Kingsleys Steak & Crabhouse, Woolloomooloo

This is the first time I've set foot on the Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo, despite having lived in Sydney all my life. I admire the view of the waves sparkling against the setting sun and the white boats bobbing up and down on the water, and immediately see why this is a dining destination for celebrities and tourists alike.

But tonight, a large group of camera-wielding food bloggers arrive at the wharf, not to check out the view but to dig into some delicious food at the newly-renovated Kingsleys Crab and Steakhouse. We begin with some drinks from the cocktail list that mostly consists of classics with a slight twist.

Cocktails: Mango and chilli daiquiri (left) and raspberry iced tea (right)

Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon

When winter strikes, I get lazy. I crave warm sticky puddings for dessert, and piping hot stews with mashed potatoes for dinner. And the less effort involved, the better... so I can go back to being snuggled up next to my heater.

One thing I particularly love is braised meat. I love how you can take tough, sinewy cuts of meat and chuck them in a pot - fast forward a few hours and you're rewarded with tender, gelatinous chunks of meat that fall apart with the poke of a fork. Since seeing Julie and Julia I've always wanted to try making the infamous Beef Bourguignon that Julie Powell burns in the oven since she falls asleep and doesn't hear the timer. It's not surprising that she did fall asleep because when I made it the first time it took nearly the whole day to make! I don't know if it was because I was slow or that it did actually require that much time but it was definitely time-consuming (but the flavour was fantastic!).

So when I decided to revisit Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon, I thought about what shortcuts I could take. Some of you are probably thinking that it is sacrilege to be changing Julia Child's original recipe, but seriously it saved me a lot of time and effort and the end result was just as tasty. The best thing about it is that it appeals to my lazy winter self - after the prep work all you have to do is leave it simmering away on the stove for a few hours, then reduce the liquid and skim off the fat and it's done! It's the lazy person's version of Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon.