I confess I haven’t eaten at every bakery in Australia, but from the high-gluten experience I do have, there is one bakery that is my absolute number one.

The Bourke Street Bakery is an institution for good reason- it makes absolutely phenomenal baked-goods. I find I gravitate towards it whenever I’m in Sydney, even if it means catching three different forms of public transport to get there.  

What’s so good about this place? Let’s check it out.

On a recent trip to Sydney, we were in need of an early, quick dinner ahead of a meeting, and thought we’d hit the jackpot on King St in Newtown, which is known for restaurants galore.

However, after being told by one restaurant that they didn’t switch on the kitchen stove for another half hour, we grew a bit stressed time-wise. Luckily we then stumbled upon a very, very friendly and accommodating restaurant.

Whateley Lane is an Italian restaurant on the corner of King St and (funnily enough) Whateley Lane.

What did we make of Whateley? Let’s find out.

Erskineville is one of Sydney's trendier suburbs with beards and skinny jeans as far as the eye can see. However it still maintains a lovely community feel, which extends into one of its gem restaurants: Maggie's Thai.

This restaurant is a favourite among locals, which is probably the highest praise a restaurant can receive. Michelin stars are overrated- just ask Lisa down the street what she thinks.

The menu at Maggie's Thai is extensive with some awesome twists on the usual Thai restaurant staples. The stir-fry section includes Lamb with Chilli Coconut Sauce and Crispy Pork Belly with Asian Greens.

Gone are the days of just having Thai, Chinese or Japanese meal options when you feel like a taste of Asia. More and more we're seeing a variety of other cuisines popping up in restaurants all over the place, including Vietnamese, Filipino and Malaysian.

If you feel like venturing a bit further than a plate of fried rice, I can hand over heart say that a fantastic option is Mamak in Sydney's Chinatown.

And the best thing is, not only does it pile the most delicious Malaysian food thinkable onto your plate, but it's cheap too.

That second Sunday in May is almost upon us again, which means florists and chocolate truffle-makers are working in overtime getting ready for a stream of Mother's Day orders that's sure to come their way.

Often as a special treat for mum, you'll see people out and about at breakfasts, brunches and lunches all throughout Sunday, but this year could be a chance to do a little something different that supports local business and still gives mum a day out that she'll love- take her out to your local market!

While I usually blather on about Queensland markets each week on 612ABC, it really is time I took this round-up Australia-wide. Here then are a range of markets from Cairns to Beaconsfield to Glenorchy for you and your mum to potter through unique arts and crafts, try on handmade clothes, and of course sample gourmet foods.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
Lions Woden Market from 7am - 12pm at Westfield Woden Shopping Centre, Woden ACT 2606
Southside Farmers Market from 8am - 11:30am at CIT Southside Campus, Hindmarsh Drive & Ainsworth Street, Phillip ACT 2606
Tuggeranong Homestead Market from 9am - 2pm at Tuggeranong Homestead, Johnson Drive, Richardson ACT 2905

NEW SOUTH WALES
3 Peas Markets from 8am - 2pm at Teralba Public School, York Street, Lake Mcquarie NSW 2284
Alstonville Community Market from 8:30am - 12:30pm at Alstonville Showground, Alstonville NSW 2477
Bathurst Showground Markets from 9am - 1pm at Kendall Avenue, Bathurst NSW 2795
Blaxland Public School Sunday Market on Sunday morning at Blaxland NSW 2774
Como Markets from 9am - 2pm at Como Public School, Genoa St, Como NSW 2226
Grand View Markets from 9am - 2pm at 174 Great Western Highway, Wentworth Falls NSW 2782
Kirribilli Art, Design and Fashion Market from 9am - 3pm at Kirribilli NSW 2061
Pambula Craft Market from 8am - 1pm at the cnr. Monaro & Toalla Streets, Pambula NSW 2549
Riverside Market Dubbo from 8:30am - 12:30pm at Bligh Street, Dubbo NSW 2830
Tamworth Showground Market from 8am - 1pm at the Tamworth Showground, Tamworth 2340

