Spectrum FM Radio

Hello Good Lifers. As I usually interview at least two authors each week (which means I have at least two books to read), you will appreciate that there are a lot of books to choose from!

This is by no means a complete list and it IS biased in that I am including the books I considered really worthwhile and/or the books I would like to receive as a present.

My favourite was The Artist's Lunch by Sarah Rhodes and Alice McCormick. This truly beautiful book offers every thing... an insight into the lives, home and studios of some of Australia's significant artists, some well established (such as Margaret Olley) and others, young and relative newcomers. We share not only their philosophies but also their recipes. It is a pleasure just to handle this bok and I very warmly recommend it.

Early in the year I reviewed another lovely little book called COUNT ME THE STARS. Beautifully presented, it consists of poetry which is often reminiscent of haiku and it is also a delight to the eye. Written by poet/potter Kylie Johnson, it is well worth seeking out.

CRIME NOVELS: This is a favourite genre of mine, I must admit, and among others I really enjoyed A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE by Malla Nunn. A detective story set in South Africa in the apartheid era, it is a thought-provoking novel as well as a great read.

SPLINTER, by Australian writer Michael Connell, is also another one well worth a read.

Elizabeth George never disappoints and her very long story ..... keeps us guessing. She is a great writer and I'm sorry I was not able to interview her as she did not come to Australia.

A very disturbing but important book was THE TALL MAN by Chloe Hooper. It followed the riots and subsequent trials on Palm Island after the death in custody of a local aboriginal man, Cameron Doomagee. One of the best books I have read this year.

TARAB by Carl Cleves was another really enjoyable book. This Belgian musician/ adventurer tells of his life, loves and experiences and was a most interesting guest.

INVADING AUSTRALIA is another book that will cause discussion and disagreement! Peter Stanley presents a pretty convincing case against the theory that the Japanese army really intended to invade Australia, although many would disagree.

I LOVED Janine McCulloch's LA VIE PARISIENNE! Partly, I must admit, because she lived in the same small street in Paris where I have stayed every time I have visited that wonderful city! She writes very honestly and humorously about her experiences, with all the "less than perfect" episodes included. A terrific holiday read!

In similar vein, I recommend Marc Llewellyn's FINDING NINO. With a wife and new baby, Marc decided to move to a village in Italy and we follow his ups and downs as they try to make a new life there. He tells us very honestly about the problems as well as the pleasures they shared.

Quite different, but a great true adventure story is SWIMMING WITH CROCODILES by Will Chaffey. An American, he writes very honestly of his experiences in the most remote parts of Australia and of the characters he meets along the way. A good book!

A shocking book, but totally absorbing was PITCAIRN - PARADISE LOST by Kathy Marks. This recounts in detail the painful story of the almost ritualised sexual abuse of young children by the local men and the reluctant acceptance of it by most of the women, the majority of whom had suffered the same situation themselves. A terrific book but one that will leave you feeling quite sad.

Another favourite was PAPER CRANES by Cheryl Koenig. Cheryl tells of the long and painful rehabilitation of her young son after a terrible car accident. It is an amazing story of one woman's tenacity in the face of medical bureaucracy and her determination to give her son Jonathan the chance to live a full life, despite his disabilities. She has had great success in this mission. We keep in touch now and I know that "Johno" has been having driving lessons in anticipation of getting his licence!

REMEMBER ME, MRS V? By Tom Valenta is a very moving book about the decline of Tom's wife into Alzheimer's Disease. Tom has the highest praise for the Alzheimer Foundation and the support he has had from them and it is very hard to read this book without being quite affected by it.

A highlight for me was to interview Geraldine Brooks at the Adelaide Writers' Festival. One of my favourite authors, her book PEOPLE OF THE BOOK is quite extraordinary. Like most of her writings, the book is based in fascinating fact into which she then weaves an imaginative fictional story. Her books send you flying to GOOGLE to find out more!!!!! In fact, one of my favourite books over the last 5 years would be YEAR OF WONDER, her book set in the time of the Great Plague.

One of the best novels I read this year was THE BIOGRAPHER by VIRGINIA DUIGAN. Set in Italy, (although it starts in Australia) full of dark secrets and intrigue, I thought it was a fantastic book. Brilliant for leisurely reading and one of my favourites.

For lovers of Australian history, there were two outstanding books I enjoyed. VAN DIEMEN'S LAND by James Boyce and 1788 by David Hill. I loved them both and for a surrealistic, romanticised view of the Burke & Wills expedition, I recommend THE LANDSCAPE OF DESIRE by Kevin Rabalais.

Former Sydney woman-about-town Annette Hughes writes amusingly and quite passionately about the "tree change" she and her musician partner made when they moved to farm life in the country. ART LIFE CHOOKS says it all - and it is a lovely read. And also related to the "alternative" life style is last year's THE WOMAN ON THE MOUNTAIN by Sharyn Munro, who has now become my friend! (Her new book BUSH TAILS will be published in March!)

DEAR EDDIE by Danny Russell was a beautiful "true story" book, consisting of letters from a father (Danny) written to his little son after the death of his mother. Despite the underlying sadness of the book, Danny makes us laugh and it really is a "feel good" read.

THE GOOD THIEF by Hannah Tinti was an extraordinary book, which I loved. Set in Salem in the times of the witch hunts, it consists of almost Charles Dickens' like characters and offers quite enthralling reading before the "mystery" is resolved.

ARABESQUES by Robert Dessaix will not disappoint admirers of his previous books! Richly textured erotic prose, wonderful photographs and illustrations make reading it feel rather like dipping into a box of lush, forbidden chocolates that are totally irresistible!

SCHAPELLE by Tony Wilson.... What can I say? I started the book with the firm conviction of Schapelle Corby's guilt. When I had finished it, I was still not convinced that she is innocent but felt very certain that she had not had a fair trial and that, on the evidence, she should not be in the squalid prison where she is held. Read it and make up your own mind!!!

DEATH IN THE MOUNTAINS by Lisa Clifford is an intriguing book. Based on fact, Lisa writes about a 100-year old murder in the hills of Tuscany, which was never investigated. The man was a relative of her husband's and she sets out to unravel the mystery and, along the way, discovers a fascinating history of the life and times in which the man had lived. The life style was incredibly hard and it provides a fascinating read.

HER FATHER'S DAUGHTER by John Clanchy offers a selection of short stories all based on father/daughter relationships. Very interesting material and really enjoyable.

WISDOM by Andrew Zuckerman is a truly amazing book! Huge in size and in scope, it contains the "wisdom of the elders" of this world....all the great names are there as well as a few that are perhaps unexpected. Willie Nelson, for example! There are magnificent black and white portraits, which are almost enough in themselves. This is sure to become a collector's treasure.

One of my favourites for the entire year was a small book called The Island of the Ancients by Ben Hills. It is a wonderful little book written with great respect and affection about the "ancients" (the centenarians) who live on the Isle of Sardinia. For most of them, life has been incredibly hard but there are more centenarians there than anywhere else in the world. It has wonderful portraits of these magnificent old people and Ben Hills writes so warmly that we can't help but share his affection for them.

IT ALL HAPPENED AT NO. 26 is a very funny and honest book by local comedian Denise Scott. Read it for a good laugh - and feel a bit sorry for the family she speaks of fondly but frankly! I went to the launch and it was hilarious.

SAY WHEN by Catherine Deveny is a collection of her articles (but unedited!) from The Age. She is fearless in her writing and so passionate about things she feels are important... but don't give a copy to your aunt in the convent or to anyone who voted for John Howard!! I am a big fan of Catherine's!

THE BRICKMASTERS (FROM 1788 - 2008) by Ron Ringer. Now I know this isn't going to excite everybody - but it certainly enthralled me! I love bricks and Ron and I had a wonderful long chat about them on The Good Life It is a magnificent book - which weighs as much as a brick! - and comes in a beautiful slip cover. Not for everybody.....

LYGON STREET by Michael Harden provided a wonderful history of this famous Melbourne Street. Great book to pick up and dip into when you have a few spare minutes.

FLAVOURS OF MELBOURNE by Charmaine O'Brien was one of the last books I read for the year. All about the history of food, restaurants, stores in Melbourne, from the early settlement days right up to the moment, it is another lovely book to have on hand for a bit of literary "grazing".

I have had the pleasure of interviewing a number of the authors listed above and it is always a great feeling to be able to establish a rapport with them. I avoid interviewing authors whose books I haven't enjoyed (although Death in Colombia by Matt Thompson was an exception!) so I won't list those I didn't like!

Of course there were other books I have read and liked but these were the ones I most enjoyed.

One book from last year is still a big favourite of mine and the author is a lovely man, with whom I now exchange emails, and I would still recommend it for a most intriguing read. It is A LITTLE RAIN ON THURSDAY by Matt Rubenstein and I would compare his style with that of Geraldine Brooks'.

I have just had an after-thought and, because it is that time of year again (whale hunting time!), could I also suggest Peter Heller's Whale Warriors. If you aren't concerned about the slaughter of these magnificent creatures, I'm sure you will be after reading the harrowing accounts of their slow and painful death at the hands of the Japanese whalers.

There were so many cookbooks that I think I'll write a separate page for them! Perhaps next week......

Best wishes and good reading! Ann

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 26 DECEMBER 2008

Phew......... Boxing Day and I'm in recovery mode after a full on Christmas Day and lead up! For the past week, I've got up most nights in the wee small hours and tried to catch up on all the jobs that still needed to be done. As it is, I was still wrapping presents when the first guests arrived last night. I am notorious for my bad wrapping (AKA cobbling together) of presents and it is a bit of a family joke, usually due in part to my running out of sticky tape every time. My organised daughter (who has all her presents bought by October and beautifully wrapped by November) shakes her head in despair. I used to be convinced that I have been given the wrong baby at the hospital, but my grand-daughter Rebecca definitely has my genes, so that settles that!

However, despite all that I survived the day with people here for breakfast, lunch and tea and today am feeling totally restored. We always have a lot of people here for Christmas but yesterday we had as well three unrelated "newcomers" who were going to be alone, so they were welcomed too. I don't think anyone should spend Christmas Day by themselves and I love it that this big, eccentric, untidy old house has so much space that another few people don't make any difference! And I always over-cater so it is good to have extra people to help dispose of the excess food!

There is masses of cleaning up to be done today but with the Test cricket as company I find all that quite soothing. It's just finding a home for all those used-once-a-year glasses and crockery that is so hard! I'll swear the space in my cupboards shrinks while they are absent....

This week's program was all about food and our guests were Vikki Leng speaking about a vegetarian Christmas and Pauline Leonard offering her expert advice on Italian style for Christmas. Scott Pickett, award winning executive chef of The Point Restaurant, Albert Park spoke of his Christmas both at home and in the restaurant and it was a great pleasure to have Suzanne Gibbs, daughter of Margaret Fulton and an expert "foodie" in her own right, offering advice as well. I hope listeners heard their tips ...bit late to pass them on now!

And I apologise for not getting the recommended book list up in time... just couldn't manage it! Just not enough hours in the day or the night! However, I will try and get it up next week as recommended holiday reading. My son, who always gives me carefully selected books and wine for Christmas, did well by choosing four books I haven't read, so they'll have to be fitted in between my homework reading for interviews. He also gave me a splendid mixed dozen sauvignon blanc wines, so I'm happy! He was a wine maker and is still in the industry, so I know his choices are always brilliant.

I've been a bit slack about organising guests for next week, but we do have the sparkling Joy Aimee (I have to control John Weeks' behaviour in the studio when Joy is a guest!) and an author who promises to solve all our problems in a book called "No Problems"! Hope she's right! I'll see if I
can round up any other victims ... otherwise we might play a lot of versions of Georgia on My Mind or Van Morrison. After yesterday's lunch time guests had departed, and before they returned for the evening plus new people, I lightened my preparations with the aid of a couple of glasses of wine and two Van Morrison CDs! Works every time and also ensures David stays clear of the kitchen......

If you would like to contact me, please email at
<provence@bluedandenongs.com.au> and I hope you'll be with me next week on The Good Life on 3MDR. As ever, thanks to John Weeks for all his help during the year... literally no show without him!

My warm season's greeting to all. Ann

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 15 DECEMBER 2008

Hello Good Lifers.. I am just home after sitting through a filmic marathon! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button screened for 3 hours - literally - and we were served with wine and food mid-film to keep up our strength! It is an extraordinary film, based on a story by one of my favourite authors, F. Scott Fitzgerald. I kept feeling that the strange theme of the film was familiar to me and all was revealed when the origin of the story came up on the screen.

IT is long, slow, lyrical and quite beautiful but I do think it could have been shortened. Apart from a few dramatic war scenes, it moves very slowly and almost repetitively. There is an interesting musical theme with events of a certain period being accompanied by music of that time. The film starts on the day of the end of WW 1, when Benjamin is born and ends on the day of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, where most of the film is set.

Scott Fitzgerald's style is followed quite faithfully and is reminiscent of his own life with the beautiful but mad Zelda, who became obsessed with an ambition to become a ballet dancer when she was into her 30s, and also in the "heroine" (Cate Blanchett) being called Daisy, a main character in Fitzgerald's classic novel The Great Gatsby. The story tells of a child, whose mother dies in childbirth, born on the day WW world ended. He suffers from a rare condition known as progeria, which causes very young children, even babies, to suffer all the illnesses and problems and even the appearance of old age. (Coincidentally there was an ABC program on this subject a couple of nights ago!)

Abandoned by his grief-stricken father, he is brought up in a nursing home for the aged, where his appearance suggests he is just another aged and frail inmate and where he feels quite at home. However, we see that instead of continuing to age, the process is reversed and Benjamin become more youthful every year. He embarks upon a love affair and eventually marriage with Cate Blanchett, whom he met when they were both children (when he had the appearance of a very old man). This relationship fails as they have a child and she ages as he becomes increasingly youthful and we explore the inevitable shattering of their lives.

