29 October 2019

Well Chilled…

  • Our Well Chilled afternoons at Bondi Pavilion were alive with great food, delicious wines, music and a buzzing crowd. If you couldn't make it, here are some of the highlights (and the recipes!)

  • Celebrating an incredible 35 years of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc! This year's drop boasts subtle tropical notes with hints of passionfruit backed by zesty grapefruit and kaffir lime.

  • Overlooking the stunning views of Bondi Beach, our guests enjoyed Donna's vibrant food, an oyster bar and of course some premium Cloudy Bay wine.

  • These pretty pink popsicles are perfect for those hot summer days. Pair with Cloudy Bay Pelorus Rosé to make an instant cocktail (and a fresh, fun way to chill your drink!)

  • If you're after for some fresh ideas for summer entertaining, be it long lunches or chilled beach days make sure you bookmark our recipes!

  • These super delicious and fresh fritters are certainly a crowd pleaser, and they pair perfectly with our favourite…. Cloudy Bay Chardonnay.

  • Feeling a glass of Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir? These hand-pies filled with sweet pumpkin, caramelised onion and spicy chorizo brought out notes of Morello cherry in the wine.

  • This vibrant chicken dish was voted most popular, with its perfect mix of spicy and summery green mango salad. The subtle tropical notes of Cloudy Bay's Sauvignon Blanc make it the perfect partner.

  • Good times, friends new and old... We had a blast! If you're gathering friends and family this summer share some fresh, vibrant food and a glass of Cloudy Bay!

                                                         In collaboration with #cloudybay 

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17 October 2019

WeekLight ON TOUR

To celebrate my new book WeekLight, I’m heading to Europe – read on for times, dates and details of events in London.

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10 October 2018

Modern Baking on tour

​To celebrate my new book Modern Baking, I’m headed to Europe - read on for times, dates and details of events in London, Hamburg, Berlin and Amsterdam.  

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08 March 2018

Autumnal Getaway

  • With the arrival of crisp, cool mornings comes daydreams of a getaway to a dreamy Maldives resort. Cue Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani - the embodiment of barefoot luxury...

  • Lay down a luxe beach towel and enjoy a sunrise breakfast or sip on an icy cold almond and blueberry smoothie to start your day.

  • Head back to your spectacular over-water villa to refresh before lunch. Even better, take a quick dip in your private pool... bliss.

  • Throw your favourite book in your beach bag and enjoy a light lunch. This grilled chicken and watercress salad with tahini dressing even looks like summer.

  • Get out and explore. Snorkel, dive, take a bike ride - enjoy the afternoon tropical breeze and get back to nature.

  • Take time out by the pool and spoil yourself with a refreshing treat. This lychee and coconut granita is calling your name.

  • Soneva Fushi offers guests the chance to enjoy a memorable sandbank dinner... spectacular food under nature's most impressive canopy.

  • A spritz of your favourite fragrance and you're ready for a relaxing evening with good friends and food. For laid-back luxe, pesto salmon skewers with green couscous salad ticks all the boxes.

                                                                  In collaboration with #discoversoneva

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30 November 2017

behind the scenes - part 2

  • Donna and her young friends embark on an adventure filled eight-part series, experimenting with some healthy change-ups to our favourite recipes. There are thrills and spills and of course, loads of laughs along the way.

  • In episode 5 we leave the hustle and bustle of the city and head to the country. Here, we’ll get to use fresh ingredients and play some super fun games!

  • The country is the perfect excuse to try strawberry panna cottas and a quick quiche recipe made with a twist!

  • The vegetable garden is the perfect place to get all the best veggies. In this episode we cook some delicious meals using veggies and even meet some pretty interesting friends along the way…

  • We cook up a storm with some lightening fast vegetable fritters, zucchini cannelloni, and even a carrot cake that is super yum!

  • Sunday lunch is all about getting the family together over some home cooked food. In this episode we cook some crowd-pleasing meals that can get everyone in the family cooking!

  • Creating the perfect summer dishes we cook up some fun sushi cones, a fresh and crisp rainbow salad, and yummy summer fruit tarts!

  • In episode 8 Donna and the girls hold a charity cake stall to make some healthy sweet treats that are sure to sell off the stands.

  • Together they bake a chocolate fudge cake, chocolate crackles, and some decorated cupcakes, that are so yum and good for you.

Take a sneak peek into all the fun that happened behind the scenes of my new series, Basics to Brilliance. ​I was lucky to have such a fabulous team from Foxtel who made filming my new series such a pleasure. We worked hard, but we had loads of laughs and I suspect they were the best-fed crew in television! D.x

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10 November 2017

behind the scenes
  • Donna and her young friends embark on an adventure filled eight-part series, experimenting with some healthy change-ups to our favourite recipes. There are thrills and spills and of course, loads of laughs along the way.

