Crab cakes were the perfect accompaniment to a traditional Summer favourite — a Pimm’s with lemonade and dry ginger. Is it “the most heavenly drink on Earth”?
Columns / Daily Proposition
Bored? Crikey presents something to do tonight.
A cheesy pasta with a chocolatey drop
A Donna Hay-inspired three-cheese pasta (OK, maybe four) washed down with a Amherst Pyrenees Dunn’s Paddock Shiraz 2009 — just one of Michael Vaughan’s wine highlights from the past week.
Christmas in October — a festive Shiraz
Christmas has lobbed early. The Oomoo Sparkling Shiraz was decidedly festive — even with a Middle Eastern lamb tart as accompaniment.
In the company of a Canadian (scallop) and Aussie (chardy)
A night in with some big, fat Canadian scallops and an Ashcroft 2009 Chardonnay from Margaret River offered the perfect company after a dinner date gone wrong.
The good oil on the good life
It’s hard to stress enough the importance of spring, of getting some edible stuff into the garden and the subsequent joy of harvesting.
Slam poetry for a good cause
“Hey you’re a cartoonist, why don’t YOU enter the Climate Change Poetry Slam?” And with those words, my career as a performance poet began.
The tastes and smells of Spring
The weather has turned decidedly spring — so I made it a perfect example of things good and things easy. I hit the market to buy some goodies and have a “welcome-to-spring” feed.
Happy as a pig in …
The ever-reliable Chateau Tahbilk Shiraz made a perfect accompaniment to a home-made pork terrine for a beautiful Sunday lunch.
California dreamin’ with a chardonnay
Right now though, Californian dreamin’ has become a reality, courtesy of some Dry Creek Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2008 out of Sonoma. What a good wine.
A riesling and twice-cooked duck
His doctor might not approve, but Michael Vaughan spent a weekend wining and dining on some of Australia’s best. His weekly adventures with wine and the good life continue …
Try a Spanish red via the Barossa
Siento Tempranillo, from a grape variety originally from Spain, is now going gangbusters in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. The smooth, velvety drop works great with a fishy pasta.
A thrilling look at F1′s king
You don’t need to like formula one motor racing to appreciate this spectacular documentary on the life of Brazilian champion Ayrton Senna, says freelance writer Andrew Rankin.
Enjoy a winning cleanskin
In the first of a series on wine and general good living, our resident wise head (and Crikey subeditor) Michael Vaughan finds a cleanskin he likes. And at 15 bucks a bottle it’s great value.
Make friends with a modern rom-com
The dialogue could be bouncier, the plot a little sharper, but if you buy into the central relationship, Friends With Benefits plays unexpectedly well.
Get snap-happy in Ballarat
There are literally hundreds of reasons to book a ticket to the Victorian rural hamlet of Ballarat this month to visit the 2011 Ballarat International Foto Biennale, says Nicola Heath.
See a dog of an Aussie drama
Red Dog taps into the spirit of old school Australiana with infinitely more grasp of the national ethos than anything slapped together by Baz Luhrmann.
Take a bath under the stars
Warm spring pools are filled with thermal mineral waters and, if you believe the blurb, are chock full of health-giving stuff that you normally see in jars in a chemist’s shop. I’m a believer.
A tale of Boks and the World Cup
With the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, well-known journalist Dan Retief has produced a seminal work on the comp and the part the Springboks have played in it from their entry in 1995. Simon Burrow recommends.
The meat-eaters guide to tofu
Meat eaters fear tofu. But the almost tasteless prism of healthiness, high in protein and low in salt and cholesterol, can be spiced up with some saucy additions to help satisfy unhealthy urges, says Andrew Duffy.
Adopt a kitty
Every year hundreds of unwanted street cats are euthanised because good homes cannot be found for them. But one organisation is attempting to change this one adorable kitty at a time. Michael McGowan adopts a cause.
Visit the Egyptian boy king’s crib
For a 19-year-old who died of unknown causes thousands of years ago, Tutankhamun sure is good at working a crowd. More than 7 million visitors saw the exhibition that bears his name on its US and European tour.
Go back to (after) school
The number of hobbies kids take up then tire of really is testament to the unyielding patience of parents. But there’s something to be said for it, writes Iona Salter. So why not take up something you did as a kid?
Knit one, purl one online
As winter goes on and your much loved woolies start to emulate your regular diet and exercise plan by falling apart, why not fill in some spare time by replacing them with your own warm creations? Adalya Nash Hussein explains how.
