tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7623265713971378652012-02-21T13:06:25.444+11:00'In-home' dining that whets the appetite, fills the cup and delights the soul.Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.comBlogger1081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-56627347170160293132012-02-05T11:36:00.000+11:002012-02-05T11:36:19.603+11:00

For those of you who are not aware of the coffee 'scene' happening in Australia, I wish you could experience it!  I learned so much about coffee while living there, which included a lot of tasting. It seems to me, what we Americans call 'coffee' is pretty much a different drink to what a Sydney-sider considers coffee.  For instance most Australians do not even own drip coffee machines and

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-15034252303622106332012-01-09T10:40:00.003+11:002012-01-09T13:44:43.806+11:00

Well it's about darn time I posted something!  Let's just say the last few months I have been a little busy moving to the other side of the world!! We did safely arrive and are doing our best to settle into Richmond, Virginia.  I am not quite sure what the food scene is like here, but am certainly looking forward to finding out. Upon our arrival, I have done a bit of cooking and probably more

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-46481909242825363382011-10-27T08:35:00.003+11:002011-10-31T17:16:48.858+11:00

I can't say I have been most inspired in the kitchen lately...when life gets busy or hectic I tend to resort back to what I know and what I can make without a recipe and my slow-cooker.  However, I did have a few friends over for dinner last week and did a bit of a southern (USA) menu. For starters I made hushpuppies with a spicy aioli and baked brie w/ maple syrup & walnuts.  Hushpuppies are

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-26264582386645471392011-10-16T21:07:00.001+11:002011-10-16T21:07:56.635+11:00

Lemon Vanilla Cake filled w/ Lemon Syrup, Lemon Curd & Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Custard Cream and Grand Marnier  Meringue Buttercream Frosting My second wedding cake...made for dear friends Lucas & Lyl.  I thought it was pretty good considering I have never even had any cake classes (but I would be pretty keen to take one).

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-19256792232395685232011-10-02T23:29:00.001+11:002011-10-02T23:30:41.566+11:00

I have thoroughly enjoyed this orange cake recipe which I snagged from Delicious magazine last month.  I have altered it a little bit and also included a recipe for Mascarpone Vanilla Bean Custard...which is a great addition to this little cake, which I topped with candied kumquats. Orange & Almond Cake 1 orange 3 eggs 100g sugar (I used organic rapadura sugar) 1 cup almond meal 1/2 tsp baking

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-90456928511309999392011-09-30T16:35:00.001+10:002011-09-30T16:39:24.408+10:00

What can I say my husband really out did himself this year...I could not have asked for a better surprise and experience, dinner at Sydney's number one restaurant 'Quay'!  It was amazing.  He also surprised me by organizing one of my dearest Aussie girl friends to come in from out of town (7 hours away) to be my dinner date.  Sam is a fellow foodie, so this was also a special treat for her.

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-12876140709499082992011-09-28T21:32:00.001+10:002011-09-28T21:43:44.162+10:00

I was absolutely spoiled this year for my birthday!  First I headed out to celebrate with 3 of my girlfriends who also have birthdays in the same week, we ended up at a place called 'The Winery' in Surry Hills. It was absolutely fabulous.  Everything from the ambiance, to the drinks, the food and of course the company!  And it was very reasonably priced which made it even better.  We kicked off

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-25862072704400681442011-09-28T19:53:00.001+10:002011-09-28T20:00:42.603+10:00

Last Saturday night brought my second to last tablenosh dinner in Sydney!  I was a bit slower to finalize this menu but the recipes finally came together on the day.  The theme should have been 'S' because that seemed to be the common thread.  It was a family-style meal which worked really well and meant lots of great interaction around the table. The Aperitif: Strawberry Mint Cocktail

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-72675575465540293562011-09-12T18:15:00.005+10:002011-09-12T20:01:58.153+10:00

I decided earlier this week I really needed to take a second and do some blogging on some of my latest food experiences. I will begin with a few of my recent outings.  A couple of weeks ago I did 3 nights of dining out in a row, which is A LOT for me, seeing as Sydney is not exactly the most affordable city in terms of eating out. On the Wednesday night I went with a few friends to a place in

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-17708491348456406412011-09-01T21:44:00.001+10:002011-09-01T21:48:41.874+10:00

Yes, it is true I have taken on making another 'wedding cake' for a dear friend.  I tested two new recipes over the weekend and had the bride and groom do a taste test to choose which one they liked best.  These were the choices. Cake # 1 Lemon Cake with lemon curd, triple cream and grand-marnier buttercream icing. The bad news was I am still getting used to my new oven and I pretty much

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-60640899317433018612011-08-22T20:38:00.001+10:002011-08-22T20:40:32.027+10:00

My first tablenosh at the new house...I think it took me a little longer than I expected to get the place ready and I had to move a bit of furniture around, but somehow I managed to get 12 people in the kitchen for dinner, it was nice and cozy.  It was a good lively bunch different to other nights in that one booking was a group of six and another a group of four, so quite a few people who

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-12550199111936248012011-08-14T11:43:00.001+10:002011-08-14T21:12:11.469+10:00

I am on a new 'lifestyle' kick which includes no wheat, no sugar (refined) and no wheat!  It has been hard work but also meant I am finding lots of new ways to cook with good 'pure' foods and it is amazing how much better I feel for it (once I was over the sugar withdrawal!). The hardest part is cutting out the sugar, I have certainly realized how much sugar we eat and how much we crave it.  So,

