Iron Chef Shellie

Seasonal depression got me a lot earlier than normal this year. I was going through some shots from Zürich earlier this year. I hope they bring you a little joy too.

🧈🧄So good it deserves a spot on the feed.
x - exclusive cultured butter folded with Australian black garlic, salt crystals and black pepper.

Thanks for sharing this beautiful block of butter, my taste buds were pinging with excitement with every bite 🤤 I can't wait to smother it on everything for the next few days!

Same duck.
Same super contribution.

We started off strong on this year's Food Photography & Styling Workshop in Daylesford. After an introductory talk it was time to get shooting!

I decided to do some bao buns as they always shoot well, as well as a plated version for something a little different.

Bookings open for 2027 - ewenbell.com/food

Which one are you choosing?

10 years ago came on one of our Daylesford Food Photography Workshops. This year we had a spare bedroom and it only seemed fitting that she come back to join us. This year's group was blessed by her snickers cupcakes, with one even getting eaten before the shoot was over 😆

Thank you Jo for all your help over the few days and making these absolutely gorgeous and delicious cupcakes!

2027 workshop is available for booking - ewenbell.com/food

Guys, I'm gonna be honest, not sure I'm gonna cook my way through this whole book which is disappointing. Most dishes are not living up to the beautiful photos or my expectations. But I'll keep sharing what I do try and see when I give up.

Once again, the photo in the cookbook doesn’t quite match the recipe. I assumed the carrots shown would be included, but there’s no mention of them in the method. Same with the ginger. It’s listed in the sauce, but in the photo it’s julienned and placed on top, with no direction to do so.

The colour of my curry is a bit different as I left out the paprika for dietary reasons. Flavour wise, it was quite salty, but easy enough to balance with a bit of sugar.

This bacon and prawn quiche reminded me a lot of Vietnamese steamed egg meatloaf (chả trứng hấp), the kind you get with broken rice and pork chops.

Flavours were really good, especially with a drizzle of nước chấm on top.

I did use a larger tin than suggested, and I’m not convinced it would have fit into a smaller one. It also took about double the cooking time.

Glad I tried it, but I’d probably still reach for a classic quiche lorraine next time I want to make a quiche.

Okay WOW. These ‘beef pho’ wraps absolutely delivered. So good I’m already making them again tomorrow night.

Bean shoots were firmly left out (they’re a no from me), but somehow all those classic pho flavours still came through perfectly. Already counting down to dinner tomorrow. 🤤