About me
Lambs Ears and Honey is a food blog and travel blog where I share what I know about how to eat, where to eat and how to find the best local food and drink wherever I happen to be in the world. From Varenna (Italy) to Vancouver and San Francisco to South Australia, I shine a light on some of the best local produce and producers – finding culinary treasures in whichever corner of the world I am traveling.
I am a regular contributor to SALife Magazine, the premier South Australian lifestyle magazine and was Program Director for Words To Go 2014 and 2016, a food/travel bloggers conference which was imbedded in Australia’s premiere food festival, Tasting Australia. I am also a freelance food and travel writer, undertake food research projects and love to travel South Australia meeting the remarkable food producers of my home state and telling their often inspiring stories.
Amanda McInerney
PREVIOUSLY (JANUARY, 2010) ….
A few weeks ago The Husband and I were enjoying our annual get-together with an old school friend of mine and her husband. Julie, the friend in question, is a high-energy, get-up-and-go kind of girl who has been urging me to take my interest/passion in all aspects of food to the next level for quite some time now. I have clung to the excuse of literary ineptitude, but her suggestion of writing it as a conversation seems reasonable enough for me to have a shot at a blog.
I haven’t been hiding under a rock, so I am aware that food is very fashionable now. However, unlike an apparently large proportion of the rest of the world, I have been fascinated by food for many years, an interest perhaps stimulated by coming from a home of truly appalling cooks. Both my mother and her mother were very ordinary cooks indeed and I suspect that my own curiosity and delight in food began as a matter of survival.
My love of books and reading nestles very happily next to this interest in food, resulting in bookshelves groaning with recipe books and works on food history, rituals and culture and a Graduate Certificate in Gastronomy from Le Cordon Bleu!
I live in Australia just out of a small town only 1/2 hour from the state capital, on a modest landholding where we grow Black Angus cattle and teenagers, surrounded by rolling hills covered in vineyards, orchards and olive groves.
As for the name of this blog? The inspiration came from looking past the computer screen and out of my window at the rampant Lambs Ears which have been flowering extravagantly, attracting the ardent attentions of zillions of diligent bees.
Amanda
January, 2010.
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Julie (the original!)
03/02/2010
Hey Ho.. you have made my day! I am so thrilled that you managed to get out of the kitchen and get this going it is wonderful and dare I say it I even considered (for a brief moment) printing off a recipe! A thought long since forgotten…I will forward the link to my friends all of whom are extremely jealous of my capacity to get other people to take responsibility for my terrible cooking and rescue my family from the same! Oh How I look forward to eating at your place soon…..I’ll bring the chocolate!
Thermomixer
04/02/2010
Congratulations. It is great and good to see you used WordPress – wish I had, but knew absolutely nothing when I started.
It will be a wonderful addition to food blogs – congratulations.
Isabelle
10/02/2010
I’m so pleased you decided to share yourself with the world.
Have I told you my daughter’s husband is from Tunisia so the Middle-Eastern recipes are especially interesting to me?
Jenny (Jen T)
10/02/2010
Hi there,
I have found you from a link mickeydownunder. I look forward to following your journey 🙂
Jenny
Kate
11/02/2010
Hi and well done- I found you via Zaar – love the title of your blog, just love it. I started my blog as my New Year resolution, please visit if you have time – Kate
Isabelle
11/02/2010
I’d like more pictures of your creations, if you have them.
lambsearsandhoney
11/02/2010
Thanks for the encouragement, folks! I’m glad that you like things so far.
I will try to get some more photo’s on as I go, but I am on a steep learning curve, here!!
David Inverarity
20/02/2010
Well done , you vastly understate your literary skills, it’s entertainly well written. Next time I visit I’ll read some recipes as well.
Joy
22/02/2010
I love this – makes me feel closer to home too, being an Aussie living overseas.
I I found you from Mickey too – so yet another zaarite to visit this blog. Its great!
Jane
23/02/2010
I think this is a wonderful sight, I have loved visiting and being entertained by your descriptions of such mouth watering recipes!
Trudy
24/02/2010
Hi Amanda, I’ve had a great time looking at your site!! Good work!!
Monique
01/03/2010
Amanda….YUM!
Youre right. Chocolate DOES solve things!!
M
x
margie
08/03/2010
so many new friends so little time to tell them about our wonderful part of the world a recipe for sauvignon blanc edible not drinkable please!
Joy Hailes
14/03/2010
Hey Mandy. I am very impressed with your musings, recipes and blog. Excellent. By the way our grandma made really great pancakes when we were good!!!! Tell the cupcake princess I am interested in a taste test.
margie
20/03/2010
stop it right now mandy how can i fit into any clothes if you keep doing this too me!
Johanna
26/03/2010
Hello Mandy
very good blog indeed and I can’t wait to try some of the recipes in my new kitchen when it is ready to go.
Johanna
kiwidutch
29/03/2010
Hi Mandy, Wonderful blog! I look forward to reading it regularly 🙂 Those cupcakes look wonderful…regards Kiwidutch.
elizabeth
03/04/2010
Amanda, love your blog and recipes. You set a standard for us to aim for.
Melissa
18/04/2010
Hi Amanda
I just found your blog through the 101 cookbooks stackism group. Your writing is wonderful – far from inept! I laughed when I read of your mother’s cooking skills – my mother was a very ordinary cook so I understand. Looking forward to hearing more about life in the Adelaide Hills (I’m in Sydney).