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-263830222846764342011-08-02T21:57:00.009+10:002011-08-03T08:59:08.185+10:00

I have been meaning to post this since the Christmas in July dinner.  I found a recipe on epicurious.com that I sounded good, then I made a few changes and added a crumble topping.  I really like it because I did not use that much sugar and the lemon zest and coconut add a nice touch.  It was a real hit (even with the Aussies who would never normally have sweet potato this way), one of my

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-52711879890338161682011-07-25T22:13:00.000+10:002011-07-25T22:13:06.035+10:00

Even though we just returned from Fiji on Thursday, I could not give up the chance to do a Christmas in July dinner with some good friends...some meaning 24 adults and 8 children/babies!!!!  Who knew I could ever cram so many people into our little apartment, but somehow I did it!  We thought this dinner would be a good chance to have one last shindig before we farewell our Dover St. apartment

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-55360328631906143792011-07-14T12:51:00.003+10:002011-07-22T11:37:43.344+10:00

Every year Pete heads over to Fiji for a month for work and I get to join him for 2 weeks.  This year we spent 5 nights in a local village!!!  Talk about a different way of life and a different way of COOKING! Lanianna - my beautiful 'homestay' mother and cooking companion. I had the delight of spending some time in the kitchen with these beautiful Fijian women laughing and sharing together. 

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-90813361247154368832011-06-29T20:40:00.001+10:002011-06-29T20:41:37.991+10:00

This is the part of blogging I appear to be pretty hopeless at...I do a lot of cooking but am very bad at sharing the recipe, so here goes.  This is my crumble recipe from last week's tablenosh dinner. Strawberry & Rhubarb Hazelnut Crumble Fruit: 1 bunch of rhubarb, rinsed and diced 2 punnets of strawberries, rinsed and diced 1/4 cup muscavado sugar (or dark brown sugar) 1 teaspoon vanilla

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-80753812529316729132011-06-26T22:16:00.003+10:002011-06-27T08:05:00.627+10:00

I was a little nervous when the first thing I woke up to on Saturday morning was a text from my sous chef cancelling due to illness.  Oh NO...there was no way I could do this dinner on my own.  I sent a message out to the remaining people who I thought might want to take their Saturday night off to come and help me in the tablenosh kitchen and fortunately I found Sarah - she was awesome!!  And

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-16776704807014988432011-06-22T18:10:00.001+10:002011-06-23T08:52:43.465+10:00

Okay, so I am gearing up for another BIG nosh dinner, in fact this could be my most exciting and challenging dinner thus far.  I am attempting 6-7 courses as well as the aperitif and digestif.  How on earth does it all come together?  (A question I ask myself every time I do one of these things!!) But there are definitely a few things that make it easier and more organized, so I thought I would

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-21003588305068551162011-06-18T11:55:00.003+10:002011-06-20T14:33:57.555+10:00

My delicious day in Surry Hills was actually rather coincidental and came together at the last minute.  A few months ago I purchased one of those cheap deals on website call 'scoopon' for a cooking class at an Italian restaurant in Surry Hills called Alio (http://www.alio.com.au/).  A couple of weeks ago I booked myself in for the June 16th class. Last Monday, I was supposed to catch up with a

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-83140295332559072612011-06-13T17:12:00.004+10:002011-06-13T17:26:52.151+10:00

Many people have heard me say what an exciting journey tablenosh has been over this past year.  Growing my culinary skills and learning more about cooking, hospitality and food with every event has been truly delightful.  But, the gathering of people from different suburbs across Sydney and seeing what happens around a table of good food in a cozy atmosphere has been the highlight by far. At

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-78714770744208159262011-06-10T16:09:00.001+10:002011-06-10T16:10:19.757+10:00

Yesterday in the midst of trying to be social media savvy, lunch dates, scripting my pilot, and putting the wrong kind of fuel in the car I was driving...I therapeutically did a little baking too! I had a bunch of egg whites left over from something I made the other day and a whole heap of lime juice I had squeezed, so I thought I would make coconut-lime friands.  I snagged the recipe out of my

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-17765017350874730552011-06-05T20:50:00.005+10:002011-06-05T21:26:24.905+10:00

Another 'noshing' night in my cozy little Sydney apartment!  I had 10 guests, only 4 of whom I had met before at least once, it was a great night mixed with interesting people as well as discussion.  Hot topics seemed to be film, television, social media and technology. The menu was called 'slightly italian' and consisted of a few things I had been practicing and a few new recipes as well.  I

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-58988598340321747912011-05-30T18:14:00.001+10:002011-05-30T18:18:29.504+10:00

Ugh is all I have to say!  I HATE it when I spend money on a vegetable or fruit at the grocery store and with in days it has gone bad!  I seriously wish I had a garden, sadly I am not really a good gardner so not sure if it would help much, but the Sydney Markets have definitely been a help.  I love my co-op which I started with some friends just over a year ago.  It really makes a difference,

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-30716980696509695622011-05-23T08:35:00.002+10:002011-05-23T20:20:28.319+10:00

I just returned from a quick trip to the USA for a couple of weddings.  While I was there I had a few fabulous food experiences. The first was the organic homemade donuts at my friend Jessica's wedding.  Who would have thought....but these donuts were amazing and all organic!!!! Yummy.  I am not even a donut person. The scond was having the opportunity to spend an afternoon in the kitchen with

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-25285310174547532202011-05-01T22:50:00.003+10:002011-05-02T17:34:44.305+10:00

