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One of the many reasons I love cooking so much is that it can take us to faraway places. Places that we may have been to before or dream of one day traveling to in the future. Becoming adventurous with different recipes and ingredients and opening up our tastebuds to new flavours can take us to the spice filled streets of India; down a cobblestoned laneway to a bustling tapas bar in Spain or to the jaw-dropping cliffs that are dotted in a sea of white-washed buildings overlooking the Aegan Sea whilst enjoying fresh seafood and a view like no other. All this is possible in your very own kitchen, (although quite the imagination is needed for said views), with out even having to pack your bags and enter an airport! There is a particular person who helped ignite this passion in me, a passion for trying new things. Not only through his cookbooks but through his television series too. I would hang of his every word and be in awe of the places he would visit, the people he would meet and the food he would enjoy. I could listen to him talk for hours! I am sure some of you may have already guessed just who this extraordinary man is, but for those who haven't he is of course, Yotam Ottolenghi. Like many of us, I lose myself in his books often. (I may have just done so only moments ago) Each page a feast for the eyes, making my tummy rumble and wanting to cook just about everything. It was he who first introduced me to the incredible flavour of pomegranate molasses; the thick ground sesame paste known as tahini and to look at vegetables as the stars of the show and not merely as a side act. I do recall there was one episode where the North African dish, Shakshuka was given the spotlight. The vibrant colours of the peppers and tomatoes combined in what was a thick, bubbly concoction had my mouth watering. Little burrows were made and in went the eggs, the translucent whites slowly beginning to cook through. It was quite mesmerising. Since then I have made this dish on many an occasion. Not only is it quick, easy and perfect for a mid-week meal, it can also be enjoyed for either breakfast, lunch or dinner. With or without the herby, cheesy cornbread, it does make quite the handy vessel for mopping up those lovely saucy bits. Over time I have added my own little touches, tweaking here and there. But it wasn't until one very special ingredient found its way into the mix that it took off onto another level. I had not tasted anything quite like it before and the colour! well, that was something else. A deep rich red wine, chocolate outer and an almost burgundy inner. Which is how it came to bear the name "chocolate capsicum." I had to stop myself from eating it all just in its raw state, it was that good! Of course, don't worry if you cant get your hands on this particular variety, I had not seen nor heard of them until we were lucky enough to pick one up at our local CSA - Transition Farm, a biodynamic, organic farm that is just down the road from where we live. Every Friday sees Beau and I take the drive down the long gravel driveway, passing the fruit trees and polytunnel which at this time of the year houses the multiple rows of tomatoes, down to the shed we go where we are met with the most wonderful display of freshly harvested vegetables that always sends me into creative overdrive! The shakshuka will be perfectly fine with regular red capsicums but if you ever do come across those chocolate gems be sure to place a few, and then some into your basket. Shakshuka Feeds 3-4 depending on how hungry you all are or 6 with a few other side dishes too as part of a breakfast feast! 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 brown onions, diced 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 2 capsicums/peppers either the lovely chocolate variety or red, sliced into long strips, as many of the seeds removed as you can. 1 tsp freshly ground cumin seeds, it really does make quite the difference to the flavour 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1 1/2 tsp harissa (depending on how hot your variety is you may like to reduce this amount, Rose harissa is also particularly good two tins of crushed tomatoes, I love using the brand Mutti. 