CONTENTS ARMCHAIR TRAVEL 8
Journeys of the heart
The destinations that pull at the Signature Luxury Travel & Style heartstrings.
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High seas, from home
Get inspired to return to the water with our favourite luxe cruise companies.
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Mother’s Day feasts
How to spoil mum (possibly from a distance) this year.
20 D eluxe delivery From top-shelf wines to the freshest produce – here’s how to stock your pantry and get it delivered to your doorstep.
22 S haken and stirred Celebrate quarantini hour with these immunity-charging cocktails (they’re a thing).
TIPS & TRICKS 30 U pskill online From live cooking classes to acting tips delivered by celebrities, here are our favourite online diversions.
32 B oost your immune system Nutritious elixirs, expert advice on getting a good night’s sleep, ways to be gentle on your gut – we’ve got you covered.
34 H ealth and wellness The hotels (and experts) brining meditation, healthful eating, yoga and mindfulness to your living room.
37 D IY hand sanitiser Can’t find it at the store? Here’s how to make it yourself.
38 H otel, at home We’re all missing our favourite hotels. Here’s how to best channel yours.
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Frame Living System & Glenaire Swivel Chairs by Kett
Tao Table & Tosca Armchairs by Tribu
Kay Lounge Chairs & Footstool by Gloster
Luxury furniture from leading designer brands. Exclusive to
Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Perth www.coshliving.com.au
EDITOR'S LETTER
www.signatureluxurytravel.com.au CEO & Group Editor Cathy Wagstaff cathywagstaff@signaturemedia.com.au Editor Natasha Dragun General Manager Tina-Louise Jackson Associate Publisher Cara Wagstaff Head Designer Gemma Kightly Digital Managers Samantha Rowntree, Lisa Wagstaff Guest Contributors Natarsha Brown, Lisa Perkovic Business Development Colleen Hinch, Jess Loudon, Managers Nicola McClean, Howard Shaw, Virginia Shirley Advertising Enquiries sales@signaturemedia.com.au General Enquiries admin@signaturemedia.com.au +61 2 9406 4400 Signature@home is published under the Signature Luxury Travel & Style umbrella. Signature Luxury Travel & Style is Australia’s leading and highest circuited travel magazine, reaching more than 230,000 high-net-worth individuals quarterly.
I
’m yet to meet a better travelled bunch than the team behind Signature Luxury Travel & Style – gallivanting combined, there’s not much of the globe we haven’t seen. Everyone is looking forward to the day we can get back to doing what we do best, not to mention love the most. Until then, we’re also looking for ways to ignite our wanderlust, while also inspiring yours. Enter Signature@home, our freshly minted luxury lifestyle title, delivered to your inbox monthly in a digital format. We’ve taken everything that is so magical about the print magazine – the dreamy images, the insider intel, the upscale experiences – and made it relevant and relatable in our current situation. Which means a little travel projection, as well as insights into what our favourite tourism and hospitality brands are doing to remind globetrotters there’s still a wide and wonderful world out there. There are also plenty of nifty tips on how to make the most of your time at home: ways to upskill, quarantini recipes, advice on how to bring that hotel feel into your home, and strategies to stay well while grounded. Read it now, download it for later – however you consume Signature@home, we hope it brings you as much joy as we found putting it together. Stay safe, and happy reading!
Ntsa
EDITOR
natashadragun@signaturemedia.com.au @ndragun
FOLLOW US Published by Signature Media PO Box 1825 Chatswood NSW 2057 Australia
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WANT MORE? For more inspiring luxury lifestyle features, head online to our website, signatureluxurytravel.com.
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Armchair Travel
Dreaming of foreign lands and exotic foods? Read on for inspiring stories to sate your travel wanderlust.
eys urnTHE JoOF HEART The Signature staff have been blessed with opportunities to travel to some pretty amazing parts of the world. Here, they reveal the destinations they can’t wait to get back to when it’s safe to travel again. From Italy to Abu Dhabi, read on for journeys that have captured our hearts.
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New York City Natarsha Brown NYC is organised chaos at its best. An epicentre of arts and culture, an architectural marvel, and the world’s capital of fine dining and shopping – it truly is the City That Never Sleeps. To walk its streets is to star in your very own Hollywood hit – each corner an Instagram-worthy piece of eye candy. By night, take your pick between ballet, slam poetry, burlesque, jazz, improv comedy, Broadway musicals... If you can dream it, it’s available in the Big Apple.
Greek Islands Cathy Wagstaff Nothing quite says ‘summer holiday’ like days spent floating around the Greek Islands. Some of my fondest travel memories are of wandering between whitewashed, bougainvilleaclad villages, pausing to catch a sunset, take a dip and feast on grilled octopus with local Santorini wines. Perfect day after perfect day. When I go back, I want to explore lesser-known isles like Milos, Kimolos, Folegandros, Ios… I’d love to jump on board a luxury yacht and sail between destinations, with a loose itinerary allowing me to linger wherever my heart desires. Soon.
