The Food Junkie

Taste, texture & tales. Inside the mind of a chef.

Personal blog of The Food Junkie, Rebecca Clark. Discover stories of taste, texture and tales inside the mind of a chef that's travelled the globe in search of her next food hit. Bec sports a private cook book collection to rival the British Library and Harvard and shares her cooking wisdom with practical tips and humour. She's co-owner of Fish D'vine and The Rum Bar in Airlie Beach, Australia. An iconic award winning restaurant in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.

I wouldn’t call it beaten just whipped up a little.

March 06, 2018  /  Bec Clark

Hitting the road traveling must be my favourite way to explore, hunt and gather. To have the opportunity to take to the road with your house attached, complete with kitchen, is total freedom.

Farmers markets, artisan shops and delis, it is the oyster of foodie travel.

So, to the highways we hit.  To new experiences we go, who knows where the road will take us and what culinarily delights we shall find. There may be one slight glitch though? Just saying the word BBQ, let alone camping, with my half Dutch/ English man can generally result in rain and yes this has been the outcome. For the Australian terrain this is absolutely fantastic, if not so much for us! To see the grass turning greener and growing by the second, the creeks and rivers flowing, the wildlife and farm animals revelling in the crystal, nourishing drops from the sky and the sheer smell of rain, enlightening the rain forest experiences. For all of this we are truly grateful

The problem being is, we all know too well, rain and camping aren’t the best of friends. We do now know that the camper trailer is completely waterproof and extremely comfortable. We have also   been lucky enough to find some extraordinary restaurants and cafes allowing us, at times, to escape the rain. All in all, an amazing road trip BUT, couples, camping and rain can eventually lead to tension and we couldn’t let that happen. After a long discussion, a wise a decision was made to find some self-catering accommodation for a few nights. With heavy rain on the forecast, best decision any couple could make really. We certainly weren’t being beaten, like a thick batter, more whipped up light like a meringue.

Well what a light whipped up around the edges, silky, pristine meringue delight we found.

For a chef and fellow foodie traveller, a place to call home couldn’t be more suited. Perched in the Byron Bay hinterland is an old school, Old Possum Creek school to be exact. Closed in 1963 and some years later turned into a café. Now is has been renovated into the most gorgeous couple’s retreat with the café commercial kitchen still attached. Pure Food Junkie pleasure.  Beautifully decorated, attention to detail and a superb setting. All this with a commercial kitchen for our own pleasure. The delight of the old mixers, sour dough bread baskets and baking trays, the old pasta machine, are all to me beautiful pieces of art. It all adds to the beauty of this amazing property. A commercial kitchen, a place where I have spent more of my living hours than anywhere else, it feels so homely.

Back on the road and hopefully a clearing in the skies. The memories, foodie delights and feelings of this place will stay with me forever. Especially the cheeky guilty feelings of kitchen escapades with hair not tied back and slippers on.

   A commercial kitchen, true “Home sweet home”.

 

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