It is quite a tragic story - a fairy tale without a happy ending. I think perhaps the top awards should go to the makeup artists who created a cleverly aged Cate Blanchett on her death bed and a wizened, balding Brad Pitt who gradually reversed to a very decorative mid-teenager! (Personally, I think he looked better with a bit of age! Much too pretty.....)

Reviewers saw the film in the luxury of a Village Gold Class Cinema, where we were plied with wine before and during the program and with substantial snacks as we lounged on reclining chairs.

It is certainly a film well worth seeing and has already been nominated for a number of awards. However, although the film allows him dramatic scope, I think it would be most unfair if Brad Pitt pipped Mickey (the Wrestler) for the Oscar!

My own program had a bit of emotion this week as I had a very difficult interview with Annette Spence, author of a very moving book called Our Babies Have Died. I found it all a bit too hard and had to pass the reading of one quotation to John Weeks... (thank you, John!) There is an excellent support group for parents who have suffered the loss of a baby and a call to SANDS (Vic.) (03) 9899 0218 will put you in contact with a volunteer who has experienced the same loss.

It was a much easier interview to chat with my friend Lucy Rushbrooke (Malouf), both about a MUCS Christmas Choral event in which she will be participating on Sat. 20th at Wesley Uniting Church in the city and also about the reprint of a revised edition of the book (Moorish) which she and former husband chef Greg Malouf wrote together a couple of years ago.

We expect to have Greg himself on the program during January, when we will talk about plans for his glam new restaurant opening in February.

I also spoke - for the first time - to well known food writer Donna Hay. We had an easy chat and I learned, for the first time, something of Donna's early career. As well as offering great recipes, her new book has a warmth I feel some of her earlier ones lacked and it would be a great Christmas present.

NO TIME TO COOK by Donna Hay

We also spoke with Roz Hopkins about her practical and inexpensive little book called PUMPED, which offers over 100 tips on ways to save both petrol expenses and the environment. It makes entertaining reading as well as being very practical and would be a nice little "stocking filler".

PUMPED by Roz Hopkins

My final interview was with one of my own favourite guests, Jackie French. Although we spoke mainly about her gorgeous new Christmas book (for children from 2 to 92!), as usual we digressed into a bit of a chat about gardening, life and other general topics! Together with illustrator Bruce Whately, Jackie has created another really lovely book called Emily and the Big Bad Bunyip! It is quite charming and I think parents and grandparents will probably get as much pleasure from it as the children to whom they read it .... and it offers wonderful scope for a theatrical presentation!

EMILY AND THE BIG BAD BUNYIP by Jackie French

Next week I hope to have Pauline Leonard, Vikki Leng, Suzanne Gibbs and Scott Pickett as guests .. all foodies and all approaching Christmas cooking from a different angle!

I am frantically working on that suggested Christmas book list, but "real" work has been getting in the way! In fact I spent the time between 1.25 a.m. and 3.30 a.m. this morning trying to get relishes made for retailers' orders!!!! I hope to get the list on the website by the end of the week!

I CAN tell you now that "The Artist's Lunch" has been my own favourite book, although there have been some great cook books and some terrific novels as well! And of course The Brickmasters, which I loved. It was great to get a couple of calls on air this week... love to hear from you, either by phone or on my email at provence@bluedandenongs.com.au It reassures me that I DO have listeners!

Best wishes and I hope you'll be listening next week! Ann

Ann

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 8 DECEMBER 2008

Hello Good lifers... This has been such a full-on week I am finding it hard to fit everything in! It is always a busy time of year for me, with lots of orders from small retailers for my product range of preserves and Christmas cakes, and it has been compounded this year by a sudden rush of requests for product testing and recipe development for new appliances from my 3MDR sponsor, Salton (Australia) P/Ltd. (As you would know if you hear The Good Life, it is the company who handles the George Foreman and Russell Hobbs electrical appliances and they are constantly bringing out new models!)

I did find time for a film preview and a book launch and I'll speak more about both on Monday's program. The film is quite outstanding - in a brutal but heartbreaking kind of way! It is The Wrestler and features Mickey Rourke in a spectacular comeback! Now I hate boxing, wrestling and blood and although there is no boxing in the film, there is plenty of both wrestling and blood. We see behind of scenes in professional wrestling, hear the participants planning their "choreography" in advance and share their camaraderie. Mickey Rourke plays the part of a former champion who, after years of physical self abuse,broken relationships, guilt about an abandoned daughter, is persuaded to make a comeback against his old rival. From the moment the film rolls, showing a montage of posters, clippings, magazine articles from his former days of glory, we know he is a loser! Battered, bloated - but still with the sweetest smile - we are drawn to this sad character and I really cared about him....

The film has already won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival of 2008 and seems destined to win a host more, and hopefully an Academy Award for Micky Rourke. Never thought I'd rave about a film of this genre, but I am!!!

Wednesday night was the launch of Catherine Deveny's new book Say When, which is a compilation of her Age articles - the uncut version, she states! I had the pleasure of speaking with her on this week's program and she is an amazing woman - passionate, caring, indiscreet! She was equally outspoken during her book lunch and it was interesting to see the disparate group who packed the Bella Union Bar at the Trades Hall. All ages and obviously from a whole range of different life-styles - although there was a marked absence of VOMITS (Vile Old Men In Ties, as she describes them!) and no sign of Robert Doyle, another of her recent targets. There was an interesting article about Catherine in The Age (11/12/08), which is well worth reading. I am still awaiting my copy of the book and looking forward to it!

I was pleased to have an email from her after our interview saying she would be happy to come back on the program any time and also got a big hug and kiss when we finally met at the launch!

Apart from Catherine, other guests last Monday included author Peter Watt. A modest man, he insisted he does NOT write literature but just provides entertainment, and we did have a very pleasant chat. His book would be a good Christmas present for someone who likes a bit of history mixed with murder, mystery and action!

THE FROZEN CIRCLE by Australian author Peter Watt

It was also interesting to speak with Karen McGhee, a journalist who spent time with Baz Lurhman during and after the filming of Australia. Her husband had worked on building the film sets and she had some behind-the-scenes stories to tell of the homestead in the film being built in Sydney and then transported to the site! She writes for Australian Geographic and it is a magazine always well worth reading. In fact, I have given my son a sub. as part of his Christmas present!

My final guest was Ilsa Evans, who has written a very disturbing book called Broken. With a professional background in researching domestic violence, Ilsa has written a seriously thought-provoking and moving book detailing the emotional and physical violence vented on a young mother by her possessive and manipulative husband. Although Mattie and husband Jake are fictional, it is obvious that Ilsa has based the book on real life and on people she has encountered professionally. It is a book that should be read and discussed, and I was pleased to hear that she is planning to write a sequel covering the new life Mattie (the subject of Broken) sets out to create for herself and her young children.

I was also pleased to have as a studio guest a young Belgian woman, Sandra, who was with us as a Wwoofer (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) a couple of years ago, She arrived back last week to spend the next couple of months with us and I am looking forward to sharing her company.

As you know, I am always pleased to hear from listeners to this email address and I hope you will be listening next Monday. Guests will include one of my own favourites, Jackie French - who is now a friend!- and we will chat about her new children's book Emily and The Bunyip. ( Of course we usually digress into a whole range of other topics when we get together on air!)

I'll also be speaking with Donna Hay, who has become something of a culinary legend and we'll be talking about her background and also about her new cookbook - just in time for Christmas! Another topical subject for people about to go on holiday is petrol consumption and how to reduce it! Roz Hopkins has written a great little book on this topic and I'm looking forward to speaking about it with her.

My fourth interview is one I don't really want to do and it is about a book I really didn't want to read. Called Our Babies Are Dead, it is a collection of writings by parents who have lost babies by miscarriage, stillbirth or by death soon after birth. It has been a very painful book to read and I have experienced the loss of babies by miscarriage well into the pregnancy. I still feel the sadness and, at that time, the lack of someone to share it with, so I do believe that this book is an important one for grieving parents to share and also for them to know of support systems available now to help them through the bad times. I will be speaking with the editor, Annette Spence, who has herself lost a baby at birth. There could be tears!!!!

Thanks to John Weeks, as ever, without whom there would be no Good Life, due to my total ineptitude with the buttons, knobs and whatever is needed to create a radio program!

Hope you'll be listening on Monday between 3 - 5 p.m.!

Ann Creber of The Good Life!

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 28 NOVEMBER 2008

was a bit hesitant to accept the publisher's offer of our next author as my guest. Tony Wilson has written a book based on his conviction that Schapelle was totally innocent of the drug smuggling charges for which she is still jailed in Bali. He writes passionately about his cause and has absolute belief in her. I had to admit that I told the publisher I was equally convinced of her guilt, but he persuaded me I should read the book. I did... I am still not convinced that she was innocent but I do believe that there has been a serious miscarriage of justice and that under Australian law, she should never have been jailed. The whole series of trials and appeals reads like a comic opera and the press come out of it very badly. Whatever your own opinion of Schapelle and her somewhat dysfunctional family, this book is worth reading and - who knows? - Tony might change your mind! It does seem appalling that at present she has another 15 years of her sentence to be spent in a Balinese jail.

SCHAPELLE by TONY WILSON

..............

Winfried Shnur, Fleischmeister was also a guest - his role as a "meat master" with Don gives him the responsibility of creating preserved meats of all kinds. Sausages, hams, smoked meats of all kinds are within his territory of expertise and we talked about his background in meats and the role he has now. From a region close to the Black Forest in Germany, he spoke of the different flavours achieved by the use of different woods and leaves used in the smoking process.

At this time of year they are - as you would imagine - busily preparing thousands of hams for Christmas. You might just think of Winfried and the 80 days or so that have gone into curing the hams you will enjoy on your Christmas table this year!

............

Next week's guests are lining up well. I am really looking forward to speaking with one of the authors of perhaps my favourite book of the year! Called The Artist's Lunch, it is a really beautiful book and I am so looking forward to chatting with Alice McCormick, who has interviewed a wide range of Australian artists, explored their art, their lives and their lunching habits. The book is lavishly illustrated with photographs of artists, their studios, their artwork and these have been created by photographer Sarah Rhodes. As if that isn't enough, there is also a selection of the artists' favourite recipes..... I LOVE this book!

I'm also speaking with Jane Rocca, who has created a great book of cocktail recipes... not JUST cocktail recipes,but also a series of dissertations about the various styles of music about which she has been writing for years. Rock, Rockabilly, Country & Western, Noir, Soul etc.....all covered and with Jane's Top 10 listed in each section. But NO Georgia On My Mind, no Van Morrison, no Doors - so there will be questions asked! Looking forward to a bit of fun!

In an entirely different vein, I'll also have as a guest Pauline McKinnon who for years suffered from severe agoraphobia until she discovered the answer in meditation. Her book is dedicated to helping others find inner peace through meditation and she is now a practitioner in this field. As someone who has tried but failed many times to meditate, I will be really interested to speak with Pauline.

I am also hoping to have a guest to tell us about how the "heritage" CWA hall in Kalorama has been saved by local crusaders and the uses to which it will now be put, including as a venue for a local U3A (University of the Third Age).

All the usual reminders... check out the happenings at Burrinja, Melbourne Museum, Tarrawarra Gallery, Heidi and Federation Square. Always worth a look at their websites!

Hope you'll be listening next week and don't forget that you can always contact me on <provence@bluedandenongs.com.au>

Best wishes, Ann Creber

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 19 NOVEMBER 2008

Hello Good Lifers: It sends a shiver through me as I type in that date! SOOOO close to Christmas and so much to be done before then! And of course all the publishing houses are keen to sell books, so I am being sent so many books with a view to author interviews and I can't ft them all on the program.

This week's program featured four authors, but all with very different books and personalities! My first interview was with a very funny man named Mark Dapin, who has written a somewhat bizarre travel book called Strange Country. An Englishman, he came to Australia and set off to investigate some of the "characters" of this country and he describes his adventures in hilarious detail. He became a father at a somewhat mature age, and we also share his experiences with his small son, written with humour but also with delight and love. I'm sure Mark is a very nice man ... I enjoyed him as a guest and, reading his book in the train, I actually laughed out loud! This would be a great Christmas present.....

STRANGE COUNTRY by MARK DAPIN

My next guest was also a very agreeable guest, full of enthusiasm for his subject and very easy to chat with. His subject is - BRICKS! And as I find them very interesting too, we got along very well. He was delighted to hear I live in an old clinker brick house so that helped! The book records the history of the brick industry in Australia between 1788 and 2008 and I can assure you it is not dull! Lavishly illustrated with cartoons from the past, historical photographs, copies of old invoices, newspaper headlines etc. it provides a fascinating and unusual aspect of Australia's history.I know I'm not the only one to enjoy listening to Ron Ringer, because I had a call immediately afterwards from a listener who is a bricklayer and wanted to buy a copy of the book! It has a stunning cover photograph of an old brick archway at the Argyle Barracks in Sydney, it comes with a slipcover and is a very handsome book indeed.

BRICKMASTERS 1788 - 2008 by RON RINGER

Next guest was a foodie mate, Adrian Richardson, owner/chef of La Luna Bistro and a former regular guest on ready, Steady, Cook. He told us that he is not doing the show now because, with several other chefs, he is working on a new cooking series to be shown on TV next year. It is to be called Boys' Weekend, so I guess we can expect some pretty "blokey" cookouts! His book is called
"Meat" and that sums it up! There are recipes using all kinds of meats cooked in all kinds of ways, but he also offers some great accompaniments to serve with them. There are chapters on curing, smoking, salting meats and generally preserving them in a variety of ways. If the carnivore man in your life likes to put on a "pinny", fire up the barbie or light up the oven, this is the book for him. You might never have to cook again!