Regards
Melissa
Moira McInerney
24/04/2010
Great work Mandy, and I am happy to spread the word here in NZ. Cousin Joy is right though, Nana made great potatoe pancakes……….if only I could find the recipe.
Gaye Buckingham
03/05/2010
Hi Mandy
How wonderful to see you sharing such a great gift with the world. I love your work! I agree with the comments about your mum, I think our mum’s must have gone to the ‘There’s more to life than cooking’ school. Your blog now heads my favourites page.
Doc-G
17/05/2010
Hi there,
Welcome to the blogosphere. Not sure if I’ve met you. I finished the Gastronomy MA last year and have had ‘The Foodologist’ for about 4 years now.
Hope you enjoyed tasting Australia!
Regards,
Doc-G
lambsearsandhoney
18/05/2010
Hello George,
Congrats on achieving your Masters – must be a great feeling of accomplishment!
I enrolled in the programme and finished the first 2 Certificates online in 2008. I went to a couple of the Orientation week functions – I may have met you then – otherwise we probably haven’t met.
I deferred last year and, of course, now the pin has been pulled on the course!
I have only recently begun the blog and am enjoying it immensely, although struggling with the technology a little! For example, I have spent an hour this morning trying to work out how to set up an email address attached to the blog, but have now given up!
I enjoy reading your blog and am most impressed with the last minute burger rescue – what pressure!!
Mary-Anne
26/05/2010
Hi Amanda
As the mother of 4 sons, I’ve been simultaneously impressed and horrified by the power of the mighty “ale” on the male species and I know this is not just an Australian phenomenon!
Beer is held in such high esteem by my sons and their friends, that they (easily) convinced our youngest boy to choose Arnold as his saint’s name for Confirmation. Saint Arnold of Soissons of course being the patron saint of beer and brewers!
Love the recipes – I’m a recipe-a-holic and your writing is great.
Regards
Mary-Anne
Doc-G
23/06/2010
Great new look. The whole thesis thing is looking good. Bit more involved than other themes though!
admin
23/06/2010
Sure is, George. I’ve been on a very steep learning curve!
Michelle
19/07/2010
Congratulations Amanda, a great blog!
Angus cattle, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, almost teenage children, shelves of cookbooks, a love of food ( and our thermomixes) sounds like someone I know 🙂 The only thing missing is the Gastronomy degree and the closest I came was meeting Barbara Santich’s cousin in my cookbook shop. Oh well, looks like I will benefit from your experience here .
You write beautifully , looking forward to more. Must go and find some Duck Confit. Michelle
Anna Johnston
05/08/2010
Great to read your journey, love your writing style….., now I’m off to find these recipes you speak of…..
Cheers
Anna
GregC
30/08/2010
Hi Mandy you know who it is and this response is at the end of a comprehensive trawl through your site. I must admit I am the troglodyte of tecnology despite having grown up with it and blogging may be beyond me. BUT the thought of missing your further erudite and entertaining references should inspire me to keep trying.
Cant figure out how to do this but there are plenty of people here in Beechworth who I am sure would be excited with your contribution to enriching food.
Mandy - The Complete Cook Book
26/10/2010
Hi Amanda
Thanks for stopping by my blog, which led me to yours. I am thrilled you are blogging about your culinary journey and I look forward to sharing in it with you as I have subscribed to receive your post updates, and your recipes sound fabulous too!
🙂 Mandy
Rita
14/11/2010
Hi Amanda!
I found your blog through Mandy’s The Complete Cook Book (see above… :P). I just want to pay you my compliments for this site is really beautiful, clear and professional. Great job!
And you’re so lucky to be surrounded by such a beautiful landscape!
Ayden @ Himalayan Salt
18/10/2011
Hi Amanda, not sure which way I ended up on your blog to be honest, but I’ve enjoyed the stay nonetheless. Thanks!
Johanna
15/03/2012
Hi Amanda,
It’s nice to meet fellow Aussie bloggers, I found your from Diana Jacob’s blog. You caught my interest because 1. You are Aussie and 2. You run Black Angus cattle – I’m from North Queensland and we have a cattle properties in the West. I love you blog and your writing! Let me know if Dianne ever comes to Oz, would love to do a workshop with her! Cheers, Johanna.
Glenda
28/07/2012
Amanda
I was just checking out your blog and I noticed your ‘Eat Your Books’ link. I love it. How did you do it? Glenda
Amanda
28/07/2012
Glenda – contact Eat Your Books – I’m sure they’ll be very happy to help you out.
Debra H
28/07/2012
Luv the Eat Your Books.
Wendy Applebee
20/08/2012
hi Amanda, just read your comment on Not Quite Nigella about the silky smooth hummus and i also have a TM. however i did make this hummus in the TM and it was amazing, different colour, different texture, worth a try just because…
Gluten Free Julia
22/01/2013
Hi Amanda,
Finally discovered your great blog! Less than a year ago, I also started my own blog http://www.glutenfreejulia.com/ (after being diagnosed with coeliac disease), as a fun and informative way to cope with my new diet. I am sorry I missed the 2012 Eat Drink Blog conference but would love to attend this year. Do you know when it is on? It would be lovely to meet you!
Thank you!
Hanh Pham
08/03/2016
Hi. You made my day so special. It is really nice to know you and your blog. Wish you a very Happy International Women’s Day 🙂