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Julie Hodson

@date_with_yum

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👩‍🍳For home cooks, foodies and travellers
⭐️Easy recipes
⭐️Restaurant and cafe reviews
⭐️Travel tales
🤝DM for collabs & invites
🌏Sydney, AU 🇦🇺🇦🇹🇬🇷
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🩷☕️Cafe Bites: THE BROOKS CAFE, LIDCOMBE🍳🩷 Tucked away amongst the gorgeous heritage buildings of the former Lidcombe Hospital you’ll find The Brooks Cafe, @thebrookscafe, a Korean-run brunch spot that feels like a little oasis in the middle of Sydney. Think leafy surrounds, beautiful period architecture and a relaxed village atmosphere. We visited for a lovely mums and daughters brunch, joined by the gorgeous girls behind the fabulous @matcha_across_sydney. If you’re a matcha lover, do yourself a favour and give these matcha queens a follow; they know their matcha! From the moment we arrived, the warm and welcoming service made us feel right at home. The menu is beautifully curated, with creative, innovative dishes that go beyond your usual brunch fare. There’s a lovely indoor dining space, plus a terrace where you can soak up the peaceful surrounds. Oh, and it’s both child and dog friendly! I love discovering places like this, where the setting is as special as the food and the people behind it. If you’re looking for somewhere a little different for your next brunch date, put The Brooks Cafe on your list. It’s a true hidden gem worth seeking out. Here’s what we had: 🩷Teriyaki Chicken Burger Served with crispy chicken breast, sesame mayo, slaw, fried egg, American cheese, housed made teriyaki sauce, and side of chips 🩷Benny On You x 2 Sourdough, spinach, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, Bacon and beetroot cured salmon 🩷The Brooksmash Served with a slice of sourdough, guacamole, radish, fried lotus, cherry tomatoes, pomegranate, dukkha, feta cheese, poached eggs 🩷Honey cake 🩷Matcha latte 🩷Cappuccino 🩷Creamy Saigon 🩷Tiramisu latte 📍The Brooks Cafe Shop 3/17 Brooks Circuit, Lidcombe . . . . #sydneyeats #sydneycafes #sydneyfoodblogger #sydneybrunch #lidcombe by @date_with_yum
🩷🍏New Recipe: APPLE, RHUBARB & GINGER BEER CRUMBLE🫚🩷 Hi friends🩷 I’m sharing this lovely recipe for the #cbcbakealong collab hosted by the lovely Jen @cookingbychapter. October’s theme is oats, and what better way to celebrate oats than in a crumble. This collaboration also acknowledges October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, something very close to my heart after just completing two years of treatment for this beast of a disease. I won’t sugar-coat it; it’s been hellish. So, a little reminder, ladies: please check your breasts regularly, keep up with your mammograms (and ultrasounds if needed), and see your doctor if you notice anything unusual. We spend so much time looking after others, let’s remember to look after ourselves, too🩷 Back to the crumble - this recipe is from Irish-Australian chef Colin Fassnidge @cfassnidge. Fresh ginger and ginger beer add a beautiful warmth to this classic apple and rhubarb crumble. Do save it to try🙏🏻 🍏Ingredients🍏 200g unsalted butter, chilled, chopped, 1 1/3 cups plain flour, sifted, 200g caster sugar, 100g rolled oats, 2 tsp ground nutmeg, 50g chia or pumpkin seeds, Fruit filling: 2-3cm piece ginger, finely grated, 1/2 cup honey, 200g caster sugar, 375ml ginger beer, 2 bunches rhubarb, washed, trimmed and cut into chunks, 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks, Pinch of salt, zest and juice of 1 lemon. 🫚Instructions🫚 💕Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. In a bowl, rub butter into flour using your fingertips until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in sugar, oats, nutmeg and seeds. 💕Line an oven tray with baking paper. Spread flour mixture onto tray. Bake for 20 mins, or until top is golden. Set aside to cool slightly.  💕To make filling, in a large saucepan, combine ginger, honey, sugar, ginger beer, rhubarb, apple and salt on high heat. Bring to boil, stirring. Cover, reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 5 mins until apple just softens. Add zest and juice.  💕Pour fruit filling into a 1.75-litre baking dish. Sprinkle crumble on top. Bake for about 30-35 mins, or until golden and bubbling. Serve with ice-cream. Enjoy! . . . #applecrumble #rhubarbcrumble #easydessert by @date_with_yum
