Life with Bees

We were in Sydney this weekend for a concert - and you can't go to Sydney without eating out. Sunday afternoon we spent at the Lindt Chocolate Cafe, having deep dark hot chocolate and opulent cakes at a table looking out over Darling Harbour. TK had a Lindt waffle, a perfect little creature with a scoop of rich vanilla and a pot of melted chocolate on the side. If you look closely you can see him in the glossy reflection of the chocolate. Luckily we'd managed to miss the lurid red dust storm or this photo might have been less appetising.

We also went to our favourite Brazilian churrasco, Braza, and ate some of the most tender, caramelised barbeque you'll get at a restaurant. They bring it round on swords and carve it for you at the table and there's no limit on how much you can have. We had four guys in the party - so lunch took a leisurely three hours. One of our friends, who hadn't eaten red meat for months beforehand due to a blood condition, established his manly credentials by relentlessly eating everything in sight for the entire meal.

I survived the three hours by cannily eating only one piece of everything and avoiding the various cuts of lamb and beef altogether. But it was an endless caravan of meat and it was all good. Highlights included pork ribs that were caramelised and pleasingly charred all round but slid tenderly off the bone; crisp bright orange prawns; and firm chicken hearts cooked over an open flame. Worth the drive to Sydney alone.