I recently discovered edible wild hibiscus flowers in my local IGA and am now hooked.

Made by a small local company, Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup are an easy way to make a champagne cocktail - sit them down the bottom of a champagne glass, pour bubbly over the top and then watch as the leaves of the flower open.

Best of all, the flowers can be eaten at the end, and have a light rhubarab and raspberry flavour.

As well as being useful for a range of cocktails, these flowers can also be used for dessert garnishes and a range of sweet and savour dishes, though I haven’t tried any of these myself.

The website has a number of recipes for you to try, including Australian beef with red wine hibiscus glaze and wild hibiscus champagne jellies.

The flowers are available from selected delis, gourmet food shops and supermarkets, as well as several online stores, listed on the site.

By Caroline Warnes

I’ve always been of the opinion that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a decent bottle of wine.

This was more apparent in my younger days, when you were really splashing out if you upgraded from Passion Pop for the night. However I still think you can get something nice at the bottle shop for less than $20.

The other day I was at lunch with some friends and we asked the waiter guy for a wine recommendation. He then hilariously described himself as a “wine bitch” who would always recommend a French wine if asked. I’ve been spending the last few days trying to work out exactly what a “wine bitch” is, and have come to the conclusion that in any case, just because it’s French, doesn’t make it better than anything Australia has to offer.

Sparkling

That being said, the first wine I am going to recommend is French. Grandin Brut NV (RRP $18) is actually a French sparkling wine but can’t be classified as a champagne as it isn’t from the Champagne region. It’s actually from the Loire Valley. I challenge you to taste the difference. I’ve taken up the challenge many a time myself.

Heading local, two good sparklings under $20 are Killawarra Brut NV (RRP $10) and Yellowglen Vintage Cremant (RRP $15).

White

I don’t really like that many chardonnays but I do like a good unwooded. One of my favourites is Wirra Wirra Scrubby Rise Unwooded Chardonnay (RRP $15). It hails from the McLaren Vale in SA.

I’m also keen on two verdelhos: Tulloch (RRP $16) and Moondah Brook ($15).

Red

I don’t really drink red, so I can’t make any genuine recommendations here. However I absolutely love rose and have two for you to try: Dominque Portet Fontaine Rose ($18) and Geoff Merrill Grenache Rose ($15).

Stay tuned for the next instalment in the series, “best wines under $5″.

By Caroline Warnes

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I’ve just returned from a long weekend in our nation’s capital and I’ve decided that Canberra gets a bad wrap.

My sister is a permanent inmate resident of Australia’s most symmetrical city so I spend the odd weekend there and I always have a good time. There are many more things to do in Canberra than play spot the politician and wonder why you’re there in the first place.

In fact I have come up with a list of five reasons to visit Canberra:

1. The food

In case you haven’t worked it out by now, I really like food and I have to hand it to Canberra: the food is so much better than in Sydney. Canberra’s restaurants and cafes have it all over Sydney’s and probably over Melbourne’s too.

One of the better fine dining experiences in Canberra can be had at Axis, which is located in the National Museum of Australia. It’s a beautiful spot for lunch on a spring day - you can sit on the back deck and enjoy the spectacular views of Canberra’s man made lake.

2. Old Bus Depot Markets

Located on the Kingston foreshore, the Old Bus Depot Markets are a must-visit for me every time I visit Canberra. I love walking around sampling all the fresh produce and always end up buying stuff I’m never going to use. Highlights of the food section include the chocolate-dipped strawberries and the fudge stand.

Once you’ve filled up on free samples, you can head out the back to check out the arts and crafts.

3. The wineries

If there’s one thing I like even more than food, it’s wine and you may or may not be surprised to know that the area surrounding Canberra is actually one of the state’s prominent wine-producing regions.

Many of the wineries are located around Lake George and most offer cellar door tastings and sales seven days per week. Standouts include Brindabella Hills Winery and Lake George Winery. You can read more here.

4. Canberra Stadium

If you’re a rugby league fan, it’s worth heading to Canberra Stadium to see a game. It’s a great venue to watch rugby league.

You don’t even have to be a Raiders supporter. I myself hate only two teams more than the Raiders (Manly and Cronulla) but still went along to the Raiders v Bulldogs game on Sunday on the condition that I could get on the cans and heckle Raiders fans. I did both and it was fun.

5. Collector

Well, Collector isn’t in Canberra itself (it’s located about 40 minutes outside the city centre on the way to Goulburn) but is worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Collector is a small country town (population 150) which just happens to be home to a fantastic restaurant called the Lynwood Cafe.

Lynwood Cafe is also the home to Lynwood Preserves and you can visit the jam room to test the local produce (you can also buy it online through the website).

By Caroline Warnes

I’ve just returned from a long-weekend getaway to the Hunter Valley with my sister and must say I had a fantastic time.

Located a couple of hours north of Sydney, the Hunter Valley is best known as a wine-producing region (both the white and red varieties) but also boasts some excellent restaurants, art galleries and antique stores - and then there’s the picturesque countryside.

We managed to get around to several wineries and attractions over the course of three days, but there were some that really stood out over the others.

Petersons Champagne House

Petersons Champagne House was the very first place we visited after arriving and may well have been the highlight of the weekend for me. Petersons specialises in sparkling wines made by the traditional method. We started off by tasting some of the sparkling whites then sat down with a bottle of the N/V Sparkling Cuvee and a cheese platter.

However it was the sparkling roses that really stood out for me - the Illusion Rose was probably the nicest sparkling rose I have ever tasted, and for something lighter there’s the Pink Blush (all available through the website).

