Zesty. Rich. Satisfying. Leisurely.

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Food painting artwork

30 x 30cm oil on marine ply panel - no framing required. A surreal sight floating past on a summers day.

Original painting on your wall.

Find out what this painting would look like on your wall before buying. Email me a photo of your space and I'll Photoshop it into size and place to help you decide if it's right for you.

Original artwork can be purchased in the Official Art Store. This particular piece is dry and available right now for $AU150. Email me (fi at wherefishsing dot com) to express your interest.

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The recipe

Once upon a time I lived in a shared rented house with a friend whose recreation mostly consisted of drinking and whose friends were probably alcoholics. I was a student and seeing these guys drink a slab of beer each on the weekend and hearing about them getting their name engraved on the bar for some drinking feat or other was just normal. This particular house had a lemon tree in the backyard. One weekend, I'm telling the tale of how I had just chased some kid who was collecting lemons without asking, over the six foot fence and out of the yard. I would have said yes had he bothered with common courtesty and helped him gather them, but just hopping over the fence was outrageous to me. My friend becomes all fired up about the overload of lemons on the tree, and excitedly asks the little group of his drinking buddies and I, 'What do you do with loads of lemons?'. We all look at each other and say together, 'Tequila!'. Cue shocked expression and pure disappointment from our alcohol friendly questioner, 'Nooooo, LEMON MERIGUE PIE!!!!'.

LMP is one of those recipes that is far more susceptable than most to the experience and knack of the cook. Recipes are only ever guides or roadmaps due to variations in oven and stove temperatures, ambient temperatures, seasonality of the ingredients, the size and material of the cooking pot (and some might say which way the wind is blowing and what the cook ate for breakfast). Unfortunately this dish is renowned as a tricky one and for good reason. Your familiarity with your stove and oven will be tested and the more meringues you have whipped the better you will be at gauging when the foam is ready to cook. Rest assured, that no matter how many times you have to practice this to get it spot on, the tests that might look a little wonky will taste great.


1 pre-baked short crust pastry case of 9" diameter - the pastry needs to be cooked before the filling is added as there is not enough baking time or heat to cook it once the pie is assembled and in the oven.

4 tablespoons arrowroot / tapioca flour - use arrowroot instead of cornflour as it is stronger, has less taste and is transparent instead of cloudy.
3/4 cup / 180ml water
1/3 cup / 60g butter
1 cup sugar or more to taste
5 eggs, separated into yolks and whites - room temperature eggs are best as they whip up into meringue faster than cold ones. Also fresh eggs make a smaller but stable foam, while older ones (more than 3-4 days) make a large unstable foam. Take your pick.
3 medium sized lemons - you need all the zest and juice. Handy hint - zest first!
10 tablespoons castor sugar for the meringue - use castor sugar as it is a small sized grain and dissolves quickly into the meringue. Less sugar can be used but the meringue will be correspondingly less stable.
2 1/2 teaspoons cornflour or arrowroot - a tiny bit of this in the meringue traps moisture and reduces beading.
rounded 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar - this strengthens the meringue foam and reduces the amount of  shrinking.


Pre-bake (bake blind) your pastry case and leave it in the baking tin.
Get/leave the oven on so it will be at 190C /325F when the pie is assembled.

For the lemon filling:
In a pot, blend the arrowroot and water.
Add the cup of sugar, egg YOLKS only, and the lemon zest and juice and mix together. A small whisk is really handy for this. Make sure the the yolks are well mixed in before the next step or you end up with eggy threads throughout the lemon filling (harmless but odd).
Then put the butter in the pot and begin heating. Once you start heating this mix do not pause or stop or it will not set. Stir frequently.
As soon as most of the sugar has dissolved, taste and add more sugar to this mix if you prefer it sweeter. I like this quite tart as the meringue is quite sweet.
Now, heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. Again, a small whisk is ideal for the stirring.
Turn the heat down to medium and keep stirring while the mix cooks for one minute. It should become impossibly thick.
Take it off the heat and let it cool slightly for a few minutes, then pour the mix into the pre-baked pastry case.