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Lake Garda, Italy Lisa Wagstaff I spent my days here swimming and lazing under the Mediterranean sun, hiking up Monte Baldo, drinking wine and motoring about in a speedboat. There are medieval towns to explore, with cobbled streets and castles and charming restaurants. Ah, to say ciao to social distancing.
Abu Dhabi Guy Dundas The serenity of Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter is hard to surpass, and the extravagance of Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort is incomparable. This castle rises from the endless flame-coloured dunes of the desert. There’s something magical about the solitude here.
Chilean Patagonia Natasha Dragun From immense snowy mountains to gem-like glaciers, Chilean Patagonia makes you feel completely insignificant – in a good way. The air breathes cleaner here, and the colours appear insanely vivid; the sounds seem to echo around you then continue on through the ages. I can’t wait to feel the full force of nature again.
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Thailand Tina-Louise Jackson Closing my eyes, I’m back amid Bangkok’s steamy chaos, starting my day with a pad Thai and ending it with a cocktail in a rooftop bar. A blink and I’m walking through Khao Sok National Park before taking a longtail boat, trailing my fingers through clear water toward the sands of the Similan Islands. I left a piece of my heart there; I need to return to retrieve it.
New Zealand Cara Wagstaff New Zealand holds a special place in my heart. I first visited with my mum when I was 12, to see where she grew up in Auckland. I’ve returned many times since, working in Wellington, watching sunsets in the Bay of Plenty, skiing around Queenstown and enjoying the smaller, authentic towns, like New Plymouth. Take me back.
Joshua Tree National Park Gemma Kightly I discovered Joshua Tree National Park on an epic road trip around the US. The rolling hills in the middle of the desert were just surreal. I spent the day climbing over boulders, and the night camping under the stars. Nearby, I was mesmerised by the architecture of Palm Springs. When I return, I’ll experience the desert for more than just one evening, with a few days spent lounging in a mid-century home.
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BRING THE
high seas home Why do we go on cruise ships? To sail the high seas, to see the world. To sit by the pool. To dress up, or dress down. To eat, to drink, to dream. Just because you can’t board a cruise ship right now doesn’t mean you can’t connect with the world’s greatest lines, from wherever you are in the world. Here are some of our favourite cruise companies launching online programs for guests at home, writes Lisa Perkovic.
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A packed itinerary with Crystal Cruises
Cooking competitions with Oceania
The new Crystal@home offering is almost as busy as the daily Reflections newsletter you’ll get on board: bake bread with chef John Aston, do a pilates class, listen to the Monday Storyteller podcast, and tune in for Friday Nights at the Galaxy – a streamed performance by Crystal’s entertainment staff (watch it Saturday morning Down Under).
Love food? Join the Oceania Culinary Centre team’s cooking challenge. Each week a new dish is shared on the Oceania Cruises blog; you’ve got seven days to whip it up, plate it and post a photo on Facebook tagging #OLifeCookingChallenge. Dishes include chef Jacques Pépin’s roast chicken, or Franck Garanger’s banana pancakes.
Stay healthy with Seabourn
Food in focus with Uniworld River Cruises
Whether you want to shake and stir an Old Cuban with mixologists, or tune in to tales about game-changing people, Seabourn’s Bringing Extraordinary Home program takes you behind the scenes for a taste of on-board life. Highlights? Videos from the line’s medical officer, Dr Grant Tarling, about staying healthy and getting ready for travel.
Daily recipes provided by Uniworld’s talented chefs will see you learn some serious new skills. Create ‘culinary comforts’ like French onion soup, foie gras crème brûlée and the CEO’s very own cheesecake recipe, via Facebook. Be warned: you might want to add in a daily ‘walk around the house’ to counteract all the comfort cooking.
Left Dream of the high seas © Matt Hardy/Unsplash Below Exercise inspiration © Simple Line/ Shutterstock Next page Cook up a storm © Iryn/Shutterstock
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Shake it with Silversea
Life lessons with Viking
A lit bit of history and a lot of alcohol are what’s in store with the new Silversea online cocktail classes. The tutorials are part of the fresh S.A.L.T culinary program, and you’ll learn about the origin of the drink while getting a step by step guide from a Silversea bartender.
Viking.TV is live streaming five days a week, and also has content available on demand. Tune in on Museum Mondays to join curators for behindclosed-door tours. Or, on Resident Historian Tuesdays, brush up on your knowledge (with a live Q&A).
