I got a new job. Working at a newspaper. There’s a lot to learn and the hours have been long. But I’m back, bitches.

I’ve put up around 10 new reviews with another 15 to come this week. I’ve also got three new recipes coming up this week, as well as some great shopping tips for Sydney and Melbourne.

So keep checking back and tell your friends – we’re back in business!

Master Radish

Master Radish’s parents live in Hong Kong and recently had the pleasure of their first visit to the special economic zone’s foremost culinary destination and molecular gastronomy temple; Bo Innovation.

They had the degustation menu, which included a special dish to raise awareness of HIV/Aids. But this is the point: we don’t care what the cause, this is a hot mess on a plate. Sorry Alvin Leung (chef) this is an epic fail. Doh.

Love, Master Radish.

PS News of our US adventures will start being posted this weekend, with recipes, pictures, travel advice and much much more!

I considered giving up the site. Or moving to a more simple, template-based option via Bloglines or something. But then I realised I’d done FAR too much work to abandon my baby this far in.

So the site is BACK UP and I’ve got a security expert on standby if anything else goes wrong. I’ve spent hours and hours re-uploading photos that were destroyed and we’re back in business.

I’ve already put up our first new post (https://suckmyradish.com/EatMyRadish/maha-restaurant-bar/) and the good news is that we’ve got a RAFT of content to come, with recipes, general news and reviews, with top restaurants from Melbourne, Sydney and even Hong Kong!

Thanks for all your support. Please continue to support the site by telling your friends, family, coworkers, neighbours and anyone else you can think of how much you love The Radish. I love what I do and I do it for nothing – the only thing I want in return is to know people are reading the site and enjoying reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Love you all,
Master Radish

The reason for this sad state of affairs is partly one of finances and total lack of restraint (I tend to overspend wildly at the farmers market and usually walk away with my wallet around $150-$200  leaner) but also one of time and availability. Saturday morning is usually fairly busy with dog/running/appointment/errand related business.

But the other day I was driving around furiously erranding (yes, that is a word I made up just then), and I saw a sign telling me that the Caulfield Farmer’s Market was back on. I rushed over (they were starting to close up) and picked up some gorgeous items including blood plums that were so sweet I am convinced they were injected with sugar syrup, corn on the cob that made me scream ‘the rains r comin, the rains r comin’, tiny little strawberries and blueberries barely made it home unscathed and my absolute favourite vegetable in the universe: butter lettuce.

These adorable gems of butter lettuce were in individual pots. That night, I came home and for dinner, I harvested a whole lettuce, tossed it with a dressing (mayo, worstershire, sesame oil, honey and lemon juice, all in very small quantities) and voila – dinner. I didn’t put a single other thing in, because it would detract from the simple, fresh, amazing beauty that is the butter lettuce in fresh flight. My heart was singing at the joy of my butter lettuces. I’m having the last one tonight.

Anyway, the point of this little ode to my beautiful butter lettuces is simply that if you’re not heading down to your local farmers market, you’re missing out. They’re great all year around, but during summer they really do take on a life of their own. There are loads of markets all over Melbourne, but here are links to the two I tend to frequent:

• Melbourne Community Farmer’s Market, alternatives between Collingwood Children’s Farm, GasWorks, St Kilda Peanut Farm and Abbotsford Convent (slow food):  www.mfm.com.au
• inSeason Markets runs Caulfield, Ballarat and North Melbourne markets: www.inseasonmarkets.com.au

Otherwise, check out this site for listings of farmer’s markets all around Victoria: www.whitehat.com.au/victoria/Markets/Farmers.asp

“We are one of the few truly innovative products to come out in the egg and dairy set,”  says creator Sean O’Connor.

Click here to read how he made his fortune: money.cnn.com/2009/12/23/smallbusiness/batter_blaster.fsb/index.htm

Or here to read about the product itself:  www.batterblaster.com

Anyhoo, the four I decided on were pickled cherries, cherries in spiced port, cherry jam and some cherry and Bailey’s ice cream. All of these recipes were easy and fun to do and really quiet different. Three of them will go into the pantry, perhaps to be given away as gifts.

The cherry and Bailey’s ice cream was simply divine and will be served at the Christmas lunch table with our Christmas pudding.

I paid a measly $35 for my 5kg box of cherries, but with cherries down to under $8 a kg at the supermarket, there’s no reason you can’t have a bash at some of these without breaking the bank. Just beware – taste the cherries before you buy. The quality can vary wildly, as can the sweetness – adjust sugar measurements accordingly.

Go to Cook My Radish to check out all the recipes.

Read the story here.

And read about why Suck My Radish doesn’t post negative reviews here.