To make the meringue topping:
Combine the castor sugar, cornflour/arrowroot and cream of tartar. 
In a scrupulously clean bowl (no oil or fats allowed or your egg whites just won't whip up into fluffy heaven), beat the egg whites into a coarse foam.
Once you start whipping the whites, do not pause or stop.
Now begin adding the sugar mix, one tablespoon at a time. Don't start with the sugar in with the whites or the whipping time will be doubled.
Cautiously add the sugar because if it's added too quickly it won't dissolve. A tablespoon at a time, whip until mostly dissolved, then add more. Rubbing the meringue between two fingers will tell you how much the sugar has dissolved. You can feel the grains.
Finally, whip the egg whites until they are stiff. You know they are stiff when you can make little mountains (peaks) and they stay standing up with no flopping over of their tips. Or when an upsidedown spoonful stays on the spoon. Or when tracks spooned through the meringue stay put indefinately. If the meringue starts to lose it's gloss while you are whipping, stop! That is the sign of over whipping.
When the meringue is ready - pile it on top of the hot lemon mix in the pastry case. The heat of the filling helps cook the meringue from the bottom and a properly cooked meringue does not weep and form a pool of liquid on top of the lemon filling leading to the meringue sliding off the lemon.
Also make sure the filling is entirely covered and the pastry meets the meringue all the way round to make a complete seal. This helps to stop the meringue shrinking.
Bake immediately to set the meringue at 190C for 25 minutes or until the meringue on top has browned lightly. A long baking at a low temperature means the meringue will hold up better, though all meringue will shrink a bit.

Resist eating instantly - LET THE PIE COOL FOR AT LEAST THREE HOURS, PREFERABLY FOUR, BEFORE CUTTING INTO IT OR ALL YOU WILL GET IS RUNAWAY LEMON SLUDGE. I know from sad experience.

Makes enough for you to be decadent with 5-7 friends.

Zesty. Fresh. Hearty. Moreish.

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Food painting artwork

30 x 30cm oil on linen. Celebrating the squiggliness of linguini and the zing and pop of fresh summer ingredients. An oodley botannical inspired ode.

Interior photo by rogue-designs

Original art for you. Yes, YOU!

Did you know you can download images of the paintings for your own personal (not commercial) use? Computer wallpaper, Facebook profile picture, yes you can. Find your favourite painting on Flickr, go to actions, view all sizes, download the size you want to your device, set it as your wallpaper or profile. And tell your friends where it came from :)


Original artwork can be purchased in the Official Art Store. This particular piece is currently drying and will be available shortly for $AU150. To find out exactly when that is, get on the mailing list, yellow box top left. Or email me (fi at wherefishsing.com) to let me know you're interested.

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The meatless meals recipe

If you grow zucchinis you know that the biggest 'problem' with them is finding enough homes for the sheer quantity of zucchinis that appear. They are nothing if not prolific. And so summer can become a quest for ways to make use of all these zucchinis. I'm not going to add to the cornicopia of recipes out there for soups and baked goodies that manage to inventively squirral away filler zucchini. No, this one celebrates them and makes them a centrepiece, and uses them up promptly at the same time.

Per serve:

100g pasta (linguini!)
300g zucchini (about 1 large or 1 1/2 medium) cut into thin flexible fingers or matchsticks
2 or more tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 or more tablespoons water
juice and zest of 1/4 of a large lemon
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
cracked black pepper to taste

Fry zucchini fingers in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and all the salt.
When appealingly browned (and probably beginning to stick) add water to ensure they are steamed all the way through. Keep cooking until all the water is gone to ensure the zucchini are lusciously soft. Add more water and keep cooking if necessary.
Meanwhile, cook pasta and drain.
Toss the pasta with the other tablespoon of olive oil to coat it well.
Combine the pasta, cooked zucchini, chives and mint. Add the lemon juice, zest and balsamic and mix everything together well.
Add pepper to taste.

Remember, this amount is per person.

Refreshing. Zesty. Delicate. Versatile.

Elderflower cordial is made from the flowers of the elder tree (sambucus nigra) in summer. Elderberry wine is made from the berries that grow from the flowers in autumn. This cordial / syrup / squash is wonderful as a mixer in simple cold summer drinks. It's simple to make and far far cheaper than buying a commercial version, if one is even available where you live. I struggle to find it in shops where I am, yet can think of at least three abundant elder trees within two minutes walk. So I make it myself. I first discovered this drink while living in Edinburgh. Just like summer there, the elderflowers don't stay around long enough.