Tea time with Regent
A daily Hurtigruten dose
Every week, tune in to Regent Seven Seas’ Thursday Tea Time as part of the Regent Connects program. Dust off your best china, pour yourself a cup of Earl Grey and settle in for a performance by the likes of concert pianist Panos Karan, who will tinkle the ivories to Chopin.
Take armchair travel to new heights with Hurtigruten’s Minute by Minute – the poignant, peaceful capture of the entire six-day journey from Bergen to Kirkenes. Captured in 2011, the epic film has been broken down into onehour episodes, posted daily.
Fine dining with Ponant
Roam with Windstar
We know the French take their food seriously, so it’s no surprise this luxury cruise line sets the bar high for online cooking recipes. Take your iso baking up a notch with the likes of tarte tatin and chocolate mousse from Ponant’s very own pastry chef, Michael Jurek.
Windstar is lifting the lid on what it’s really like to be employed as staff at sea in their Roam From Home series. Head to their Facebook page to learn about life as a second officer, and discover the executive chef’s all-timefavourite career highlight.
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Click here to find out how Ahoy Club offers the most competitive prices for yacht chartering in Australia.
Holiday at home
in Style With international travel off the agenda for now, the best way to reinvigorate your wanderlust is by exploring the far-flung corners of Australia. And the most exclusive way to do this? On a private yacht charter, of course. Ahoy Club’s domestic fleet of 100 luxury yachts ranges from the striking 54-metre Mischief superyacht (ideal for families and groups of friends) to the 20-metre catamaran Jalun, with space to sleep eight in serious style. Charter the former and your group can enjoy features ranging from a dramatic marble bar to a sun-kissed sky deck, perfect for alfresco entertaining. Meanwhile, water fun includes an inflatable slide, floating
pontoon, fliteboards, paddleboards, plus equipment for diving and snorkelling. The ultimate playground? The 74 islands of the Whitsundays, where your yacht glides over cerulean water, whisking you to white-sand beaches you’ll have all to yourselves. Imagine waking to a new outlook every morning, with a dedicated crew at your service to ensure your experience is as shiny as your floating chariot. On the other side of the country is the Kimberley, a wild and wonderful frontier with charging waterfalls, dramatic gorges, untouched wilderness areas and remote swimming holes. This is an exclusive adventure you’ll never forget.
See what it’s like to cruise the Whitsundays with Ahoy.
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THE ULTIMATE
Driving Adventure
Love a road trip with a luxury twist? Take to the driver’s seat of a supercar and enjoy some of the world’s most exclusive destinations (and experiences) with Ultimate Driving Tours.
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Driving inspiration
Planning the holiday of a lifetime in 2021? Add one of these bucket-list experiences to your itinerary.
Alpine action
That’s cool
Food for thought
Italian indulgence
French twist
Cheers to that!
Join a supercar tour of the Swiss Alps coupled with the world’s greatest car show, the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
A taste of Italy in a Ferrari v Lamborghini showdown in the Dolomites, coupled with the thrills of the Italian Grand Prix.
Drive on replica F1 circuits on a frozen lake in the Swedish Laplands, then in modified arctic trucks in the Icelandic Highlands.
Motor through France’s premier wine regions, celebrating the guide that brought food and driving together: Michelin.
A luxury getaway to Australia’s premier food, wine and driving destination, Tasmania, including the Targa tarmac rally.
Oktoberfest in Munich then an exhilarating supercar tour of the German Autobahns and the Black Forest.
Ultimate Driving Tours unite supercars with exclusive luxury travel experiences. Read more!
The need for speed
Tour Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France’s best roads and sip champagne aboard a superyacht at the Monaco GP.
Opposite page Experience a fleet of supercars ‘That’s Cool’ © Lapland Ice Driving
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MAKE
Mum's Day
SPECIAL While large Mother’s Day gatherings are still out of the picture, here’s how to make mum feel extra special (and extra full) on 10 May.
Celebrate a wander woman Globetrotting mums will appreciate a Bellini in bed this Sunday, the recipe sent direct from the French Riviera’s most glamorous hotel, the 150-yearold Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. Or a homemade pain perdu, courtesy of chefs from Villa Marie St Barth. Or Hazelnut Spread Madeleines straight from the source, Le Bristol Paris.
Image © Shutterstock/ Fortyforks
Set up a spread
Get shucking
Celebrate mum and South Australia’s finest female producers at the same time with a Surprise and Delight Mothers Day box, uniting produce by Woodside Cheese Wrights, Sparkke, Evebud and Kangaroo Island Spirits. Flowers, cheese, gin and gourmet crackers – what’s not to like?
