2009: A Grab Your Fork digest

Where did the year go? It must be a sign of getting older when the year swoops by faster than a food blogger's camera over your main course.

People often say to me "you seem to eat out a lot" to which I always reply "oh no, not really, just a few meals here and there". And yet reviewing a year's worth of posts seems to prove otherwise - so much food. How did I fit it all in?

With ease, of course.

In late January 2009, Grab Your Fork hit 1000 posts. Over the year, 248 posts were published - this is post number 1223. It's been a delicious year spent with family and friends, including an ever-increasing circle of near and dear food blogging compatriots. It's always the food memories that stand out to me the most. I may not know what I was wearing, or what music was playing, but name an occasion and I'm more than likely to remember the meal I was eating at the time!

Here's a brief snapshot of my favourite pics and posts of 2009:


Crab racing at the Court House Hotel, Newtown


Shish kebabs and Turkish pizza at New Star Kebabs, Auburn


Rooster on a bed of xoi sticky rice at Veruca Salt's Chinese New Year banquet


Making an R2D2 cake with Veruca Salt


The first-ever night-time Chinese New Year parade


Vietnamese Tet festival at Fairfield Showground

Finally learning how to make my own chopstick rest
using a chopstick wrapper


Hosting my own afternoon tea


Visiting Nonna's Gourmet Sausages for a behind-the-scenes tour
on how sausages are made (and I make my first video)


The gloriously kitsch Grotta Capri, Kensington,
featured in Underbelly and Muriel's Wedding


Making the crowd-pleasing Moroccan lamb pizza


Raclette, brie fondue and "snow" at the Sydney Winter Festival, Cook+Phillip Park


A truffle lunch at Senso, Canberra during the Capital Country Truffle Festival


Tasting the tonkotsu ramen at Gumshara, Chinatown for the first time,
and shooting a sneak peek video of his kitchen and cavernous stock pots


Eating deep-fried sushi at Kana Express, and liking it a little too much!


Eating silkworm pupae at Best Friend Korean Restaurant
and liking it not so much


Being flown to Wellington by Positively Wellington Tourism
for the Wellington on a Plate food festival


The spring dinner with champagne at Becasse, Sydney


Finding out Matt Preston reads Grab Your Fork
- and he finally leaves a comment too


The nose-to-tail barbecue at the Good Living Growers' Markets
with Fergus Henderson and twelve leading Sydney chefs


Discovering the joys of deep-fried crab with salted egg yolk
at New Shanghai, Ashfield


Making chocolate bacon cupcakes
and realising that people appreciate any excuse for bacon


Attending the World Chef Showcase and being inspired by the
renegade Alvin Leung and the quietly talented Fuchsia Dunlop


Undertaking a Cabramatta food tour and group cooking lesson
with Luke Nguyen and his parents


Interviewing Luke Nguyen and marvelling at his
gorgeous childhood photos!


Interviewing Poh Ling Yeow from Masterchef


Eating up Singapore during the Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards


A nose-to-tail dinner party for Stomach's Eleven by the amazing Pig Flyin


Seeing my work published in a book -
To Japan with Love


My first ever novelty birthday cake made by Chocolatesuze


Finding the most amazing pecan pie at South Restaurant, Neutral Bay


Helping out as a lighting assistant on a food photography shoot
with Billy and Peter G for Mad Mex, Sydney


Hosting the biggest ever gathering of Sydney food bloggers (50!)
with Chocolatesuze where 24 Elvis cupcakes (bacon, peanut butter
and strawberry jam) disappeared in an instant


Eating a Luther Burger, a bacon cheeseburger in a Krispy Kreme donut
made by Chocolatesuze and living to tell the tale


Digging into a homemade roast suckling pig for a Stomach's Eleven
Christmas feast by Mr and Mrs Pig Flyin

Thank you all for the sharing 2009 with me. Here's to an even more delicious and food-filled year ahead!