Mistletoe Wines

Speaking of Rose, if you’re a fan, no trip to the Hunter Valley would be complete without a visit to Mistletoe Wines. The winemakers here specialise in Rose varieties and “The Rose” (described as having a “bouquet of crushed flowers and spicy Turkish delight. Fresh, lively palate, full of red berry flavours with a clean, crisp acid finish”) is a highlight. We ended up buying a half-dozen.

Scarborough Wine

If you prefer chardonnay, I can highly recommend Scarborough Wine, also located in Pokolbin.

The wine tasting was one of the better ones we went to - staff sat us down with tasting notes and a cheese platter and explained each wine as we went.

The White Label Chardonnay was very easy to drink, however it’s only available at the cellar door so you’ll need to get it while you’re in the Hunter.

Tempus Two Winery

Tempus Two Winery is one of the bigger venues in the area, featuring large tasting rooms, Oishi Thai/Japanese restaurant and Ludo, a lounge bar that is opening soon.

It’s also the venue for some outdoor events. Elton John played here at the end of last year, and in the coming months Rod Stewart, Santana, kd lang and Matchbox 20 will be here too.

The Verandah

If you’re looking for something different for a light dinner, try The Verandah at Calais Estate in Pokolbin.

Food is served tapas-style - lots of smaller dishes that you can order as you feel like it - on the sweeping verandah overlooking the vineyard (in winter, you can sit inside near the open fire). The staff were very friendly and helpful - chef/owner Matt Dillow came out and had a chat with us and even had me trying his speciality, duck liver parfait (no mean feat considering I only ended 13 years of staunch vegetarianism a year ago). The escargot with garlic croute was also very tasty, as were the tempura zucchini flowers filled with pumpkin, ricotta and basil.

The restaurant is both licensed and BYO, so you can either enjoy your finds from the other wineries or choose from the menu.

Cafe Enzo

Another good restaurant/cafe (perfect for breakfast) is Cafe Enzo, which is part of Peppers Creek. There’s a lovely courtyard to sit in overlooking a fountain and some rather aggressive ducks that provide hours of entertainment to diners.

Peppers Creek is also home to some interesting shops, including an antique store.

Bluetongue Brewery

Not a big wine drinker? Then you need to visit the Bluetongue Brewery at Hunter Resort. We went here for lunch on our final day and ended up sampling Bluetongue’s ginger beer, which I love but have a hard time finding in Sydney.

For $10 you can get a beer sampling paddle, which offers a taste of all six of Bluetongue’s beers. Return the paddle to the bar (obviously some people used to do a runner with theirs) and you get a free middy of beer.

The food is good and there’s also a friendly dog who belongs to the resort who will come and keep you company in the courtyard.

One final word of warning: this time of year, the mosquitos bite (hard) in the Hunter, so make sure you bring some insect repellant. I didn’t and am now paying for it.

By Caroline Warnes

When it comes to stocking up on the basics for the festive season, my skills have been somewhat lacking in years past.

Several years ago, I distinctly remember getting a little too caught up in the “festive cheer” on Christmas Eve then forgetting to stock up on basics for the coming few days - given that my local supermarket was shut for two days straight, by Boxing Day I had to head to the local service station just to find something to eat for breakfast.

So before all the shops are shut, don’t forget to:

* Visit your local supermarket before Christmas day. Stock up on anything you think you may run out of over the next two days - breakfast cereal, milk, soft drinks, cereal, juice etc. Check when the supermarket is open over the holidays so you don’t get caught short.

* Don’t forget to stock up on any alcoholic drinks you’ll need for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. And make sure you have enough of it. Buying wine in bulk often gives you a discount, so this can save you money.

* Christmas is the best time to eat seafood, so head to your local fish market to the best fresh stuff for Christmas lunch. Most major fish markets are open extended hours in the lead up to Christmas to cope with the demand, with many also opening on Christmas morning.

* Be sure to find out when your local bakery is open over the holidays so you’ll always have fresh bread on hand (supermarket bread just doesn’t cut it on Christmas Day). Bakeries are also an invaluable source of last, last minute gifts - Bakers Delight sells some delicious fruit mince tarts until Boxing Day which are really quite delicious.

Have a great Christmas, and I’ll see you all early in the New Year!

By Caroline Warnes

It’s hard to believe it’s almost the end of the year again. The end of the year means several things, most of them good, including holidays, lots of sun and, of course, Christmas parties.

In all honesty, I don’t get invited to that many parties. Perhaps that makes me lucky because then I don’t have to struggle through the next day as often. When I attend functions with an open bar, I usually make the mistake of deciding it would be uneconomical of me not to overindulge. This makes it hard to do an honest day’s work the following day.

However over the fast few years I’ve found a few tricks that make the next day that much easier.

1. Berocca is a great way to replenish those essential B-vitamins that alcohol seems to suck out of you. I have one before I go to bed and when I get up, washed down with lots and lots of water. Vegemite is also fantastic for this purpose.

2. If you wake up late and don’t have time to give your hair a full wash, your best option is a dry shampoo for a quick freshen up. The best on the market is Klorane - simply spray it in your hair, comb through and you’re ready to go.

3. If you’re like me and you suffer from dark circles under your eyes when you are tired or dehydrated, a good concealer is a must. I love the Yves Saint Laurent Anti-Cerne concealer stick. You could also try the YSL Touche Eclat (Radiant Touch), which is actually a highlighter but does a fantastic job of freshening up your face.

4. To avoid that wan pallor of death look you can get when you’re tired and dehydrated, make sure you always have a facial bronzer on hand. I like the Natio Bronze Shimmer Palette. Best of all, it’s priced at under $20.

5. Sunglasses are a good idea for the day after a big night. The ones from the Cancer Council have all been designed to offer the required level of UV protection. This is important - fashion sunglasses don’t always offer the maximum protection.

Happy party season!

By Caroline Warnes