19 Aug 2009

I ♥ Donna Hay


I signed up for Donna Hay's newsletter this afternoon. I figured a little gossip, some helpful kitchen advice and some free recipes would never go astray. Not in this house.

What I really wanted to do was visit her shop after viewing these beautiful photographs of it. Do take a look. Sadly, a trip to Sydney is not in the pipeline any time soon, so unless Donna opens a Melbourne store I'll have to content myself with her newsletter - and her magazine which my sister subscribes to on my behalf and which therefore magically appears in my letterbox on a regular basis.

I ♥ Donna's magazine. The woman is an exceptional food stylist, and the magazine's presentation has tempted me to try many a dish that otherwise would not have graced our table. I like the way she uses common sense too. Why, for example would you use homemade puff pastry to bake a pie? The stuff is nightmarishly difficult to make at home and is never cheap, not with all that butter between the layer upon layer. Donna tells you to go and buy some. I like that. She uses common ingredients too. Not verjuice and pheasant like some other Australian cook who will remain nameless, but is easy to find simply by putting these two words into google and pressing 'search'. (I would actually like her recipes too if it weren't for the above two criticisms of them.)

My favourite Donna Hay magazines are the annual kids' issues. Jemimah cooked brownies from the current edition this afternoon. Most of the recipes in the kids' editions are suitable for my 7 year old to cook as part of our weekly kitchen garden lesson. Her styling might not be quite Donna's level every time, but sometimes she surprises me - like today.





Absolutely nothing bad with the look - or taste of those brownies.

Thanks Donna.

Thanks Jemimah.

8 comments:

  1. Well, me love Donna Hay too! I often end up putting them in our apartments for our guests!

    Love the chef hat Jemimah and the chocolate brownies! We are yet to cook something from the latest Donna Hay kids magazine...it's on my shelf, and thank you for reminding me! I love her style to, very simple but yet so elegant!

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  2. I confess.... I don't even know what verjuice is!

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  3. Oh! That looks like a beautiful magazine! and those brownies... yummmmmmm :)

    I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to read blogs lately. Hope all is well :)

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  4. You've once again introduced me to something or should I say someone!
    I've never looked at Donna Hay books before because I figured she would have too many "verjuice and pheasant" recipes like the other nameless people you mentioned:)
    Now, I'll just have to check her out myself.
    On another note, she has become the stockist of "thankyou water" which was pioneered by my nephew and some of his mates to raise money for clean water in third world countries.
    So, this gives me two reasons now:)

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  5. And Jemimah is sure impressive too! I would love to see Rebekah like that in two years, let's wait and see....

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  6. What a blessing of Jemimah to make that chocolate brownie cake. Imagine what she'll be able to cook in a few years time. :)

    Loved the cup that served the drink too - Jemima Puddle Duck I presume?

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  7. Round pan of brownies--that makes a nice change! They look yummy!

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  8. Precisely Hopewell. Why not round? She wanted round, and she's the cook. Who am I to complain about round?

    Besides, they actually look really good cut into wedges!

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