Valentine's Day 2018

Did you send your love a dozen red roses on Valentine's Day?

Flowers have always been favourites when it comes to that special day for lovers, also known as a money-making opportunity for florists, chocolate, lingerie and jewellery shops.

According to tradition, roses symbolise love, tulips say believe me because I love you, orange blossoms mean eternal love and primroses mean they can't live without you.

Sometimes, though, a floral gift doesn't have the desired response.

Merry Christmas 2017

A Wok on the Wild Side would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

In the words of the festive tune, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas when the leg of ham is in the fridge, when I put cranberry sauce on my shopping list and I wonder if mango sorbet will go well with Christmas pudding.

Hopefully I will wake up early enough on Christmas Eve to get the largest oysters for dinner and prepare a vegetarian alternative to turkey and ham for my vegetarian daughter.

Taste of Melbourne 2017

You can win a double pass to Taste of Melbourne 2017! Read on.

Where cuisine and culture collide.

This is the theme for this year's Taste of Melbourne which moves to its iconic new home at the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s Yarra Park.

Celebrate this annual food and culture feast at the start of summer from 30 November to 3 December 2017!

Father's Day 2017

Celebrate Father's Day this Sunday, 3 September 2017 with a special meal and a gift that he likes.

If he's an avid reader, try these books for starters.

Sam's Best Shot

By Dr James Best

Allen and Unwin

This is an inspiring book for anyone whose life has been touched by autism.

Life with a teenage boy on the autism spectrum has its challenges and 14-year-old Sam is a world authority on Harry Potter, but can't get to the corner store on his own.

Chinese New Year of the Rooster 2017

The Year of the Fire Rooster will start on January 28, 2017 and last until February 15, 2018.

According to the Chinese zodiac, the rooster is the 10th animal in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac signs.

The Years of the Rooster are 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029...
The Rooster is almost the epitome of fidelity and punctuality.

For our ancestors who had no alarm clocks, the crowing was significant because it awakened people to get up and start to work.

Christmas 2016

Christmas is a time of reflection, especially for my family this year.

In the midst of all the fun and feasting we will remember the ones we lost recently, through illness and old age.

My dearest brother in law Alan finally succumbed to the ravages of his illness after a long battle, courageously fought with every ounce of his strength and willpower, with the wonderful support of his family.

Through it all, he faced it as cheerfully as he could and never asked, "Why me?"

Father's Day 2016

This Sunday, September 4, is Father's Day in Australia.

Before you present Dad with his favourite after-shave, tie or barbecue apron and whisk him off to a celebratory meal, have you wondered about the origins of Father's Day?
Father's Day officially began in 1910 in Spokane, Washington, where 27-year-old Sonora Dodd proposed it as a way to honour the man who raised her when her mother died in childbirth.

June events

Winter has arrived in Melbourne, but don't hibernate at home!

Get out and about and enjoy all that Melbourne has to offer, both outdoors and in.

Indulge your palate and feed your soul.

Good food and wine show

The popular Good Food and Wine Show is on from June 3 to 5, 2016, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, aka Jeff's Shed.

Feast on a myriad food and wine samples and tastings and watch celebrity chefs perform at the Good Food Theatre.

Royal Melbourne Show 2015

The Royal Melbourne Show 2015 will be from September 19 to 29 this year at the Melbourne Showgrounds.

A school holiday favourite with families and friends, there's always plenty to see and do at the show, no matter what your interests are.

City children can pet baby animals and get an experience of rural life while culinary artists can exhibit their creativity at the cake pavillion.

There is always gourmet food and wine for the tasting and who can forget showbags?

Tiffin time at Nazaaray

Tiffin time at Nazaaray Estate

The irrepressible duo, Paramdeep and Nirmal Ghumann, invite you to indulge in tiffin time at their picturesque winery, Nazaaray Estate, on Sunday, August 2 from 11.45am to 2pm.

What a civilised way to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon, savouring the delightful taste sensations cooked up by the Tandoor man.

A Wok on the Wild Side

Events