Rosa's Table

16/06/2024

Day 2 of the Rosa’s Table Culinary Tour of Sicily consists of a visit to an antique chocolate and confectionery factory in Modica. Modica is a town renowned for its chocolate which has a characteristically grainy texture due to the method of production. We sample various sweets, but my favourite is the ‘torrone d’origine Araba’ - nougat of Arab origin. Orange rind drenched in a sugar syrup which then hardens to have a toffee like texture. Each year I buy some and use it to adorn some almond biscotti sprinkled with crushed pistachios also from Sicily! I think I’m feeling nostalgic. Only three months to go and we’ll be on day 2 of the tour! Modica here we come!

14/06/2024

Buongiorno Sicily! Due to a cancellation this week, a room has become available for just you or a friend/partner to join us on the Rosa’s Table Culinary Tour of Sicily! The room cannot be Twin Share ( two beds), so you will have to share a bed! Dm or email me asap at [email protected] if interested!

09/06/2024

Dear family and friends.
Michael, the girls and I sincerely thank you all for your support, love, comfort and expressions of kindness, thoughtfulness and sympathy for the passing of our beloved and beautiful mamma and Nonna Pina.
Thank you all for your cards, floral tributes, plants, endless food, biscotti, phone calls, messages, warm embraces and visits.
Thank you to those of you who attended the mass celebrating her 93 years of an incredible life and to those who attended via livestream or have watched it in your own special way and time. Thank you to our families overseas, distance has not kept us apart. We have all gained strength from your support.
My mother was the most courageous, patient and loving woman I have ever known. Her smile and the touch of her hand made everything right in my world. Even through her struggles with dementia she still had an amazing strength and dazzling smile.
Many of you continued to be a part of her life through this journey and I cannot thank you enough for being there for her. Even if she could not express this herself, I know she felt your love and presence.
To my mamma, “time to wave those jazz hands mum and tap your happy feet, papa is waiting for a dance”

05/06/2024

Pina Mirabella
18th February 1931 ~ 1 June 2024
Mass of Thanksgiving for a life well lived. Please join us in celebrating the life of our bellissima mamma, nonna and bisnonna on Friday 7th June at 10.30am. Church of The Immaculate Conception (St Mary’s) Westernport Catholic Parish. 75 Marine Parade, Hastings. Following the service we will make our way to Bunurong Memorial Park. 790 Frankston/Dandenong Rd, Dandenong South. Please join us to celebrate and remember Mum in one of the function rooms. Mass will be live streamed. Link will be available closer to the time and day on the Le Pine website. lepinefunerals.com.au.

01/06/2024

Rest in peace our beautiful, splendid, radiant mamma and nonna Pina. You are now at peace and reunited with your beloved, our father and nonno Diego. Whilst our hearts are broken, we are grateful for your soul that has aged gracefully and softy, your heart that shone the light guiding us to our way for love and your hands that held ours with a warmth that just seemed to make our day so much brighter. Pina Mirabella 18/02/1931-01/06/2024 🕊️

07/05/2024

Ossobuco
This recipe will serve 4 people
50g butter​​​​​ 1 medium brown onion finely chopped​​
1 large carrot finely chopped​​​ 2 small celery sticks finely chopped 1/2 fennel bulb diced finely
1/2 lemon cut into 2 quarters A small bundle of Mediterranean herbs
2 tbsp olive oil ​​​​​1 ½ kg Ossobuco cut of veal or beef
½ cup plain flour​​​​ seasoned 1cup (250ml) dry white wine 3 tbsp tomato paste
½ a 400g can of diced tomatoes​
freshly ground pepper and salt​​​ 375ml or 1½ cups hot vegetable stock
In a wide, heavy based pot or baking dish over medium heat, melt the butter and then sauté the onions, carrots, fennel and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat.
In a frypan, add the olive oil.
Turn the meat in the flour, coating all over and shaking off the excess flour.
When the oil is quite hot, brown the meat thoroughly all over and remove from the pan.
Lay the meat across the top of the vegetables in the pot.
Pour the wine over the meat and put back onto heat. Cook until wine evaporates. Add stock, bundled herbs, tomato paste and tomatoes over the osso buco.
Season with pepper and salt. The mixture should cover the meat. If it does not add more stock or water. Add the lemon quarters.
Bring the liquid in the pot to a simmer, cover tightly and continue to cook on low heat for 3 to 4 hours or alternatively in a preheated 150 C oven for about 2 hours.
Remember to turn and baste the meat every 20 minutes to prevent drying out.
When done the meat should feel very tender and flake away.
If the liquid dries out too much during cooking, add 2 tbsp of water at a time, as needed.
Prior to serving remove the lemon quarters and bundled herbs. Serve with buttery mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

06/05/2024

It’s our last month to take bookings for our walking culinary tour of Rome! If you feel the need to get away, September is a beautiful time of the year to visit Italy. Just 3 nights and days in this majestic eternal city with one culinary activity planned for each day. Then you are free to wander the beautiful streets of la bella Roma at your own pace, the perfect backdrop for capturing those magic photographic moments and creating memories to last a lifetime. Join us - Thursday September 26 to Sunday September 29 2024. For full itinerary head to the Rosa’s Table website - link in profile.

