Misky Cravings, Fairfield

So we all know that Paddington Bear came from darkest Peru, but what did he eat before arriving in London? Peruvian cuisine incorporates a fascinating mix of influences, with immigrants from Spain, China, Italy, West Africa and Japan all leaving their mark on what have now become national dishes.

There are a couple of Peruvian restaurants around Sydney, but Misky Cravings is one of the newest

Stomachs Eleven: Christmas Dinner

Forget the presents, the suspiciously cheerful man in the red suit and the inescapable warbling of Mariah Carey. Christmas is all about family and friends. And food.

What better way to celebrate all that is good in life than sharing the best produce with those nearest and dearest to your heart? It's a philosophy that underpins much of what Stomachs Eleven is all about - our roving dinner party

Assam laksa, stingray and clay pot chicken: Kuala Lumpur in one weekend

There's only one thing I look forward to when I travel. The food. You can understand so much about a culture, a country and its history by simply digging into the local cuisine.

I was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia over the weekend, a whirlwind trip as a finalist in the Best Food Blog category for the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards. After an overnight flight via Melbourne, we landed early on

The Pie Tin, Newtown

You would never find the Pie Tin in Newtown unless you were looking for it, a discreet corner building in gun metal grey off the main King Street hub. But really there are plenty of reasons to visit, and all of them involve the word PIE.


Black forest meringue pie; apple rhubarb pie and The Pie Tin exterior

The wet and miserable Sydney weather of late has given us one great big silver lining

Grandma's Bar, Sydney

What's in a name? Everything, I say, especially if you get to say "Let's go to Grandma's!" with genuine enthusiasm on a Friday night.

I'd like to think that the proliferation of small bars in Sydney illustrates an appreciation for the quirky, independent business run on heart and soul, but is it also mandatory to make the bar as hard to find as possible? Is the secret entrance all about

Hot Wings Eating Competition - Wing Wednesday at the Northbridge Hotel

Competitive eating. Despite its popularity in the States, competitive eating is still a novelty event in Australia - a wise thing, many would argue, given obesity rates and the environmental cost of food. But just like the guilty pleasures of reality tv, you can't help but watch, mesmerised by the sight of  ordinary people determined to ignore their stomach's warning signals.



Nachos $10

At

Encasa Deli, Sydney

The newly opened Encasa Deli is not like its neighbours. It's a little piece of Madrid on Bathurst Street, smack bang in the middle of the CBD. Giant salamis - from Rodriguez Brothers in Yagoona - hang over a display cabinet groaning with whole legs of jamon, wheels of cheese and terracotta dishes piled with plump and glistening olives.


Olives stuffed with walnuts and haloumi cheese $8.50 (