MEAT by ADRIAN RICHARDSON

Having spent a great deal of time in Lygon Street over many years and for many different reasons, I was charmed by a beautiful new book simply called LYGON STREET. Although many of the classic recipes that have been served and eaten in Lygon Street feature in the book, it is the history and the beautiful and nostalgic photography that makes it so special. Journalist Michael Harden has spent a great deal of time researching the book and has spoken to many of the people who have contributed to the colour and charm of Lygon Street over many years.Of course, he has spoken to a number of past and present restaurant owners and they all have interesting tales to tell, many of which illustrate the changing social history that has personified Lygon Street.

He writes of its social rise and fall and rise again, its gangster days and its early slum days. Fascinating to read of this inner city melting pot and it is a book I really enjoyed and warmly recommend! (And the recipes are great, too!)

LYGON STREET by MICHAEL HARDEN

I also had the pleasure of seeing a film I loved last week. Yet to be Released, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is Woody Allen's production and the best of his films for a long time. It tells of two young American women, close friends but very different, who go to Barcelona for the last summer before one of them marries. Inevitably a handsome Spaniard womaniser appears on the scene and we follow the usual convoluted Woody Allen love story, complicated still further by the reappearance of the hero's tempestuous and totally neurotic ex-wife, played by Penelope Cruz. Perhaps the real star is the city of Barcelona (I'm regretting now that I haven't been there!) and this is enhanced by the beautiful Spanish guitar music which pervades the sound track. Lovely film and the cliché of the usual Hollywood ending is, in typical Woody Allen fashion, resisted.

VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA starring Javier Bardern, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Penelope Cruz and, of course, Barcelona! To be released 26th December.

Next weeks' guests will include a fleischmeister (!), Margaret Fulton (!) and Tony Wilson, a journalist who was sent to cover the Schapelle Corby case and who became a crusader, totally convinced of her innocence. He has written a book called Schapelle and I am looking forward to speaking to him about this. Margaret has created a lovely Christmas recipe book with all you ever needed to know about in the way of festive cooking! I haven't seen her for years so I'll be happy to catch up on air. In addition to all that, we might very well have Jackie French with us too!

Mind you, none of this might materialise as John Weeks is having a day off and I have to try and coerce someone else into coming in and pressing all those buttons and knobs! Fingers crossed......

Please feel free to contact me on this email address if you have any questions or comments. Love to hear from you!

Ann Creber of The Good Life on 3MDR

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 7 NOVEMBER 2008

Hello Good Lifers... I hate having to acknowledge that we are so close to Christmas. Not only do I have to think about buying presents, doing the necessary cooking and having about 35 people for Christmas tea, but now I also have to juggle to fit in those eager authors who want to speak to you all before Christmas! And hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll find time to compile a list of books warmly recommended for Christmas giving!

Monday was a relaxed day on the program, with guests who were chatty and very easy to speak with... always a big plus! Pete Evans is a chef who owns restaurants both in Sydney and Melbourne (The Pantry in Brighton), appears on morning TV and has written a beautifully illustrated book called My Table. I found him very friendly, relaxed and quite modest (especially for a chef!) and his publicist tells me he is the pinup boy of their office!

(I am going to the launch of the book at his Brighton restaurant next week, so will give you a first hand report of his pin-up qualities. Having had three husbands - as John likes to remind me - I'm a bit of an expert!)

His book includes his own favourites dishes as well as those he admits to having pinched from family and friends, and is one that caters for both newcomers to the kitchen and also more experienced cooks. I'll include a recipe at the end of this column and his will certainly be a book I'll recommend as a Christmas gift.

MY TABLE by Pete Evans.

I had to admit to my next guest, Sean Doherty, that I was - in every sense - out of my depth in interviewing him about his gorgeous book "The Moment". It is all about surfing and surfers and offers the most amazing split-second photographs of huge waves and their riders. John Weeks was able to speak about the photography and I found there was a great deal of human interest in the stories Sean had written to accompany each photo. Amazing stories, including one showing the photograph of an African pigmy with his surfboard! He lived in the jungles, had been taught to surf by a Frenchman who subsequently died, and had not seen another surfer for 7 years until the photographer happened to turn up on that same beach! It really is a very beautiful book and with fabulous shots taken by 27 different photographers! Perfect present for a surfer! (And his publicist also says that Sean is a favourite around THEIR office!)

THE MOMENT by Sean Doherty.

My next guest broke the record for our longest interview, I think! Roland Rocchiccioli is a most entertaining man and he can certainly talk! I had already had several long phone conversations ( as well as exchanging emails) with him so I was not too surprised. This well known Melbourne identity had a childhood most of us would find difficult to relate to, but he seems to have accepted all its bizarre elements without any resentment or even too much bewilderment. Reared in the outback WA mining town of Gwalia, he tells tales of the local characters - and there are plenty of them! -including their interesting and and sometimes outrageous sexual mores! He asked a little anxiously, on the phone,if I had been shocked. I think he was a bit disappointed when I assured him I hadn't! He denied it, but I found it quite a sad book about a sensitive little boy who yearned for a bride doll and beautiful things in the midst- although looking at Roland now, I must admit he doesn't seem to have suffered too many scars and he nursed his erratic and rather tragic mother during the last years of her life. We agreed that it is an important book from a historical point of view, as it documents so vividly a part of Australian life which has all but disappeared. And, some would say, a good thing it has!! There are lots of photos in the book, not only of Roland's family and friends but of the bleak landscape itself.

AND BE HOME BEFORE DARK by Roland Rocchiccioli

My other guest was a man with a mission...he refuses to let the legend of the Melbourne tram conductor die! With a handful of like-minded ex-connies, Kevin Tierney still dons his uniform, slings his conductor's bag over his shoulder and rides the trains and trams, handing out tram tickets and old pennies! But only on special occasions now.. such as during the Melbourne Show and the Spring Racing Carnival on the trains and on special city tourist trams throughout the year. I met him on a Show train and was amused by the bewilderment of two young Asian people who had tickets and pennies thrust upon them! I think it's great there are people like Kevin out there to bring a bit of unexpected fun into our lives and we had a good chat about "the old days" and the old trams that are still in service. I though of him this morning when I heard the news about the train dramas yesterday... hope he wasn't stranded on one of them!

I had a few enjoyable days in the Hunter Valley last week but no time to write about it at this stage, unfortunately! Ate lovely food, drank good wine and had Georgia On My Mind played for me by a young blind musician in the Old Maitland Jail... we were all visiting there for a dinner!

Next week's guests include author/musician Carl Cleves, one of our almost-regulars Allan Campion, who has written a massive cookbook with partner Michele Curtis and also published their annual Foodies Guide and beautiful foodie diary, Annette Allison of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the brilliantly funny Denise Scott, who has just published her first book. I went to the launch last night and I wish they had made a DVD of her reading from it! The audience was falling about.....mind you, I might have to do a bit of censoring on The Good Life! There is also a possibility that we will have the glamorous and much travelled Pauline Leonard, who will tell us about her recent trip to Italy and about a new cooking school with which she is to be involved. If not this week, then very soon!

I'm busily lining up interesting guests between now and Christmas and trying to keep up with all the books that keep landing on my doorstep!!!!! As well as make products for the Farmers Market, bake Christmas cakes for shop orders, do a bit of vegetable gardening and all the usual things that we MUST do.

I'm looking forward to having as a guest for a couple of days Sharyn Munro (author of The Woman On The Mountain), whom I met through interviewing her on the program and who has now become a good friend! Lots of chatter while she is here.....

Hope you'll be listening next Monday and a recipe from MY TABLE follows.

Best wishes, Ann Creber of The Good Life

This is a lovely simple summer salad! You can buy buffalo mozzarella at the Yering Station Farmers' Market (third Sunday in every month), but regular mozzarella will still give pretty good results!

4 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 French shallot, finely sliced
2 balls if Italian buffalo mozzarella
16 basil leaves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
20 olives (preferably Ligurian or manzanillo)*
grissini (Italian bread sticks)

Arrange the tomatoes on a platter with the sliced shallot. Tear the mozzarella and scatter over the top with the basil leaves.

Drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the salad, scatter the olives and season with salt and pepper. Serve with the grissini.

And of course, I'd add a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc would be obligatory!!!

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 25 OCTOBER 2008

Hello Good Lifers. I am sorry to be so late with my chat-line but it has been a really busy week! I spent 2 days in the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges on a "famil" tour organised by Yarra Valley Conference Centre network. This was designed to allow a group of travel, conference and events managers to experience the pleasures of some of the accommodation and hospitality available in our region. I was fortunate to be included so that I could tell listeners on 3MDR about my experiences on this tour.

We were met at Balgownie Winery by the very capable and extremely likeable Jackie Taylor from YV Conference Network, who was to "mother" us over the next two days. Although I have lived to the Yarra Valley for years, I have never visited this luxurious venue before. I didn't stay there with the group overnight but a peek into one of their suites showed that it was really stunning, with all the luxuries you'd hope to find. Very impressive!

With driver Mike Simpson at the wheel, we travelled by bus back to the Country Place at Olinda (just around the corner from my own home) to have a tour of the premises, followed by lunch. I knew it had won a number of awards but had never really explored the property. Of course it is glorious right throughout the Valley and Ranges at this time of year and the azaleas, rhododendrons and surrounding dense bushland looked magnificent.

This Conference Centre has a very strong "team building" element and we gasped when we saw some of the outdoors high wire equipment delegates are invited to use!! I know now why we hear so much shrieking and laughter at our place when there is a "team" in residence at The Country Place! Mind you, we really didn't need exercise to build up an appetite to enjoy the wonderful lunch we were served accompanied by local wines.

We piled back into the bus and headed off for Immerse Vineyards, located in the Yarra Valley. We certainly didn't NEED the wine and cheese tasting that followed (enjoyable though it was!) but the highlight for me was a "hot rock" back and neck massage in their very glamorous Indulge Spa and salon. I'm still purring at the memory of it! They do promise that all the senses will be totally immersed and indulged at this venue and I think that's true! You can enjoy just the luxury of a spa, accommodation, wine tastings or a meal in the dining room overlooking beautiful gardens with a wonderful display of roses.

Then, back in the bus, and off to the Sebel Heritage Country Club at Chernside Park. This place must seem like Heaven to golfers, with its manicured golf course and club house feeling, and it was great fun to zip around in a golf buggy to inspect the premises. This is a huge development, very much along the lines of a glamorous American Country Club and reminded me of a residential/country club estate in Sedona, Arizona, where I had stayed with American friends.

Our inspection tour was followed by another splendid meal in a private dining room, served with top quality local wines- although I had to remember that I was driving home later and had to be VERY moderate in my drinking! There was a fun session after dinner, hosted by a professional facilitator, when we played trivia games in the style of the ABC's Spicks'n'Specks! Mike eventually herded us all into the bus and we headed back for Balgownie...I must admit I felt really reluctant to make the long wet drive back home while everyone else was settling down to a bit of a chat after a long day!

Next morning I fronted up at Balgownie and, with Mike at the wheel, we headed off over the steep and winding Black Spur to Marysville. I haven't been to Marysville in years and I was surprised to find what a charming little tourist town it has become. Our first visit was to Kooringa, established in the 1920s and now offering conference facilities, including a large stadium! It still retains the feeling of a country guest house, although it has a great deal more to offer. We were indulged with rich cakes from a local bakery for morning tea before Mike led us to an old fashioned "lolly shop". Talk about Willie Wonkers.....everyone reverted to their childhood and and suddenly we were all kids again!

Just up the road is Marylands, where I remember Mum and I having the occasional holiday when I was an adolescent. It really is lovely... mellow and restful, with beautiful gardens, it is like stepping back into a gentler era, and even though there have been additions to the original buildings, it is hard to identify where history stops and the present begins! Lovely gardens, tasteful décor....it would be a great spot for a conference or just for the weekend leisure we all long for from time to time.

We were reluctant to leave, but managed to fit in a brief visit to Cumberlands, another tastefully upgraded country guest house which features a great spa and "pampering" unit to cater to conferences or leisure guests. Then, back on the bus and "home" to Balgownie before going our separate ways!

It was a really interesting couple of days and I came home in awe of what we have hidden away in our own region! Why would you bother to go anywhere else?!!!

My program this week lost a couple of guests for various reasons, but I was happy to have with us guest Andrea Birnie of Steins Perfumery in Fitzroy. Founder and director of the business, Andrea spoke, among other things, of the reasons why we choose certain perfumes and of the manufacture now of cheap "synthetic" copies of classic fragrances. She certainly knows her subject and the shop is a delight to visit... like a fragrant Aladdin's cave! Great spot for Christmas shopping - especially for yourself - and I suggest you pay her a visit.

Comedian Michael Connell came on as a guest at very short notice and told us about the pitfalls and pleasures of being a stand-up comedy! (Sounds awful to me!) He promoted the Young Blood comedy tour of our region, which has just taken place and I do hope some listeners went along to enjoy what I'm sure was a night of great entertainment.

Our other guest was Ben O'Donoghue, celebrity cook of the Jamie Oliver shows and more recently see on on local TV in a couple of cooking series. Ben was an easy guest who liked a chat and we talked about his new cookbook simply called Grilling. Lots of great BBQ recipes including vegetable cooking and interesting accompaniments to traditional barbecue meats. This would be a perfect Christmas present for a bloke who likes to preside over his "barbie" and show off a bit!

I won't be on air next week as I am heading off for a few days to the biennial Gastronomic Symposium, which will be held this year in Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley. I'm sure I'll have lots to tell you when I return!

The following week, Cup Eve, we will have a mixture of "fun" guests including the naughty Joy Aimee, who no doubt will flirt with John Weeks on air as she tells us about her Cosmic Dating website. We will also have Roland Rocchiccioli, well known Melbourne personality, who has written an autobiography of his childhood, while another guest will be Robert Carmack from Sydney. Robert is a food writer and stylist, Asian tour group leader and now a contributor to Lonely Planet travel books. He is an old friend and I am looking forward to "catching up" on air. And our other guest is a Melbourne tram connie.... yep, that's right! His name is Kevin Tierney and we'll talk
about 'life after life on the trams'!!! Hope you'll be listening!

