I used to work in the Strand Arcade. At a shoe shop in there to be specific and I used to find that when I went there, because of the lovely architecture that it felt like a step back in time. The store itself was a small cube of a store with no storeroom or back room and just a mirror on one side. There was nowhere to look but out and we later learned that the girls in the shop across from us disliked us because they thought that all we did was stare at them. But there really wasn’t anywhere else to look.

Anyway, I digress but I always feel a bit of trepidation and familiarity when I step onto the tiled floors of the Strand Arcade and look up. It’s still a beautiful arcade housing many fashion designers and I breathe a sigh of relief when I see that the shoe store is closed for the day and I have therefore managed to again evade my former boss. I make my way towards the Western end of the arcade where I get into an elevator with another couple who seem as lost as I do.

You see I don’t know exactly where in the Strand Arcade La Rosa is located but I know that it must be somewhat close to Pendolino, its sister restaurant if only because the lower floors hold boutiques. It turns out there are we are all looking for La Rosa and when the elevator doors open on the second floor onto the Pendolino entrance the staff look at us and we look at them. “La Rosa?” they ask and we nod and they point in the opposite direction on the same floor on the Eastern end. Oh well, at least we got the floor right.

Salumi Misti di Casa – Mixed house Cured Meats $29

This evening was a reunion dinner of sorts with all of us that had travelled to Singapore together. There was Alison from Delicious and Sandra from the Singapore Tourism Board. But the point is, we’re all good eaters and nothing is off limits so we choose easily and with firm consensus. It makes sense to try the mixed house cured meats platter as the five tantalising sounding cured meats preceding it sound difficult to choose a favourite from so the platter including them all is ordered. There is a scoop of  Nduja (pronounced n-dooh-yah) a spicy Calabrian cured meat puree which is a popular now item. It is a spreadable sausage in a vivid orange shade with just the right level of spice in it. There is also the Salsicce “Mignon” di Cinghiale, a halved link of cured sausage made with wild boar and black pepper which is waxy with large chunks of fat and surprisingly mild flavoured.

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“Look at all the snow up there!” Mr NQN points out to me.

“Mmm yes and see the hot donut stand just underneath it?” I say the falling snow reminding me of icing sugar on the aromatic donuts that have assaulted my olfactory senses.

It was Mr NQN’s birthday weekend and one of his dearest wishes for any birthday is to go snowboarding. Yes he’s one of those sporty types. As for me, I’m still using the excuse that I have one leg shorter than the other and hence apres ski is more my thing (and yes I’m conveniently ignoring the fact that most people have one leg shorter than the other ). But as long as there is such a thing as apres ski then I am happy to cater for his wishes because I get to explore the food at the snow. And I am determined to make him love birthdays. The poor thing has received such things as toilet cleaner, rocks from the river or recently a Dr Phil self help book from his family so I wanted him to look forward to his birthday every year.

We had just driven six hours from Sydney in our Toyota Prado Kakadu. We are travelling with Toyota who are a major sponsor of Thredbo who have also kindly loaned us the Prado so that we would have a nice comfortable ride (Mr NQN was driving and I managed to nod off several times) and wouldn’t have to worry about snow chains. Thredbo is a ski area six hours south of Sydney and about three hours south of Canberra where you can stay right on the snow without having to drive a lengthy distance to get there.

On the way we stopped at 3 seeds in Fyshwick which is a gourmet canteen and cooking school about three hours out of Sydney and about half way along the drive to Thredbo. The owners Catherine and Andrew are the former owners of Pod Food where I enjoyed a meal a while back. They’re about to move a few minutes away to the Fyshwick markets where they’ll conduct their very popular school and serve freshly made pre packaged goods for people who want good home style food without having to go out to a restaurant.

Pan seared mushrooms with Persian feta, truffle oil and roasted tomato on toast $15.50

We’re here for breakfast and we’re starving considering the early hour of departure. The mushrooms came as a recommendation from Catherine as they are a popular item and when you sink your teeth into the first bite you are hooked. Despite the fact that I bake so many sweet things, I’m more of a savoury person and this is a crunchy, soft, spongey, savoury umami mix of flavours. The Persian feta gives the seared mushrooms a richness while the spongey toast soaks up all of the flavours while still remaining slightly crunchy on the outside.

French toast with berries, maple syrup and vanilla yogurt $15

“This French toast isn’t any good” Mr NQN says before looking up at me mischievously.  ”OK hand it over” I tell him and he reluctantly does so. It’s lip smackingly good, the same bread used in the mushroom dish above absorbs the eggs while still remaining texture and it is paired with a generous serve of berries and fresh medjool dates. The quenelle in the centre isn’t the vanilla yogurt, it tastes mostly of butter but I think there was enough tanginess from the berries. Our tummies happily full we get back on the road to drive the remaining three hours or so to Thredbo.

On the way we stop by Bird’s Nest boutique which is one of my favourite online boutiques. I recently bought a cape from them and tweeted about how happy I was with their next day delivery service just because I really think online stores in Australia should have next day delivery. It annoys me that I often get overseas packages faster than packages from Australian stores and they wonder why we shop overseas! Oops I did go on for a bit. Rant over. Anyway lo and behold a month later I was there getting outfitted for some apres ski clothes.

Why don’t all dressing rooms have rules like this?

Staple the Label kimono wrap-big love for this. I’ve worn this loads of times and always get compliments.

Bird’s Nest have 30 full time and part time staff and 80% of  their business is done online.  The reason for their success is that they have 150 brands and 3,000 items rather than a small selection of clothes that a lot of online stores have along with a next day postage guarantee and a no questions asked returns policy.

We check into our accommodation at The Peak which sits on a road parallel and above to the main village street. The view is stunning and looks out straight onto the ski slopes. Our penthouse apartment (apartment # is enormous with two bedrooms and a loft with two queen sized beds and two single beds. And a sign tells us that it is for sale at a reduced price ($1.4 million if you’re curious ).

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