NORTHERN TERRITORY
Batchelor Market from 8am - 1pm at Batchelor Oval, Batchelor, NT 0845
Heavitree Gap Community Markets from 9am - 12:30pm at Heavitree Gap Tavern, Alice Springs, NT 0873
Mindil Beach Sunset Market from 4pm - 9pm at Maria Liveris Drive, The Gardens NT 0820

QUEENSLAND
Brisbane Marketplace Sunday Discovery Markets from 6am - 12pm at 252 Sherwood Road, Brisbane QLD 4106
Carrara Markets from 7am - 4pm at Manchester Rd, Carrara Qld 4211
Coolangatta Markets from 8am - 2pm at Marine Parade, Coolangatta QLD 4225
Eagle Farm Markets from 7am - 12:30pm at 230 Lancaster Road, Ascot 4007
Holloways Beach Markets from 8am - 1pm at Casuarina Street, Cairns QLD 4878
Noosa Farmers Market from 6am - 12pm at Weyba Rd, Noosaville QLD 4566 (thanks @andyg00d for this one!)
Riverside at the Pier Market from 7am - 3pm at 1 Eagle St, Brisbane QLD 4000
Tamborine Mountain Markets from 8am - 2pm at the Tamborine Mountain Showgrounds QLD 4272
Townsville Cotters Market from 8:30am - 1pm at Flinders St, Townsville QLD 4810

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Angaston Market from 10am - 3pm at Angaston SA 5353
Emporium Plus Markets from 9am - 4pm at Enfield SA 5085
Gepps Cross Sunday Treasure Market from 7am - 1pm at Mainline Drive-In, 588 Main North Road, Gepps Cross 5094
Moana Market from 9am - 1:30pm at Moana Pioneers Memorial Hall, Moana SA 5169
Once Upon A Market from 11am - 3pm at Seaford Recreation Centre, Grand Boulevard, Seaford SA 5169

TASMANIA
Axemans Makers Market from 8am - 2pm at the Australian Axemans Hall of Fame, Bells Parade, Latrobe TAS 7307
Hobart Showground Sunday Market from 8am - 2pm at the Hobart Showground, 2 Howard Rd, Glenorchy  7010
Kingston Beach Handmade Market from 10am - 3pm at 20 Beach Road, Kingston Beach TAS 7050,

VICTORIA
Bittern Market from 8:30am - 1pm at Frankston-Flinders Road, Bittern VIC 3918
Bollygum Community Market from 10am - 2pm at Whittlesea Kinglake Road, Kinglake VIC 3763
Daylesford Market from 8am - 3pm at Daylesford Station, Daylesford VIC 3460
Girgarre Farmers Produce & Craft Market from 8:30am - 12pm at Winter Rd & Station St, Girgarre VIC 3624
Paynesville Market from 8am - 1:30pm at Raymond St, Paynesville VIC 3880
Point Lonsdale Market from 9am - 2pm at the Point Lonsdale Primary School, Bowen Rd, Point Lonsdale 3225
Warrnambool Market from 8:30am - 1pm at the Cattle Pavilion in the Showgrounds, Koroit Street, Warrnambool 3280

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Good Shed Markets from 8am - 12pm at Good Shed, Forrest St, Collie WA 6225
Growers Green Farmers Markets from 8am - 12pm at 171 Lefroy Road, Beaconsfield WA 6162
Lynwood Community Market from 8am - 12pm at Lynwood Senior High School, 436 Metcalfe Road, Parkwood WA 6147
Markets On The Mall from 8am - 1pm at Marine Terrace Mall, Geraldton WA 6530
Perth Home Grown Farmers Markets from 11am - 4pm at Forrest Place, Perth WA 6000

Wherever you are in Aus, handmade crafty items and gourmet treats abounds. 

Have I missed a Mother's Day Market out your way? Leave me a comment and let me know!

I need to take out a gym membership. Because when I tasted this Belgian Chocolate Sauce with Cointreau from the Little Hand Stirred Jam Shop, I ate half the bottle. And knowing that this choc-delight exists in the world, I will be eating spoonfuls more for years to come.