2tins of cannellini beans, or chickpeas, drained and rinsed well a few sprigs of thyme 50g or two little cubes of marinated goats feta, Meredith dairy have a lovely one 4 free-range eggs (or 6 if you are serving more guests) chilli flakes (optional) In a large pan, heat the oil over a medium flame, scrape your onions off the chopping board and sprinkle in a little sea salt, give it a good stir and then allow to cook until softened, add in the garlic and the peppers/capsicums and then stir again and allow to cook over a medium/low heat for about 15-18 minutes. You want the capscicums to become really soft and luscious. Next add your spices and the harissa and stir it all around so that everything is well coated and it starts to smell fragrant and smoky. Add in the tomatoes, filing each tin up 1/4 full of water and swishing it around to loosen any of the remaining tomato-ey bits. pour this in and cook on low for about 25 minutes, stirring every now and then. If its looking a little dry you can add a splash more water. After this time, you want to add your beans or chickpeas to the mix, pour them in and give them a good stir. sprinkle over the thyme leaves reserving a few srpigs as a garnish. make 4 (or more) little burrows or indents and slip the cracked eggs in, then continue to cook them until they only have the slightest wobble. You can cover the pan with a lid which will speed up the process a little or simply use that time to clean up a tad. crumble over the feta, drizzle with a glug of extra virgin olive oil and a good grinding of black pepper and scatter over a little more sea salt. Take to the table so that everyone can help themselves. Serve with either beautiful crusty fresh bread and butter or herby, cheesy cornbread (recipe follows) and then sit back, relax and enjoy every single saucy mouthful. Herby, cheesy cornbread Makes one 10 x 20cm loaf 340g self-raising flour pinch of salt 120g polenta 375ml milk 120g unsalted butter, melted 2 free range eggs, lightly whisked dried chilli flakes a sprig of rosemary, leaves chopped finely a sprig of thyme, leaves picked off a sprinkle of dried oregano 80g cheddar cheese 40g parmesan or pecorino (feta also works quite well too) Plus extra, salt, chilli, thyme and parmesan to sprinkle over the top of the loaf Preheat your oven to 180c. Grease your loaf tin with butter and then line the base and long sides with baking paper. in a large bowl, combine the sifted flour, salt, polenta and give it a good mix with a whisk a couple of times over. Pour in the milk, melted butter, eggs, the chilli flakes, herbs and cheeses and mix well. It is quite a stiff mixture so spoon it into the loaf tin and spread it out evenly, keeping the top a little rustic. Sprinkle and scatter over the salt, chilli flakes, thyme and parmesan and then pop it into the oven to bake for around 45 minutes, or until its looking golden and sending out that wonderful grilled cheese aroma. If you stick a cake tester into the middle it should come out fairly clean, if there is still a little gooey dough attached continue to bake until he's ready. Allow to cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes and then take him out and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. It will take you all your might not to want to slice that crusty end bit off to taste test, but please do wait until it is at least at room temperature, otherwise it will be quite difficult to slice. I always make this the day before and then simply wrap it up in a little baking paper that has been run under cold water and squeezed of any excess water, popped into the oven and heated through a little. Or you can simply slice when cold and toast in the toaster or under the grill. It also freezes beautifully. Sliced into portions and then wrapped individually.

A chunk of crusty, stale bread sat on the kitchen bench, homemade might I add. I have come to take a great amount of joy in watching my sourdough starter slowly bubble away throughout the day as it sits on the windowsill in the kitchen, above the bowls of fruit, catching the suns morning rays. I have always, somewhat, greatly appreciated a loaf of beautifully crafted sourdough, however I really don't think you can fully appreciate the amount of work involved, let alone how the inside and outside atmospheres can all have an effect on the humble loaf of bread. Even down to the mood that you find yourself in as one makes it, until you try making it for yourself! Needless to say that I was determined to make good use out of this chunk that was looking a little sad to say the least. It definitely was not going to the chooks, this time! My hands pulled the crusty end apart, scattering crumbs onto the floor. Tumbled into a bowl to let sit and soak in their very own milk bath for an hour or two. I don't know what it is, but my mind seems to hold almost a photographic memory of sorts of words and recipes from many of the books that I lose myself in from time to time. They flash into my mind and from there an idea comes alive. Sometimes this results in meals that are nothing to do a jig about, but other times its a celebration and I can't hurry over to my recipe notebook to scribble down the words fast enough! In saying this though, quite often the recipe needs to tweaked here and there and made again and again until it is just right and as close to perfection as possible. I am trying to remember