Nothing EVER goes according to plan, but somehow it all works out in the end.  I got off to a slow start on Friday and by the time I got home from the markets I had developed a terrible headache and had to get in bed.  I finally got back up and going around 5:30pm and managed to pump out my pearl barley risotto (for risotto balls), chocolate cake, my petite citrus cakes, the mocha mousse,

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-30664831048351914412011-04-19T21:15:00.009+10:002011-04-28T07:43:42.143+10:00

It's time to Celebrate ONE Year of Tablenosh!  Come join the 'Cocktails, Canapés and Cake' Party on April 30th. It is hard to believe it has already been a year of my 'underground' restaurant journey...a great year of gathering people around my table to enjoy different foods (I can hardly believe I really did it!).  I am not quite sure what this year is going to bring but I have a few ideas!  I

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-18206470172041364722011-04-06T08:19:00.001+10:002011-04-06T15:48:00.218+10:00

So, recently I must admit I have lost a bit of momentum for tablenosh (please feel free to encourage me!).  Maybe I overdid it and am all cooked out or maybe I need to leave more space in between dinners.  I am not really sure but am trying to re-think things to get myself motivated again! One of my recent thoughts has been to focus on dinner parties with friends and if they want to bring a

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-30290916109362468342011-03-23T21:59:00.002+11:002011-04-06T15:34:39.997+10:00

The last three weekends I have had some type of catering responsibility.  First the wedding cake, then a morning tea birthday party and last weekend a 70th birthday buffet lunch for 40 people.  I am learning a lot!  Over-catering is easy to do and we live in a society that tends to do just this, which sadly means a waste of money time and food!  This is something I am working on.  I have

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-68440222566354194632011-03-07T17:41:00.002+11:002011-03-07T21:38:35.709+11:00

So, about a month ago a young couple we know called me to see if I would be willing to make their wedding cake!  They were having a fairly low budget wedding and said anything would do...now, it has been a dream of mine to make a wedding cake before I die, little did I know it would come before I had even taken a class!  Obviously I said yes and then decided I might as well give it my best shot.

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-30607436601856305092011-02-28T23:00:00.002+11:002011-06-07T22:28:12.970+10:00

I have been asked to make my very first Wedding Cake!  Very exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.  I have never taken a cake class or anything, so this is an adventure.  I have spent the weekend practicing my cakes, fillings and frostings.  A lot of cake has been consumed! 

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-61759178089854030922011-02-21T18:08:00.004+11:002011-02-22T09:24:41.148+11:00

What can I say I do love the South (USA that is)... I kicked off my first tablenosh dinner this year with a few southern classics and some new recipes out of a recently purchased cookbook from the best Chefs in Charleston.  Hopefully the Australian diners were not too overwhelmed with new flavors, foods and concepts! For example 'grits', what in the world you ask are 'grits'?  They are basically

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-28705340490051133522011-02-08T14:49:00.003+11:002011-02-12T15:44:25.730+11:00

Clearly I have been keeping myself busy and slowly falling behind with my blogging!  I just landed back in Sydney this morning and figured I better get back with the program.  The US was a fabulous time and even included a few exceptional dining experiences, which was a real treat.   A beautiful chicken dish from 'Lucques', Los Angeles As far as my own new recipes go, I have decided I will

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-52382795250258656692011-01-07T11:56:00.006+11:002011-01-10T09:48:37.001+11:00

Somehow I managed to get them all finished by New Years Eve, including the incredibly difficult and time consuming recipe for 'The Snow Egg' from one of Sydney's most renowned restaurant's called Quay.   96. Spinach & Feta Pastry 97.  Balsamic Strawberries w/ Mascarpone Cream98.  Creamy Broccoli Soup 99. Buttermilk Fried Chicken w/Spiced Peach Gravy (this was amazing, from a new cookbook called '

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-83181760280436147632010-12-27T08:57:00.001+11:002010-12-27T08:58:36.857+11:00

Holiday baking has pretty much been non-stop and the sad news is I still need to do FIVE more NEW recipes before the end of the year!  I believe it is crunch time and at the moment I am feeling pretty cooked out after baking for three days and making Christmas dinner last night!  Brown Sugar Pavlova w/Custard Cream & Berries One of my favorite recipes of the season has been my very own creation

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-17145069053224210962010-12-19T02:15:00.002+11:002011-06-07T22:31:27.953+10:00

Roasted Cornish Hen w/Sweet Potato Risotto & Cranberry NINE more to go...I am getting there!  With 2 Christmas parties to cater and Christmas dinner I should have no problem finishing my challenge.  The last three recipes were Roasted Cornish Hens w/ Sweet Potato Rissotto & Cranberry Sauce, Chocolate & Orange Biscotti and last night I made Self-saucing Brandy Pudding. Chocolate Dipped Orange

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-71278948001440178812010-12-17T08:55:00.007+11:002011-06-07T22:33:54.239+10:00

Dates wrapped in Prosciutto  Yesterday I had the pleasure of catering a jewelry party for my mom, isn't it nice to be home!  My mom is a jewelry designer and launching a new concept of people having parties to come together and learn about the jewelry, have some fun and hopefully make some purchases!  Feel free to check out her website http://www.krobinsdesigns.com/ .  Crackers w/Brie &

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-24559218786397176092010-12-10T13:44:00.002+11:002011-06-07T22:34:56.416+10:00

We touched down late on Tuesday, December 7th and headed to Richmond where we will spend most of the next 2 months.  I had a good 24hours of NO cooking while we travelled, so I figure I must be good to go!  And I have already had several requests for cooking engagements.  My sister wants a tablenosh dinner, my mother has me booked for 2 events, we have a Christmas Eve Party and my aunt may need