30 heads of elderflowers - the elder tree flowers at the beginning of summer for only a few weeks. That's early December in the southern hemisphere, and early June in the northern. The best time to pick the flowers is on a warm sunny day when the flowers are fully open and when the pollen is at it's height. I've also read that mornings are a better time for picking as by evening the flowers can smell like cat pee, but I haven't personally found this to be the case. It may depend on individual elder trees. At any rate, the flowers should smell heavenly when you pick them. If not, try a different time or different tree.

1kg sugar- yes this seems like a lot but I have tested using less and this amount was the clear flavour winner. Also sugar acts as a preservative, so a large amount means this should keep on the shelf.

1L water

2 lemons

2 oranges (I've read that limes can be used instead, but I haven't tested this.)

55g citric acid - here in Australia this is available in supermarkets in the baking section. I'm told in the UK it is available in chemists. If you get a strange look while purchasing it's because heroin users make use of citric acid, for exactly what I'm not sure. Rest assured that citric acid is a very normal ingredient in cordial making! I've read that tartaric acid can be used instead, according to personal preference, but I am yet to test this.

First clean and sterilize all the cooking implements. It's easy, all you need to do is give them a normal wash, then a quick wash in diluted bleach and finally a rinse under very hot or boiling water. This may be overkill for cordial, but as with all preserves, it's heartbreaking to go to the effort of cooking and bottling only to find three weeks later that everything is growing mould because you couldn't be bothered sterilizing an item. I needed to use a chopping knife, chopping board, grater / zester, giant pot and lid, stirring spoon, 1L bottle, funnel,  sieve and fine mesh muslin.

To make the cordial, put the water and sugar in the pot and heat while stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Put the lid on the pan and leave it to cool to at least luke warm or cooler.

Stir in the citric acid.

Zest all the lemons and oranges and add the zest to the pot.

Then slice the lemons and oranges, discard the ends and add the whole slices to the pot.

Gently shake the elderflowers clean of debris and insects over a sink or bowl or bin and add the entire flower heads minus any leaves to the pot. Do not wash the flowers as you will lose all the lovely scented pollen.

Give the pot a good stir, cover with the lid and leave for 24 hours.

Next day, after giving your hands a thorough wash, firmly squeeze all the liquid from the elderflowers and then discard the flowers.

Gently squeeze about half the liquid from the fruits and then discard the fruits.

Decant your cordial into a sterilized bottle using fine muslin to catch any floaties. A funnel and sieve are very useful here.

Enjoy immediately! Goes well with sparkling mineral water, or gin, as well as with plain water, of course. A refreshing and sophisticated taste, perfect for warm lazy days.

Fresh. Versatile. Filling. Zesty.

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Food painting artwork

30 x 30cm acrylic on paper. The paper is no ordinary paper, it is textured Hahnemuhle 300 gsm 100% alpha cellulose which is acid-free fibre of vegetable origin.

Inspired by bowls of swirling tangled noodles, Chinese 'auspicious clouds' and the jaw dropping mirror mosaic 'Under the Sea'' 2007 by Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, seen here in b&w.

By the way, all the food painting artwork is available to own in the Official Art Store.

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The meatless meals recipe

A warming and filling meal of fresh, uncooked ingredients in the middle of winter can be somewhat of a challenge. Sesame noodles to the rescue! As long as you julienne all your veg, this is the dish for getting a dose of raw vege vitamin power to pep you up and smash the winter carb fest routine. All the chopping does take a bit of time, but hey, that's why you gather everyone around to help out.

400g dry noodles such as soba, somen, ramen or similar
400g julienned veges such as cabbage, beetroot, snowpeas, broccoli, carrot, parsnip, leafy greens - these can either be raw or blanched

3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
splash of water - just enough to make the sauce mixable
3 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 pinch chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/8 cup lime or lemon juice
zest of 1/2 an orange
2 spring onions, finely chopped
4 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
30g fresh coriander, roughly chopped


Cook the noodles. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool them down a little.
Toast (dry roast) the sesame seeds if they are untoasted.
Put sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, water, tahini, peanut butter, chilli powder and ginger in a small pot or frypan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar and take the edge off the garlic. Leave this sauce to cool.
Chop all the veges and blanch them if you don't want to eat them raw.
When all the above parts of the dish are ready, add the lime/lemon juice, orange zest and spring onion to the sauce and mix well.
Mix the noodles and sauce thoroughly.
Serve into bowls and top with the veges.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and coriander.

Makes a lot of food for 4.

Warming. Homely. Easy. Zesty.

