Da Vinci’s, Summer Hill

On Thursday nights, my mum and I have dinner together. We try to keep it local and inexpensive – the Entertainment Book vouchers come in handy! We recently realised that despite being so close to Summer Hill, we’d never been there for dinner. So we rocked on over to give Da Vinci’s a try.

Fennel baked with lemon and parmigiano reggiano

I like to cook according to the seasons. Not only is it environmentally and economically sound, it provides a lovely sense of connectedness to nature. And cold weather vegetables such as pumpkin, zucchini and fennel tend to suit roasting, baking and stewing. Nice work, Mother Nature.

Pasta alla boscaiola and an Ischia bianco

As seen on Masterchef Food Hub

Pasta all boscaiola, or ‘woodman’s pasta’, is a classic Italian dish which is in essence a combination of mushrooms, pancetta and cream. Some recipes include tomato, but I prefer mine without – which I assume is the earlier, original version anyway. It can be absolutely heavenly when properly and freshly made and feels oh, so very indulgent!

Osvaldo Polletti, Leichhardt

Another weekend, another dinner voucher to use! This time at Osvaldo Polletti, a ‘home-style’ Italian restaurant on Norton Street. My first impressions were good – the decor is beautifully simple and comforting, and the staff are clearly pros. I love their chairs too.

Il Goloso, Haberfield

I’ve been enjoying trying new places on the cheap thanks to websites such as OurDeal, JumpOnIt etc. Our trip to Il Goloso was my Christmas present from Mr Black and we decided to visit in that uninspiring week between Christmas and New Year when  most places are shut for holidays.