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-78069100401675881342010-12-01T15:13:00.001+11:002010-12-03T10:50:27.454+11:00

The days are going by quickly and I will probably go into frantic cooking new recipes mode soon!  Last night I cooked Snapper for the first time in lemon, butter and a bit of garlic, following a Donna Hay Recipe.  I served the snapper over a 5 grain fritter w/tomato & avocado salsa and pan-fried garlic prawns. (I also did a blackberry peach cobbler for dessert, I made up the recipe so have to

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-63887014883578256882010-11-26T08:29:00.004+11:002010-11-27T17:58:47.850+11:00

In some ways it is hard for me to believe my family in the states is celebrating Thanksgiving today and I am not there.  But go figure I miss one Thanksgiving dinner in American and I end up with four here!  It has been a turkey eating week, the celebration kicked off on Sunday with some American friends and a few Aussies who used to live there and love celebrating Thanksgiving.  I must admit I

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-39806211990242209792010-11-13T22:42:00.002+11:002010-11-14T08:16:07.549+11:00

This week has been fairly busy cranking out new recipes as I try to wrap up my 100 new recipe challenge before December 31st!  And even though no more tablenosh dinners, I have managed to cater a dinner for 15 for my boss and a dinner for 10 with Pete's students.  This week I am doing some desserts for another work event and catering a birthday party for my Father in-law...up to 30 people, I

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-59112927707026453902010-11-07T16:50:00.005+11:002010-11-08T08:25:33.866+11:00

Despite the amount cooking disasters I had in preperation...somehow another fabulous night occurred, filled with all sorts of people who do all sorts of things.  And it was almost creepy the way people figured out they were connected!  There seemed to be 'two degrees of seperation' happening.  Itwas awesome, pretty much everyone who came figured out how they had a connection with someone else. 

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-67515485988472673372010-10-29T16:39:00.004+11:002012-02-08T03:27:24.215+11:00

Finishing with brunch did not feel quite right...I have convinced my sweet hubby to let me do a 'finale' tablenosh dinner.  However since we are headed to the states for Dec. & Jan. the only date I had free was NEXT Saturday night!  So very short notice, but hopefully will draw in a few spontaneous diners who want to enjoy my favorite recipes of 2010.  Now I just have to remember what I have made

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-16675901646195141792010-10-25T21:40:00.001+11:002010-10-25T21:48:33.987+11:00

Whew...it was a big weekend.  I don't think I will being putting on back to back events again, but hey ya gotta learn some how!Friday night tapas and sangria for a private party was fabulous.  I think all the guests enjoyed themselves as well as the tapas and sangria.  The menu consisted of roasted capsicum dip with crostini, spicy lentil & pumpkin dip w/crispy pita bread, spanish meatballs,

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-10939584448390526732010-10-21T22:38:00.005+11:002010-10-21T22:44:58.726+11:00

this weekend is gonna be my first attempt at 2 tablenosh events in one weekend (i could be crazy)!  tomorrow night is a private 'tapas & sangria' function.  i am gonna try out a couple new tapas ideas as well as utilize some of the favorites from my previous tapas night.  so far the sangria is soaking the vanilla custard is half way there and the choc brownies just need some ganache...i think

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-25752797279883649252010-10-17T00:04:00.000+11:002010-10-17T00:04:21.912+11:00

I really cannot tell you how much pleasure it gives me to have my home filled up with people telling stories around the table!  It was another great evening, it truly amazes me that it all comes together, but it does.  The last guests left about 11:30pm and we probably could have chatted the night away.  I am pretty exhausted, but was all worth it!  Not sure how I will cope with the double next

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-78683605907729767892010-10-10T15:46:00.002+11:002012-01-09T12:08:01.492+11:00

If you are interested in making your own version of this cheesecake give it a go (here is my attempt at giving you the recipe I used, although I tend to eyeball things, so not quite sure about the measurements)!  It is flexible so feel free to experiment...and the plain lemon with no blueberries is also good, especially along with fresh strawberries or raspberries. Base 1 package of plain

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-64453325701456245932010-10-09T20:52:00.001+11:002010-10-09T21:57:18.458+11:00

After a VERY busy night working on my lemon ricotta cheesecake with a lemon sour cream glace and blueberry swirl, cooking up a new recipe for tablenosh (pesto, ricotta and sundried tomato stuffed chicken)and making a couple of quiches for a friend, I managed to pull it together this morning and headed to a Sydney Food Bloggers Picnic in Centennial Park.  Who knew there were SO many other people

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-34958719622096992582010-10-03T14:50:00.002+11:002011-06-09T08:56:56.322+10:00

A couple of months ago I was so excited to discover that tablenosh is NOT the only thing happening in Sydney’s world of ‘underground’, ‘hidden kitchen’ or ‘secret supper clubs’!! To my own excitement I found an article that list 5 other groups all happening in Sydney, of course my next step is to get myself a seat at one of these events! http://www.saltshaker.net/underground-dining-scene

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-21298354814222917642010-10-03T14:02:00.000+11:002010-10-03T14:02:13.644+11:00

We just returned from a few days in Callalla Beach with friends, a great opportunity to take advantage of a lovely BIG kitchen and people to cook for!  This was a mild fji style curry with fresh pineapple. For afternoon tea I made some Zesty Lemon Scones served with Lemon Cream & Raspberry Jam.A new dessert was poached pears in dessert wine with vanilla bean, served with vanilla icecream. Yum.