There will no doubt be champagne for breakfast on Sunday. The perfect accompaniment? Seafood! Get Fish offers same-day delivery (within a 50km radius of Sydney) of oceanfresh seafood platters, sourced straight from De Costi Seafoods at the Sydney Fish Market.
Dine fine at home
Pop a cork (or two)
Applauded Japanese restaurant Sokyo, at Sydney’s Star complex, is dishing up the good stuff for mum this weekend. The six-course finedining Table for Two menu (available for takeaway and home delivery) includes signature dishes like Kingfish Miso Ceviche and Chicken Robata, with tips from the chef on restaurantquality dish presentation, at home.
Does your mum love bubbles (whose doesn't?) Treat her to a Sparkling Experience courtesy of Tasmania’s Josef Chromy estate. Over two hours on 5 June, and from the comfort of her sofa, mum will have a winemaker virtually guide her through the art of making bubbly, with tasting trials along the way – the pack of bottles is delivered to her door in advance.
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D E L I V E RY
DELUXE
Delivery
Can’t leave the house? These purveyors of quality food and wine will deliver Australia’s finest produce to your doorstep. BEST FOR
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BEST FOR
Range
Not doing a thing
Family-owned Harris Farm can deliver a huge range of produce, from vegetables to pasta and premium alcohol. New is Harris Farm Express: Four themed boxes (fruit and veg, chiller, pantry staples, protein). Order before 5pm and it will be on your doorstep the next morning.
Want world-class food without lifting a finger? Gourmet Dinner Service promises chef-prepared meals, delivered to your door. Options change, but might include salmon with soy, quinoa and cauliflower rice, or Arabian beef with sweet potato.
BEST FOR
BEST FOR
01 Fresh delivery to your door © Shutterstock
BEST FOR
Unlimited wine, beer and spirits From obscure bottles of wine from that tiny producer in the wilds of France, to top-shelf spirits and a mind-boggling array of beers, Dan Murphy’s is hard to beat when it comes to incredible value and an even better range of alcohol.
BEST FOR
Farm fresh
Gourmet produce
Premium alcohol
Love the Three Blue Ducks? The café team’s produce boxes are available for pick up and delivery in Byron Bay and Sydney. Add seasonal essentials, sourdough, freerange eggs, homemade pickles and ready-to-eat meals to your hamper.
Sydneysiders can now make the most of the Fratelli Fresh Gourmet Grocer – a delivery service from the city’s fave purveyors of fine food. In addition to readymade meals, order grocery items and essentials – there are even cocktail kits.
Magnum + Queens is an emporium of carefully selected wine and hard-tofind craft spirits. You’ll find the best of the best here (check out the premium collection), and when you spend over $100, you’ll get free same-day delivery.
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RAISE YOUR Could quarantini hour become one of the world’s great new traditions?
Spirits!
Most of us are currently stuck working from home. And given that heading to the local bar for happy hour is not an option for now, we’re all looking for creative ways to get through the day. Enter the quarantini, a viral drinks trend sweeping the world’s cooped-up communities. The idea is simple – the quarantini is a boozy beverage you make with whatever you have in your cupboard/cellar/ fridge, to share with whomever you’re locked down with. That might mean a vitamin C-laden cocktail to increase your immunity with your hubby; a spritz made using bitter-orange Aperol over ice, topped up with bubbly to share with your housemates; something south of the border with tequila, to enjoy over the fence with your neighbour (try vitamin C powder on the rim of your glass). Or, boost your family’s gut health by combining kombucha and raspberries (add a slug of gin for grown-ups).
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Sydney Sling A citrus-rich reinvention of the Singapore Sling, courtesy of the Fullerton Hotel Sydney.
Ingredients Serves 2
• 45ml gin • 45ml blood orange juice • 15ml hibiscus liqueur • 10ml ginger liqueur • 25ml fresh lime juice • 10ml fresh ginger juice • 10ml Grenadine • 20ml sugar syrup • Dehydrated ginger slice, to garnish
Method 1. Combine all ingredients and shake together vigorously for five seconds. 2. Strain into your desired glass over ice, garnish and enjoy.
Apple & Ginger Probiotic Mojito Ingredients Serves 2
Method
1. Combine all ingredients (except • 2 shots white rum ice) in cocktail shaker and muddle using a wooden spoon. • 1 cup Nexba Green Apple and Ginger Switchel (live sparkling probiotic) 2. Divide ice cubes between two • 1 handful fresh mint leaves glasses and then pour over the apple and ginger mojito. • 2 tbsp lime juice • 2 handfuls ice cubes 3. Garnish with lime wedges and additional mint leaves. • Lime wedges, to garnish
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Kiwi Crush
Get a vitamin-C hit with this gorgeous green quarantini, imagined by Greenfields at Crystalbrook Collection’s Riley hotel.