Ann Creber of The Good Life

FEEDBACK REPORT : PAULINE LEONARD 18 OCTOBER 2008

Paulines Postcard report for Ann Creber

We drove from Nice to Italy via the coast with spectaculr views over Monte Carlo and towns perched on the mountainsides along the Cote d'Azur.

I am staying just outside the walls of Perugia in Umbria - autumn has settled in now and the trees have mellowed into golden shades and the hillsides are washed in crimson and orange as the grapevines are turning colour.

The vendemmia has finished this week in Umbria (although they won't start picking grapes in Burgundy and Tuscany until next week). So here now there is a small quiet momnent before the olive harvest starts in mid November.

This time of year is also for the truffles and as one local main said to me "its all about the tartufo, funghi e vino" (the truffles, mushrooms and wine) in October.

We were lucky enough to go on a truffle search with one of the local registered hunters and his dog. In an hour the dog found about a dozen small black truffles, all varying in size but the largest was about the size of a ping pong ball. The smell of each one freshly taken from the ground was a sensation - earthy, musty, rich - a smell completely of its own.

Truffles are found on all the menus here - from the trattoria to the most expensive of restaurants. We ate just down the road yesterday in a tiny town, in a family owned restaurant - each table had a large pot of brightly coloured plastic flowers, the red wine was kept in the fridge (just because the owner liked it that way!) and our host told us the speciality of the house was tortellini filled with caprionlini (which turned out to be a mince of goat's meat) and truffle sauce.

It took a little while for the locally produced wine to 'warm up'! but it was very drinkable and the tortellini was homemade and fabulous; big, rich flavour and overlaid with that marvellous truffle aroma. Good bread, locally made olive oil and it all amounted to a princely sum of 12 euros (less that $A25) for both of us!).

We have been invited to dinner by a local man and his wife tomorrow, so I will be able to tell you about that experience next time and also my travels to Torino and the Langhe region where the famous Barolo wine is made.

Take care

Pauline Leonard

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 13 OCTOBER 2008

Hello Good Lifers.. Firstly, apologies for no ramblings last week - somewhere between my computer and John's it disappeared into a black hole! Better luck this time!

Last night I enjoyed a most interesting meal at the newly renovated and restyled Half Moon restaurant in Church Street, Brighton. Last year I interviewed Paul Wilson, chef of The Botanical, and have been receiving their regular newsletter since then. The Botanical was sold to a group who own several other hotels and restaurants (in fact Emerald's own Elevations is one of theirs'), including the Half Moon and I was invited to its relaunch last night.

The evening started with the tasting of a variety of oysters (with French champagne!) and was followed by 8 tiny courses featuring different fish cooked in a variety of delicious ways. Each dish was accompanied by a different wine (small quantities, I hasten to add!), so I was very glad to have taken a friend who lived by and at whose house I stayed overnight! Really enjoyable night and I sat with other food media people I hadn't met before.... always good!

I also saw a preview of the new film The Women the week before last. It is the remake of a 1939 classic and not one man appears in the entire film... not even in the crowded New York street scenes! It features a range of contemporary female actors, with Meg Ryan in the main role, and with support roles played by several of the older female Hollywood legends. I enjoyed it, although I suspect it has lost a lot of its bite in being transposed into modern idiom. There is a strong element of female friendship as a theme and there are certainly elements of Sex and The City, but without its sharp edges.

Coincidentally, this week's guests were all female after Robert Dessaix was unable to speak with us. (Next week now!) Lisa Clifford has written a true mystery story set in the Tuscany of the early 1900s. Her Italian husband's great grandfather was murdered on his rural property but it was never investigated! This so intrigued Lisa that she set out to try and unravel the true story and, along the way, became enthralled by the stories she heard from family and old friends. She has woven this skilfully into a detailed tale of the hardships peasant families - especially the women - endured back in that era. I thoroughly enjoyed both the book and the interview and was very relieved to find the mystery WAS resolved almost on the very last page! This would be a good holiday read.....

DEATH IN THE MOUNTAINS BY LISA CLIFFORD
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Another totally absorbing murder mystery, A Beautiful Place to Die, also entwines history, and South African politics. Set in 1952, the author Malla Nunn, a beautiful woman of mixed blood herself, paints a grim picture of life under the apartheid regime. She came to Australia as a child with her parents, but in due course married an American man, who travelled with her to Swaziland, where the traditional procedure of negotiating a bridal deal was observed. The going price for Malla was 16 cows - all of high quality, she assured me!

The flawed hero is a police detective named Emmanuel Cooper, and Malla's second book, in which he also features, is well on the way. It is a big book... almost 400 pages - but offered such absorbing reading that when I was on the train and on the last few pages of the book, I missed my station!

Malla was charming, with an interesting background in film-making as well as writing. We had a really nice chat and I'm looking forward to reading more about Emmanuel Cooper!

A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE BY MALLA NUNN
.................

I first met former Melbourne chef Tracey Lister several years ago when a young photographer friend of mine became involved with the KOTO project which was set up in Hanoi by a man named Jimmy Pham. In some ways this is very similar to Jamie Oliver's program, in which street kids are trained in hospitality skills and subsequently work in the KOTO restaurant.

Because it seems such a worthwhile project, I suggested to Lorraine Seeger of Eastern Regional Libraries that we should invite Jimmy and Tracey to hold a small exhibition and demonstration at a local library and we had a great night at Mt Evelyn. The Vietnamese food was delicious and the artwork sold well.

Because of this earlier connection, I was excited to see that Tracey has produced a beautiful cookbook and that my photographer friend, Michael Fountoulakis - based now in London - had provided all the wonderful photos in the book. It is actually much more than a cookbook as Tracey's husband has written about their travels throughout Vietnam, its history and the different cultures which have created this exotic country.

There is a dinner featuring food from the book to be held at Northern Star Hotel, St Georges Rd., Fitzroy on the 21st October. The charge of $85 covers a 3 course meal and includes a copy of the book KOTO - great value! Tracey will be there to speak more about the project and I'm sure it will be a great night. Tracey's share of any profits from the book will go back into the fund to support KOTO. Bookings are through Readings bookshop.

KOTO BY TRACEY LISTER AND ANDREAS POHL
....................

We also had as a guest Tina Broad, an enthusiastic representative for Music Count Us In. At 11.30 a.m. on 23rd October over 252,000 children will sing together in the attempt to create a record. The song, written by John Foreman, has been recorded by Kate Ceberano and will provide the backing for the young singers and is available for schools to access. For more details, contact www.musiccountusin.org.au and find out how your school can participate.

The Young Blood Comedy Tour 2 is about to be launched next week! Initiated last year by young local comedian Michael Connell, it was hugely successful and raised funds to assist young people in our region. There will be four performances, each at a different venue and for more information about this contact 03 59665 040 or log onto www.michaelconnell.com.au There is an impressive line-up of comedians involved and these evenings should be great fun!

Next week I am hoping we will have as guests Robert Dessaix (author of Arabesques), well known TV chef Ben O'Donohue who has written a barbecue cookbook, our special friend Jackie French to tell us about her latest book and hopefully a guest who will tell us all about perfumes. (And explain why we always seem to be drawn to perfumes which have same undertones!)

As a final note, I was delighted to hear from one of our former Wwoofers (now home in Belgium) to say that she had listened to the program this week! She will be coming back in December to stay with us for a couple of months so we will certainly have her in the studio.

Hope you'll be with us next.....

Ann Creber of The Good Life on 3MDR

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 6 OCTOBER 2008

Hello Good Lifers.. Unusually, this week's program had only one author, David Hill, but he was a great guest! Loves a chat -a most endearing quality in a guest! - and I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with him. His enthusiasm and his love of history is obvious in his conversation and also his writings, and this is confirmed in his latest book "1788". It tells in incredible detail of the earliest days of the convict settlement in Australia, relating it to other world events taking place at the same time. For anyone with an interest in history, this book is essential reading!

1788 by DAVID HILL
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I also had the pleasure of speaking with the Hon. John Cain, former long term Premier of Victoria. John Weeks and I shared the conversation and found John a very interesting guest. A variety of topics were discussed, including the election of a new Lord Mayor, the development of Melbourne, the current Labor Party.... bit like a dinner party conversation! John has very generously offered to come back onto the program, so we look forward to having him with us again.

..........

Another interesting guest was Jo Beaumont, Artistic Director of Orchestra Victoria. As well as speaking about her own international background in music, she told us about a major performance by Orchestra Victoria happening this weekend in Melbourne. As part of the Seniors Week celebrations, and to acknowledge Spain's National Day, there will be a performance of popular classical Spanish music (including The Ritual Fire Dance) as well as thrilling Flamenco dancing! I think this is the most exciting song and dance in the world...and I hope to be there to share the day.

Sunday 12th October 2p.m.- 4 p.m. at Melbourne Town Hall (Collins Street entrance) $5. Entry. Bookings on 1800 136 762 or, as Jo said, just turn up!

..........

We also spoke with Deb Cutts, Community Liaison Manager of Alzheimers Foundation, who told us about a marvellous Open Day next Sunday at the famous farm of Dame Elizabeth Murdoch, who is about to celebrate her 100th birthday. This inspirational woman is opening her property for the benefit of three charities, including Alzheimers Foundation. For more information contact 1800 100 500.

A local event is a free lecture as part of Town & Gown series. This will be held on Wednesday 15th October. The William Barak Memorial Lecture will honour William's services to his aboriginal people and following the lecture, there will be a light supper and a performance by Deborah Cheetham, indigenous soprano, author and actor. Wed. 15th at 7.30 p.m. Lecture Theatre LC226 Building LC, Swinburne TAFE, Melba Avenue, Lilydale.

Don't forget that the Cardinia Farmers' Market is on this Saturday and will be a very special day with with lots of activities and stalls and with locally grown ASPARAGUS as the hero of the day. It is at the Pakenham Racecourse.

Next week's guests will include authors Lisa Clifford, the wonderful Robert Dessaix, whom I met at Croydon Library last week, Malla Nunn (fabulous book called A Beautiful Place To Die) and chef Tracey Lister, who has been involved for years with the Vietnamese KOTO project. She has written a book featuring recipes from the KOTO restaurant, with great photography by a young photographer who I have known for years. As well as talking food, Tracey will tell us more about the KOTO story.

You can meet Tracey and enjoy her cooking at a magnificent dinner to be held at the North Fitzroy Star Hotel, 32 St. Georges Road, Fitzroy. $85 includes a 3-course meal and a copy of KOTO.

6.30 p.m. Tuesday 21st October. Bookings at Readings on 0437 004 71l. (Love to be there myself but I have another commitment that night!

Last week I promised you a recipe from chef Skye Gyngell's book "My Favourite Ingredients". We now have the publisher's permission so here is the recipe I have chosen. I grow a lot of salad ingredients & love them. I have adjusted the recipe slightly for Australian kitchens!

SALAD OF SUMMER LEAVES & FLOWERS Serves 4

Selection of different leaves such as watercress, rocket, baby spinach and chard (silver beet), pea shoots, Cos, escarole and chicory

Handful of soft herb leaves (chervil, flat leaf parsley, basil etc.)

Handful of edible flowers (nasturtiums,violets, pansies, borage and/or other herb flowers),optional

Dressing: Juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste
100ml mild extra virgin live oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing, whisk lemon juice and olive oil together to combine, season with salt and pepper to taste.

If necessary, wash salad and herb leaves and gently pat dry. Place in a large bowl and toss with a little of the dressing. Scatter over the flowers, if using.

Left over dressing may be stored in a screw-topped jar and use within a day or so.

FROM: Skye Gyngell's cookbook "My Favourite Ingredients" published by Hardie Grant.

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As Peter Cundall would say "That's your lot!" and now I must concentrate on organising next week's guests!

Hope you'll be listening next week to The Good Life! Ann

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 1 OCTOBER 2008

Hello Good Lifers... I have a lot to pass on this week, so straight to work! But of course firstly I must share the joy with other Hawthorn supporters and offer sympathy to the poor old Geelong fans who had every right to expect to win the day!! Because I was "on duty" at the Yarra Valley Food Group stand at the Melbourne Show, I missed hearing the first part of the game and spent a nerve-wracking trip home by train until I could access my radio! I saw my first Grand Final parade on Friday as I had been to a film preview and came out of the Kino Cinema just in time to see the teams as they passed in open cars.

The program on Monday was, as usual, varied - to say the least! I had a really enjoyable interview with author Carol Lefevre who has written a beautiful book called If You Were Mine. It is a long read, but well worthwhile. It is described as a book about "love and loss" and it places strong emphasis on the relationship between mothers (real and surrogate) and children. It is one I will be including on my recommended Christmas lists!

IF YOU WERE MINE by Carl Lefevre
................

At short notice, I was delighted to be able to have as a guest Cynthia Connop, producer of a remarkable documentary called Bloodlines. It tells of the coming together of two German women, both victims of the holocaust- although in very different ways - and the confrontation that followed. I am hoping that one of these woman, Jewish-Australian artist Ruth Rich, will be a guest after the three women return from Tel Aviv, where the film is to be shown at a festival.

Another interesting guests was Australian cook Skye Gyngell, now a highly regarded and awarded "foodie" in England. Her book is entitled My Favourite Ingredients and offers wonderful recipes incorporating seasonal ingredients. As she and her publicist are on the promotional tour at present, I was not able to get permission to include a recipe on this page, but hope to be able to do so next week.

MY FAVOURITE INGREDIENTS by SKYE GYNGELL
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We have previously spoken to author and passionate conservationist Angela Crocombe when she wrote her first book entitled A Lighter Footprint. Her latest book, Ethical Eating, offers a wide range of practical suggestions as to how we can help save this fragile earth. I feel some of the ideas would present difficulties for, say, a single mum with 3 - 4 kids to support (i.e. to eat principally organic foods on a regular basis). Great in theory, it does become expensive to sustain as a lifestyle. However, overall it is a book that is well worth reading, maybe just on loan from your local library!

