My favourite trait in Americans is the lack of fear. It spawns an infectious entrepreneurialism. It tempts them to cook a patty of ground chuck to medium-rare over fire rather than safely char it to a risk-free tasteless puck. The above was hands down my favourite hamburger of 2010, from Teddy’s Bigger Burger in Waikiki,… Continue reading Teddy’s Bigger Burger, Hawaii
Author: Phil Lees
How influential are Australian food bloggers?
Apart from that mythical beast return on investment, the hottest topic in social media measurement is influence. Does anything that happens on a blog or in Facebook or in 140 characters or less drive people to change their behaviour? I’m banking my current career on it – so I have a small vested interest in… Continue reading How influential are Australian food bloggers?
Takoyaki
I don’t understand the attraction of takoyaki. They’re balls of octopus and gluten served fresh on the streets of Japan, coated in a three types of umami: mayonnaise, bonito flakes, and their own special barbecue sauce. They turn out of their aebleskiver-like pans with a gluey consistency, a barely formed crust holding the octopus within,… Continue reading Takoyaki
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Brandy Wine Pink Tomato
Apropos of nothing, here is my favourite tomato from this year’s crop. I’d love to give you an exact variety but it came from a pack of seeds that mixed ten heirloom varieties, which sprouted at random. At a guess, it’s a Brandy Wine Pink, a variety from the US first grown at some point… Continue reading Brandy Wine Pink Tomato
Indentured Labour: Camy Shanghai Dumpling House’s secret, part 2
Last time that I mentioned Camy Shanghai Dumpling House, I conjectured that the popularity was due to its open secret status and cheapness. At least now we know where the cheapness comes from: not paying their staff. From the Herald-Sun: Mr Chang worked 13-hour days from 9.30am-10.30pm with only five-minute breaks, which had to be… Continue reading Indentured Labour: Camy Shanghai Dumpling House’s secret, part 2
Your Kitchen Sucks
“I’ve seen enough people not cook well. I don’t want to watch people very pleased with what they’re doing but doing everything wrong…What I found on MasterChef when I was on it, some of the basic things the contestants were trying to do – they didn’t know the basic things, such as pastry making,” she… Continue reading Your Kitchen Sucks
Food Blogger Tips: Google Recipe Search
This only applies if you write recipes online and care about how many people visit your site. Otherwise, move along. About a fortnight ago, Google released Recipe View in the US and Japan, a new way to trawl through their index for food preparation. When searching for a recipe online, most people type one or… Continue reading Food Blogger Tips: Google Recipe Search