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-61632467589802419572010-09-23T09:03:00.001+10:002010-09-23T09:07:51.561+10:00

Yesterday was our third wedding anniversary, so of course I thought we best go out for dinner.  We wanted to be somewhere near the beach, so with a bit of research I found this fabulous little restaurant in Bronte called 'Wet Paint'.  When we got there we were the only ones there...but by the time we left the place was packed.  Beautiful ambiance and the food was delicious.  I started out with

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-52372053534305977842010-09-18T09:48:00.005+10:002011-06-08T21:26:52.269+10:00

Fridays are a little trickier...but somehow it all came together and tablenosh last night was fabulous (well at least I enjoyed it).  The day started with a very early morning trip to the Sydney Markets, only to find out they were not really set up for the public until 9am (I got there at 6:45am)!  In the process of avoiding being hit by a forklift and try to find my way around vegetable chaos, I

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-53183707034331730632010-09-15T21:39:00.006+10:002011-06-08T21:47:21.806+10:00

This is sweetness indeed.  My latest dessert experiment and test-run for friday.  Citrus cake with passionfruit custard and lemon cream.  I served it to my mother-in-law as her birthday cake, the verdict was very positive.  I think it's a winner and will be part of the dessert trio for Friday.  The cake is a fabulous recipe that I snagged from someone else's blog it is the second time I have made

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-54198113992394527812010-09-13T20:26:00.000+10:002010-09-13T20:26:54.872+10:00

Ahhhhh...it feels like it has taken me days to get back with the program and in the kitchen!  Alas, I finally feel like I got up to some good experimentation yesterday and think I have a good idea as to what I will make for tablenosh this Friday. I went to the markets on Saturday morning, which as usual I thoroughly enjoyed...I probably could have stayed for hours but my cart was so full I could

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-87137956973253488842010-08-27T08:08:00.001+10:002010-09-09T13:02:24.966+10:00

I am currently visiting with my friends Dan and Laura, who are now living in Northern California.  Pete and I are in the states for the next two weeks.  Go figure we watched an episode of Master Chef last night and now I want to do some baking.  So, I am going to bake up some lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting.  Yum.  I am looking forward to tablenosh LA next weekend, but have yet

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-24056756706829609942010-08-16T21:34:00.000+10:002010-08-16T21:34:48.065+10:00

The evening began with a 'winter warm up' aperitif, mulled wine... this seasoned mixture of red wine, oranges, lemons, cinnamon and cloves with a splash of cranberry juice simmered on my stove top and was there to greet the guests upon arrival.  Along with that there were some simple nibbles on the table, baked brie with apricot and almonds, sun-dried tomato pesto with crostini and then I served

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-69226838929486363492010-08-16T09:48:00.002+10:002010-08-16T10:05:38.833+10:00

yes, it is true we have been having dinner after dinner with one very small sink and little 'ol me to wash ALL the dishes afterwards!  of course it has all been VERY worth it.  i made the deal with my husband if i could do tablenosh i would not demand his help with any of the dishes afterwards.  thus, i usually spend most of sunday washing dishes and of course every time dreaming about the day we

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-83800217335761309092010-08-08T14:33:00.004+10:002011-06-15T09:25:42.070+10:00

The next nosh night it planned for THIS Saturday, August 14th and there are 2 seats left.  The food theme for the evening is 'hearty winter' and I have been practicing with a few new recipes! Last night I made my first savoury soufflé, it was garlic and cheese.  In terms of the texture and the look, I think I did pretty well, as for the taste, I was not all that pleased but my husband on the

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-61352294156743852232010-08-03T18:37:00.001+10:002011-06-20T14:35:41.785+10:00

I snagged this recipe from the recent issue of 'delicious' magazine.  Made a few changes and found it pretty darn good! 50g butter 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 carrot diced 1 tsp ground tumeric & cayenne pepper 1 cup yellow split peas 5 cups of vegetable stock 1 kumara (sweet potato) peeled and cubed kernels of two large corn cobs 1/2 cup cream (the original recipe

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-23364326771226868552010-07-28T15:18:00.001+10:002010-07-28T15:19:40.369+10:00

That's right friends...tablenosh is headed to California for a one off dinner!!!!  We will be in California for 2 weeks at the end of August and I thought what a great opportunity to give my dear friends in LA a taste of tablenosh.  Feel free to make some menu requests.  Have a look at what I have done in Sydney and let me know what you think.  This is gonna be funtimes!!! Tablenosh will be on

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-7730721607381873822010-07-27T21:58:00.001+10:002010-07-31T08:39:35.513+10:00

What a feast...I am not really sure how I managed to pull it off but the Christmas in July dinner definitely happened and I don't think anyone went home hungry! I managed to figure out a way to extend the table and was able to seat ten guests. It was an eclectic group of people coming together for a Christmas dinner feast, my home was filled with the good smell of turkey roasting and the sound of

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-2949786692810749142010-07-23T21:44:00.001+10:002010-07-23T21:44:51.607+10:00

I am home and I am cooking!  I picked up my turkey today from the butcher and it is HUGE...oops there will only be ten for tablenosh, but I guess we will enjoy any leftovers.  We had an awesome time in Fiji and I did indeed find a cookbook and managed to bring home some curry powder too. That country could pretty much just live off coconuts if they wanted, there is so much you can do with a

