unique finds australia

© Donna Hay

Donna Hay, famous Australian food writer and editor just recently opened this beautiful lifestyle and food concept store in Woollahra, Sydney.

Donna is one of our favorite cookbook writers because her recipes are always incredibly delicious, the food looks good, the list of ingredients is short, the dishes are prepared and cooked in almost no time and they are always a big success with our fellow foodies. It doesn’t matter if you are a rookie or an experienced cook! If you like food with some Asian twist, you will certainly enjoy her simple yet mouthwatering recipes. And who knows, become a passionate chef? She certainly transformed us!

But, this review is not about Donna’s books, which you will find in the rolling clips right next to this entry.

It is about her recently opened concept treasure store! After three years of renovating a 19th century sandstone house, she realized her longtime dream and just recently opened her « General Store ».

Like Donna says « a perfect place to get inspired and buy a little something for some one you love or to simply treat your home or self »! There are treasures from all over the world: ceramics, glassware, modern letterpress stationery, hand-poured candles, hand-knitted baby blankets, organic soaps, scents for the home and - as to be expected - some sweet temptation such as macaroons, hand-rolled chocolate truffles, meringues and handmade caramels that should not be missed.

So, if you are traveling to Sydney you should definitely drop by to have a look. Donna’s mission is to offer « a collection of all things beautiful » and we believe she is right.

But go and see for yourself.

Enjoy!

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© Greekalicious

Maria Benardis, an Australian-Greek woman runs the cool cooking school Greekalicious in Sydney.

Her philosophy is that « the secret to any successful meal is simplicity combined with fresh organic ingredients whenever possible, love and intuition ».

Maria offers lunch or evening classes as well as private tuition courses. Her objective is to introduce you to the secrets of Greek cuisine by giving it a modern touch. Menus vary and to read through them is a mouthwatering experience.

How does « Summer in the Cyclades Islands » sound? To give you some more inspiration: « Caramelized onion filo pies, cinnamon rubbed chicken stuffed with grapes, wild rice and pine nuts followed by seasonal fresh fruits poached in mavrodaphne ». But there are many more delicious menus to be discovered. So check out Maria’s upcoming courses. You will feel the good vibrations by simply looking at the pictures.

Specials: At GREEKALICIOUS you will not only learn how to prepare the dishes but also get some insights into secret ingredients as well as into the origin & history of the dishes to enjoy a « comprehensive cultural-culinary experience ».

By attending one of Maria’s cooking classes people routinely report that you will soon forget time and place and be led on a delicious culinary journey to Greece. The ideal opportunity to prepare and enjoy some great food, to meet others and have a great time!

But go and see for yourself.

Enjoy!

Read our entry on Maria's culinary tours to Greece on « culinary travel ».

Discover Maria's cookbook « My Greek Family Table», which won the « GOURMAND World Cookbook Awards 2009 - Best Mediterranean Cuisine Book » in Australia.

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© Bookbinders Design

The Swedish company BOOKBINDERS DESIGN does these wonderful stationery products for your home and office. Their mission is to « make your life memorable ».

To capture your memories in a more sustainable way is great because it allows you to re-experience your feelings, to go back in time and may be more importantly to share those happy moments with some beloved ones years later. Wouldn't it be a great to start doing so today? Ever dreamt of writing a book, a travel journal or keep track of a beloved project in a stylish and more personal manner? May be now is the right time to start.

BOOKBINDERS DESIGN offers a wide spectrum of materials, bindings, shapes and colors to choose from. We love their modern yet classic designs. And their shops are just gorgeous examples how an urban oasis of well-being looks like. Once you enter one of their beautifully designed stores you feel like in a different world and you just can’t stop looking around. It is the colorful but very elegant interior design focused on their products that makes their shops so special.

Our favorites are the diaries with colorful motives, the guest book in snow white or the notebooks covered in cloth, which you can personalize right at the store by embossing a title or other little something. Their design and craftsmanship is unique so you will be able to enjoy them for a long period of time.

Trust us - it will be very difficult to make your choice and you will come up with excuses to buy more!

By surrounding yourself with these chic but timeless classics or by visiting BOOKBINDER DESIGN stores, you just can’t help but feel good. So be sure to have a look at their products to capture your memories in style! And remember, it is said that colors have a positive impact on your well-being.

Besides the high quality of their unique products BOOKBINDERS DESIGN is another statement against the boredom of mainstream shopping areas. And the best about it: it is said that they produce all their products at their own bookbindery in Sweden where they use only environmental friendly materials and manufacturing processes. Thus, these stylish products may be considered « chic green » alternatives to mainstream stationery items.

But go and see for yourself.

Enjoy!

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