ETHICAL EATING by Angela Crocombe
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Speaking of the Library, there is a Readers & Writers Festival hosted by Eastern Regional Libraries this weekend. I am looking forward to an event hosted by former ABC broadcaster and now very successful author Robert Dessaix. I am finding it hard to resist reading his new book, Arabesques, but I have to prioritise and as I will not interviewing Robert for a couple of weeks, it has to keep its place in my book pile!

For more information about a weekend of really interesting and varied literary events, check out the ERL website www.erl.vic.gov.au OR phone JANET on 9879 0739

I was contacted just today by someone from Fed Square, who alerted me to an interesting fashion event happening there next week as part of Senior Citizens Week. It will feature a fashion parade and workshops - all about style for the over 40s! - and will be hosted by celebrity designer Sally Browne. Other well-known participants include Patti Newton, Adele Palmer and a host of top fashion designers, makeup artists and stylists. Clothes for the parade will be worn by professional models.

AND we have been given 6 complimentary tickets for a Workshop with Adele Palmer. Adele will teach the art of making beautiful jewellery with beads and the session is from 10.45 am to 12.00 pm. next Wednesday 8th at the BMW Edge in Federation Square. Participants will take home their hand-made necklace and earring, together with a complimentary gift bag of beading accessories! To take advantage of this very generous offer, just send me an email and I'll post a ticket to you immediately!

For more information, contact 9655 1900. For bookings for this session or for one to learn how to accessorise stylishly or for another offering a "make-over consultation", please phone 1800 136 762.

An event closer to home is a Beer Festival this weekend (4th & 5th) at Coldstream Brewery. You can taste their boutique beers and exotic imports, enjoy a barbecue of sauerkraut and bratwurst, share live music during the afternoon and bask in the pleasures of the Yarra Valley. For more information email <info@coldstreambrewery.com.au> or phone 9789 1794.

Saturday morning also offer a great Farmers' Market at Mont de Lancey Historic Homestead, Wellington Road, Wandin. It is worth a visit just to see this lovely property and to have a cup of coffee in the French style restaurant Les Chesselles. There is always a well-priced selection of sturdy native plants as well as a great variety of herbs.

I went to see a preview last Friday of the film The Women. However, as it is not screening until 23rd October, I'll keep that for another week!

Don't forget all the interesting events that just keep happening at Burrinja and if you would like to be a part of the Fashion Day at Fed Square next Wednesday, just send me an email at <provence@bluedandenongs.com.au>

Hope you'll be listening next week! That is, if dear John is there with his ever reliable technical skills! No show otherwise......

Guests will include David Hill who will speak of his latest book 1778, former Premier John Cain, Deb Cutts of Alzheimers' Foundation ( speaking about a day coming up at Cruden Farm), Jo Beaumont (Artistic Director of the Orchestra Victoria) who will tell us about a thrilling day of flamenco music and dance on Sunday 12th, and also another guest who is involved with a major effort to bring together a multitude of children who will join in song to try and establish a world record!!!! As you can see, it will be "full on"!!!

Regards, Ann Creber of The Good Life

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 25 SEPTEMBER 2008

Hello Good Lifers... Another week closer to Christmas and already I am starting suffer panic pangs! I usually have about 35 people here for Christmas tea, so always lots of preparation involved....

This has been a big week! Of course I am also suffering in anticipation of "the big game" this weekend. As listeners would have no doubt gathered, I am a dedicated Hawks supporter - have been for so long as I can remember! - so it could be a traumatic weekend! Especially as I will "working" at the Royal Show Saturday afternoon manning (or should that be "personing"?) the Yarra Valley Food Group stand. Have to keep the trannie stowed under the bench!

Monday's program brought a few last-minute changes, as often happens. I had been working most of last week and just couldn't get through one particularly long book I needed to read, so I was grateful when the author agreed to postpone our chat for a couple of weeks. It also gave me the opportunity to accept an offer to have as a guest Andy Griffiths - he of the famous 'Just' books, with lots of bum references loved by young readers. He has written (or maybe rewritten) the script for the Bell Shakespeare Company's version of MacBeth, created especially for kids. It should provide great entertainment during the school holidays, so I suggest you follow up with a call to The Arts Centre Playhouse for more details.

JUST MacBETH! Scripted by Andy Griffiths. Season: Friday 19th September - Sunday 5th October. There are a number of matinees.

We also had a bit of fun with Shona Martyn, Publishing Director of Harper Collins. They have produced an Aussie version of The Daring Books for Girls and what a treat it is! Great Christmas present for the daring (or timid) girls in your life! On a more serious note, it really IS full of useful and interesting information and activities and would provide a great resource for Trivial Pursuit enthusiasts. Lovely just to pick up and browse through ... and as Shona said, it is really designed for "girls between 8 and 80! The book is beautifully presented in the style of the annuals of many years ago and the nostalgic illustrations heighten this feeling.

THE DARING BOOK FOR GIRLS (Australian Edition) By Andrea Buchanan & Miriam Peskowitz. Published by Harper Collins.
............

John Clanchy, author of a book of long short stories called My Father's Daughter, was an interesting guest and I really enjoyed speaking with him. I was impressed with his skill in portraying the emotions of a range of women in relation to their fathers... he is certainly a very perceptive writer. This is a book that will provoke discussion and one to which a lot of readers would relate.

HER FATHER'S DAUGHTER by John Clanchy. Published by Queensland University Press.
..........
Our final guest was well known social researcher, Hugh Mackay, whose writings have been in the spotlight for the last 20 years. His latest book, 'Advance Australia ... Where?' is an updated version of one he wrote last year, and of course covers the change of Federal Government and the effect this has had on our society so far. Despite all the gloom we hear and read about, he is optimistic that Australia is changing for the better. He covers a huge range of social issues, all in considerable depth, and it certainly provides thought provoking reading.

ADVANCE AUSTRALIA ... WHERE? By Hugh MacKay, Published by Hachette.
...........

I had the pleasure of seeing the preview of a new French film "The Grocer's Son". Set in Provence, it tells the story of Antoine, a surly young man who had left his small village and dysfunctional family 10 years earlier. However, a family crisis necessitates his returning to the village to take over the rural grocery delivery service, formerly operated by his ailing father. Predictably, he hates it all, initially alienates his customers and causes his long-suffering mother great anguish. There are some wonderful little vignettes throughout the film, and we see Antoine's attitude change. Although I should admit to having a bias towards anything related to Provence, I really did enjoy it. It opens officially this weekend and I do recommend it for enjoyable viewing.

THE GROCER'S SON. STARRING NICOLAS CAZALE AND CLOTILDE HESME. PRODUCED BY ERIC GUIRADO. (English sub-titles.)

Next week I hope to be speaking with Skye Gyngell, Australian born chef who has established a formidable reputation in England. She was written a lovely cookbook and we will speak with her about this.

We have had Angela Crocombe as a guest before when she wrote her original book on sustainable living. She has now written about what she describes as 'ethical eating'. While I deeply agree with the philosophy behind this, a number of the suggestions she makes would be very difficult for many families to implement or afford. I look forward to speaking with her about these issues.

I am still reading a beautifully written book ('If You Were Mine') by award winning author Carol LeFevre. It starts with the tragic death of two young boys who are struck by lightning and we follow the story of one of the grieving mothers through the eyes of her daughter, whom the mother rejects after the death of her son, and we share her experiences of love and loss.

And I am HOPING to have an interview with Cynthia Connop, producer of a remarkable Compass program featured last Sunday night. This was the story of two women in an incredibly confronting situation... one was the great-niece of Nazi Herman Goering, the other the daughter of a Jewish family whose lives were shattered by the holocaust. It was a most emotional confrontation between these two women, one of them German and the other an artist, Ruth Rich, who now lives in Australia. I had the opportunity of speaking with both Cynthia and Ruth, but have chosen to speak with Cynthia first and then Ruth in a couple of weeks' time.

And don't forget all the great things happening at Burrinja! Do try and get along to see the Ikebana exhibition at their Jarmi Gallery this week... And it ends Saturday!

And remember the exciting Writers' and Readers' Festival being hosted by Eastern Regional Libraries. It starts on 3rd October and offers a wealth of interesting guests during three very full days at a number of different venues! I am looking forward to a dinner with Sophie Cunningham & Robert Dessaix to be held on Saturday 4th. and to a subsequent interview on The Good Life with Robert.

The Festival will culminate on Sunday afternoon at Ringwood Library when the winner of the ERL Storywriting Competition will be announced by judge/author Robert Hillman.

FOR DETAILS: www.erl.vic.gov.au or phone Janet on 9800 6409

Hope you'll be listening in on Monday arvo! AND CARN THE HAWKS!!!!!!!

Best Regards, Ann

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 19 SEPTEMBER 2008

Hello Good Lifers.... I've been going through a really busy spell! I'm battling to keep up with reading all the books that are showering down on me (never thought I'd complain about having too many books in my life!) and had to miss a film preview because of a long hard day in a photographic studio! And e have the Farmers' Market at Yering Station on Sunday, so plenty of work to be done for that as well.

Monday's program was an interesting one for me! I had a fairly edgy interview with author Matthew Thompson, who has written of his "adventures" in Colombia where he became in bullfighting, alcoholic excesses (!) and experiments with mind-blowing drugs. I did point out that I felt these kind of "experiments" should happen when someone is 20 or 60 - not when there is a wife at home with a 1 month old baby! It was interesting and "My Colombian Death" is certainly an extraordinary read!!!!

My Colombian Death by Matthew Thompson
..........

My second author, Michael MacConnell, was a lovely man who has written an absolute thriller! An Australian who lived in America for many years, he writes in the genre of the fast-moving FBI investigator, in this case a woman with a few emotional problems of her own. Her name is Sarah Reilly and she was introduced in his first book Maelstrom... which he has promised to send me. It is a great read and, as I told him, the kind of book you just have to keep reading while you're stringing the beans for dinner! Fast moving, with a great car chase, it has all kinds of twists and turns and although I sussed out the person behind the murders, there was an unexpected revelation right at the end - which of course leaves it open to the sequel Michael is writing now.
Really recommend this one.....

Splinter by Michael MacConnell .............

I also had a great chat with the irrepressible Denise Drysdale, who told us - among other things - about her lovely new "boobs", of which she is very proud! I had hoped to be able to catch up with her at the fashion parade organised by Jenny's Shop in Monbulk during this week, but unfortunately
work got in the way! I am sure it would have been a huge success - last year over $13,000 was raised for local charities and I hope it was exceeded this year. Incidentally, Jenny has a great range of new season's fashions in her shop, so it is well worth a visit if you feel the need for a bit of retail therapy!.

My other guest was Lynette Moore, Executive Director of the Alzheimer Foundation, and a guest we have had a couple of time before. This is an organisation that offers wonderful support not only to sufferers of this condition but also to their families. I have visited the Centre and been so impressed - and moved - by their activities. There is an Open Day on Sunday 21st and visitors are welcome to visit between 11 - 3.30 p.m. They are well located at 98 - 104 Riversdale Road, Camberwell. There will also be very special rose bushes for sale, cultivated for the Foundation and with evocative names such as Sweet memory Rose. For more information contact 1800 100 500.

And congratulations to Wickedly Delicious Patisserie, based in Monbulk members of the Yarra Valley Food Group and 3MDR sponsors. They have won the glorious accolade of 'creators of the Pie of The Year'! I must pop in and have a taste test and see if I can lure someone from there onto the program. We all know that a good Aussie pie is certainly part of "The Good Life"!

Next week I am hoping to get to two film previews - The Grocer's Son and a remake of a classic 1938 film called The Women, so more of that later.

Next week's guests include John Clanchy, author of My Father's Daughter, which is a book I've really enjoyed. It consists of "long" short stories of father/daughter relationships and tells these sensitively and with great insight.

I'll also be speaking with Shona Martyn, Publishing Director of Harper Collins, who have published the Australian edition of The Daring Book for Girls. Great fun, but it has also created a bit of controversy in that it gives instructions for playing the didgeredoo - which is regarded by aboriginal people as being strictly "men's business". On the other hand, one of our local male didgeredoo players has been giving lessons to a female friend of mine!

Check out all the great things that are happening at the Science Museum and the Zoo. And from 23rd -28th September there will be a beautiful exhibition at the Jarmi Gallery of Burrinja. This will feature Ikebana flower arrangements, a very beautiful and disciplined style of Japanese flower arranging. This will feature arrangements in the style of the Sogetsu school - there are many schools. Organiser of the exhibition, Teresa Fiele, whom I have known for years, lives locally and I hope to have her as a guest on the program in a week or so. (I was involved with Ikebana International and the Sogetsu school myself and although I am more inclined to shove a handful of daffodils into a jug these days, I do admire the skill and demanding techniques involved in this art.)

Love to hear from any listeners who might like to contact me.... just use this email address!

As usual, thanks to John Weeks for all his help in producing my program.... No John, no knobs and buttons, no program!

Regards to all, Ann

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 12 SEPTEMBER 2008

Hello Good Lifers! My program last Monday fell victim to both the flu and an author who forgot to speak with his publicist before he made another speaking appointment! However, I called on an old friend, Susie Wharton, to help fill the gap and she did so effortlessly! Susie happily admits to being a chocolate addict (AKA as a Chocoholic!) and has, in fact, turned this into her career! She grew up with a father who was passionate about chocolate (he had secret hoards!) and she accepted this as being totally normal - which probably explains why she now leads groups of willing victims around the back lanes of Melbourne in search of chocolate-based delights! Susie spoke about the cacao (not a typo!) bean crops being grown now in Northern Australia and also about the nutritional benefits being attributed to dark chocolate. (What a glorious way of justifying an addiction! I used the same line in relation to my interview last week with Ben Hills, author of The Island of The Ancients, where many of the centenarians attributed their long life to a daily intake of red wine!) She also shared a few secrets as to where to get a really good cup of hot chocolate in Melbourne....I'm still seeking! She does recommend Coco Black!

