Inner Spice

With one spoonful of Waakye (black-eyed beans and rice) in a tomato sauce at an African spice and w**e dinner earlier this week, I was suddenly standing in my Mum’s kitchen tasting her ‘lobia masala’ (black-eyed beans curry)😍

I saw this dinner event pop up in my feed, and I had to go (the algorithm delivered for a change)🫚

Chefs Dwight of Peasants Paradice and Brian Cole Brian Cole of Hearth Restaurant & Lounge cooked, and sommelier Cyndal of S.O.S paired every course, and between the plates they shared stories of food, w**e, ingredients, culture 💫

🌍Harissa from the Maghreb and labneh from the Levant ended up on the same plate of cinnamon pumpkin with preserved lemon🍋; the Fremantle octopus got hit with the fermented funk of dried shrimp and sh*to - an umami bomb that had the whole table talking about it🌶️ and the Pepe fish came with peanuts, lime, ginger and habanero - it was a perfect balance of heat and tang🔥; then a cardamom and madras curry ice cream that took me to the streets of India with its kulfi flair😋

The habanero in the fish, the chillies in the sh*to both started out in the Americas, and crossed oceans on trade routes to end up on these African plates🗺️

None of this food keeps to the borders we’ve drawn around them✨

And here’s wonderful spicy fact that I learnt - the pepperiness in Shiraz comes from the compound, Rotundone, the same compound that gives black peppercorns their smell. I’ve been cooking with pepper my whole life and never knew the grape was also in on it!🍇

TRENT EVERITT and Kyetahn Bloomfield thank you for the wonderful conversations and company ☺️

I love how we, no matter our origins, can come together to connect and feast, and even find our mums’ kitchens on different dining tables🧡

**epairing

My last pop-up of the year is a week away 😮

🗓️Sunday 13th September
📍Hackett Hall, UWA
⏰10am - 3:30pm

It genuinely is the last one before the new year! 😬
I have some travel plans calling me and I’m getting goosebumps about it 😉

There’ll be some very ‘special - specials’ on the table for the day, so if you’ve been meaning to stock up, grab a gift, or just come say hi in person - this is it!👋🏽

Free entry, free parking. Come find me🧡

Life lately has been a mixed bag of sorts. Since my return from travelling to Kenya, I’ve been trying to keep my head above water and continue to remind myself of who I am, why I started this, and what I aim to create💫

Then last night happened. A beautiful evening created by people who work with such passion, precision, and humility that it always leaves me feeling so inspired🧡

The first time I met Paul ‘Yoda’ Iscov was in 2019, when he shared a TEDxPerth talk on how indigenous foods connect us to country and culture.

I vividly remember him presenting to us the benefits of the ‘gabinge’ (also referred to as Kakadu plum), boab, and bloodroot, and I was so blown away by these stories I got goosebumps!

I was in complete awe - totally starstruck by his knowledge, but I also surprised myself on how it deeply moved me. This was a time when I was still in my corporate career trying to figure out my next move, and hearing Paul’s story made me realise how much it resonated with my love of food culture and spice history🗺️

Since then, I have been following Fervor and Paul’s journey and been lucky enough to indulge in a few of his magical experiences over time.

Last night, years later, I sat down to experience another one of his food journeys Small Print and savoured every bite and each w**e pairing that showcased our great southern region🍷

From crab with bloodroot paired with a 3 drops pinot noir to a Quandong sandalwood nut paired with a Plan B off dry riesling, it fully captured a way of understanding Albany’s south coast and what grows near it✨

Watching Paul work with such diligence and attention to detail is always so encouraging, and such a joy!

Thank you Paul, the Fervor team, and Chef Paolo De Monte of Print Hall for a beautiful evening of exploring local produce.

This is exactly what I love about food - how it connects us to culture, land, and its people🙏🏽