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-66724861961788126812010-07-08T23:15:00.000+10:002010-07-08T23:15:27.329+10:00

so, i am taking a two week break from cooking...i will be in Fiji instead! i am looking forward to eating some good curries and maybe tracking down a Fijian cookbook.  hoping i will get inspired for tablenosh and maybe do a curry night in the coming months. i am back on the 22nd and will start preparing for 'Christmas in July' as soon as i walk in the door pretty much!  good thing i have a lot of

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-28967067273901447362010-07-04T19:53:00.000+10:002010-07-04T19:53:07.354+10:00

Woohoo I am at least up to 50 new recipes and it is half way through the year...thus I am on track and going strong!  So, what is the verdict in terms of the best?  I think these would be my top 10: 1.  Roasted Garlic and Parsnip Soup - this was seriously divine, I can't wait to make it again, very rich but so yummy.  2.  Chocolate Mousse - I know nothing too hard, but so glad I have learned

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-27979120750575980562010-06-27T17:46:00.006+10:002010-06-29T08:00:48.296+10:00

It was so much fun to have my home filled with gals, chatting and noshing away.  I had 17 ladies including myself and I made seven savoury tapas and then had some sweets to finish it off.  One of my favorite things about getting ready for tablenosh is the grocery shopping...I know a lot of people really don't like this, but I love it.  Going to the different shops for different things, ticking

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-82633341071576162402010-06-19T23:17:00.002+10:002010-07-03T22:44:40.573+10:00

Today I went to my first cooking class!  It was put on by the 'cheeky food group' in Surry Hills and was a Spanish Tapas and Paella class.  It was great!  I picked up some very helpful new tips, realized there is a LOT that I do not know and I tasted EVERYTHING we made (very impressive considering this included, chorizo, meatballs, musells, octupus, squid and a few other things.) I am very

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-11405755089544107742010-06-19T23:12:00.004+10:002011-06-08T22:10:06.411+10:00

Another busy day in my kitchen as I prepared for tablenosh.  Thank goodness for Chelsea who came over to help and be my 'sous' chef.  We had lots of fun prepping and cooking together and of course tasting the food.  I realized I should probably taste most things before I serve them.  I think our favorite may have been the Creamy Roasted Garlic and Parnsip soup...oh my goodness it was so good (

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-82254355782833627872010-06-17T23:01:00.003+10:002010-07-04T19:41:48.889+10:00

I just wanted to make it clear that Tablenosh is open to anyone! You do not need to be invited by me or anyone else, but you do need to book in because seating is limited.  The way it works is, I post the dates under 'tablenosh events' and then you email me requesting a seat and how many people are in your party.  That's all, if I have space then you are booked into come.  At this stage there is

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-66054994061542702312010-06-15T21:50:00.000+10:002010-06-15T21:50:24.725+10:00

Tablenosh number 3 is on Friday and my imagination is spinning as I try to envision what to serve...I think I will do fish.  I have not really cooked fish all that much and usually just make up the recipe, so this time I am trying to really educate myself with some ideas.  I really want to try some type of crusted fish (maybe herb or dukkah crusted) and am thinking I will serve it over an orzo

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-23673301962799382902010-06-15T16:32:00.000+10:002010-06-15T16:32:53.060+10:00

and the cooking continued.  kayla and i made eggs benedict served over fresh buttermilk biscuits.  she said it all tasted good, i don't actually like runny eggs or hollandaise sauce.  but the biscuits were good!

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-25556469093612423032010-06-14T09:16:00.001+10:002010-06-14T11:16:42.893+10:00

my eleven year old niece, kayla, came to stay with us for the weekend so we got up to a little candle lighting and cooking action.  i nearly burned the house down on friday and we are still recovering from the smell of smoke, this is why we needed candles to help with the smell (kayla seems to have a candle lighting obsession so she was in charge of that).    we came up with the idea that dinner

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-72390474413146639232010-06-08T19:37:00.000+10:002010-06-08T19:37:09.061+10:00

It's true I have not exactly been plugging away at this blog...it is truly slow going and so is 'tablenosh'.  I did do a couple new recipes over the weekend.  One was a chicken tagine and the other was a lentil veggie soup.  Nothing too special but nonetheless I did use a recipe from Bill Granger.  The tagine I dropped off for a friend, but we did have some of the soup and it was lovely.  I think

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-50515906234431234792010-06-01T23:23:00.002+10:002010-06-01T23:36:02.176+10:00

The next two tablenosh events are on the calendar, to book in for one of these dinners simply email me at leilanel@hotmail.com (space is limited so book in early): Friday, June 18th 7pm (cuisine to be confirmed) Saturday, June 26th 7pm 'Tablenosh Girls' (A tapas and sangria girls night, so ladies find a friend to bring and book your seat now, this is gonnna be fun!)