Ingredients Serves 2
• 30ml vodka • 30ml Midori • 1 kiwi fruit • Lemon wedges • Soda water and lemonade • Kiwi fruit slice and lemon wheel, to garnish
Method 1. Muddle 1 kiwi fruit and 2 lemon wedges. 2. Add liquids. 3. Shake and dump in Hurricane glass. 4. Top with ½ soda water, ½ lemonade.
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Win
ONE OF TWO SMITTEN MERINO WRAPS Made in Tasmania from 100 per cent superfine merino wool, the Smitten Merino Wrap is the perfect piece to complete any outfit, whether you’re venturing out or curled up on the sofa. It’s practical, versatile and most importantly, comfortable. One size fits most. smittenmerino.com Click here for your chance to win!
Discover the magic OF MONK FRUIT A small melon-like fruit from southern China, monk fruit may hold the secret to quitting sugar – for good. If you’ve never heard of monk fruit, get ready to – this powerful gourd is gaining global popularity among health-conscious foodies and sugar-free proponents. The fruit takes its name from the monks who cultivated them centuries ago, growing them in the hills of China’s Guilin province, and consuming them to balance their chi (energy) – they also believed the fruit held the secret to longevity. This part of the world has idyllic conditions for the fruit
to thrive: plenty of rain and humidity, misty mountains, clean air and water, a high elevation. The steep growing conditions mean that crops are all hand harvested, while the remote setting dictates sustainable farming practices, free from pesticides. All this results in fruit rich in healing properties: it’s packed with antioxidants known as mogrosides (rather than fructose or glucose,
which give many other fruits their sweetness). In traditional medicine it’s thought to have anti-bacterial and antiinflammatory qualities. It’s not tasty to eat raw. But those antioxidants can be extracted and blended with non-GMO erythritol to achieve a 1:1 sugar replacement with 93 per cent less calories and be diabetic friendly.
Click here to watch how Lakanto’s Monkfruit sweetener is grown and harvested in Guilin.
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I Quit Sugar approved Lakanto’s Monkfruit Sweeter was recently given the tick of approval by the I Quit Sugar movement, recognising this all-natural product for the fact that it has no artificial colours or flavours, and no bitter aftertaste, as many artificial sweeteners have. What does this mean for you? A whole new world of tasty yet low-calorie recipes, from drinks and cakes to biscuits and sauces.
Click here to try some of our responsibly sweet recipes at home:
Take two
Lakanto’s Monkfruit Sweetener comes in two different types: Classic and Golden. The former is extracted from the pulp of the monk fruit and has a clean, crisp sweetness – just like sugar. Golden is extracted from the seeds and skin of the fruit, giving it a more rich, maple flavour, like raw cane sugar. Order yours online, or pick it up at supermarkets and health food stores Australia/NZ wide. lakanto.com.au lakanto.co.nz
Maple Walnut Keto Balls
Chocolate Mud Cake
Gluten-free Pear & Blueberry Crumble
Raw Tiramisu
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TRIPLE CHOCOLATE PANNA COTTA
Scan QR code for guilt free recipes.
A rich indulgent chocolate Panna Cotta layered with chocolate sauce and flaked chocolate awesome dinner party guilt-free dessert.
Serves: 4
Minutes: 10
Panna Cotta 2½ tsp 3 tbsp 1 cup 1 cup ¼ cup 1 tsp 4 squares 2 tbsp
Gelatine, Powdered Hot Water Full Cream (Whipping or Double Cream) Whole Full Fat Milk Lakanto Monkfruit Classic Sweetener Vanilla Essence Sugar-Free Dark or Milk Chocolate Cocoa Powder (Woolworth’s 100% Cocoa Powder)
Chocolate Sauce 1 cup 1 tbsp 1 tbsp 8 squares
Cream Cocoa Powder (Woolworth’s 100% Cocoa Powder) Lakanto Monkfruit Classic Sweetener Sugar-Free Dark or Milk Chocolate
Method In a small pot add the cream milk chocolate Sweetener and vanilla bring this mix to the boil. Note: Immediately remove from the stove. Dissolve the gelatine powder in the hot water in a small bowl or cup. Add the gelatine to the Panna Cotta mixture and allow to cool to room temperature before pouring into your glasses or moulds. Pour into your desired glasses and put into the fridge, it should take a couple of hours to set properly.
The Sauce Make the sauce simply add all the ingredients into a small pot heat and bring to the boil set aside, once the Panna Cotta has set pour in the cooled chocolate sauce and top with the grated chocolate and serve.
ZERO ADDED SUGAR
DIABETIC - FRIENDLY
FIND U S IN THE S UGAR AISLE
lakanto.com.au Follow us at Lakanto Australia for delicious recipes and inspiration
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Tips
Want to bake with an Italian nonna? Or turn your home into a luxury hotel? Here’s how.