🇮🇹Mamma Mia!! It’s time for some Sicilian GIGI EOLIANI (🎊CARNIVAL BISCUITS🎊)🇮🇹 “You think you’re just popping over to Mamma’s for a nice afternoon, then bam - she whips out the gigi and it’s every man for himself. It’s like the Hunger Games, but with more sugar and less dignity”. This sounds like life at my house to be honest 😀 I’m continuing my Italian journey with this third recipe from the brilliant @sooshimango comedy trio’s book, EAT! Mamma Knows Best, for the #onebookthreerecipes collab. Gigi Eoliani biscuits are from Sicily’s Aeolian Islands and are usually prepared during Carnival. They belong to the wider Sicilian tradition of sweets; festive, generous and made for sharing. These golden delights are made with a simple dough of plain and self-raising flours, eggs, sunflower oil, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon and caster sugar. Now, I won’t lie, these are a little labour of love! The dough is rolled into ropes before being cut into little pieces about the size of gnocchi. And with around 200 biscuits in this batch, there’s a fair bit of rolling and cutting involved! Traditionally, these are fried, but the recipes call for baking instead; I was absolutely delighted with how they turned out. In fact, they’re so lovely this way that I think the fried version might be a little too rich for my taste🤭 The next step is entirely optional, but I really do think it takes these biscuits to another level. While still warm, they’re tossed in a cup of warmed vincotto, a gorgeous, dark, thick condiment made by slowly simmering grape juice and skins until beautifully concentrated, with a delicious sweet-and-sour flavour. A light coating of sugar finishes them off, and once cooled, they develop the most exquisite glaze. These are a gorgeous little biscuit with a delicate sweetness, a hint of cinnamon and lemon, and that wonderful depth of flavour from the vincotto. They’re seriously moreish, and I have to say, they are a great discovery - thanks to the sushi mango crew!🙏 If you’d like to join this fun collab, contact our talented and generous hosts Gio @whennonnocooks and Heather @jolana_bar_and_grill. . . . . #carnivalbiscuits #italianbiscotti by @date_with_yum
🇦🇱❤️ NEW RECIPE: Albanian NOAH’S ARK PUDDING (HASHURE)❤️🇦🇱 Happy Monday friends 💜 I came across this dessert that has some fascinating history; it’s said to be the oldest dessert in the world. Legend has it that this dish was made by Noah himself, as the waters receded around the Ark, he used the last grains of wheat, dried fruit, along with sugar and cooked it all in a large pot. Today in Albania it is shared as a symbol of community, generosity, and abundance. HASHURE is a pudding made with farro, dried figs and walnuts. I followed the recipe from @mediterranean_latin_love, thank you to Sonila for such an accessible recipe🙏. Here’s how it comes together: Soaked farro (two cups) is cooked in water with two cinnamon sticks for 25 mins. The sticks are removed and half a cup (or to your taste) of sugar is added and stirred through, then two cups of dried chopped figs are added along with cloves and then cooked for 5 mins. A corn starch slurry is then added to thicken the pudding and stirred through. Then, once cooled a little it’s ladled into bowls, and topped with cinnamon, and chopped walnuts. It’s then refrigerated for a couple of hours and enjoyed. (I added a couple of other non- traditional garnishes; a little toasted coconut and some dried edible rose petals to the top just before serving just because it looks pretty🌹😍) It reminded me of rice pudding, but with a more exotic, spiced flavour. It was something completely new to me, and such a lovely way to discover a traditional Albanian dessert! As always, thanks to this beautiful community for following along and for all your kindness. It truly means a lot. Julie xx . . . . #albania #albanianfood #farro #dessertrecipes by @date_with_yum
🇬🇷🍋New Recipe: 30 Minute GREEK LEMON CHICKEN SOUP (Avgolemono)🍋🇬🇷 Ahhh, the soup of my dreams! 😘 This one is on regular rotation at our place, and I’m pretty sure we’d happily have this weekly, it’s that good👌 You can go all out and make your chicken stock from scratch, using the beautiful poached chicken in the soup, or take the shortcut with store-bought stock and a rotisserie chicken (or any leftover chicken you have in the fridge). I’ve used orzo here, which cooks much faster than the more traditional rice, making this a lovely speedy version without skimping on flavour. Save this one and give it a try, friends. I have a feeling it might become a favourite at your place, too! 🇬🇷Ingredients🇬🇷 💙3 finely chopped carrots 💙1 finely chopped celery stalks 💙2 finely chopped onions 💙3 finely chopped garlic cloves 💙8 cups reduced salt chicken broth 💙2 bay leaves 💙1 cup orzo or rinsed rice 💙Salt and pepper 💙300-400g of cooked chicken 💙1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice 💙2 large room temp eggs 💙Fresh parsley and feta for garnish 🇬🇷Instructions🇬🇷 1. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high. Add the carrots, celery, and onions, saute for a couple of mins, then add the garlic, and cook for 30 secs. 2. Add the chicken stock and bay leaves bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper, and orzo or rice. cook until then raise the heat to high. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for around 10 mins for the orzo or 20 mins for the rice. Stir in the cooked chicken 3. Now to the egg-lemon sauce: in a medium bowl whisk together the lemon juice and eggs. While whisking add 2 ladles-full of the stock from the cooking pot (this helps temper the eggs). Once fully combined, add the sauce to the chicken soup and stir. Remove from the heat immediately. 4. Garnish with fresh parsley and / or crumbled feta, and enjoy! 