I am already something of a choc-a-holic so while I am pre-disposed to like chocolate items, it takes a really special one for me to go completely weak at the knees, and this sauce really is one of the most special choc-things I've ever tasted. Made with chocolate, cream and cointreau, this simple recipe is one from heaven.

The chocolate used in this sauce is obviously of a really high quality, as it's creamy but still packed full of that decadent cacao flavour. The cream then adds a level of richness that you just don't get in alternative supermarket-bought chocolate sauces.

Just before I tried this sauce, I was a bit concerned that it would have a fake orange flavour from the Cointreau, but thankfully it doesn't. Rather you can really taste the alcohol from the Cointreau and the orange is more like an orange oil taste- it's condensed, not overtly sweet and brilliantly balanced with the chocolate.

The thick texture of the sauce means it's best served at room temperature, but a quick zap in the microwave gets it flowing nicely over whatever fruit or ice cream you love and would like to make better.

I did stop eating spoonfuls of this sauce just long enough to place some token raspberries in a bowl so that I could feel somewhat virtuous health-wise before glugging more of this Belgian Chocolate Sauce with Cointreau all over it. I did actually pour way more sauce than is in the picture below, but I thought I'd take a photo at my half-way mark so you could still actually identify the fruit in the bowl.

The Little Hand Stirred Jam Shop is found in Berrima in the Southern Tablelands of NSW. It's old school with no website, no social media- just amazing chocolate sauce! If you're in town, there are a plethora of other tasty offerings in store as well including jams, chutneys, lollies and ice cream.

Website: Berrima Village

I like to consider this a bit of a classy blog, taking about fine food and wine. I like to think people like you read articles on this site while sipping a nice cup of earl grey listening to some art house music with the scent of home baked bread in the air. Well, no longer can I imagine this now that I am reviewing this gem of a product- and I call it that largely from its ingenious marketing.

Bum Hummers (or pickled onions with chilli and other spices)  reputedly contain 1000 farts in a jar, which may put people off making a purchase, but while some of my friends were traversing around rural NSW, they decided this product was exactly what Australian Foodie needed, and so here we are.

I can't do a review without tasting a product, so despite some initial apprehensions and my husband's protests, taste a pickled onion I did, and they were actually really good!

Rather than just be a typical old onion, the chilli and spice infusion in these Bum Hummers really packed a kick, and would go really well with a crumbly cheddar and smoked ham on a fancy little ploughman's lunch plate.

The hot chilli in these onions made them strangely addictive, and after my eyes finished watering from my first taste, I was well up for another bite! To wash these spicy nuggets down, I'd opt for really good a pale ale such as a Little Creatures or a 4 Pines.

The onions in this jar are locally grown and preservative-free. Created by Riverina Grove, the range of Bum Hummer produce stems far and wide from this humble jar of pickled deliciousness. You can also procure for yourselves a jar of Bum Hummers Chilli Salsa (Fart Starter) or a jar of Bum Hummers Tomato Relish (No Farts in a Jar).

Website: Riverina Grove

Perhaps not 100% associated with Aussie produce, this post at least gives you some unique ideas for your quality bacon purchase from places like Slade Point Meat Specialist in Mackay who took out top prize for Australia's best bacon 2013 in a competition run by Australian Pork Limited.

If you are on the hunt for the best bacon out your way, the below list of butcheries are a good place to start as these guys took out APL's top state prize for full rasher and short cut:

ACT: The Butcher Shop & Meatways Butchery
NSW: Kenthurst Gourmet Butchery & Stapletons Meats Gymea
Qld: Slade Point Meat Specialist & Barrits Butchery
SA: Mathies Meat Shoppe & Balhanna Junction Meats
Tas: Sharman's Butchery
Vic: Wattle City Meats & Bertocchi Smallgoods
WA: Princi Smallgoods & Adrian's Continental Smallgoods

We're all aware of traditional uses for bacon such as pairing it up with some eggs and toast for a satisfying breakfast. However, if you've been-there-done-that and fancy some inspiration on what else to do with your tasty piece of cured pork, here are the top ten most creative bacon concoctions.

Nothing is sacred- not even a can of diet coke.

Seen any other bacon delights? Leave a comment and let us know!