06/05/2024

Its our last month to take bookings for our walking culinary tour of Rome! If you feel the need to get away, September is a beautiful time of the year to visit Italy. Just 3 nights and days in this majestic eternal city with one culinary activity planned for each day. Then you are free to wander the beautiful streets of la bella Roma at your own pace, observing a Roman or two along your travels. Apart from Rome’s culinary treasures, it’s the people that interest me and I like to observe. Join me - Thursday September 26 to Sunday September 29 2024. For full itinerary head to the Rosa’s Table website - link in profile.

06/05/2024

It’s our last month to take bookings for our walking culinary tour of Rome! If you feel the need to get away, September is a beautiful time of the year to visit Italy. Just 3 nights and days in this majestic eternal city with one culinary activity planned for each day. Then you are free to wander the beautiful streets of la bella Roma at your own pace or hop on a bus (like our Sophie did) and see the sights from above! Thursday September 26 to Sunday September 29 2024. For full itinerary head to the Rosa’s Table website - link in profile.

21/04/2024

Today the Rosa’s Table Culinary Tour of Sicily meet and greet each other. We eat, drink and talk all things Sicilian!

19/04/2024

I was kindly gifted 2 beer bottles of homemade tomato passata from , one of the best pizza makers (pizzaiolos) from Mornington! I made a simple Napoli sauce for spaghetti with it. It was so delicious, and reminded me of my mamma Pina’s sweet Napoli. To make this simple sauce for pasta:
Gently fry a quarter of a finely diced onion with a small clove of garlic halved until caramelised. It usually takes about 10 minutes. Crush the caramelised garlic clove and gently fry for a few seconds. Add a bottle of passata, 1/2 bottle of water, and a pinch of salt, pepper, white sugar and a basil leaf. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for approximately 35 to 45 minutes. (If it’s a smaller bottle of passata, simmer for 25 minutes). I usually blend the sauce with a stick blender but this is optional. Cook your pasta until aldente, ( 2 minutes less than the time specified on the packet), drain and stir through a little of the sauce. Serve pasta in individual plates and top with more of the delicious Napoli sauce.

14/04/2024

made a delicious Sunday roast dinner last night! Bolar Blade cut of beef alla Pizzaiola, marinated with olive oil, onions, tomato and oregano. Cooked at 200 C for 90 minutes raised above the flames in a Webber - Q! I forgot to take a photo of the final dish with all the vegetables and gravy, as we just all couldn’t wait to dig in!

11/04/2024

Pork and Fennel Ragù Sauté 1/2 diced onion and carrot and two celery sticks also diced in olive oil until caramelised. Add the meat from 6 pork and fennel sausages and cook until browned. ( I don’t add the sausage skin, just squeeze it out!) Add 1/2 cup white wine and sprinkle with some ground fennel powder. Stir and cook on a gentle heat until the wine has evaporated. Add a small tin of tomato paste and cover with boiling water. Stir, bring to boil, reduce to a gentle heat and simmer for approximately 2 hours. I added a second round of water halfway, again, enough to cover! Dice one medium eggplant into medium sized cubes. Fry eggplant cubes in a little olive oil. Drain onto absorbent paper. Stir the eggplant through the sausage ragù. Serve with pasta (we like pappardelle, gnocchi or rigatoni) or with mashed potatoes. Enjoy! Oh, when squeezing out the sausage mince from their skins, you can also roll them into balls to make meatballs! I like to use pork and fennel sausages. There are a few places on the peninsula which sell them, Mornington is one of them!

08/04/2024

DAY THREE. STREET FOOD TOUR

A local and well respected foodie will lead us on an authentic tasting of Roman cuisine from a culturally diverse mix of this ancient city’s neighbourhoods.

Rest and relax before an evening stroll along the Tiber River to one of our favourite districts of Rome, the fashionable and elegant Prati. Free time for shopping or just admiring the local attractions such as Castel Sant’Angelo and Piazza Cavour.

Farewell to Roma evening dinner at Hostaria da Cesare, where the locals dine in Prati before a leisurely stroll back along the River passing the Tiber island of Rome.

06/04/2024

DAY TWO
COOKING CLASS
The day begins with a bountiful seasonal breakfast on the terrace followed by a cooking class with family members of the staff of our hotel learning about traditional Roman cuisine.
This will be our lunch and then the rest of the day you are free to explore the enchanting streets or monuments of Roma at your own leisure. The staff of Horti are also available to help you plan a tour to any sites of interest.

05/04/2024

Day 1 CINEMA AND FOOD WALK

Late afternoon Italian Cinema and Food Walk with , Ms Eleonora Baldwin (pictured), the granddaughter of Vittorio DeSica, world renowned filmmaker who also won four Academy Awards. Eleonora will guide us on a cinematic, historical, and gastronomical stroll to famous film locations sampling the foods depicted in some of Italy’s grandest cinematic accomplishments whilst meeting some of the locals involved in their creation. Pictured is a scene from “Ladri di Biciclette” - “ The Bicycle Thief “, photograph ©Archivio Rissone-De Sica This experience is offered by . When in Italy consider joining them for many other cultural events. They offer a variety of wonderful immersive activities into the Italian lifestyle and traditions.