Susie is a delightful, bubbly, and entertaining hostess and if you would like to share one of her decadent chocolate tours, she can be contacted on 9686 4655. Her website is <www.chocoholictours.com.au>

I also spoke with a remarkable woman, Julian Rollings, who has adopted 6 foreign children and reared them with her own two children, four stepchildren and 22 Australian foster children! (Just think about this when you are cutting school lunches for your two kids! I did - and fainted!) When her youngest Indian children were pre-teens, she discovered they had been stolen - by their father!-and sold for adoption. She has such strong ethics that she decided she would have to try and trace their natural mother in India. She did...and this is the touching story of how this was implemented and of their stay in India, with their adopted children and their natural mother and her new family. There is almost a happy ending, but I recommend you read the book to share the experiences of this extraordinary "bonded" family.

LOVE OUR WAY by Julia Rollings

My next guest, Peter Stanley, is the author of a controversial book which challenges the truth a lot of the Australia war legends we hold so dearly! His academic background demands that his research be taken seriously and it refutes the belief that Australia was under serious threat of a Japanese invasion in 1942. Peter explains the background to this fear and offers evidence of the hysteria whipped up by novels based on just such a possibility and also on cartoons depicting Japanese invaders brutalising Australian citizens. I found his arguments most persuasive, but I suggest you read the book and form your own opinions.

INVADING AUSTRALIA by Peter Stanley

Unfortunately, Peter Edwards - President of Victorian Jazz Archives - was suffering from the "dreaded lurgy" and not able to visit us. We hope to see him in a couple of weeks... along with a CD featuring the New Melbourne Jazz Group playing Georgia! My late husband and I were great fans of that particular group and followed their gigs in a number of venues, so I'm really looking forward to hearing them again.

I had the pleasure yesterday of attending the opening of the cooking school at Wild Oak Restaurant, Olinda, which was well attended by media guests as well as local people. With PR assistant Jilly Sime, owner chef Ben Higgs is also involved now in offering weekend tours of the Dandy Ranges and Yarra Valley. These include bed and breakfast accommodation, meals at Wild Oak, wine tastings and a variety of other pleasures we promote throughout the Yarra Ranges. (For more information check out www.wildoak.com.au or phone 9751 2033)

Everybody's favourite Frenchman, Gabriel Gate, launched the opening after we had shared a wonderful meal and sampled some of the wines tour guests will enjoy. I coaxed the musical duo who were entertaining us to perform their version of Georgia on My Mind (and it was great!) and they also agreed to come "live" onto the program and play. There was some impressive didgerdoo music as well and I am hoping this artist will visit the studio and play for us.

Next week's guests include two authors... one of whom is Matt Thompson. He was scheduled to come on the program a couple of weeks ago but had to cancel at the last minute. I found his book (and his attitude) extraordinary and intend to challenge him about his motivation for doing what he did when he did!

Another well-known guest will be Denise Drysdale ... who needs no introduction! We will have a chat and Denise will tell us more about the fashion parade scheduled next week, sponsored by Jenny's Shop in Monbulk and held at the Christian Fellowship Centre. Bookings for the afternoon and evening parades can be made on 9756 7866 and $20 includes a lavish afternoon tea or supper. All profits go to local charities.

I'm looking forward to speaking with Deb Cutts of Alzheimers' Foundation. This is a marvellous organisation and those people who have been supported by this group speak of them with the greatest possible warmth. As well as discussing their general activities, Deb will tell us about an Open Day at the Centre on 21st September.

Occasionally I find a thriller so absorbing that I can't put it down! This certainly was the case with Splinter, second novel by Australian writer Michael MacConnell. The plot twists and turns and constantly surprises the reader! The "hero", strong willed FBI Special Agent Sarah Reilly, is a tough cookie who, from choice, would take no prisoners but who, despite that, is surprisingly likeable! A good read!

I have a film preview scheduled for next week, but as it is an early evening screening and I am working that day, I might not get there.... so I won't tease you, just in case. If I do, I'll tell you about it in next week's newsletter. Don't forget to see "Welcome to the Sticks" if you enjoy a really funny, uncomplicated French farce and "How About You?" for a lovely, warm British film. I recommended it to a family member living in Canada and she loved it.

Incidentally, I have invited Minister Rob Hulls to come onto the program and "justify" steeplechase events at races. He has agreed but wants to wait until the release of a judicial report oin advance any comments or questions for the Minister about this, I'd love to have them!

Hope you'll be listening to The Good Life on Monday!

Ann Creber

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 1st SEPTEMBER2008

Hello Good Lifers! I am wondering how it can possibly be September when it was December only a few weeks ago ... or so it seems! Every year I make so many good resolutions and every year I fail to achieve them!

The last couple of weeks have been very frustrating, with no computer for 10 days, and a stack of "real" work to be done - recipes to be developed and tested, 2 1/2 days of food photography in studios, plus all the usual day to day routine work! Add to that two or three books to be read every week for author interviews and you get an idea of how busy life has been. (Oh,and I forgot to mention a dinner at Como to launch the Mushroom Growers' season and to announce the Mushroom Retailer of the year!)

I'm sorry there was no rambling page last week, but with no computer it is impossible. I wanted to tell you about the lovely afternoon session we had with Jackie French at Montrose Library last Sunday week. It was a delight to meet her and there was terrific feedback from all those who came to listen. I had the great pleasure of "hosting" the session and I was so pleased to finally meet her after several sessions together on The Good Life. She will be back with us again closer to Christmas when her next book comes out!

And I wanted to remind you that on Sunday 14th you can share a wonderful afternoon of music, art and craft at Eltham. We had the pleasure of a "live" studio visit from mandala artist Leonie Williams and singer/ craftswoman Carol McCarthy and of course I was delighted to have Carol sing a beautiful capella version of my beloved Georgia On My Mind! Enjoy the art and music at Eltham Community & Reception Centre, 801 Main Road Eltham (Melway 21 J6) from 1.30 to 4.45 p.m. Entry of $15 includes entertainment, refreshments and 2 glasses of wine, tea and coffee. Bookings essential by 7th September on 0407 947 482. Hope to see you there!

Other guests included authors Jacinta Halloran, Ellie Varrenti ( we had a lovely chat!) and wine expert James Halliday.

This week we had a couple of program changes as John Lethlean, one of the authors of The Age Good Food Guide, was unable to be with us and, because I had been too busy to read her book, I had to postpone another author interview. As usual, John Weeks provided conversation, as well as 'doing" all those buttons and knobs!

However, it was a pleasure to speak with Kate Atkinson, who has written an intriguing book called "When Will There Be Good News?" It is hard to know how Kate will weave together all the diverse threads of the book but she does....very successfully! It is a really interesting, well written book with plenty of humour and one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Another bizarre but totally absorbing book is "The Good Thief", written by American author Hanna Tinti. Set in Salem in the 1800s, it tells tales of grave robbers, Dickensian orphanages, a dwarf, a giant and unscrupulous but likeable characters! Hanna was a most interesting guest and she told us of her own life growing up in Salem, as well as her current career in publishing. Fascinating book....and one you should read!

(My typing was just interrupted by a call from John Cain, former premier! He has agreed to come on the program for a chat on 22nd September... so that will be interesting!)

Next week's program offers a wide variety of topics. Guests include Julia Rollings, a remarkable woman who has adopted 6 children from overseas and then, discovering that two of them had been stolen by their father and sold for adoption, set out to find their natural mother. She tells a great story, very moving but quite inspirational. My second guest, Peter Stanley, has written a controversial book called "Invading Australia", which refutes the belief that the Japanese planned to invade Australia! Should be interesting....

Hugh Mackay,a guest whose name is familiar, is a social researcher who has written a book he has called "Advance Australia - Where?" He presents some interesting and unexpected comments and predictions and it will be great to have him on The Good Life.

Our other guest is coming to the studio and will bring some jazz for us to play ... as you would expect from the President of the Victorian Jazz Archives! (I'm hoping for a bit of Georgia - I've sneaked in a request!)

Guests over the next weeks will include, as well as John Cain, the irrepressible Denise Drysdale! She will be starring in this year's fund-raiser fashion parade hosted by Jenny's Shop in Monbulk. This will be the 30th anniversary of Jenny's Shop and the 10th year for the Fashion Parade. Funds go to the Monbulk Christian Fellowship and last year $13,000 was raised for local charities.

The parade will be held in the Monbulk Christian centre in Old Emerald Road, Monbulk on Thursday 18th September. Bookings are essential and can be made on 9756 7866. Parades will be held at 1 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. with 20 models ranging between 15 and 80 years of age (!) and modelling sizes from 8 to 20..... something for everybody! $20 entry includes entertainment as well as the parade and, of course, a great country-style afternoon tea or supper! All that and Denise Drysdale! She'll be on the program the previous Monday...

Back to the kitchen, more recipes to be tested and more books to be read!!!!!

Love to hear from you at this email address or on my program! Hope you'll be listening to the Good Life on Monday!

Regards to all, Ann

ANN CREBER - 23 AUGUST 2008

Hello Good Lifers...This has been a really frustrating week! After doing a lot of homework for a scheduled interview on Monday, the author couldn't make it at the last minute! However, as I was keen to give him a bit of a hard time, I have rescheduled for a couple of weeks' hence!

I also had two book reviews and a film preview lined up to attend this week but then "real work" got in the way and instead I am spending my time testing a new electrical appliance, developing recipes for a calendar and getting organised for two big photographic studio jobs over the next two weeks.

We had a bit of fun with Rod Quantock on the program on Monday and I am sure his current show at the Trades Hall will be most entertaining. Called First Man Standing, it reprises his 40 years in comedy, campaigns and vendettas! He assures us there is no need to book.. just turn up Wed. to Saturday at 7.30p.m. From 6th August to 6th September. Should be a lot of fun!

First Man Standing at Trades Hall Wed. to Sat. 6th August - 6th September 7.30 p.m.

Another enjoyable chat was with Joan Sauers who, together with a psychologist, has written a book called The Sex Lives of Australian Women. This provided interesting - and surprising - reading and should also offer stimulating material for dinner party discussions over several glasses of good wine!

The Sex Lives of Australian Wpmen by Joan Sauers.

My other guest was Walkley winning journalist Ben Hills, who has written a truly fascinating book - The Island of The Ancients. Ben travelled to the island of Sardinia to investigate the intriguing mystery of why there are more centenarians in this small area than anywhere else in the world. I loved this book, which combines history, geography, sociology with science and medical research and also throws in a few very good local recipes! Ben writes of the very old people he met with great respect, warmth and affection. He also tosses in a few local recipes, which look most appetising.

His wife provided the wonderfully evocative photographs of many of the people interviewed and we see that some of these centenarians are still truly beautiful. The book is laced with humour and it is one I really do recommend. One of my favourites ....

The Island of The Ancients by Ben Hills.

This coming Sunday 24th August Jackie French will be visiting the Montrose Library and we will have a chat about her life and her previous and current books. Although Jackie and I have spoken on the program on several occasions and exchange emails (and seeds), we have never met, so I am really looking forward to "hosting" this session with her. She is such a popular author, I suspect that bookings are already full!

Next week's guests will be James Halliday , who has written yet another massive book on the wines of Australia, and also Jacinta Halloran - a Melbourne GP who has bravely written a very absorbing novel about a woman doctor who has made a wrong diagnosis and whose life is falling apart! We hope to have as a studio guest Leonie Williams, a local identity who is known for her magnificent mandala paintings, as well as being a celebrant, and she will tell us about an upcoming event featuring art and music, in which she will be a participant.

Our last guest will be Elly Varrenti, a regular host on the ABC's 774, Elly has written a painfully honest autobiography, which tells of her life as part of an extended Italian family, of her loves and her losses and of being a sole parent herself. This is told with humour as well as regrets, and I reckon there will be quite a few of us who can relate to Elly's story!

If you would like to contact me, send an email to <provence@bluedandenongs.com.au>

Sorry I am so late this week, but LIFE does to end to get in the way! Hope you'll be listening next Monday between 3 - 5 p.m.

Regards, Ann

ANN CREBER - THE GOOD LIFE - 13 August 2008

Hello Good Lifers. Firstly, don't forget that we still have a lovely freebie for you! It is a pasta workshop with Pauline Leonard, an expert in Italian cookery and owner of Cooking The Italian Way School, and will be held at the Queen Victoria Market at 9.30 a.m. on Saturday August 30th. It is "hands on" and the dishes cooked will be shared for lunch. All you have to do is to send me an email at this address and I will confirm it with Pauline! Great day out, so please take advantage of this very generous offer.

Pauline is also organising tours to Italy over the next few months and you can find out more about these on www.cookingtheitalianway.com

My first guest this week was Jackie French, and I had to confess that I hadn't read her latest book "The Camel Who Crossed Australia"! The reason for this was that my young neighbour and his family have gone to South America for 6 months - and my camel book has travelled with them! Jackie saw the humour of the situation and we had a great chat about her research into the Burke & Wills expedition, on which this book is based. This research unearthed a lot of interesting material about the camels and the cameleers who accompanied them on the trip, as well as fascinating material related to the ill-fated expedition. As always, Jackie relies on historical facts upon which she builds her story, so her books are informative as well as highly entertaining.

And the REALLY good news is that Jackie is coming to the Hills for a visit! She will be a guest of the Montrose Library (Mt. Dandenong Tourist Road, Montrose) at 3 p.m. on SUNDAY 24TH AUGUST. And there is a bonus for me....I am going to have the pleasure of sharing the conversation with Jackie! Come along and meet Jackie and share a glimpse of her 'good life'! And of course I'd love to meet any Good Life listeners!

My next guest was David Brown, President of the Australian Specialist Cheese Makers' Association and also MD of Milawa Cheese. We had a chat about great Australian cheeses in general and, in particular, about the big cheese show this weekend at Palladium Room, Crown Entertainment Complex at 8 Whiteman Street, South Melbourne. Open from 11 - 4 p.m., there are over 300 cheeses for tasting, also a range of boutique beers and wines, and of course you can chat with the cheese makers themselves. Entry is $40 (children free) and this covers all tastings, including alcoholic drinks. A great way to learn more about the fabulous range of specialty cheeses Australia has on offer.

