'Spring is the magical time
When the rainbow lorikeets hum and the honey suckles’ blossom,
When I actively bounce down the sand dunes
And onto the pea green grass,
The waratahs and the wattles bloom,
And my heart opens to the riot of spring’.  Written by schoolgirl Lily Baker in masterclasses on ‘The Four Seasons’ using The Hathorn Technique led by Libby Hathorn.

Read further to see what cooking claseses still have places for the remainder of this year.  The program for 2019 will be relased at the end of this month. Plus, there are still some opportunities this year for you to book a private Christmas or Birthday at a time to suit you. Email me to inquire tonya@cookingonthebay.com.au Also see what are the best fruits and vegetables in the market for spring.  And now we have ruby chocolate!

Spring is blossom time and all our Melbourne streets are full of beautiful blossoms. I found this pretty Chinese quince blossom at Rayner's Orchard in Woori Yallock, happily sitting with the precious ladybird whose job is to reduce the impact of bugs. Do look out for our bees as well; we need to protect them too, as without them we would have no fruits or honey.

There are still some places available in these two classes: Italianicious – Cooking with Passion on Saturday 24th November at .845am. As well as pasta and ravioli making there will be some Italian Festive desserts, perfect timing for Christmas

.A French Odyssey – Journey through France on Saturday 1st December at 8.45am. This class will include a special Provençal seafood main course, perfect for your summer entertaining along with a few Festive French desserts as well. 

Click here to Book line or email me directly: tonya@cookingonthebay.com.au

Wanting that special gift? You can also purchase a generic Gift Voucher for any class at any time! A marvellous Christmas present - 

Christmas, Group, Corporate and Private Cooking Classes are all welcomed warmly at Cooking on the Bay. And they are great fun!

Anniversaries, special birthdays, travel groups, such as Travelling Spoon, book clubs, pre-wedding parties, special family occasions, Christmas parties…these are some of the groups that have graced me here at Cooking on the Bay this year.

What stands out from these groups is that they all come with their own brand of special fun and laughter, plus a real desire to learn! They are already a bonded group plus, as usual, we share together; and all learn during the class through our foodie chatting and story swapping.

Email me tonya@cookingonthebay.com.au to arrange a fabulous cooking ‘adventure’ where your every desire and needs are met, for you next special event.  Christmas Party bookings are already booked in, so contact me soon to ensure your date can be booked. tonya@cookingonthebay.com.au

With the spring racing carnivals upon us and festive season coming soon, entertaining is at the front of our minds.  These handy hints may help you in the kitchen preparing and cooking.

Select the menu, make a shopping list and write a running sheet, a plan, for the order of your preparing and cooking.  I love lists and use them constantly especially when planning a big event.

Do your ‘mise en place’, weigh and measure your ingredients; and get everything in ready before you start.  It makes it much easier than having cups and jugs all over the bench.

Stick to seasonal produce when food is at its best and build your dishes around that.

Read your recipe thoroughly, several times; follow the method, especially in baking and dessert making.

Prepare what you can the day before. This will help to prevent some stress.

When ready make sure all your ingredients are at the correct temperature.

Don’t be afraid to freeze things like cake or ganache if you have excess. If they are stored correctly they will keep.

Don’t overcomplicate things. Pick your one main wow factor dish and keep everything else simple.

When baking, use the correct size baking tin or the mould that the recipe requires.

Check your oven temperature, especially if you aren’t familiar with its hot spots.

Use good quality chocolate in your desserts and baking. It makes a huge difference!

The amazing innovative progam of how the market manages its waste.

There are so many reasons why I love the South Melbourne Market; I shop there two or threes times week for my cooking classes.  The food is fresh and good quality, the store holders are friendly and helpful; it is happy and vibrant place to visit.  I knew it progressive and environmentally conscious; they introduced a ban on one-use plastic bags back in April long before the big supermarkets!

Yesterday, I learnt there are many more reasons to love this market, when I went on the Sustainability September Festival’s ‘Behind the Scenes Tour’ and I discovered what the market does to manage their waste.

