We’ve all heard of glamping, but glarming doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. Until very recently, I was (and still am at heart) a bona fide city girl, 100%. I had literally never gotten my hands dirty, owned 100 pairs of heels and only 2 pairs of flats, and had no idea that egg yolks were supposed to be orange, not yellow. I’d lived in Hong Kong, Vancouver, Boston and Toronto, and if you ask anyone who knew me up until 2 years ago, they’d all have sworn that I would stay a city girl forever.

Then I moved to Australia. That was in 2014, and for the first 4 years here I was still an urban dweller. Fast forward to 2018, and my partner (henceforth known as The Roommate on this blog) and I (and my brother-in-law) bought an 800-acre farm in the middle of Canberra. No really, it’s literally 10 minutes from the city centre. And suddenly, I was a farmer. Kind of. It helps that The Roommate is a fiery Italian who grew up on a farm and is obsessed with growing everything himself, isn’t afraid of putting in the hard work and brings a whole new meaning to the term gourmand. I mean, a Chinese and an Italian in the same house = food extravaganza, all day, every day. We bonded over the love of food when we first met, and he’s been helping me achieve new culinary and gastronomic heights ever since.

I’ve learned how to grow a multitude of fruits and vegetables (did you know that planting in the right moon phase can make all the difference to the success of your crops??), discovered that I actually love getting my hands dirty, have become a regular member of the annual salami and prosciutto-making crew, and am now a mother to a brood of animals including a (slightly) crazy dog, 2 rabbits, 7 chickens (4 of which I hatched myself!) and 2 very spoiled, very rotund cows. We’re very fortunate to have the luxury of a generous vegetable and herb garden; being able to harvest ingredients hours or minutes before eating has completely transformed the way I cook. Focus has shifted to using what’s seasonal, which has also inspired (forced) me to find a variety of ways to use certain ingredients. Never, ever would I (or anyone else) have thought I’d be doing any of the things I’m doing today. But that’s life, right?

I hope you enjoy your visit and find a bit of inspiration, whether it be to try out a recipe or just to try something you’ve never eaten before - believe me, taking the leap outside of your comfort zone can be incredibly rewarding!

- X