  • Episode one of Basics to Brilliance Kids saw Donna and the gang prepare for the ultimate backyard movie night, painting cardboard cars, cooking tasty snacks and building their outdoor cinema.

  • Think chewy, crunchy chocolate peanut slice and vegetable packed tortilla bowls, followed by a must-have cinema snack: oil and additive free popcorn and seriously yummy yoghurt popsicles.

  • In episode two, Donna and the girls head out for a day of salt, sand, sun and surfing before they start cooking up a storm!

  • Together they build their own burgers, corn fritters and try Donna's ultimate chocolate and strawberry milkshakes - with a healthy twist! Super yum!!

  • Donna hosts the ultimate girls sleepover in episode three of Basics to Brilliance Kids, there's dancing, cooking and of course... a dress up box fit for a princess.

  • Mastering the tricks of the trade, the girls load pizzas with fresh ingredients, whisk up fudgy chocolate puddings and wake up with the fluffiest pancakes.

  • Episode four saw Donna and the boys head out on an adrenaline-packed adventure. There's a treasure hunt and a chance to experiment with wholesome ingredients.

  • Donna and the boys prepare a clever and healthy take on pesto pasta, wholesome pies, choc-banana brownies and mouthwatering jam drop cookies.

04 November 2017

Summer days by the sea…
  • The very thought of a long lazy lunch with friends conjures up visions of grilled seafood piled high and a crisp, cool glass of white wine. Enjoy our recipe ideas for relaxed summer entertaining.

  • Gather your friends, prepare a bounty of shareable platters and get ready to sail away… the fun starts here!

  • A summer staple with a fun twist! These char-grilled prawns with miso, ginger butter are served on easy-to-handle bamboo skewers, and they pair perfectly with our favourite... Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc.

  • Entertaining is only fun if you get a chance to join in the fun. The secret... is preparation, get the prep done early so you can unwind and enjoy the time with friends - making memories together.

  • As the gulls wheel and turn over the water, you can take in your surrounds. The only decision you need to make is whether to start with the prawns, or go straight for the crispy chilli fish.

  • Kick off your shoes... and settle in for a long afternoon with good friends by the sea. The water lapping at our feet, a chilled glass in hand and the salty smell of summer in the air.

  • The vibrant mix of lime, lemon and nectarine aromatics in the Sauvignon Blanc makes food flavours sing and these delicate slices of tuna sashimi with cucumber and ginger sesame are no exception.

  • When the food’s gone and the light of the day starts to fade, take a moment to soak it all up and ask yourself: why don’t we all do this more often?

                                                                  In collaboration with #cloudybay 

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14 September 2017

sweet 16th birthday – behind the scenes
  • In her signature style, Donna celebrated the magazine’s sweet 16th with an elegant and intimate event. Just like crafting a magazine, putting together an event takes a team, a vision and a whole lot of work behind the scenes.

  • What lies at the heart of any donna hay celebration? Cake, of course. And lots of it! Our trusted Queen vanilla was in constant demand amidst days of whipping, mixing and baking, inching ever-closer to the party vision - a cake table like no other!

  • The day arrives. There are tables to be dressed, miles and miles of cake stands to be polished, positioned and then repositioned. And then there’s the drizzle… the all-important, perfectly placed icing, chocolate and caramel drizzle.

  • Time to call in the classics, like our favourite Le Creuset cast iron, delicate pieces of etched glass, multi-level pewter stands and even some uber-glamorous black glass cake stands to strut their stuff.

  • There are spring blooms positively bursting as we build, blossoms and buds abound, aromas creating a sensory celebration all of their own. And in the centre of it all, a delicate beauty – the salted coconut and raspberry bundt cake.

  • Guests start to trickle in via an enchanted forest walkway… leaves rustle underfoot and the sweet vocals of the talented Grace Pitts can be heard drifting through from the party room.

  • Moments before guests are due to arrive, Donna takes the opportunity to touch up with her favourite Estee Lauder lip gloss. The filming for her new series has just finished but she is poised, ready for action. It’s party time!

  • The popping corks announce the party has officially begun! The Cloudy Bay Pelorus sparkles and shines for our guests. The music starts and the party is officially in full swing.

  • A breathtaking dessert table takes centre stage with a sensational cake selection, abundant with sweet treats and nestled between dream-like outstretched branches. Of course, Donna is as always ready to serve you up a slice.