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-12524786936161696532010-05-30T09:16:00.012+10:002010-06-01T23:18:39.994+10:00

I greeted the guests with an apertif called a Kir Royal (champagne with a splash of Creme de Cassis). There were eight table guests and of course me as the cook...host, etc.  It was bit experimental doing it this way, but thought it worked well as I could focus more on the food and just allow the guests to chat amongst themselves.The started was served in the lounge room, which I thought a

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-46878137887723752272010-05-26T21:44:00.003+10:002010-05-26T22:10:13.661+10:00

tonight i made 'chicken cacciatore', i used a recipe out of an australian magazine called 'delicious'. i used chicken breasts instead of chicken marylands and it was really good. although i served it over penne pasta and i think it would have been better with rice (now i know for next time). definitely a winner in terms of serving a group. we had a few friends for dinner and was just nice to pull

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-46377645923318222572010-05-16T20:26:00.009+10:002010-05-17T23:24:13.682+10:00

oh the things i get myself into doing! i was very excited about the opportunity to cater for a friend's birthday party, well a party for her little girl. it was a fabulous opportunity to delve into catering for kids...and was fun to have a theme, which was Alice and Wonderland. the only problem was i never give myself enough time and have a problem with cramming way too much into my weekend, but

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-76891443050393938562010-05-08T21:36:00.004+10:002010-05-08T21:47:28.786+10:00

so i have not really written about the new recipes i have been making, but i did do several new recipes for tablenosh last weekend. the shrimp boil, baked cheesy grits, hushpuppies, pumpkin creme brulee and the derby pie tartlets were all recipes i have never made before.i have joined a fruit and veg co-op so just went out to the markets this morning bright and early. it has been great and we are

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-11223171991552262952010-05-02T15:35:00.015+10:002011-06-17T16:24:39.742+10:00

The first official Tablenosh has happened...I did it! It was a lovely evening with a great bunch of people and I was pleased with the menu for the most part...but there is always room for improvement! . The Menu: Aperitif ~ Scarlett O'hara Martini Starters ~ Mississippi Hush Puppies Chorizo & Sweet Potato w/Garlic, Lemon Mayonaise Main ~ Southern Shrimp Boil w/ Baked CheesyOkra Grits and

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-62091674214781950732010-04-30T18:54:00.003+10:002010-05-01T08:38:57.079+10:00

it's friday night and time to start the cooking and preperation. after reading alot of southern recipes, i think i have landed on a menu for tomorrow night...stay tuned.as for now i need to start preparing the desserts. i think i am gonna crank up my music and try and get into the groove. i spent the day out and about with my dear friend thora and am feeling a little tired, hmmmm maybe will have

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-71498917701231206892010-04-25T22:28:00.003+10:002010-04-25T22:36:30.925+10:00

I am trying to create my menu for this coming Saturday. My first official Tablenosh. Southern foods...unfortunately I am running very low on grits and you cannot buy them in Australia. So am dreaming of fried chicken, cornbread and squash casserole...or maybe a seafood theme with some shrimp and crabcakes...dessert of course will be hard to choose, pumpkin brulee, keylime pie, oh there is so

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-47864819199183601412010-04-18T14:07:00.004+10:002010-04-18T16:04:52.186+10:00

I made this for my friend Carly's birthday party. I was very pleased...I think she was too.http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/photo/Red-Velvet-Cake-with-Raspberries-and-Blueberries-108256

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-26346652209594729722010-04-14T16:03:00.002+10:002010-04-14T16:11:20.350+10:00

We have joined a fruit and veg co-op! I am very excited about this, however it does mean I have more carrots than I know what to do with! So, this morning I decided I would make some healthy muffins and use carrot. I looked at a few recipes and then fudged one together myself:3/4 cup Plain Flour3/4 cup Wholemeal Flour1 tsp baking powder1/2 tsp baking soda1 tsp cinnamon1/4 cup brown sugar2 Tbls

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-69523345881559744822010-04-14T15:18:00.003+10:002010-04-14T15:31:19.558+10:00

I am doing the food for a small cocktail & canapes party this Saturday night. I am thankful the numbers are small because my energy is coming back very slowly! Hopefully by Saturday I will be ready to go.As per usual I am going to try a few new recipes as well as some old favorites. One thing I have in my head to make are individual pumpkin pie brulee's. Pumpkin pie is not a very common dessert

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-59926178977676316962010-04-09T14:16:00.009+10:002010-04-09T17:17:02.040+10:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of making an 'Apple Crumble Coffee Cake' with Sam! She has been visiting from Broken Hill and staying with us for the week. It was such a treat to be able to cook with her (she is the same friend that my original blog was with). She loves making cakes, so it was fun for her to bring this recipe along and do it my kitchen.Coffee cake is a very american thing to make

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-87790874760934100332010-04-03T20:00:00.002+11:002010-04-03T20:05:24.957+11:00

So, I have been working on designing alittle E-newsletter to send out once a month about 'tablenosh' happenings. I am just wondering whether or not this would be helpful to people or a good idea to get the word spreading and get the dates out each month. I need some feedback...maybe I will do a test run and see what people think, let me know if you want me to send it to you.Ok so this recovery

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-7812914029694370592010-04-02T11:52:00.018+11:002010-04-02T13:45:41.135+11:00

It was a fabulous night indeed... photos by Carly Laird

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-20127016680353456422010-04-01T13:42:00.003+11:002010-04-01T13:48:43.004+11:00

so, yesterday i had to have some surgery done and it looks like there will be NO cooking for a little while. thank goodness for lovely friends who cook for you...my friend sam and i made a huge veggie lasagna on tuesday night and it is in the fridge for me to enjoy over the next couple of days...as well as a yummy pasta bake from carly and the remains of tiramisu i made on monday.the sad news is

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-71316568839441742982010-03-29T14:33:00.002+11:002010-03-29T17:18:04.436+11:00

Tablenosh has officially launched! And hopefully everyone who came had a fabulous time, I certainly did. It was wonderful to see my home filled up with all sorts of people, some I knew and some I didn't. And I think most of the food went over pretty well...this was the menu:Savorymini meatballs w/red saucepear, prosciutto & brie crostiniroasted red peppers, rocket & goats cheese crostinibrie

