Not Quite NigellaThe cooking, eating and travel blog of a hungry blogger from Sydney, Australia featuring original recipes, interviews and articles on all things food @

The Park Pop Up Restaurant, Centennial Park

Not Quite Nigella — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:00:44 +0000

When Mr NQN and I moved back to the Eastern Suburbs from Mosman a few years ago, we moved right near to Centennial Park. People used to say to us “Oh that’s wonderful, you must use the park all the time” and we’d smile back and nod and murmur “Well sometimes…” not wanting to admit [...]

Triple Decker Neapolitan Chiffon Cake!

Not Quite Nigella — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:00:10 +0000

This year for Mother’s Day, we had our annual Mother’s Day picnic in Centennial Park. It is the one time in the year that all of the mums and families of Mr NQN’s extended family get together and it’s always a good excuse for cake and a bit of motherly pride. On that day Mr [...]

A Quick Escape To The Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Not Quite Nigella — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:00:33 +0000

It was the quickest of trips. I would be barely more than 24 hours on the Sunshine Coast where I was booked to speaking for half an hour. The rest of the time would be spent in transit or doing work and catching up with friends. The view from the deck and the painting by [...]

Easy Baked Whole Snapper With Wine

Not Quite Nigella — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:00:51 +0000

I was talking to my personal trainer the other day. “You know I’ve always dreamt about running…” If you have seen me training, you know that running is my least favourite thing to do. She looked at me so puzzlingly that I had to clarify “I don’t mean that I’ve actually aspired to run or [...]

A Houseboat on the Murray, Mildura

Not Quite Nigella — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:00:40 +0000

“Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” says the man from the SES who is on the plane across the row from me on the small aircraft. He’s just waiting to get home to nearby Broken Hill but Mr NQN and I are excited for another reason. For our anniversary weekend, [...]

Condensed Milk Travelling Cookies

Not Quite Nigella — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:00:25 +0000

I have a gorgeous friend called Amanda who has a cat. Her cat however is not your ordinary cat. You see he has an adventurous life of his own. A few months ago he was was the victim of a recent attempted catnapping. It all started when Amanda’s cat went missing for a few days. [...]

Lox, Stock & Barrel, Bondi Beach

Not Quite Nigella — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:00:33 +0000

I’m sitting slightly lopsidedly on a stool peering at a menu. My hairdresser Elly from Stevie English Hair looks back at me her eyes questioning. We’re locked in a conundrum. A food conundrum to be specific. The choices on the menu at Lox Stock & Barrel are tempting and given that both of us are in our workout gear [...]

Book Sandwiches & A Peek Into My Launch Party!

Not Quite Nigella — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:00:30 +0000

Dear Reader, a few nights ago, I had my second wedding. Well, not exactly my second wedding but it almost felt like it. It was actually my family & friends book launch. One thing that people don’t often know about the whole publishing process is that unless you are Curtis Stone (who was incidentally having [...]

Chi Chi Asian Kitchen & Bar, Canley Heights

Not Quite Nigella — Sun, 12 May 2013 18:00:11 +0000

Whenever it’s raining, I always see rainbows as a sign of something good to come. Symbolic perhaps of a lesson learnt after a hardship or a silver lining in a cloud. Rainbow themed anything from cakes, biscuits and cupcakes adorn my blog and when I see a sign saying “Double Rainbows All the Way Across [...]

Overnight Oats

Not Quite Nigella — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:00:19 +0000

This month has been an eventful one with the release of the book and all that that entails. I’ve tried to cook as much at home as possible and keep up the healthy slash indulgent frenzied eating pattern that seems to be ingrained in my DNA. Apart from the release of my book, this month [...]