Natasha Ley

Adriano Zumbo Patissier
I was a bit slow in discovering this place, it opened last November, but since I have I can’t stay away. I was in there on the weekend buying little pistachio macaroons to take to a dinner party and a girl walked in with a group of friends just to food perv. Each delicious morsel in there is a little work of art!
296 Darling St, Balmain NSW (02) 9810 7318,
adrianozumbo.com

City Walks: Paris, 50 Adventures on Foot by Christina Henry de Tessan
I’m planning a trip to France and a friend gave me this cute little set of 50 cards, with detailed maps of Paris on one side and a list of restaurants, shops and sites to visit on the other. Much more chic than trying to look at a big folded map and looking like a tourist… Etes-vous d'accord?

Ben Quilty
I absolutely love Ben Quilty’s textured artworks. There is an amazing fashion shoot photographed in his art studio in the current issue of Vogue. I think his artworks (in the background behind the models), steal the show (sorry Vogue!) It’s a beautiful shoot and reminded me of how much I love Ben’s paintings. Apparently he has an exhibition coming up at the Grant Pirrie Gallery in Redfern on the 6th August.

Basement Books
Last week I bought Neil Perry’s The Food I Love for $36.95 rather than RRP$85. This book shop has lots of bargains.
Shop 1, Henry Deane Plaza, 2 Lee Street, Haymarket NSW (02) 9211 7726, www.basementbooks.com.au

Neil Perry’s Cinnamon-Scented Middle Eastern Lamb (see above)
Delicious. For me this winter, it’s all about Middle Eastern food.

Burt’s Bees 'Almond Milk Beeswax' Hand Creme
This creme is beautiful, thick and smells amazing.

Natasha Ley is Deputy Art Director of Sunday magazine and previously worked on Inside Out and Australian Gourmet Traveller. She is a generous foodie who has the combined knowledge of every volume on your cookbook shelf and is able to convey it without Gordon Ramsay's swear record (in fact, her delivery is much warmer and gentler). She once swam out to sea - under a sky of pounding rain - to rescue some antique buoys that had blown away in the wind and had to returned after a very wet and gale-like photo shoot.