 🙏🩷Thanks for all of your likes, comments and follows; it means the world🩷🙏 . . . . #greekfoodlovers #greeksoup #avgolemono #chickensoup #easysouprecipe by @date_with_yum
🍝 Mamma Mia, it’s time for another Italian feast!🇮🇹 “Family is like a pot of meatballs; not everyone is the same, but they are all beautiful” - Carmela. Let me introduce you to my second dish from the @sooshimango comedy trio’s book, EAT! Mamma Knows Best, for the #onebookthreerecipes collab. And yes, it’s another Italian classic - Meataballs witha Saucea 😊 The book describes this meal as Italian family therapy, and the sauce, “a whole damn emotional journey”. I think they’re right🫶 These meatballs with sauce were amazing on their own, but I couldn’t help but serve them with spaghetti, because, well, pasta🤤🍝❤️ The meatballs come together with a mix of beef mince, garlic, Parmesan cheese, milk, breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, dried oregano and s & p. And the best part; they’re baked, not fried, a nod to the waistline! The sauce: evoo, garlic, onion, tinned crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, fresh basil and s & p. And of course it’s mandatory to serve this meal with grated Parmesan. 🇮🇹🎊Mangia, mangia🎊🇮🇹 If you’d like to join this fun collab, contact our generous and lovliest hosts Gio, @whennonnocooks and Heather, @jolana_bar_and_grill. 🙏❤️Thanks for all the love and support, and happy cooking! Julie xx 🙏❤️ . . . . . . #italianmeatballs #spaghettiandmeatballs #italianfood #easydinnerideas by @date_with_yum
🏮🍻Restaurant Bites: LUCKY PRAWN BISTRO, Bob Hawke Leisure & Beer Centre, Marrickville🍻🏮 Hi friends, we recently had a blast celebrating a friend’s birthday at this unique restaurant, tucked inside a converted industrial warehouse in the Inner West suburb of Marrickville. The Bob Hawke Leisure & Beer Centre is a wonderfully unexpected combination of microbrewery, modern Western Chinese food and old-school nostalgia. Named in honour of late former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, famously fond of a beer, it’s a fitting tribute to a man who knew how to enjoy himself! The setting is fabulously retro, with loads of Bob Hawke memorabilia, and a full old-school aesthetic that feels like stepping back in time, while the food takes a more contemporary approach to Western Chinese classics. The Lucky Prawn Bistro, @luckyprawn, food was wonderful, here’s what we had: 🇨🇳 Lucky Prawn Toast 🇨🇳 Vegetarian Sang Choi Bao (the dish if the day👍) 🇨🇳 Honey King Prawns 🇨🇳 Lucky Fried Chicken 🇨🇳 Crab Omelette 🇨🇳Mushroom Fried Rice 🇨🇳 Deep Fried Salted Caramel Viennetta We also tried some amazing cocktails and a “beer flight”. Add to this a truly unique atmosphere and a setting that’s anything but your usual dining experience, and you have somewhere that’s well worth seeking out. Highly recommended!! Sydneysiders and visitors, follow for more fabulous restaurant recommendations, and loads if hidden gems 💎💎 . . . . #sydneyeats #sydneyrestaurants #innerwesteats #chineserestaurantssydney #sydneyfoodblogger by @date_with_yum
❤️🍗New Recipe: Easy Fridge Raid CHICKEN STROGANOFF🍗❤️ Hello friends🩷 This meal came about after a little fridge rummage, where some chicken thigh fillets, mushrooms, parsley and sour cream caught my eye. A little improvisation later, and dinner was sorted! I’m not claiming this is an authentic stroganoff, but it was creamy, comforting and so delicious there wasn’t a scrap left! Best of all, it’s simple (I promise), uses everyday ingredients and is something anyone can make. So, if you’re after an easy midweek dinner, keep reading and give it a go. Here’s what you do: 🍛Slice 600g of chicken thigh fillets into strips, pat dry and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside. 🍛Cook 5 minced garlic cloves for a min over med-high heat in 2 tbsps of unsalted butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add 400g of sliced mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until deeply golden. (Be careful not to crowd the pan, or they’ll steam rather than brown). Remove and set aside. 🍛Sear the chicken in a tbsp of olive oil on high heat until just browned. Remove and set aside. 🍛Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tbsps of unsalted butter, 2 sliced onions and a pinch of s&p. Cook for 4–5 mins until softened. Add 1 tbsp of sweet paprika, stir for 30 secs, then stir in a tbsp each of tomato paste and flour and cook for a minute. 