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-90711486163911980012010-03-28T00:31:00.003+11:002010-03-28T00:36:46.269+11:00

It's 12:30am and I am about to crawl into bed...what a wonderful night it was! 'Tablenosh' was officially launched, our home was filled with lots of fabulous people and there was lots of good food (i think my favorite was the risotto croquettes and chocolate mousse) I will give an update on it all tomorrow. Am signing off for now, feeling thankful for my husband and for this exciting new

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-11641842647857409742010-03-25T17:05:00.002+11:002010-03-25T17:13:51.802+11:00

Tablenosh has grown out of a desire to challenge my culinary skills while offering friends and strangers an ‘in-home’ dining experience.The basic idea is simply a group of people coming together around a table to eat good food. However, my vision is that ‘tablenosh’ will not only whet the appetite, but will truly delight the soul as one engages in community around the table.In terms of finances

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-13056645163168566512010-03-23T07:31:00.003+11:002010-03-23T08:02:58.384+11:00

Otherwise known as 'cherry clafoutis', this is another french recipe out of the giant french cookbook I am borrowing. Clafoutis is sort of like a baked crepe. It was rather easy to make and apparently is also very nice with pears. You just whisk together eggs, sugar, butter, milk, flour and a dash of kirsch. I also added frozen blueberries and used canned black cherries instead of fresh (I

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-65839561395958553632010-03-22T07:51:00.004+11:002010-03-22T08:07:18.162+11:00

Launch night is almost here! There are still 3 spots left and I really need some guys on the guest list! I have been thinking a lot about the menu but nothing set in stone yet...here are a few ideas to start 'whetting your appetite!'grilled lime, coriander & shrimp skewersfig & brie tartletssalmon & avocado crostinicrab stuffed mushroomsprosciutto and parmesan pinwheelsbite sized chocolate

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-32109572413747712772010-03-20T11:48:00.000+11:002010-03-20T17:42:53.159+11:00

hos·pi·tal·i·ty 1. the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.2. the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.Where are the days of saying 'hi' to your neighbor, dropping in spontaneously on friends or sharing a simple meal together. People need relationship and community, there is no doubt about it. And it actually

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-91100526644933305562010-03-18T17:38:00.001+11:002010-03-20T19:04:21.491+11:00

So, last night I pulled out Bill's cookbook and landed upon a 'coconut passionfruit slice' recipe, it looked good I quickly whipped up the base of the slice, spread it on the base of the pan and popped it in the oven. It was supposed to cook for 15 minutes.Meanwhile I continued on with the filling. I did not have enough cream so I doubled the amount of coconut milk and added some milk (which I

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-80269939421513392592010-03-16T19:57:00.001+11:002011-06-20T14:37:02.420+10:00

Okay so I was getting a little desperate make SOMETHING out of a cookbook...maybe I did pick one of the easiest things ever, but hey I have never made it before so I can add it to the list. And that brings me up to 17 new recipes...I think. Baked Banana Pastry w/ Dark Chocolate Sauce 1 banana brown sugar butter puff pastry dark chocolate cream Slice the banana and place on the bottom of a pie

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-75114275994157020922010-03-16T07:57:00.000+11:002010-03-16T18:52:24.132+11:00

So, maybe I have not been cooking new recipes but hey...I am busy raising chickens and growing herbs! Yes, we have two chickens in the 'inner west' of Sydney and they are indeed laying eggs! It is SO nice to get fresh eggs and even nicer not to have to buy them at the store. The black chicken is named Lucy and the brown chicken is Jacki (named by a dear little girl who is three years old, I

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-18509074232340846932010-03-11T15:19:00.001+11:002010-03-11T15:26:09.988+11:00

I’m launching ‘Tablenosh’ with a party for 22!March 27th at 7:30pmDrinks ~ Appetizers ~ Desserts *Please let me know if you have someone you would like to bring. Each person is invited to bring one guest and a bottle of wine.RSVP March 20 (the first 22 to rsvp are booked)

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-29841574531115279952010-03-10T15:51:00.000+11:002010-03-10T16:48:18.621+11:00

Somehow I have managed to come down with a miserable cold...I have had to stay home from work for 3 days and endure the sore throat, runny nose, coughing and congestion. Sorry to complain, I am pretty much a wimp when it comes to being sick. But go figure it happens when I have SO much food in my refrigerator that needs to be cooked and I have pretty much had no energy to make anything...until

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-25762621385039246092010-03-07T15:44:00.000+11:002010-03-07T15:46:46.266+11:00

Okay, so my cousin inspired me to do some logo editing and this is what I have come up with...your feedback please!

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-44324865332880891572010-03-07T14:13:00.000+11:002010-03-07T14:38:58.011+11:00

For the past two mornings I have woken up with a headache and had to spend a couple extra hours lying in bed...so, go figure found myself thinking about tablenosh. One, about etiquette, the art of setting a table, using napkins, and wondering about all the dining etiquette I don't even know! There is no doubt I am obsessed with napkins (I think this a good thing), but I believe I am going to have

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-762326571397137865.post-46104672333004079352010-03-03T18:27:00.000+11:002010-03-04T20:52:25.731+11:00

Well I can't expect to always get it right...I managed to leave the second batch of cookies in the oven a little to long...they are nice and crispy (an rather unedible). Hopefully the first batch are okay, I glazed them with chocolate, there is just nothing like peanut butter and chocolate (but this is very American...not so big down under). They will be served at our community group this

Leila Nelson Gunninghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06312816711957914568noreply@blogger.com1