Next interview was with author Danny Russell and I really enjoyed speaking with this lovely man. His wife died 2 years ago at the age of 35 and Danny writes very touchingly about their lives together, their joys and sorrows. His book, called Dear Eddie, consists mainly of letters to their little boy in which he tells him about his mother, his family, and also includes love letters written by his beloved Kerrie during their romance and marriage. He paints a vivid word picture of a strong and brave woman. I expected this to be a very sad book... but there is a lot of humour in it, a lot of love, and it is a warm and beautiful read.

Dear Eddie by Danny Russell. Published by Murdoch.

My final interview was also touched with sadness. Leora Jacks is the wife of Michael Jacks, chef and caterer, and three years ago Michael was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. There is as yet no treatment for this crippling illness and now Michael is incapacitated and totally hospitalised. He is determined to leave a legacy to his friends and family and, with a great deal of assistance from a number of people, has created a beautiful cookbook which also tells the story of his life and family. A nice quirky touch is Michael's suggestions as to appropriate music to play while you cook - or eat - his recipes!

I attended the launch of this book last week and it was amazing! Over 600 people were at the St Kilda Town Hall to share the night and a number of people, including his three children, spoke of Michael and his life. He was there in a wheelchair and Leora told us of his joy and amazement at the way people had responded. This is all about another very brave and obviously well loved person.

The book is self-published (and looks beautiful!) and profits will go to Access Fundraising Group, an organisation dedicated to assisting children with disabilities. I am still trying to get details as to where you can find the book .....but, with Leora's permission, we are including a recipe from it. (I'm happy to be able to say that when I was a restaurant reviewer, I recommended Michael's restaurant Renoir for a "hat" - and it was awarded!)

My Life, My Food by Michael Jacks. Self published.

And don't forget, if you have a chance to see the very funny French film "Welcome to The Sticks" which I previewed last week, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

NEXT WEEK we'll chat with Joan Sauers who has written "Sex Lives of Australia Women", also comedian Rod Quantock (who is currently performing nightly at the Trades Hall in "First Man Standing" and tickets are available at the door). I'm looking forward to chatting with journalist Ben Hills who has written a book about the island of Sardinia, where there are more people aged 100-plus than anywhere else in the world! He explores the reasons for this, as well as sharing wonderful photos of a number of these remarkable old people. (I loved this book - Island of he Ancients!) I'll also speak with Matthew Thompson who has written My Colombian Death....I must admit I haven't become an admirer of the author, but the book has a certain voyeuristic fascination as we read about his bizarre experiences with drink, drugs, killers and "out of body" experiences in this lawless South American country.

Back to the kitchen! I have a case of Seville oranges to be made into marmalade! And a stack of books to read for upcoming interviews......

Hope you'll be listening next week to share The Good Life with us. Ann (The Good Life on 3MDR)

This recipe is from Michael Jacks' time as chef at the famous Marchetti's Restaurant. ( He recommends Nessum Dorma sung by Luciano Pavarotti for listening inspiration!)

MARCHETTI'S ITALIAN FRIED POTATOES

1 Kilo washed potatoes
2 heads garlic
bunch rosemary
Olive oil for cooking
Salt

Place whole potatoes in cold salted water and bring to the boil. Cook until cooked through but not falling apart. Strain well and let potatoes cool.

Separate garlic into single cloves and prick each with a fork. Break off sprigs of rosemary and set aside.

Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Heat oil in a pan or wok and bring to medium high heat. Cook potatoes in batches, adding a few cloves of each with each. Stir gently until golden brown and add rosemary sprigs.

Remove with slotted spoon and place on absorbent towel. Sprinkle liberally with salt. Best served immediately.

Thanks to Michael and Leora Jacks for permission to share this recipe from My Life, My Food.

ANN CREBER 7 AUGUST 2008

Hello All! Firstly, I'm sorry I didn't communicate with you last week! I had lots to pass on, but I was off in Finley (NSW) for a couple of days and John Weeks (who not only presses all the buttons and knobs for my program but also ensures my weekly waffle gets to you!) was wearing his Film Director hat and was extremely busy!

Despite a bit of a hiccup because of a publishing publicist's busy schedule, (which meant we missed out on an interview), we had interesting guests who more than compensated. It was great to have independent publisher Nick Anchen in the studio again, together with Macarthur Job,the author of a fascinating book called Called Disaster in the Dandenongs. This tells the story of the 1938 dramatic plane crash on Mt Dandenong, which killed 18 people and is one of Australia's worst aviation crashes. Well worth a read, the book is available around a number of newsagencies, post offices and at Skyhigh Restaurant on Ridge Road, which is very close to the scene of the crash. Mac had a long career with the aviation industry and writes with great insight and authority about the issues of safety in the air.

We also enjoyed a visit from James Merlino, Minister for Youth, Sport & Recreation, and he shared with us a chat about Hawthorn Football Club, some good news for local sporting groups and a general chat about Govt. activities.

Our third guests was Patrick Horan, Curator from Melbourne Zoo, who - despite my shudders - spoke at length about his spiders! In fact, the main reason for the interview was for him to tell us about workshops the Zoo are offering for people like me who suffer from arachnophobia! I'll pass, but for more details check out the Melbourne Zoo website!

This week's guests included Belinda Horton, CEO of PANDA, a support group offering advice and assistance for sufferers of post-natal depression. This prevalent, but often undiagnosed condition, creates a great deal of unnecessary unhappiness within families and PANDA offers a range of support systems designed to help and to heal. For more information and assistance, check out their website on www.panda.org.au. Phone (03) 9481 3377 or email <info@panda.org.au>

Chloe Hooper, author of The Tall Man, was a guest I had been looking forward to speaking with. Her powerful book tells the story of the death of Cameron Doomagee in a prison cell on Palm Island and the riots, the coroner's inquest and the court trial that followed. It is a tragedy that involves both the indigenous people of the Island and Chris Hurley, the "tall man" of the title. A Snr-Sergeant who had previously enjoyed a good relationship with the aboriginal people with whom he worked, it seems to have been an aberration that caused Chris Hurley to wreck this in a moment of anger after arresting Cameron Domagee. However, the book offers much more than just the story of Chris Hurley... it tells the tragedy of life in many aboriginal communities and of the rampant racism that still exists. Chloe, who won a Walkley Award for her original article about the subject in The Monthly magazine, writes with both passion and compassion and it is a book I strongly recommend.

The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper (Published by Penguin)

Another author I spoke with was Wayne Webster, biographer of Peter Brock. Wayne's book was launched on Monday, he had been celebrating and our interview was late in starting, so it was shorter than I had hoped. He had a long and close relationship with Peter Brock and his family, but the book is honestly written and describes Brock's life with - as Wayne said himself -"warts and all". It is the story of a complex and charismatic man -one who made some bad errors of judgement, was a brilliant driver, but doesn't come across as being a particularly nice bloke! It is a really interesting read, especially for any racing car enthusiasts.

Brock by Wayne Webster (Published by Penguin)

We had the pleasure of a visit to the studio by Pauline Leonard, who runs a very successful Italian cooking school and who hosts very glamorous trips to Italy! We spoke of her forthcoming tour and also of the difference in regional foods throughout Italy. Pauline and her tour will be visiting the Piedmont region for the Slow Food festival and she shared a recipe for a traditional cake from that area. (See below)

To find out more about both the cooking classes and the tour, phone Pauline on 0417 59 99 33 or check her website on <www.cookingtheitalianway.com>.
Email address: cookingitalian@ains.net.au

Pauline has also very generously offered a free place in her Pasta Making class ("Take a Sheet of Pasta") at the Queen Victoria Market Cooking School on Sat. 30th August at 9.30 a.m. It will be "hands on" and great fun as well as informative. First person to send me an email request for class will be the lucky winner!

I had the pleasure yesterday of seeing a preview of a wonderful French comedy film called Welcome to The Sticks. I'll tell you more about it on Monday and in next week's column... it is not scheduled for release until 4th September.

Next week's guests will include the wonderful Jackie French - always welcome! We will also speak with David Brown, President of the Australian Specialty Cheese Association, who will tell us about the big cheese exhibition and tasting coming up the following weekend. Our other two guests both offer bitter-sweet stories. Danny Russell, whose wife Kerrie died of cancer, has written a book consisting of memories of his wife, some of their letters and, above all, letters to his small son Eddie to remind him of his mother and the short time they shared together. A lovely book and very funny, despite the inevitable underlying sadness.

Dear Eddie by Danny Russell

My other guest will be Leora Jacks. I am going to the launch tonight of a book written by her husband Michael, chef/restaurant owner, who is suffering from motor neutron disease and has only a short time to live. Michael has written this cookbook not only to record his favourite recipes, but to tell some stories of his life and his family. It is a lovely book and Leora and I will talk about it on Monday.

As usual, my thanks to John Weeks for all his support and to Gavin Smith, who took on John's role the previous week when John was off on his film making!

And remember you can contact me on <provence@bluedandenongs.com.au> and share The Good Life with me every Monday between 3 - 5 p.m.!

Warm regards, Ann

ANN CREBER 4 August 2008 RECIPE

The Savoy Cake

Ingredients

6 eggs

Caster Sugar

Plain Flour

Finely grated rind of two lemon

Method

Ø Heat oven to 180°C.

Ø Grease and flour 2 x sandwich tins.

Ø Weigh the whole eggs still in their shells.

Ø Weigh the same amount of caster sugar as the eggs

Ø Now, weigh 3 eggs

Ø Weigh the same amount of plain flour as the 3 eggs

Ø Separate all the eggs.

Ø Beat the egg yolks and caster sugar together until they are pale and thick.

Ø With clean beaters, beat the egg whites until they are firm.

Ø Gently mix two tablespoons of egg white into the yolks to lighten the mixture.

Ø Fold the remaining egg whites through the yolk mixture.

Ø Lastly fold the flour and lemon rind into the mixture.

Ø Spoon into the tins and cook for 20 minutes, or until the cakes are completely risen and starting to brown.

Ø Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and remove onto a rack.

ICING:

3 x cups pure Icing Sugar, sifted

Juice of ½ Lemon

1 x Egg white

Method

Ø Please all ingredients in the small bowl of a an electric mixer and best slowly to combine, then increase the speed until the icing is thick and creamy.

ANN CREBER 21 JULY 2008

Hello Good Life listeners... I am VERY late this week! It has been a busy time with a couple of recipe deadlines and also because I had one of our previous guests staying with me. Last year we interviewed Sharyn Munro, author of the wonderful biography The Woman on The Mountain, which tells of her early life and of the remote property where she now lives and provides a wildlife refuge for a great range of native animals and birds. She is a remarkable woman and we have become friends, so it was a great pleasure to have her stay with me while she was in our area to speak at an Eltham Festival and also at the Belgrave Library. She is currently working on another book called Bush Tails, so I'll keep you posted on that.

I did record an interview with her, in which she speaks passionately about her interest in conservation, and I'm hoping Guru John Weeks will be able to "polish" it up for you to hear! You can find out more about Sharyn and her lifestyle if you just go into Google!

Last week's guests were interesting and varied. I had been apprehensive about an interview with Don Tate, author of The War Within, a very angry and frustrated Vietnam vet but it seemed to go quite well and I was very pleased when he told me afterwards how much he had enjoyed it and also phoned next day to ask for a copy of the interview! His book depicts the most horrific "on the ground" details of war and he also describes in painful detail his childhood, his wild adolescence and the aftermath of the horrific war injury he suffered. Since then he has fought for official recognition of the men he fought beside, for a "fair go", and to try and re-establish his own life. A hard read but an important book. The War Within by Don Tate. Published by Pier 9 (Murdoch Books.)

It was much easier to chat then with travel writer and food reviewer, Sally Hammond, who is also an old friend. Sally and photographer husband, Gordon, have travelled extensively and Sally writes with a light but very personal touch about all their adventures. Gordon's excellent photographs enhance the experience, of course, and invariably Sally includes a lot of information about regional food and often a selection of recipes. They are just back from a trip to England and Scotland, which included a trip on the Royal Scotsman train and a visit to the former Royal yacht Britannia, now decommissioned and used as a function centre. As ever, she was most entertaining as she spoke of their experiences.

We also talked her last book, Bamboo (A Journey with Chinese Food), published late last year and which covers an extensive trip throughout China and surrounding territories and offers some great recipes, one of which I will include.

Next guest was the naughty and flirtatious Joy Aimee, publisher, author, woman of the world and now webmaster of a new site offering "Cosmic Connections"!
John joined in this conversation with great enthusiasm and he and Joy carried on what I can only describe as an "on air flirtation"... they discovered they share the same star sign, so maybe a bit of cosmic connecting was happening there! You can find out more about Joy's next venture on the website www.happyeverafterclub.com> and, if you are the first listener to sign up for her program of several months' "coaching" and membership, she has kindly offered the first month free if you mention The Good Life on 3MDR! (You might need to be quick to beat John Weeks to it, of course!)

During this conversation, our studio guest, Charles Smedley, sat looking somewhat bemused and wondering, I suspect, if he was going to have to cope with banter of the same kind! Charles told us the family story which had prompted him to name his new winery/restaurant at Dixons Creek "Mandala", and of his own experiences in the wine and hospitality industry overseas. It is a beautiful property located on the Melba Highway, with a restaurant providing Mediterranean style meals and cellar door snacks. His chef, Mauro, is from Argentina and worked with Raymond Capaldi at Fenix, so he brings high credentials to the kitchen. As he has four children of his own, Charles does emphasis that the restaurant IS child friendly!