It was an informative tour with the most enthusiastic, knowledgeable trend-setter, Adam Mehegan, the market Operations Manager who is the leader of the market’s waste and environmental sustainability program. A small group of us, donned our brightly coloured safety jackets, and followed Adam through the back of house at the market to discover what the market is doing to reduce their waste and to contribute the sustainability of our planet.  What also surprised me, it was so neat and tidy without any bad smells at all and we were surrounded by waste, animal, seafood, vegetable and fruit....read more>>>

My food philosophy is to Eat REAL FOOD, local food in season.
Eating with the seasons ensures we eat fresh, local food when it is at its best. Each new season has its produce strengths and nature’s changing seasons allows us to vary our diet beautifully, plus giving us something to anticipate and savour.
Eating in harmony with the seasons connects us to a healthy rhythm of life. Food tastes best, at its peak, in its season and this means we enjoy a wide variety of foods when they are at their best, flavoursome and full of vitamins. Take at look at what is best in the spring markets.

Spring fruit and vegetables

Fruits – Apples – Custard, Lady William; Bananas; Berries – blueberry, raspberry, strawberry; Cherry; Cumquats; Grapefruit – pink, yellow; Lemons; Limes; Loquat; Lychee; Mandarins - Ellendale, Honey Murcott; Mangoes; Melons – honeydew, rockmelon, watermelon; Oranges – blood, Seville, Valencia; Papaya; Passionfruit; Pears – Corella, Nashi; Pineapples – rough and smooth; Pomelo; Starfruit; Tamarillos; Tangelo; Watermelon.

Vegetables – Artichokes - globe; Asian greens – bok choy, choy sum, gai laan, wonga bok; Asparagus – green, purple, white; Avocadoes – fuerte, hass, sharwill; Baby cress; Basil; Beans – baby, broad, flat, French, green, snake;  Beetroot; Broccoli; Cabbage; Carrots; Cauliflower; Celery; Chilli peppers; Chives; Choko; Coriander;  Cucumber - Continental; Daikon(Chinese radish), Dill; Endive; Fennel; Garlic chives; Ginger; Spring onions: Leeks; Lettuce – mignonette; Mint; Mushrooms – morel; Mustard cress; Onions – salad, spring;  Parsley; Parsnips; Peas – green, snow, sugar snap; Peppers – red, yellow and green; Pimentos; Potatoes – new; Pumpkin Radish; Shallots; Silver beet; Sorrel; Spanish onions; Spinach; Spring onions; Sweet corn; Tarragon; Tomatoes;  Turnips; Watercress; Zucchini; Zucchini flowers.

Nuts – Walnuts, hazelnuts

Herbs : bay leaf, parsley, mint, rosemary, sage, bronze fennel, coriander and sorrel.

Seafood – Eel; Ling; Longfin; Lobster - Eastern Rock; Mackerel; Moreton Bay bugs; Orange Roughy; Oysters – Pacific; Perch- golden sea; Prawns – bay, school, tiger; Redfish; River garfish; Salmon, Australian; Snapper - Golden; Spanner crabs; Trout - Coral; Whiting – King George; Yabbies – Farmed.

New Callebaut Ruby Chocolate is now available at a price!

This fourth type of chocolate and the first to be discovered in 80 years, Ruby Chocolate shines with a sparkling ruby colour and intense fruitiness with fresh, sour notes. It occurs naturally from the newly discovered ruby cocoa bean, so, amazingly, there are no fruit flavourings or colourants are added to this chocolate. 

I imagine the wonderful desserts to be made with this…The down-side is that it is only available in 2.5kilogram bags at $90.00 per bag!  Now, you may not think that is a problem!  If you are desperate to try a little of this ruby chocolate, not 2.5ks, contact me.

Do follow Cooking on the Bay on Facebook to keep up to date with classes and our news; plus check out the Instagram posts @cooking_on_the_bay. And...

Create Cook Celebrate good food - Happy cooking, happy eating, happy sharing.

Cheers for now - Tonya