There’s no doubt the hot topic this March was ‘when will the tomatoes be ready?’ Families across the state, including ours, had been anxiously keeping an eye out throughout February, in eager anticipation of ripe tomatoes, with texts and calls making the rounds each week: Are they ready? The excitement of ripe tomatoes centre around our annual Basile & Co Passata-Making day, when the Basiles, with extended family and friends, gather to make sauce.

I recently spent five days alone at a friend’s home on a small bush block located just outside the quaint seaside town of Port Fairy on the south-west coast of Victoria. I say ‘alone’, but, in fact, I had the company of three alpacas, four chickens, one cat, and a large fruit and vegetable patch, which was bursting with organic life, and ready-to-eat produce.

To be in the presence of David Whyte, poet, and philosopher, is to allow yourself to be open to an invitation; many invitations, in fact. An invitation to leave behind all preconceived ideas and expectations, an invitation to revisit the deep well that resides within each of us, and to find replenishment and a way forward from a grounded, and expanded place.

Florence, capital of Italy’s Tuscan region, is well regarded for its historic buildings and churches, its overflowing galleries of art and sculpture, food, wine, rollings hills dotted with rustic villas and rows of vineyards. For me, it also became the location for a five-day Art of Writing workshop with Australian author, and long-time Florentine, Lisa Clifford.

My cultural heritage is Italian. Both of my parents and their parents were born in Sicily, in Italy’s south. I’ve grown up in country Victoria, however, my home life was very much Italian!

In early June, I was feeling the heaviness of winter, the longer dark days, and the impingement of yet another COVID-10 lockdown in our city of Melbourne, in Victoria.

For much of my working career as a photographer and writer, I’ve been privileged to travel extensively each year. Whether it be for clients, or for my own creative pursuits, I’ve travelled across Australia and the globe to cover a range of stories and photo assignments.

Chef, Naz Cugliari of Il Forno Restaurant in Hampton, shares one of his favourite side dishes, fried peppers and potatoes. In Italian, these are known as pipi e patate, a traditional Calabrian side dish, perfect with crusty bread or with meat.

Australian entertainment legend Bert Newton was farewelled on Friday 12 November at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne. Bert was 83 and had suffered ill health for some time.

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved creating cards and writing letters. I’d experiment with different styles of writing, including calligraphy and cursive, and would apply these lettering skills to the cards I’d create for family and friends.

If you have an abundance of zucchini in your garden, lightly fried fritters and pickled zucchini are two easy and delicious recipes to try.

In this cooking video, we welcome my mum, Marie ‘Mama’ Basile, into the kitchen to show us how she makes her delicious, tasty pasta sauce, otherwise known as sugo.

I have memories of my Nonna Curcio, my mum’s mum, teaching me how to make spaghetti carbonara, among many other things from a young age.

In this cooking video, we welcomes my dad, Luigi ‘papa’ Basile, who is sharing one of his favourite side dishes, or contorni, as it’s known in Italian — fried green peppers with onions, garlic, diced tomatoes and a touch of red chillies.

For the chilly months, or for those times when you’re not feeling 100%, homemade chicken soup is one of those recipes that everyone should have up their sleeve. This one stems from my Nonna Curcio, and mum, with a twist of chef, Naz Cugliari’s Calabrian family roots.

When serving a cup of coffee, it’s always lovely to have some freshly baked biscuits, particularly when made by Nonna (my mum, Marie).

Stuffed artichokes or carciofi ripieni as it’s known in Italian was always a delicacy in our home. We knew special guests were on their way if the artichokes were slowly bubbling away in passata in a large pot on the stovetop.

This is a traditional and rustic pasta dish perfect for the vegetarians among us! Simple and delicious, rigatoni alla Norma is a sure winner!

This is a favourite among our family, particularly for special gatherings. Though they take some time to prepare, they’re worth the effort. They’re best eaten hot, fresh out of the fryer.

I have wonderful memories of making fresh gnocchi with my Nonna as a child, right into adulthood. This is a ‘modern version’ of the traditional potato gnocchi made by her, and makes wonderful use of the beautiful fresh sage I have growing in the garden. Happy cooking!