UPSKILL, ONLINE From coding to fashion, we’ve found 10 ways for you to remain busy, connected and learning from the comfort of home.
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Get fashion forward
Master the art of pasta
French fashion school Institut Français de la Mode has opened up its course Understanding Fashion: From Business to Culture to online users, with exclusive input from designers like Paul Smith and CEOs from Chanel and Hermes. The virtual lectures reflect on fashion in culture and examine it as an industry.
Who better to learn the art of pastamaking from than 84-year-old Italian grandma? Nonna Nerina shares her family’s recipes on a two-hour weekly livestream. It’s an exclusive affair: these are not recipes pulled from any old Italian cookbook, but a culmination of 150 years of cooking expertise.
Image © Shutterstock / Lyubov Levitskaya
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LEARNING
Learn a new language
Move to the music
Although travel is currently on pause, that doesn’t mean you can’t start preparing for your next holiday by learning a new language. The interactive Duolingo is a forerunner in the field, featuring spoken, written and listening activities for users of different levels in 30-plus languages.
Dance like no one is watching from the comfort of your home with the Sydney Dance Company’s virtual studio. With 45 digital classes designed for both beginners and experienced dancers and covering all styles – from ballet to jazz and hip-hop to tap – it’s perfect for those who want to practise in private.
Listen to the experts
Go to the head of the class
Through MasterClass courses, industry experts share their insider secrets: Natalie Portman teaches acting, Martin Scorsese covers filmmaking, Gordon Ramsay shares cooking tips, Annie Leibovitz instructs photography, Dr. Jane Goodall highlights conservation and Anna Wintour oversees leadership.
Want to be an Ivy League graduate? Yale University is sharing its most popular course online in a 10-week seminar series. Taught by psychologist Laurie Santos, ‘The Science of Well Being’ focuses on how to increase your overall happiness, and guides you through creating more productive habits.
Become a cunning coder
Channel your inner artist
A free platform, Code Academy offers courses ranging from introductory programming to advanced languages, including HTML, JavaScript and CSS. The best part? Learners receive instant feedback so they can check if they are on the right track, before moving on to real-world projects to test their skills.
Sydney-based Classbento is connecting people with leading creatives across live-streamed art courses ideal for self-isolation. There’s truly something for all tastes, including embroidery, calligraphy, candle-making, pottery and painting – there is even a seminar on how to make a ‘quarantine coffee scrub’.
Declutter your space
Connect with Nature
Many of us are channelling our inner Marie Kondo, but for some, decluttering can feel overwhelming. International Open Academy is offering a ‘Decluttering Your Home Masterclass’, which shares advice on how to let go of items that no longer serve you, as well as explaining how clutter can impact mental health.
Why not dedicate some time to learning more about our planet and climate change, and discover alll the things that we can do to save it? The Sustainable Living Course from the Centre of Excellence hones in on all things green and sustainable, from water conservation to recycling.
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TIPS TO BOOST YOUR
Immunity Like us, you’re probably looking for ways to stay as healthy and happy as possible while stuck inside. Read on for simple ways to boost your immunity during this critical time.
Be good to your gut Did you know that 80 per cent of your immune system resides in your gut? Keep yours as healthy as possible by fuelling your body with wholesome foods that promote a balance of good and bad bacteria – think anything fermented (yogurt, kimchi, kefir, miso), vegetables like peas and brussels sprouts (full of fibre) and almonds (good probiotic properties).
Engage in moderate exercise While prolonged, intense exercise can suppress your immune system, moderate activity can give it a boost, helping reduce inflammation and activating cell rejuvenation. Adults should aim for at least three hours a week of brisk walking, jogging, swimming or cycling.
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BOOSTERS
Getting adequate rest can help strengthen your natural immune system, with many experts recommending at least seven hours a night for adults, eight to 10 hours for teens, and up to 14 hours for younger children. To get this, COMO Hotels & Resorts’ sleep specialists suggest: • Following the sun (reboot your body’s circadian rhythm by rising with the sun and getting real rays during the day). • Looking after your heart (reduce anxiety as much as possible in the lead-up to bed time). • Eating three to four hours before lights out (and avoiding alcohol). • Keeping your bedroom dark and cool (15 – 20 degrees Celsius is optimal). • Limiting screen time before bed (the blue light from phones may disrupt your wake-sleep cycle).
Stay hydrated
Image © Brooke Lark/Unsplash
Dehydration can have a number of impacts on your health, from headaches to hindering your mood, performance, digestion and heart function. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to take a sip of water – authorities recommend at least two litres a day; more if you work outside or live in a hot climate.
