Background:

When I began thinking about creating a website, I wanted it to reflect my cooking background. That is, I grew up on a farm, nearly 20kms from the closest decent supermarket, and the household budget was limited.

So I learned to cook with what was fresh in the larder, or in our pantry, or failing that, what was growing in the garden. This hasn’t really changed in nearly 40 years.

Living in suburbia, I now long for the countryside. A small garden, is my solace, and I’m slowly turning over into a productive vegetable patch. I still have a well stocked pantry, and my ‘larder’ is usually full of food too. So inspiration is never far away.

Culinary Inspiration:

Well, that and I have an impressive collection of cookbooks, like most chefs and foodies. I adore Mediterranean cuisines; Greek, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, Egyptian, are all favourites.

But I also hanker after the roots of my formal training; French and British, I’ll never be far away from cheddar and a crusty baguette. I also love a plateful of German specialities in darkest winter, and I’m a fan of Scandinavian foods too.

Of course, I also grew up in an era when North America influenced everything, so I love to cook many dishes from my colonial cousins. At the base of it I’m an Aussie, we’re a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, and I love each and every one of them.

Larder Pantry and Garden Learning:

So that’s what you’ll find here; recipes from around the world, funny stories of my adventures and travels. You’ll also get occasional sentimental stories of family and friends, and their legacy recipes.

You can also learn to cook from me, online, through ChefPassport. I’m a culinary instructor there, and have a range of recipes available. A YouTube channel is something I’m working on too, so you’ll be able to find helpful cooking lessons there. And of course, LPaG is also on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, so you can always follow along there.