just how many times it took to get this particular recipe right and for me to get that reaction from my husband that I was looking for. I seem to remember that it was about the fourth time for the sauce and about the same for the ricotta gnocchi. "Oh, Chook (his nickname for me) you've done it! This is the best yet! You've nailed it!" Were his words as he scooped yet another forkful into his mouth. Our little man, Beau, seemed to think so too, as he was covered from the top of his head to the tips of his toes in red sauce and continually shovelled small handfuls into his already full mouth! Like any ragu, I really do believe that it tastes better the next day or the one after that. The longer its allowed to sit in the fridge the longer it has to multiply in flavour. I actually had a container that I had frozen sitting in the freezer, so all that was to be done was a quick re-heat on the stove top and to make the ricotta gnocchi and dinner was done. The mushy, milk soaked bread gives the sauce a lighter flavour, which makes it perfect to enjoy in the warmer months, sitting outside as the sun stretches its glow for a few extra hours. Which I am very grateful for as the amount of mess that was left behind from a little sauce covered human was all but cleared up by our dog, Slinky! Beef ragu 800g oyster blade, cut into chunks light olive oil a good knob of butter 2 brown onions, diced 4 cloves of garlic, diced 4 small carrots, diced 2 sticks of celery, finely sliced 2 bay leaves 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg 1/2 cup red wine 2 tins of diced tomatoes 1 tin of cherry tomatoes about 2 cups of stale bread, torn 2 1/2 cups full-cream milk rind of parmesan 2 sprigs of rosemary a scattering of dried oregano *Note: this recipe makes quite a generous amount, so you can halve the recipe if you want or make the full amount and freeze half. As you will only need half for the ricotta gnocchi. Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot and add the beef. Do this in batches as you want to brown the beef so that it starts to caramelise. Remove from the pot. Pop the butter in along with all of the leftover browned bits and add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and bay leaves, stirring until softened. Add the nutmeg and give it a stir for another minute or so. Add the red wine and allow to deglaze the bottom of the pot, then reduce down until it has all but nearly disappeared. Next, add the tomatoes and fill each about a 1/4 full with water, give it a good swirl around and then add this into the pot too. place the bread and any remaining milk into the pot along with the parmesan rind and give it a good stir. Bring to the boil. Add in a good pinch of salt and a grinding of black pepper and place the oregano in, stir again and finally place the rosemary sprigs on top. Reduce the heat so that its simmering away slowly and cover with a lid. another hour or so, stirring frequently to makes sure that its not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Fish out a chunk of beef and allow to cool, then taste, if its meltingly tender your sauce is ready. Check to see if it needs any more salt or pepper and remove from the heat. You can now let it cool to room temperature and place into the fridge or portion it up and place it into the freezer. You can most definitely use it straight away, but it is better if its allowed to rest for at least a day or overnight. Ricotta Gnocchi 500g ricotta 30g grated parmesan or pecorino either 3 free-range egg yolks or 1 egg yolk and 1 egg (I used 3 yolks last time as I had them sitting in the fridge) 150g tipo 00 flour a good pinch of salt Fresh basil leaves for serving In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, parmesan, eggs, flour and salt until it comes together. lightly dust your bench with flour and turn the mixture out onto the bench, bring it together into a flattish disc and then cut into 4 portions. Roll each portion into a long sausage about 55cm long. using a knife cut off little pillows about 2cm wide. At this stage you could have your sauce re-heating in a wide fry pan. Dust in a little flour and spread them out so that they don't touch each other onto a floured board or bench. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rapid boil and carefully drop spoonful's of gnocchi in, in batches, until they float to the top. using a slotted spoon, transfer the little pillows into the sauce until all of them have been cooked. Add a little of the pasta water to loosen the sauce and stir everything together carefully. Remove from the heat, spoon into a lovely platter and scatter over fresh basil leaves and a good grating of parmesan or pecorino. Let everyone help themselves. This will serve 4 as a main with a salad on the side and perhaps some freshly baked sourdough bread.

