... well, the chill ❄️ is certainly here. We even had hail last week, and both of us have come down with colds. Darren's condition is obviously far more serious than Cath's as we know man flu is a real thing! What does all this mean? One thing and one thing only... it's porridge season 🥣. It's a bit like wearing shorts for Daz, that is, he wears shorts up until Easter and they don't go back on until Grand Final in Sept, this period is also official porridge season. 📆 |
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 There is simply nothing better to warm you up in the morning than a steaming hot bowl of porridge, and if you think this breakky is limited or even boring then you would be WRONG. It is versatile as it can be served as a sweet or savoury porridge and there are almost unlimited options for inclusions and toppings. It's filling, the slow release GI of oats means it keeps you fuller for longer. It is nutritious being nutrient dense with unique antioxidants and they are a great source of fibre. What's not to love? |
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 We are loving soaking our oats overnight to speed up the cooking in the morning however the actual ritual of making porridge every day is very grounding and rewarding. We are combining our creamy oats with toasted nuts or seeds, fresh fruit, compotes, jams, yoghurt and syrups and honey. We haven't made the same porridge twice lately and love to use up some of the preserves we made during summer. Below are a few different options for porridge plus, we are excited to announce a NEW hands on 🫲🏼 cooking class appearance down here on the Bellarine Peninsula. Cath and Daz will both be taking part in this exciting event with our friends at Farm My School and we would love to see you there as well. Read on further for all of this week's goss… |
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 When the Melbourne weather turns icy (usually overnight), we swap mangoes for mandarins and reach for the oats. One minute it’s all stone fruit and bare feet, and the next we're pulling on socks and craving something warm and steady. Check our step by step Apple, Mandarin Porridge w Maple. |
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 This porridge is our cold-day go-to: creamy, comforting and anything but boring. The apple and mandarin zest cook down into the oats, giving them a lovely brightness, and then it gets topped with all the good stuff—fresh mandarin segments, maple syrup, salt flakes, dark chocolate and toasted almonds. Such a great combo. |
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What's your breakfast go to? |
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 Healthy, delicious and easy to prepare, this is the perfect start to a chilly morning. Quinoa Porridge w Peanut, Banana & Coconut. We cook this quinoa in regular milk as we love the creaminess and flavour, but you can swap it for almond milk, soy or whatever alternative you like if dairy is not your thing We've used peanut butter and banana but really you can add what you like to the actual porridge or on top. Try berries, toasted nuts or yoghurt, you can even stir in a spoonful of Acai powder at the end of the cooking of the quinoa for a healthy twist on an acai bowl. Toasting the quinoa flakes will help to remove some of the bitterness and add a new toasty flavour dimension to your finished dish. Just add quinoa flakes to a dry frying pan and place over a medium heat. Constantly move the flakes in the pan to get even colouring and cook for a couple of minutes to lightly toast. Remove the flakes and allow to cool and toast the coconut flakes the same way and reserve for topping. |
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 We prefer this served warm with the fresh fruit, but this could also be served cold. Just make it the day prior and loosen in the morning with extra coconut milk. Fresh turmeric can be found quite easily these days and its nutritional benefits have been lauded in recent years. Go to your local fruit & veg market, health food store and even some supermarkets to pick this up. Switch the honey for maple syrup to make this dish vegan friendly and switch coconut milk for your favourite plant based milk if you prefer. |
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 Join Cath and Darren for a very special Nourish Workshop at Farm My School as part of the 2026 Tastes of Greater Geelong Food Festival.  Workshop Series: From Soil to Sweet with Darren Purchese & Cath Claringbold Thu, 25 Jun, 5:30pm – 7:30pm AEST Bellarine Secondary College – Drysdale Campus, Drysdale VIC, Australia Â
Discover how fresh, seasonal produce from Farm My School Bellarine can be transformed into something truly indulgent – and still good for you. Renowned chefs and Tastes of Greater Geelong Ambassadors, Darren Purchese and Cath Claringbold bring the sweetness to Farm My School’s Nourish workshop.
 In this hands-on workshop, participants go on a journey from learning about how the produce was grown to delivering delicious dishes. Begin with an overview of Farm My School, before working in the kitchen to create a nutrient-rich dessert that celebrates local and seasonal produce from Farm My School. Farm My School is a not-for-profit organisation which collaborates with schools to transform their underutilised grounds into regenerative farms that nourish, educate and connect communities. We are driven to promote healthy eating, ecological stewardship and connect communities.  The Farm My School Nourish workshop series has been designed to help families unlock affordable ways to grow and cook simple, nourishing food. Run by renowned chefs, food makers, authors and our own Farm My School team, the workshops are designed to encourage simple and practical ways to think about food growing, health and wellbeing.
Thursday 25th June 2026
5:30pm-7:30pm
Bellarine Secondary College – Drysdale Campus – 43-71 Peninsula Dr, Drysdale VIC 3222, Australia |
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Every week we highlight some of the things we love in the world. This could be gifted or just something we love. We are trying to support small businesses and vendors as well as large ones. If you have a tip of something we might love then email us at team@studiokitchen.com.au  |
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- Jo Barrett at the Surf Hotel in Torquay. Our mate and super chef Jo Barrett has taken over the kitchen of this boutique hotel and the menu looks awesome! We haven't visited yet but it is on our to do list, Jo is such a brilliant chef and combines her creativity with her love of sustainability, fermentation, hunting, fishing and all things cool! Start to think about booking now before everyone finds out and you won't be able to get a table
- Check out these Canele, they are one of our favourite things to make and a friend of ours, photographer Ari Hatzis has made these beauties. Ari has been taking photos of our work for over a decade now and he is amazing, he's also as good at baking as he is at taking shots. Ari sent this pic in of his Canele using his new moulds and our recipe on Studio Kitchen. Superb.
- Apple Pie… we keep coming back to this pie especially now the weather is getting colder. It is a classic from Cath and you should give it a go!
- What is it? It's a Spurtle - Spurtles originated in Scotland and are used for stirring primarily porridge and even sourdough. This particular classically shaped spurtle is a perfect weight, size and shape for the job. It's made from Tassie Huon pine and as soon as you pick it up and sense the balanced, simple elegance of this utensil you'll want one straight away.
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Unit 1 / 10 Oxley Road
Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia |
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