to find that getting the sheep shorn was easier said than done. He got rid of those sheep and replaced them with sheep that shed their wool naturally. They looked dreadful – like a Rastafarian that is losing his dreadlocks – and so Hitch decided to get rid of them as well.

Hence we have half a sheep in our freezer.