  • Adorning the back wall and in plentiful supply on the dessert table are the iconic birthday cupcakes from the cover. Click the image to see the recipe for the best chocolate cupcake – ever!

With special thanks to our Sweet 16 sponsors Cloudy Bay, Queen Fine Foods, Le Creuset and Estee Lauder

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02 September 2017

spring is in the air…
  • Bring on spring! This is how to host a party the donna hay way, the water is sparkling and so is the Pelorus!

  • Perfectly tasty morsels are effortlessly paired with elegant flutes of bubbles… twirling their way to the top of the glass.

  • A fresh spin on a classic, mini blinis mingle with chives and the most refreshing citrus-cured salmon - perfection!

  • Time to kick off your shoes as the water laps against the boats and the afternoon sun sinks in the sky...

  • The delicate yet crisp palate of Pelorus makes a perfect sipping partner for these seared scallops and pear.

  • The lightest, most perfectly summery cloudy apple sorbet packs a fruity punch.

  • Charge your glasses. Looks like we're in for a perfect sunset!

                                                                    In collaboration with #cloudybay 

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05 June 2017

Shimmering sunset
  • The setting sun casts a shimmering shadow over the sea. Together they provide the perfect backdrop for this laid-back affair.

  • Spiced sesame lamb patties with baba ghanoush are served with pomegranate, pistachio and red sorrel leaves. The flavours dance as they meet the sweet spice notes of the Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir.

  • Intriguing and seductive… the wine is as alluring as the view.

  • Crispy vine leaf fried haloumi with fig and fennel salad delivers a burst of delicious salty sweet flavour combined with a golden crunch.

  • Here, life’s pleasures abound – good food, great wine and close friends. Fun times.

  • The warmth of the glowing embers are reflected in their laughing eyes, as well as the ripe silky tannins of the Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir.

  • Sweet, but awash with the rich velvety flavour of cherries, the classic cherry tarte tatin with chocolate is a perfect pairing.

  • As the sun fades, a new amber glow brimming with warmth appears… and the sound of friendship rings through the air. #comesailaway

                                                                    In collaboration with #cloudybay 

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08 May 2017

exploring the olive groves
  • As the first hints of morning light filtered through the leaves, the donna hay team set out for a day of adventure. Rows upon rows of silvery olive trees awaited – what a perfect place to let time stand still and soak up the inspiration.

  • Hugging the curves of the Murray River, the sea of trees are loaded with perfect plump fruit, ready to inspire. Here lie endless possibilities for a marvellous feast at the day’s end.

  • Ever wished you could marinate your own olives? Or feta? Not only will you have amazing flavour-infused olives and feta, the leftover oil is perfect to toss through pasta, on salads or just to dunk your bread in.

  • Scones and blue cheese… who knew? These savoury green olive scones pair perfectly with the tang of blue cheese and a drizzle of honey. A taste sensation!

  • One of our favourite ingredients, Australian extra virgin olive oil, is of the highest quality, cold-pressed and rich in antioxidants.

  • Soaking in a sea of golden goodness… The tarragon and juniper olive oil confit trout is paired with a shaved fennel and herb salad.

  • The magic of olive oil? It is perfectly suited to baking or cooking as well as marinating or simply drizzling over crisp salad leaves.

  • After a rewarding day of harvest, picking, cooking and tasting, it’s time to retreat and indulge in blissful baked treats. The perfect end to a magical day.

                                            With special thanks to our friends at Cobram Estate


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26 December 2016

Donna’s Sydney to Hobart adventure!
  • Skipper Aaron Rowe and his super-talented crew will guide the 80-footer across the Bass Strait. Aaron says he's hoping for bad weather - not sure I am!

  • I’m on board to make sure the crew is well fed, properly nourished and get us to Hobart as quickly as they can. We have to be ready for anything, sea sickness, bad weather… we need to be able to roll with it.

  • There’s only so much we can control, that’s where the snacks come in. Little and often is good. Potassium, protein and power-packed snacks will help to keep the crew strong and energised throughout the race.

  • No running water, no kitchen and no light to speak of… I mean, seriously - I’m wearing a headlamp! Who’d have thought I would ever be ocean racing, cooking for 16 big blokes while sporting a headlamp! Not me, that’s for sure!

  • What goes through your head when you’re sailing offshore? Where’s the opposition? How fast are we going? What’s happening with the weather? And what we are going to have for dinner?

  • I’ve been testing and cooking for weeks now. Green chicken curry and rice works well in a vac-pack, as does slow-cooked beef brisket. Bacon and egg pies are a winner. The boys have requested schnitzel and lamb chops. Nobody’s going hungry

  • There’s a sailing proverb, “One hand for yourself, and one for the ship” it’s actually about safety, to hold on as you work - but it's also for eating. I think we can still get everyone fed - with one hand!