🍛Add 1/2 cup of white wine, reduce to 1/4 cup. Add one 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, half a cup of chicken stock, 1 tbsp each of Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer gently for 5 mins until slightly thickened. Return the mushrooms to the pan. 🍛Lower the heat. Stir a spoonful of the sauce into 150g of full fat sour cream then mix it into the pan. Return the chicken and any resting juices, and simmer gently for a few mins until the chicken is just cooked through (don’t boil). Finish with a good squeeze of lemon juice, taste for seasoning and scatter with parsley. I served it with rice, but as with any stroganoff it also goes well with pappardelle pasta or potato mash. 🙏As always, thank you for your lovely support. Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Julie xx . . . #chickenrecipe #easychickenrecipe #weeknightmeals #comfortfood❤️ #strogonoff by @date_with_yum
🍝 Mamma Mia, That’s a Cheesy Pasta! 🇮🇹 Have you heard of @sooshimango the Australian comedy trio known for their hilarious sketches about Italian-Australian family life? If you grew up in a European household, I suspect you’ll recognise a few of the family dynamics, the food obsession and the very familiar mamma knows best philosophy! 😂 I’m cooking three recipes from their book, EAT! Mamma Knows Best, for the #onebookthreerecipes collab, where a cookbook is chosen the first Tuesday of the month, and three recipes are made for the remaining three weeks of the month. This book is inspired by the Italian cooking of the authors’ mamas and nonnas. It’s full of simple, wholesome, home-style Italian food. My first recipe choice is Pasta al Forno (Oven-Baked Pasta), a dish I grew up eating, so I was curious to compare their version with my family’s recipe. This one layers cooked rigatoni or penne with a good veal & pork ragu sauce and cheese in a baking dish. My family’s version also mixes béchamel sauce, with an egg added, through the pasta before layering it with the meat sauce. Kind of a pastitsio / pasta al forno hybrid! I think it takes the dish up a notch, but I’ll let you be the judge! One golden rule, though: finish with a layer of pasta topped generously with cheese. That’s how you get those yummy, crispy, cheesy bits everyone fights over! 😋. This dish makes an appearance at many family gatherings and my grandmother’s version was always a part of our Christmas table - happy memories. If you’d like to join this fun collab, contact our generous and lovliest hosts Gio, @whennonnocooks and Heather, @jolana_bar_and_grill. Thanks for all the love 🩷🩷🩷 . . . #italianfood #pastarecipe #pastabakes #comfortfood, by @date_with_yum
🍗 ROAST DINNER: Because life’s better with roast chook! 🇦🇺 There’s something comforting about a traditional Sunday roast, isn’t there? Our friends in the UK take this tradition rather seriously, while here in Australia, with our multicultural influences (and perhaps our warmer weather), we’re a little more relaxed about it. We tend to roast whenever the mood strikes, rather than reserving it for Sundays. Roast lamb might be Australia’s favourite, but give me a good old roast chook any day! And Yorkshire puddings? Well, they rarely make an appearance on our Aussie roast dinner table😉 Here’s how I make mine. Nothing complicated, just a few little tricks that make all the difference. 🍋 THE CHOOK * Bring your chicken to room temperature before roasting. * Mix softened salted butter with lemon zest and gently tuck it under the skin. * Pop the lemon halves up the chook’s whazoo! 😂 * Sit the chicken on sliced onion and tomato in a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and pour in ⅔ cup white wine. * Roast at 210°C for 15 mins, then reduce to 185°C. 🥔 THE SIDES * Parboil potatoes in salted water, drain and give the pan a good shake to rough up the edges. Toss with olive oil, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper. * After the chicken has roasted for 30 mins, add the potatoes and roast for about an hour, turning halfway. * With 40 minutes to go, add chopped butternut pumpkin around the chicken, drizzled with honey and seasoned with salt and pepper. * Add a quartered red onion to the potatoes. * Steam your favourite greens to serve alongside. Tonight, it’s green beans and corn for us. ⏰ THE FINISHING TOUCHES The chicken should take around 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on its size. Use a meat thermometer to check doneness, (around 70c) then rest under foil for 15 mins before carving. ⚠️And please, whatever you do, don’t discard those glorious pan juices! The chicken drippings, white wine, softened onion and tomato create a sauce that is, quite frankly, heavenly. No fancy gravy-making required! Tell me friends, do you enjoy a roast dinner? Love to all, have a fabulous week xxx . . . #roastdinners #roastchickendinner by @date_with_yum