For more information check the website <www.mandala wines.com.au>

FILMS: I went to the preview of The Savages this week. Starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman, it tells of two middle-aged siblings - who seem to have had little in common over the years - who are brought together after a crisis with their elderly father. Despite his past harsh treatment of them during childhood and little association with him over the years, they feel obliged to accept responsibility for him when he is diagnosed as suffering from dementia. Although an unlovable old man, the daughter nevertheless feels they must take good care of him and, although less sympathetic, the brother agrees from a sense of duty.

We explore the latent sibling rivalry still existing between them, their rather pathetic love lives, their less than brilliant careers and their efforts to find a satisfactory solution as to how to best provide their father with the care he needs. The casting is excellent (especially the brother) and the story is one that many people will relate to. And despite the rather bleak theme, it is a film not without humour. Worth a visit!

Next week we will have a visit to the studio from local MP and Minister for Youth Affairs & Recreation, James Merlino. (As James and I are both Hawthorn supporters, we probably won't discuss football!) However, I'm sure there will be plenty of other topics... including the possibility of Jeff Kennett as our next Lord Mayor! I'll also be speaking with Joan Sauers, author of Sex Lives of Australian Women (!), Patrick Horan, the arachnid curator from Melbourne Zoo (I'm shuddering already!) and Nick Anchen, local publisher and former guest on the Good Life, who will bring with him the author of a book telling in detail the story of the DC-2 plane crash on Mt Dandenong in 1938! It is called Disaster In the Dandenongs (The Kyeema airliner tragedy) and is by Macarthur Job, OAM and a former Inspector of Air Safety.

We were very pleased to see that the program and 3MDR had been included in the acknowledgements, although we did nothing other than invite Nick onto the program to speak about it earlier this year!

As usual, we do promise a varied program! I hope you'll be listening!

Ann Creber of The Good Life on 3MDR

Recipe from Sally Hammond's book Bamboo, published by New Holland. This recipes uses the strange "stalky" garlic flavoured vegetable that look rather like unopened miniature daffodils.... I have seen them in Chinese supermarkets and wondered about their use! Sally tasted this dish on a train and recreated it! Hence it's odd name...

GARLIC STALKS AND BEEF ON A TRAIN Serves 4 - 6

2 tablespoons peanut oil
500g thinly sliced good quality beef
2 cups finely sliced Chinese cabbage
2 eggs,lightly beaten
1 bunch garlic stalks, cut into 3cm pieces
Soy sauce

Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry beef for a couple of minutes until almost cooked. Remove and keep warm. Fry cabbage for a couple of minutes, stir the eggs through, then add the garlic stalks, stir frying for a further minute. Return beef to the wok, stir to combine and reheat gently. Season with soy sauce and serve immediately. Thanks, Sally!

(If you can't find the garlic stalks, try using a bunch of spring onions cut into 3 cm lengths, and add some crushed garlic to the recipe!)

ANN CREBER 18 JULY 2008

Hello All..Firstly, I must tell you about the preview of The Dark Knight which I saw Mondday night ! Well, everything about it was MEGA!!! Mega long, mega loud, mega violent!!!! I suspect if I had seen it in 3D (and it is showing at some IMAX cinemas) I would have been huddled under the seat, clutching my head! It is amazing and I did enjoy it... best car chase I have ever seen! And the effects are amazing.. of course I must confess that it is about 20 years since I last saw a film of this genre,so I guess it is to be expected that I would be dazzled by this modern hi-tech cinema! All I can say is, see it!

My own program this week was as enjoyable as ever for me and offered very different guests. The effervescent Catherine Deveny, columnist for The Age and sometime host of afternoon ABC 774 radio, was my first guest and she is always a delight. She chatted this time about her life philosophy and how she tries to treat her children as though they were her grandchildren - which is a lovely theory! (We all know how indulgent and patient grandparents can be!) You can read her column in The Age every Wednesday. I'm pleased to say she told me afterwards that she would be happy to come back on the program at any time! Her next book is being published later in the year, so she will certainly be our guest again then.

Our next guest was author Annette Hughes, a most interesting woman who has written a book called Life Art Chooks ... and that tells you all you need to know! She and her partner, poet Geoffrey Datson, took the tree change and moved to rural Queensland and now live "the good life" on a large property. I loved her book, and also the CD featuring her voice and Geoffrey's poetry and compositions, which accompany the book. I am hoping she will visit Melbourne soon and be a "live" guest on the program.

Our other guest was ABC foreign correspondent Helene Chung, who has written a fascinating book called Ching Chong China Girl. It tells of her exotic early life in Hobart, a very conservative city in the 1950s, her struggle against the racism she faced professionally and the success she enjoyed in her chosen career. She writes very frankly of her early childhood, the numerous relationships she shared and the loss of the one great love of her life. She was a charming and generous guest and I do recommend her book, which is published by the ABC.

I am running late with this week's waffle, as I wanted to be able to tell you about the launch yesterday of a new winery/restaurant in the Yarra Valley, to which I was invited. (How many MORE can the Valley sustain?) The complex is called Mandala; very stylish, and it was a lovely occasion offering great food served with a selection of wines from their two YV vineyards. I was intrigued by the romantic story behind the choice of this particular property and of its naming, as told to us by owner Charles Smedley. In fact, Charles is coming on the program on Monday to recount the story himself. I am sure he will be a most interesting guest and I look forward to chatting with him in a more relaxed situation. I also managed to ensnare several other guests who will share The Good Life with us in the next few weeks!

Despite a few problems with arranged interviews with American authors who couldn't get visas at the last moment and similar dramas, we have a great line-up for Monday! As well as Charles Smedley from Mandala, we have the author of one of the most difficult books I have read for the program. Don Tate has written of his experiences as a young man and of his time in the Vietnam war. I have learned from this book more about the horrors of that conflict than any others I have read and although I started out feeling that I didn't really want to interview Don, I finished the book with a great admiration for him. I am sure it won't be an easy interview but I am hoping it will be a rewarding one.

My other guests will be much less demanding, but very entertaining. The naughty Joy Aimee (author of So Where's My HappyEverAfter?!) will be our guest again and tell us about her new "cosmic dating" website. I admitted to Joy in our first interview that while I was reading her book I often felt like giving her a good smack and telling her to behave and be sensible! Despite that, we have formed a happy relationship and I am looking forward to chatting with her. John Weeks has promised (threatened?) to become involved in our conversation and to offer "the bloke's" point of view!

Another guest is a lovely lady called Sally Hammond. A very highly regarded travel writer - lots of awards! - Sally and her husband trek all over the place writing their travel books. Not the usual glib and glossy accounts but really as it is out there! She is also well qualified to write about regional foods, as she does as she and husband Gordon host a website Dedicated to spreading the word about the great "foodie" regions of Australia.

And of course, as usual, there'll be music... my choice!!!! If you hate it or love it .. or just want to chat with me about anything at all, please contact me on
<provence@bluedandenongs.com.au> I was very excited this week to have an
email from Melissa and to know that I also have a listener in her mum! Who's counting? I am ... and now I know I have at least four listeners!

Please check out The Good Life... you might enjoy it! (And you can only hear it because John Weeks presses all those buttons and twiddles all those knobs!) Thanks, John.

Ann Creber of The Good Life on 3MDR

ANN CREBER 10 July 2008

THE GOOD LIFE on 3MDR. The program was a bit chaotic this week but in the nicest possible way! One of our guests in the studio was the effervescent Vikki Leng (AKA Vikki the Vego) and she leaves us all a bit breathless! Whatever she's "on", I need!

I caught up with her at the launch of the Mushroom Growers' new cookbook last week and, as all Vikki's functions are, it was great fun! It was held in a studio at Crown and after delectable mushroom finger foods and wine, we were entertained with a cooking demonstration by Ready Steady Cook chef and author of the mushroom book, Janelle Bloom. This was followed by a Ready Steady Cook style competition between Janelle and Crown chef, assisted by two male guests and encouraged by rowdy support from the audience!

Vikki kindly gave us several cookbooks and if anyone would like to contact me by email, I'd be happy to forward a copy. They retail at about $25 and offer great suggestions for using mushrooms in every day cooking.

Our first guest was Michael Whelan, father of an autistic son and author of The Other Country, which covers the 10 years of their family life since his son's original diagnosis. This is a brave, honest, informative and funny book and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Although there is a great deal of sadness and huge frustration in the telling, there are also laughs and Michael and I shared a few during our chat. I really recommend this book, which is published by MacMillan.

Our next guest was Michelle Cary, one of the senior programmers for the Melbourne International Film Festival, which starts on July 18th. The full program for the Festival will be available in tomorrow's Age (11th) and, from our discussion, it sounds great. I'm particularly interested in a film covering Lou Reed's Berlin concert performed in the '70s, but it does sound as though MIFF offers something for everyone! Check it out via the Age insert or on the web.

Several weeks ago we had as a guest Paul Hobson, who wholesales a range of organic, vegetarian-friendly wines and beers. He also performs with a small group and we welcomed him back, with his musical partner Quinn, on Monday. As promised, they performed a great reggae version of Georgia on My Mind and followed this with one of their own compositions called Systems. Terrific sound! I was really grateful to Quin who travelled all the way from Fairfield in peak traffic! They have a gig in St Kilda in a couple of weeks and when I get details from Paul, I'll let you know!

I must tell you about the Community Harvest Project meetings which are being held in different locations around the district. Their next information night is scheduled for 7 p.m., Selby Community House, Minak Reserve, Wombalana Road, Selby. All welcome but please RSVP July 11th to <community harvest@bigpond.com>.

There are also some very interesting events coming up at Eltham Bookshop, including a session with Judith Pugh, author of An Unstill Life, and my guest on The Good Life a couple of weeks ago. Check out details of a range of events on <elthambookshop@bigpond.com>

There are so many activities on offer for school holidays, I don't quite know where to start! Try the zoo, the puppet festival at Fed Square, the activities at Scienceworks and of course the wonderful Dinosaurs and Their Eggs display at the Museum. I loved it!

Also saw a film preview last week of How About You? Laughed, cried, admired the gorgeous Irish scenery and loved the wonderful old English actors who are the main characters in this warmly sentimental (but not mawkish!) film. And check out the fabulous vintage wallpapers in the retirement home!

Since Monday, I have received eight books for review, five invitations to film previews and an invitation to the glitzy launch of a new restaurant/winery in the Yarra Valley! The Good Life is taking over MY life...but I'm really enjoying it and looking forward to sharing some of this with you over the next few weeks.

There would be no Good Life without John Weeks and all his work on the panel, so thanks again, John!

And remember you can contact me on <provence@bluedandenongs.com.au>

Regards, Ann

ANN CREBER - 3 JULY 2008

Hello All. Unusually, there were no authors as guests this week! Instead, we had guests involved with three local business and an old friend, Elaine Canty, from my ABC DAYS, who is now Chairperson of Melbourne Botanic and Cranbourne Gardens and also of the Queen Victoria Market.

Our first guest was Despina Karatzias, a young woman who has recently been awarded a major Tourism Award for her work in the tourism industry. It was Despina's passion for the aircraft industry that eventually led her to her present promotional work with Global Ballooning. This enthusiasm is still very obvious and in a "high flying" (sorry) tourism activity her career can only expand up, up and away! Love to see those balloons drifting over the Yarra Valley on a summer morning! I had a flight a few years ago and it was a wonderful experience. For more details about the ballooning experience, check out the website www.globalballooning.com.au

I was also happy to have as a guest Betty Taylor. Betty, who has a most interesting background in community welfare and self-help programs, also in teaching music to school children is extending her skills into the presentation of life-style seminars. They are different from the usually rather abstract presentations of this kind as not only will participants be encouraged to follow their dreams, but with the assistance of Dr Jack Jacoby and Betty, will be given practical guidelines as to how to achieve these personal goals.

For more information, contact Betty on 9751 2590 or by email
<betty@taylorco.com.au>

My next guest was Elaine Canty. For many years I was Elaine's weekly guest on 3LO - as it was then - to speak about food. We had a very happy relationship and I really enjoyed speaking with her on MY program! She is such an interesting woman who has travelled extensively and also been involved in a wide range of community activities, including being on the AFL Tribunal, a Committee member of Essendon FC and currently involved with the Gardens and Queen Victoria Market in he role as Chairman. She still finds time to enjoy her golf and is thrilled to have just become a grandmother for the first time. She and her sports writer husband are off to the Olympic Games and she is happy to come onto the program to tell us about her experience there.

My last guest was Jilly Sime, who is looking after the marketing for Wild Oak Restaurant at Mt. Dandenong. As well as serving lovely food in the restaurant, Ben is now offering cooking classes, both for beginners and more ambitious cooks. These classes are held on Thursday and Saturday morning. Jilly has ambitious plans for offering very glamorous weekend package deals, which will include B & B accommodation, meals at Wild Oak, a vineyard visit and shopping in the Mt Dandenong villages. Sounds great and you can find out more about all these tempting offerings at <dine@wildoak.com.au>

Lots of good things happening for the school holidays! I can personally recommend the Dinosaur Eggs display at the Museum and Great Oceans 3D film at Imax, the Zoo - with a fantastic holiday program for kids - loads of stuff happening at Science Works and of course the Royal Botanic and Cranbourne Gardens. And remember, I still have a Zoo family pass (2 adults and two kids) for anyone who likes to contact me on this email address. I'll post the voucher to you - and it IS valid until June 2009!

Next week.. Still working on it but can confirm Michael Whelan, author of a book recounting his experiences as the father of an autistic son. Lovely book, full of emotion but also with a lot of humour. An old friend and colleague, Vikki Leng of the Mushroom Growers Association, will be a guest. I shared a great night last night at Crown Casino when the new mushroom cookbook was launched....AND there will be a couple of copies available for listeners. I'll also be speaking with a senior programmer from the Melbourne International Film Festival, maybe the author of Sex Lives of Australian Women and possibly a live reggae version of Georgia on My Mind! You can't say you haven't been warned! But please listen anyhow!

And thanks again to John Weeks who presses and twirls all those knobs that make it possible me to just talk!!!!

regards, Ann Creber of The Good life

For Ann Creber 2009 click HERE