  • Sailing offshore is all about the people, they are the engine driving the boat. They make the decisions, trim the sails and ooze the energy to win. And that engine (or 17) needs good fuel to function at its peak, to be on top of its game.

It’s been a big year. Massive. TV series, new book, European tour, two magazines to oversee. So when the offer came to join the Beau Geste crew to sail the Sydney to Hobart (my dream) what could I say?

                                    With special thanks to our friends from Cloudy Bay #comesailaway

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11 September 2016

Behind-the-scenes: the team on location
  • It's shoot day. The dh team have downed tools to spend the day on the Harbour where the sun is shining, the water sparkling and Donna's just raided her son Tom's stash of plastic letters to finish the message on our retro sign.

  • Donna and food director Steve get the heavy lifting done. Now, about those cocktails... fire up that Smeg juicer and start pouring the Patron tequila!

  • Estee Lauder to the rescue... Donna gets a make-up touch-up. Drinks are lining up and the Royal Doulton glassware stands ready!

  • Time for a feast! Pork belly steamed buns and a sashimi bar teaming with salmon, tuna and kingfish - look good enough to eat!

  • The old wooden table stretches out along the pier and the food is piled high... at last, it's time to eat!

  • Little buckets of tempura sweet potato chips join the party. Then Donna and managing editor Pru dive into the dessert table.

  • It's a donna hay party, of course there's cake! Steve adds the birthday candles... then, prepare to sing!

​Those beautiful glossy pictures don’t happen without a whole lot of work behind-the-scenes. Click through the gallery for a little peek inside the world of donna hay magazine as we celebrate our 15th birthday issue. 

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08 September 2016

15th birthday party!
  • The media wall... donna hay style! The white-upon-white theme set the tone from the collector's edition magazine cover all the way to the glamorous cake table.

  • It wouldn't be a donna hay party without miles of cake and this dessert table did not disappoint. Straight off the pages of the birthday edition we served coconut layer meringue cake, hazelnut mocha mousse cake, tiramisu sponge and more!

  • Of course the cakes had to be iced at the venue (or risk the unthinkable in transit!). But literally kilos of icing later - our Smeg stand mixer was going strong. Meanwhile, Donna sneaks a quick make-up check and slick of Estee Lauder lip gloss.

  • The birthday girl cutting the heavenly cover-star cake, which is of course - perfectly poised on a donna hay for Royal Doulton cake stand! Click the image for the recipe of the raspberry and cream angel food cake.

  • Party guests .. Kylie Gilles with Donna, Paula Joye and Jane Roarty with Donna.

  • Party guests... Melissa Hoyer and Donna, Alex Perry and Erin Holland

  • Party guests... Lynette Phillips and Donna, Loic Rethore, Donna and David Rogers

  • Aside from cake, guests sipped on Patron tequila lychee vanilla martinis and Nespresso sorbet-tinis.

About last night… to celebrate 15 amazing years Donna hosted a glamorous all-white affair with cocktails and cake… lots of cake!! With special thanks to our 15th birthday partners Estee Lauder AustraliaNespressoRoyal Doultonwww.smeg.com.au and Patrón Tequila 

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07 September 2016

donna hay team 15th birthday seaside celebration video

Back to where it all began! My amazing team enjoy a marvelous seafood feast along Sydney Harbour to celebrate 15 wonderful years of donna hay magazine. 

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01 July 2016

behind the scenes: Basics to Brilliance
  • This is Rob, my cameraman – he's also the one responsible for many of my fits of giggles during filming!

  • This is the dark chocolate and raspberry tart from episode 9 of the show – it was one of the crew's favourite day of filming (mine too!).

  • You caught me! Sneaking in a shot of the set for Instagram – you can follow me @donna.hay for more of my behind the scenes cooking pics!

  • Out of the kitchen for a change and soaking up the scenery... Sydney's stunning Bondi Beach at sunset.

  • Meet Wolfie, my director's dog who is a Schipperke/Pomeranian. He helped us out as an extra in some of the shots. Super cute!

  • Taking a peek at the shot of my rich chocolate truffles behind my cameraman, Warwick. How good to they look?!

  • This is my amazing Basics to Brilliance crew - thank you guys, it was so much fun!

Take a sneak peek into all the fun that happened behind the scenes of my new series, Basics to Brilliance. ​I was lucky to have such a fabulous team from Foxtel who made filming my new series such a pleasure. We worked hard, but we had loads of laughs and I suspect they were the best-fed crew in television! D.x

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