A Charming Cave

It captivates, has tiny hidden corners to offer surprising delights and one follows the waft of its cooking and baking. Such is The Cook's Larder in Avalon Village, nestled in Sydney's northern beaches. We strolled, took in the sights, passed several baby prams and knew instinctively it is a lifestyle. It exuded exuberance and the staff we met were friendly and helpful. It felt like a village scene, it is a village hall. It went beyond the sweet stuff, it had ideas, like recipes, combinations and a certain bustle. You can park your vehicle in front, you can sit on the pavement or inside at a private discerning corner, and watch the world go by. Many customers were absorbed in their own thoughts and conversation. Come into its charming cave.

A huge dollop of vanilla bean ice cream melts atop a rather just right moist flourless cake of mango, passionfruit and coconut. A bit rich, you may say - and that can apply to the neighbourhood, with established, heritage and new bungalows and mansions scattered around the hilly suburb skirting the ocean. There are more than a few Avalons - beyond the old and noveau rich, there are the surfboarding and wetsuit fraternities; the outdoor adventurers from other lands who cannot believe their eyes in finding themselves in such agreeable weather and outdoors; the families who feel blessed to have their children grow up here; the investor-owners who have holiday homes; and more.

Busy hands and hearts at the kitchen area of the Cook's Larder, where cooking demos are held on a scheduled basis. I love the strategically placed mirror above not just for attending participants of such demos, but it does add a touch of transparency to a busy place.

Chocolate- based fondue, what more is there to be content with?

And then came the macadamia and blueberry crumble.....perhaps the best delight for the palate in our long drive that day, yummy and memorable.

Do check out for anohter perspective on the Cook's Larder by clicking on Sassychix's blog.

One Night at Thanh Binh, Newtown

Mildly hot salad laden with jellyfish, chicken cuts, prawn slices, crispy crackers and the lot.

Table overlooking King Street.

The banh xeo - heavenly-bite omelette wrapped over crunchy and fresh ingredients, not to be missed.

As one approaches the exquisitely crafted and smirkingly satisfying spring roll (cha gio), the shadow of our

hunger is snuffed out by this tasty delight. (This image credit - Sassychix)

Rippling Good

Starters at Ripples, Chowder Bay, Mosman:

Sand crab ravioli sat upon by prawns.

Scallops and pork belly ala Ripples.

And now the mains that follow:

Cindy chose angel hair pasta with mussels, prawns and other seafood.

Charmaine tucked in her pasta ragu.

and I had de-boned quail over goat cheese, followed by raspberry and orange semifreddo and coffee.

We had lots of laughs, soothened by a just right warm arvo and surrounded by the blue of the sky and ocean, the chatter of fellow lunchers and the sights of a calm sea meeting the coast.

Chowder Bay, Mosman

Verandah with a view - looking out at Chowder Bay, from Georges Heights on Sydney's lower north shore, this was the site of the Australian navy section handling ammunition and explosives in the 19th century and more recently, skirts the abode of HMAS Penguin. Imagine an evening looking out on to a sheltered cove far away from the old country, enjoying a climate that is most agreeable, neither too hot nor cold on a fine April day. Located in the Headland Park and accessible from Middle Head Road in Mosman, there are walking trails, scuba diving lessons, artists precincts, tennis courts, historical fortifications and several cafes /restaurants. Public buses and ferries bring people in from Sydney CBD and overnight accommodation is also available.

Pre-lunch, Charmaine and Cindy dabble in relaxing photography near the wharf.

The views from the side of Chowder Bay.

A delicacy awaits those who have taken in the outdoors and want to savour a well deserved moment after a long week at work or at the business!

Do check out Charmaine's blog for more interesting angles on Chowder Bay, especially her interpretations of the cuisine.

To De-clutter and Move Forward

My muscles were aching, but I knew it was a darn good ache of liberation and growth. Tim and Steven had come to help me cut out the crap, so to speak, but in terms of the garden under and over growth. They worked hard, but they removed the shadows, and opened up spaces I once had before and forgot about them entirely. Hidden creatures scurried hurriedly as we exposed them under the sunlight - I did recognise some of them. I loved the sound of the grrr chain saw cutting away at excesses nurtured by my neglect of and assumptions about my garden. It felt good to let go of some things - they were never any good anyway, despite my initial hopes and expectations of most of them.

I had chats with my neighbours, listening to experiences where trust had been broken down by someone; of episodes where some individuals did not provide the whole truth and thought they were real clever in selecting particular pieces for their own covert purposes; and in contrast, thankfully, also of trying times overcome and life put back as it should be. As some shrubs were pruned, their fruits did roll down on to the lawn, and I thought, hey these are like hidden gems and harvest, only to be realised when we cut ourselves off from the burgeoning dark side. There are occasions when we are unwittingly sucked into things that are totally contrary to our nature and all our love and care we exude cannot save us -in fact, they are amazingly used against us to be squashed aside and ignored in the path of the beast. However, when we are thrown lemons, we can make lemonade out of them - that is what I did.

To de-clutter from such negativity takes effort. Call it a make over, detoxification or cleansing,in every such process, we are shown a revelation of what really is. Such a disclosure frees us to move on to better and higher things, in thought, reality and society. We may have been in illusion - that things are better than they are - or in denial - of the dangers that are unforgiving - but our realisation of what is helps us not cling on to falsehoods, appearances and toxic smiles with back stab daggers. We are thrown out of the Ferris wheel of convulated and provincial minds, and for our sweat in encountering this, we feel a gladness in our hearts that we have escaped from the in-bred cycle of the proverbial village caucus. We then know that we never belonged to this unique group anyway - and do not want to. We happily see such a group wallow in the mud of their own making.