The simple joy of dinner with friends. Something I’ve realised I’ve missed more than I perhaps appreciated. For the past two years, even the simplest of pleasures have had to be fitted in around chemo treatments, debilitating illness, hospitalisations, scans and more procedures than I care to count. But now, I have no signs of disease, and life is slowly beginning to resume. I’m still finding my way through what that means. I’ve been gathering my thoughts and trying to find the words to describe the strange reality of being told the cancer is gone, while also realising that the experience itself doesn’t simply disappear. I’ll share more of those thoughts in time. What I do know is how incredibly joyful it feels to once again be able to visit friends for dinner. To sit around a table, put my feet up, relax, laugh, enjoy good food and simply exhale. It sounds so ordinary, but after everything, it feels anything but. This was a beautiful dinner I enjoyed recently, hosted by my lovely and very talented friend Louise @ljrathome and her husband, Rob. I was having such a wonderful time that I completely forgot to photograph all of the deliciousness! But, pictured here, are: 🥩scrumptious crumbed lamb cutlets 🥗spinach salad with a perfect French vinaigrette 🎃delicious roasted pumpkin wedges over spiced yoghurt and topped with roasted nuts and cranberries 🍫🍊the most divine, moist chocolate orange cake with crème fraiche. The starter was a gorgeous capsicum soup and of course there was wine, liqueurs and chocolates. As fantastic as the meal was (and it was amazing) the highlight was the company of the hosts and other dear friends. And, I came away with such heartfelt gifts; a handmade tea cosy, beautiful tea, and yummy handmade Italian biscuits (thank you dear @alisonholland35) and some amazing handmade lemon butter, just amazing Louise! Keep your friends close, and offer friendship to others - these connections will sustain you through the best and worst of times. 🩷✨Sending love and appreciation to all who lift me✨🩷 . . . . . #cancerwarriors #breastcancerwarrior #cancersurvivors #friendship by @date_with_yum
💛🍌New Recipe: RICE COOKER BANANA BREAD🍌💛 Did you have any clue that you could make a cake with a rice cooker? And look how well it turned out 🎊🫶. I was recently watching one of my favourite Aussie/Kiwi chefs, Andy from @andyhearnden, on YouTube when he made this and I just knew I had to give it a go. So, out came my trusty @brevilleaus rice cooker, and guess what? There’s actually a CAKE setting on it! 🤯😂. How have I owned this thing for so long and never noticed that? 🤦🏻‍♀️ Anyway, here’s the recipe: 💥NOTE: I added 3/4 cup of sultanas and around 150-200g of brown sugar to the original recipe below - everyone approved😊💥 💛Ingredients💛 * 4 overripe bananas, peeled * 2 eggs * 60ml milk * 120ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing * Pinch of sea salt * 1 tsp ground cinnamon * 1 tsp baking powder * 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) * 50g rolled oats, plus extra for sprinkling * 120g plain flour * 110g wholemeal flour 💛Directions💛 🍌Grease the rice cooker bowl well with a little oil, paying attention to the sides and base. 🍌Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl until mostly smooth. 🍌Add the eggs, milk and olive oil and whisk to combine well. 🍌Add the salt, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarb, rolled oats, plain flour and wholemeal flour to the bowl. Whisk just until everything is incorporated. Don’t over mix. 🍌Pour the batter into the greased rice cooker bowl and smooth the top. Sprinkle a handful of extra oats over the top. 🍌Set the rice cooker to the standard rice function and let it run for one full cycle. 🍌Once the cycle finishes, leave the lid on and let the bread rest in the cooker for 10 mins. 🍌Turn the bowl out onto a wire rack and let the bread cool for at least 15 mins before slicing. Oh, and I also served it with my daughter’s home-made butter. Delicious👌 Have you ever made a cake using your rice cooker - what are your thoughts? ✨Keep shining, beautiful people✨ . . . . . #bananabreadrecipe #bananacake #ricecookerrecipe #easycake #easyrecipes by @date_with_yum

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