Make a tonic Concoct a healing elixir. Known as jamu in Indonesian, this all-natural, anti-inflammatory remedy is great for all manner of ailments. Passed down by generations, the recipe combines fresh turmeric, ginger, honey, tamarind and lemon, topped up with warm water.
Stock your pantry with...
Sleep soundly Tips from nutritionist, Naomi Teal of Refuel Concept. GINGER: Ginger has been used for thousands of years as natural remedy, for good reason. The antiinflammatory root is a rich source of vitamins and minerals, and is especially good at halting the growth of bad bacteria. GARLIC: Garlic is packed with anti-microbial properties – kicking unproductive gut bacteria to the curb. Consume raw, organic garlic, as supplements can be less effective and also contain bulking agents. APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: Make sure your vinegar is organic and contains the ‘mother’ – this means it’s unpasteurised and contains the beneficial bacteria and probiotics that can have a positive impact on our gut health. It also has antibacterial properties that can fight off the pathogens wreaking havoc in your body.
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RELAX,
Rejuvenate, REPEAT From streaming online yoga classes presented by some of the world’s top wellness resorts, to learning healthful cooking habits, here are 9 ways to stay well, both mentally and physically, at home.
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Tune in, to tune out
There are hundreds of meditation and mindfulness apps on the market, from Headspace and Glo to Aura and Calm – download the latter and you can fall asleep listening to a 35-minute story told by Matthew McConaughey, along with readings by actor Stephen Fry, singer Leona Lewis and former tennis pro John McEnroe.
2.
Resort-inspired Zen
3.
Invigorate all your senses
Some of our favourite upscale hotels and resorts now offers mindfulness programs to add a touch of Zen to your daily routine. Courtesy of barefoot-luxe Nihi Sumba in Indonesia, you can tune in to free daily live-streamed Nihi@Home wellness sessions, including meditation, yoga and even tarot readings.
Six Senses Hotels and Resorts encourages you to take care of yourself using new online tools – the At Home With Six Senses initiative offers everything from immune-boosting recipes to tips on how to sleep soundly and workshops unveiling the therapeutic benefits of gardening. Look out for the Facebook Live mindfulness sessions.
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Mind, body and soul
Purveyors of luxury travel, Belmond, is also making wellness a priority through the company’s freshly minted Belmond IGTV, featuring everything from live-streamed musical performances to soothe your mind, to meditation sessions and poetry designed to inspire you to travel again – soon.
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Detoxify and purify
One&Only Palmilla’s resident shaman, Raul Retana, has shared his healing techniques (passed down through generations of shaman) to detoxify your body and purify your mind. Head online to read (or watch) his philosophy unfold, with tips on how you can apply it to your daily life.
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Learn healthful cooking habits
Love your culinary inspiration in print form? Pick up a copy of COMO Hotels and Resorts’ gorgeous The Pleasures of Eating Well, featuring 147 healthful ‘COMO Shambhala Cuisine’ recipes, like the immune-boosting Crab, Longan and Green Mango Salad with cashews and chilli-lime dressing – rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
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/ WELLNESS
Maintain your chakra
Did you know that anxiety can be linked to energy flow disturbance in your body? Join The Apurva Kempinski Bali’s wellness expert Kadek as he guides you through a simple chakra balancing meditation, to release your spiritual tension, at home.
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Bliss out to tunes of Bali
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Keep calm with Oprah and Deepak
Two of the world’s powerhouses, Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey, have teamed up to release a series of 21 free guided meditation sessions. All skill levels are welcome – all you need to do is sign up via Deepak’s website – and within minutes you’ll find your breath deepening and your mind slowing. The perfect way to end the day.
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02 01 A slice of Zen © Zoltan Tasiyan/Unsplash 02 Moments of mindfulness at home © Shutterstock
Home beauty DIY
Missing Bali? Bring the Indonesian island to you with a little help from YouTube. This hour-long stream allows you to filter the relaxing sounds of the Balinese jungle through your home, while this soulful seven-minute gamelan show will transport you to a poolside perch at your favourite resort in seconds.
Can’t get to a spa for a little RnR? We have a few favourite ways to enjoy a moment of bliss while at home. Make a natural facemask (no, not that kind of mask). We’re talking the kind you slather over your skin to rejuvenate and revive. Try combining ingredients like avocado (rich in natural oils), honey (great immune booster), yogurt (packed with probiotics) and oatmeal (gentle exfoliant). Leave it on for 15 minutes and then wash off with warm water.
How to make
HAND SANITISER No Dettol? No problem. If hand sanitiser has sold out at the supermarket, you can make some yourself by following these simple steps.