Eleonora herself has been involved in the creation of many successful culinary programs for Italian television. When Michael and I met with her in Rome last June, I could not stop smiling, for as she spoke, her values and ideology of Italian cuisine and stories shared of her family resonated deeply with me. She is passionate, creative, beautiful and entertaining all in one. We are really looking forward to sharing this experience with you.

This adventure will end with aperitivi (aperitifs), and then we’ll take a gentle stroll back towards our hotel exploring the streets of Trastevere before our evening dinner.

Trastevere has been described as, one of the oldest historically charming, funky and Bohemian ‘rioni’ - neighbourhoods of la bella Roma.

Roman food, meeting Eleonora, learning about Italian cinema, aperitifs, and twilight and evening strolls through the majestic streets of Rome, and this is just Day One! Day Two to follow! For full itinerary see link to my website via profile.

04/04/2024

Rosa’s Table Walking Culinary Tour of Rome. 26-29 September 2024. Day 1 ARRIVAL AT HOTEL
Early afternoon check in at our hotel, HORTI 14 BORGO TRASTEVERE ROME.

What was once a timber depot has now been transformed into a peaceful and relaxing sanctuary reflecting the shapes and colours of the Botanical Gardens of Rome, the setting in which this opulent space is immersed.

Horti 14 is welcoming and cosy. Nicolo, Donatella and staff exhibit warmth and an eagerness to accommodate all their guest’s necessities.

Not only did we choose this hotel for its natural surroundings and gorgeous staff, their rooms are jolly and bright, modern and unique.

The Rooftop of Horti 14 consists of a terrace where it feels like a natural continuation of the neighbouring Botanical Gardens.

There are lounges to relax on and a cocktail bar for extra culinary enjoyment! The most perfect breakfast is also served on the terrace with banquette seating amongst a luscious canopy of jasmine.
More to follow for day one of our Walking Culinary Experience of Rome. Full itinerary posted on my website. Visit the link in my profile!

25/02/2024

Sitting in my happy place Mornington reading the goals I had set for our last culinary tour. It’s something I do for each of our tours, keeps me grounded and focused.

24/02/2024

We are so delighted that our little bespoke culinary tour of Sicily, our tenth tour is sold out! Thank you SO much to all of you that have shown interest and have subsequently committed to joining Michael and I in our beloved Sicilia this September! We truly are grateful and cannot wait to create this special experience for, and, with you all! The Rosa’s Table Culinary Tour of Sicily is forever evolving and so it shall as we are constantly meeting more and more astonishing food artisans and discovering exciting hidden gems. It’s true we don’t do the touristy thing, we show you the humble Sicily through the eyes of our family and the honest and admirable Sicilians as we take you along the paths of our ancestors. If this is how you want to savour Sicily then please join us in September 2025! Feel free to get in touch with an expression of interest. Tentative dates are from Sunday 14th September to Tuesday 23rd September 2025. These dates will be confirmed after our return from this years’s tour!

20/02/2024

19/02/2024

Summertime antipasto, our favourite way to enjoy our family dinners and catching up on each other’s day! The beautiful Caprese salad prepared by the creative team using the best burrata in town and made locally The eggplant parmigiana is my mamma’s recipe, it has a really light texture and just the right amount of sweetness from the Napoli sugo and caramelised onions. It’s also cheesy, just the way Michael likes it! I also like to shop local so is my go to for our Italian salumi! This was how I celebrated with all my valentines last week!

10/02/2024

Our little bespoke culinary tour of Sicily is now sold out but there’s still a room in Rome that awaits! If you find yourself in la bella Roma between 26-29 September, come and join Michael and I as we lead a small group on a walking culinary tour through this breathtakingly beautiful city. Our recent reconnaissance tour led us to some truly magical places and we met the loveliest lively Romans passionate about their cuisine and food traditions. Of course there will be ample leisure time for you to just relax, wander the streets and visit places of interest to you. Talk it over with a friend or two, I’d love for you to join us! Details on my website, accessible via my profile.

29/01/2024

I really enjoyed and recommend my friend Clare Cohen’s book titled ‘The Wild Boy of Van Dieman’s Land’. To all my English and History teacher colleagues this would be most suited for your middle school students. It is a delicate yet very informative depiction of a period of Australian history told through a very clever and captivating narrative. There are quite a few twists and turns, so much so, that I could really picture each chapter as a scene from a future Australian feature film! A wonderful literary composition which could lead to an insightful classroom discussion. To my family and friends, it would certainly be a story that I would be recommending for family members aged between 11-14.

16/01/2024

Mamma and Nonna ❤️🌹

08/01/2024

Our little family getaway has started off well!

24/12/2023

Yes, it’s definitely Christmas with Sophie’s fabulous gingerbread house as our centrepiece for our dessert buffet!