Cooking

Question: I’ve planted a small herb garden, using basil, oregano, marjoram, sage and thyme, and it is now flourishing. Can any of these herbs be frozen or dried for future use? Answer: Herbs may be used fresh or dried. Many are better fresh, but some, including oregano, marjoram, thyme and bay leaves, flavour food best […]

Question: I have tried numerous different ways to boil eggs, but each time the yolk is either too hard or the white is undercooked, and it is not until you cut open the egg that you know! Please can you tell me how I should boil eggs to achieve a nice runny yolk to dip […]

Chef David Thompson explains how he was part of a movement that changed attitudes to Thai food in Australia. His latest trick is to take Thai food back to the Thais. “Australian Thai food was simply bad years ago,” Thompson says. “I remember dining at a restaurant called Siam in 1979 which was one of […]

Kale chips anyone? What veggies to eat boiled, raw or roasted.

Flowers are not an ingredient we typically include in our cooking, but many herbs and plants produce blossoms that are edible and make a stylish and delicious addition to common recipes. Flowers you can use Arugula or rocket is commonly used in salads but the plant also produces small pale lavender or white flowers, which […]

Question: What is the best way to make a caramel for crème caramel? Either of the following methods will make a lovely toffee. The sugar-and-water method is easier if you’re a beginner. Sugar-only method Spread sugar fairly evenly over the base of a heavy-based frying pan and place over medium to high heat. Do not […]

Question: My strawberry jam just won’t set, regardless of how long I boil it. What’s wrong? Strawberries are one of the fruits that is low in acid and pectin – both of which are required to make jam set; lemon juice can be added and the jam re-boiled until it jells when tasted. However, if […]

As Marion Grasby furiously whips up another delicious dish in the MasterChef kitchen, the pretty brunette has clearly got her eye on the prize. But her ultimate life goal isn’t to win the coveted title – it’s to marry her boyfriend of four years. “I’m waiting for him to come home with a ring – […]

MasterChef‘s latest eliminated contestant, 29-year-old bar manager Courtney Roulston, talks about how the cooking competition gave her the “kick up the bum” she needed to realise her dream. You applied for the first season of MasterChef. What was it like auditioning again and why do you think you made it further this time? I actually […]

The drama on the hit cooking contest is nothing compared to the contestants’ real-life experiences. Dominic: My drinking problem He admits he cracked under the intense, pressure-cooker atmosphere of MasterChef and lapsed into drinking again, but Dominic Corrigan insists he has his demon well under control. The big-hearted Sydney father of four, who had a […]