Ingredients • 1 cup of isopropyl alcohol (also known as ‘rubbing alcohol’) • ½ cup of aloe vera gel • 10 drops of essential oil (such as tea tree, lavender or eucalyptus)
Method 1. Pour the alcohol, aloe vera gel and essential oil into a bowl. 2. Mix with a spoon and then beat with a whisk to turn the sanitiser into a gel. 3. Pour the mixture into an empty bottle for easy use.
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AT H O M E
TurnINTO yourA home HOTEL Miss checking in to your favourite hotels around the world? Here’s how you can add a little resort luxury to your boudoir.
Light luxe candles
Avid travellers will no doubt have a stash of fragrant candles collected from their global roamings. Perhaps one from St. Regis hotels around the world: the brand’s signature scent is redolent with notes of apple, cherry blossom, champagne and white lily (it’s also available as a room spray). Or The Dorchester in London’s luxe fig-and-cassis-scented candles. Light your favourites around the house and dream of drifting off to foreign shores.
Make your bed like a pro
London’s luxe Brown’s Hotel (a Rocco Forte member) has released tips on how to make your bed like a pro. The group’s interior designer, Olga Polizzi, recommends you: • Have four pillows on your bed (possibly a combination of down, feathers and non-allergenic). • Choose an opulent 400-thread count bed linen in 100 per cent white cotton. This combination is soft and long lasting and can be used all year round. • Opt for a natural goose-feather Don a robe or goose-down duvet at 10 tog, There is nothing quite like slipping which is suitable for all seasons. into a soft and cosy bathrobe in For a warmer night, a 100 your hotel room after a long day of per cent pure cotton blanket travel. Remind yourself what that makes a good alternative. plush, velvety cotton feels like on • Ensure the bedspread is placed your skin while at home. Try the in such a way as to cover the gap Ritz-Carlton’s Diamond Waffle Robe, between the mattress and the bed replete with a silky terry velour lining. base, with the top third folded You’ll want to wear if from breakfast back on itself. through to bedtime.
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AT H O M E
Fun tip
Place a few drops of essential oil onto a tissue and draw it into your vacuum cleaner – this ensures a wonderful smell is powered through your house when vacuum cleaning.
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And... turn it down
Polizzi’s five-star ‘turndown’ experience goes like this: Pull back the bed covers, draw the curtains, pop a chocolate on the pillow, turn off the TV and radio and put your mobile phone in another room. Finally, switch on bedside lamps, or light one of those luxe candles.
Call on your bath butler
Even if that bath butler is you. Set the mood with yet more candles and some soft music. Make sure there’s a glass of something delicious on the ledge as well. Draw the bath, and add a few drops of essential oil and magnesium salts. Pop in a few petals for aesthetic joy. And… soak.
03 01 Call on your bath butler © Holger Link/Unsplash 02 Set the mood with candles © ellieelien/Unsplash 03 Make your bed like they do at Brown’s Hotel in London
Buy blooms
Flowers and greenery can have a huge impact on your health, reducing stress and helping you find peace of mind. Plus, they smell divine, and nod to those elaborate arrangements in your favourite hotel lobbies. Try long-lasting blooms (like orchids) or indoor plants that bring the added benefit of cleansing the air.
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RESORT LIVING,
at home
Missing your favourite resorts around the world? With a little help from Cosh Living, here’s how to transform your outdoor entertaining space into a luxurious retreat you won’t want to leave.
Swing into serenity Forget hammocks – the ‘Swingrest’ by Dedon may be the most mesmerising piece of hanging furniture you’ll ever own. The weather-safe woven base is topped with a water-resistant cushion, so comfortable you’ll find it hard to drag yourself away. Suspend this signature piece from a tree, by the pool or from your verandah. Pictured: The Swingrest Hanging Lounger. The range also features sofas, lounge chairs and a freestanding daybed.
S I G N AT U R E
/ P R O M OT I O N
Explore Europe’s leading luxury brands with Cosh Living.
Lounge about
Sit in style
Belgian brand Tribù takes outdoor lounging up a notch with ‘Tosca’. Designed by Monica Armani, the collection features a wide weave, braided around a powder-coated stainless steel frame. Rounded forms, tapered legs and elegant seating shells make a luxurious, modern statement.
Dedon’s ‘MBrace’ range is designed to embrace you with its seductive curves and contours. Set up a lounge chair in a hidden corner of your garden, put up your feet and enjoy the cloud-like cushion, suspended over a solid teak base. Now all you need is a cocktail.
Pictured: Tosca Daybed and Club Chair. Continue the look with the Tosca sofas, dining chairs, coffee and side tables.
Pictured: MBrace Wing Chair and Footstool. The collection also includes low-back lounge chairs, coffee and side tables, and a daybed.
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Spoil mum this Mother's Day
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