About: maryellenbelleville

April 8, 2021

On the Plate: M’jadrah – a beaut budget bite!

There’s only so many ways you can stretch your dollar – with fuel and food prices all creeping steadily upwards – I find I’m...

March 17, 2021

On the Plate: French-inspired refreshing dessert

Many years ago at a convention for chefs, cooks and all manner of foodie-types, I recall one sagely piece of advice. “Life’s short –...

December 3, 2020

On the Plate: Lunch for one please

Yippee! It is so lovely to be able to get out and meet up with friends at your favourite local café, restaurant and we...

August 27, 2020

On the Plate: Kinda blue

The word ‘blue’ has many connotations.

The one that springs to my mind first up is ‘blue with cold’ for obvious reasons! What an icy...

July 30, 2020

On the Plate: Rocketing along

As we snuggle in and mark off the chilly winter days, my thoughts seem to return often to the restorative power of home cooking...

July 16, 2020

On the Plate: Reaching for the chocolate – and blonde brownies – again

It’s been so chilly I find myself reaching for a mug of hot chocolate again as we slide into winter. And what better way...

July 2, 2020

On the Plate: Wintery, toasty times – a call to all crumpets

Nuffin like a bit o’crumpet, eh? Yes indeedy, and this time, you can make your own!

During COVID lockdown, it seems to me that mastering...

June 18, 2020

On the Plate: Minestrone – a meal in a bowl

Brrr… winter well and truly arrived right on cue with those icy winds and horizontal rain on June 1.

My friend and I bravely headed...

June 4, 2020

On the Plate: I see red, I see red, I see red

It’s true to say that during lockdown and isolating there seems to have been more time for me to read, read, read.

And I can...

May 21, 2020

On The Plate: Introducing the böreks

A gift of surplus silverbeet from my green-thumbed neighbour was very welcome (I hasten to add it was passed over to me keeping strict...

May 7, 2020

On the Plate: Occasion food – the new normal

The routines we’ve all had to adopt over these past several weeks are often described as the “new normal”.

Always a glass half full kinda...

April 23, 2020

On the Plate: Isobaking in a lockdown

These past weeks have seen us all change our routines dramatically.

As Anzac Day approaches, we will remain in isolation, reflecting on the bravery, the...

March 26, 2020

On the Plate: Sweet potato, the super vegetable

Never trust a vitamin in a capsule.

There, I’ve said it - and I realise that many of you have for a long time sought...

March 12, 2020

On The Plate: A stocktake of resolutions

Not everyone goes through the annual rigmarole of making resolutions for the New Year - I certainly don’t.

But to kick off a new decade,...