One evening about two years ago when the rain was pouring and the house was freezing, I was looking for a way to both warm up the house and keep me warmly fueled through the night. Putting the oven on as well as the fire was very inviting. And so I took a look at what I had in the fridge that could go into my grandmother's magic cast iron casserole dish to be transformed into tasty cold night fuel. The result was a roaring success:

Put the following ingredients in a casserole dish with a lid and cook for 1.5 hours at 160C, stirring every 30mins. It will look like a lot in the pot at first, but I assure you, it cooks down!

400g cooked butter beans

2 medium sized fennel (bulb only), cored and sliced/diced

1 onion, sliced or diced

1 small - medium sized red capsicum, sliced or diced

400g tomato, diced or crushed in a blender

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

400ml or 1 3/4 cups vegetable stock

zest of half a lemon

juice of a whole lemon

a generous sprinkling of cracked black pepper

Serve on a pile of buttery mashed potato.

Feeds 4 hungry people.

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More vegetarian cookbook goodies

Need help with conversions? Download this handy dandy pdf of cooking conversion charts for every cooking measuring system I could find. It should make your life easier.

Want to check out more vegetarian dinner recipes? They're all in the Table of Contents.

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Light. Quick. Easy. Zesty.

So the days of summer are over. But that doesn't mean that the days are cold and grey. They sure seem to start out that way, but there are still surprisingly warm temperatures that don't lend themselves to hearty soups and casseroles. Which is where a warmed salad-y type meal is perfect. Lots of fresh stuff. Plenty of zest. Filling noodles. And a few veg.

cellophane noodles for 2 (rice/tapioca/bean)

a tablespoon or two of peanut or sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2cm fresh ginger, grated

125g firm tofu, cubed

8 medium sized cup mushrooms, in thin slices

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons LIGHT soy sauce (Thai/Vietnamese/Japanese). A heavy soy sauce such as Chinese masks these flavours rather than enhancing them

large handful fresh bean sprouts

5 spring onions, chopped

juice of 1/2 a lime

2 tablespoons finely sliced fresh mint (don't underdo the mint)

1/2 tablespoon rough chopped fresh coriander (don't overdo the coriander)

Put the noodles on first so they are ready to go. Follow the packet directions. This dish only takes a few minutes to cook once the chopping is done.

Fry the garlic and ginger in the mildly heated oil.

Turn the heat up to medium high and seal the tofu in the oil. It should be nice and golden all over.

Then add the mushrooms, carrot, sugar, salt and LIGHT soy sauce.

Stir fry until the veges are done.

This step is important: Remove the pan from the heat.

Mix in the bean sprouts so they become warmed through.

Let the dish cool somewhat (attend to the noodles?) and then mix in the herbs, spring onion and lime juice. You are almost aiming for a warm salad as opposed to a hot meal. The herbs shouldn't really shrivel up when they're mixed in.

Heap your cooked and drained noodles into mountains in bowls and then heap the vege mix on top.

Makes a meal for 2.

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More vegetarian cookbook goodies

Need help with conversions? Download this handy dandy pdf of cooking conversion charts for every cooking measuring system I could find. It should make your life easier.

Want to check out more vegetarian dinner recipes? They're all in the Table of Contents.

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Quick. Easy. Hot. Zesty.

Food painting artwork

30x30cm watercolour and gouache on canvas and is composed of stamps from the real leaves from this recipe. And a cartoon chilli.

A damn tasty meal in minutes. Literally.

A slosh of oil - make it sesame or peanut

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2 eggs

1 chilli or more to make it HOT HOT HOT (chop it up fine and don't wipe your eyes for the rest of the day)

4-5 tablespoons soy sauce

125g spinach/bok choy/choy sum/dark leafy greens

1 lemon for juice

Get everything ready to go. This recipe is super quick to cook.

On medium heat, briefly saute garlic and chilli in oil.

Then add eggs and half a tablespoon of the soy sauce. Mix like scrambled eggs.

When eggs are done turn the heat right up, add greens and the remaining soy sauce, give it all a quick stir and slam on the lid.

In about 30 seconds the greens will turn bright green. When this happens, whip the pan off the stove to avoid overcooking the greens and serve immediately over plain rice or noodles with a large squeeze of lemon juice.

Just for 2.

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More vegetarian cookbook goodies

Need help with conversions? Download this handy dandy pdf of cooking conversion charts for every cooking measuring system I could find. It should make your life easier.

Want to check out more vegetarian dinner recipes? They're all in the Table of Contents.

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