Japanese spinach with sesame

Ok, this is not authentic, but it’s a very quick and easy approximation to the delicious horenso no goma ae I always have to order at Japanese restaurants. The classic recipe calls for boiled sake and hand-ground sesame seeds, but hello, it’s Tuesday.

Easy entertaining canapés: Deconstructed Peking duck ‘pancakes’ and baby pear and walnut salad bites

So last night was my hopemonth canapé party which raised over $800 for Hope Street – woo! I’ll be posting the cooked canapé recipes individually, but these cold canapés which I invented were so easy and really, really popular. Perfect for easy, no cook starters to serve before a barbecue or dinner party.

Honey soy chicken wingettes

Here is a modified version of mut jup mun gai yik – smaller, less saucy pieces cooked in the oven make this version easier to eat, easier to cook and perfect for party food.

Hung Cheung, Marrickville

Now that Mr Black has fallen in love with yum cha, we have been going at least once a month. Happy days! There’s no better way to start a lazy day than sipping tea and taking a chance on the yum cha trolley roulette (or ‘tray’ roulette in this case).

Komachi, Surry Hills

I took my lovely sister here as a birthday gift, using a Living Social voucher – $37 for a two-course banquet for us both. The banquet usually costs $38 each so it was a big saving.

Homemade za’atar spice mix

Jars of za’atar

I make this in bulk and give little jars of it as Christmas gifts. It’s simple, cheap (you can by all the herbs and spices in bulk – I buy mine in Lakemba) and delicious! Basically you mix up the following in a mortar and pestle and give it a bit of a smash (not too fine or it’ll become powder – you want it coarse).

Fujiyama, Leichhardt

My mum and I come here all the time now, having fallen in love with their ‘Black Horenso’…

Asian rice salad

This is dead simple, healthy and delicious. Perfect to accompany a summer barbecue!