My eyes lit up with excitement as Ben came in the door carrying a bulging brown paper bag in his arms. He had just been chatting to our neighbour on the high side of our house, the ones that have the apricot tree that glistens with those golden, fuzzy skinned fruits every summer. I take great joy in checking on them every time we come back from our daily walk down to the beach, even very sneakily plucking a couple from the branches for a post-walk snack! For most of the year this house sits quiet, as is the case for the majority of the homes in our area. Come summer when the sun shines bright and the beach beckons with those dancing diamonds on the waters surface, these very same houses fill with holiday makers and the town transforms into a hive of activity. The carnival arrives with its bright lights and big beats; cafes are inundated with customers all wanting their daily fix of caffeine and the lines at the multiple ice cream shops snake out the doors. Caravans and tents line the foreshore and any available patch of sand is very quickly snapped up by families, groups of friends and the very rare sighting of a local! But I am getting off track....back to the bulging brown paper bag. As I opened it up there they were. Plump little apricots, blushing up at me. They were in need of either being eaten or cooked with within the next day or so. So out came the large stainless steel pot followed by the chopping board and knife. I positioned myself at the kitchen bench and begun slicing, pitting, chopping and dicing. Dropping each ingredient in as I went. Apricots, onions, ginger, dried fruits and spices. With a click and a whoosh on went the stove and out came my trusty wooden spoon, stirring the brown sugar until it disappeared into the gloopy mess. Left to work its magic, slowly bubbling away, I set about making poached apricots infused with cardamom which would later be folded through home made ice cream (the no-churn variety. My favourite!) Varying sized jars were pulled from the back of the pantry, some with their labels still attached, the ones that are too difficult to remove. Lids were matched up with their companions and soaked in hot water before being dried out in the oven. Once the chutney has reached that thick, pulpy stage its time to decant from the large pot into the piping hot jars. One by one each is filled right to the top; lids tightly replaced and as I ever so carefully try not to scald myself each one is turned up side down and allowed to stand like tall soldiers so as to create a vacuum seal. Turned right side up after about 20 minutes and wiped down with a hot cloth, they are stored on top of the fridge with the other colourful concoctions of seasonal condiments awaiting their turn in the spotlight. Be it smeared on thickly sliced toast, dolloped on freshly baked, fluffy scones or simply served with a luscious roast vegetable tart. Apricot chutney Makes approx. 8 cups 1.5kg apricots, stones removed and roughly chopped 1 large brown onion, diced 3 garlic cloves, finely diced 2 tablespoons grated ginger 500ml apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup dried figs, chopped 1/4 cup currants 1/4 cup medjool dates, chopped 2 teaspoons mustard seeds, crushed 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, ground 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground 280g brown sugar zest of 1 orange 1 teaspoon salt pre-heat your oven to 100c. Fill your sink with hot water and place your jars along with their lids into the water. give them a whoosh around and then place them onto a baking tray, ideally upside down so any remaining water can drain out, and pop them into the oven until they have dried. This should take about 20 minutes. Place all of the ingredients in a large heavy based pot. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a steady simmer, stirring every now and then to prevent it from catching on the bottom of the pan. continue to cook for about 45-50 minutes or until its turned into a thick pulpy concoction. Remove your jars from the oven and then turn right side up, being extremely careful so as not to scald yourself, use a jug to scoop some of the chutney from the pot and then pour into the jars. It will spurt up, so be careful. Once they have all been filled to the top, match the lids with their companions and then using a thick cloth in one hand tightly screw the lids on. Place upside down and leave for about 20 minutes. Then turn right side up, wipe the jars down with a lovely hot cloth and allow them to cool completely before storing in the pantry or in a cool dark spot. Once opened, store in the fridge.

I can't quite recall what we had done earlier in the day, but my mind, like most days, wandered off to thoughts about dinner. Two fennel bulbs with long, luscious fronds still intact (I cant quite understand why more often than not these are removed?) and a bag of olives that needed to be used were my starting ingredients. A tin of tomatoes, anchovies and hrmmm, what else? Fennel frond and garlic butter, whipped together until smooth. Chicken drumsticks would be the vehicle for said butter to be generously smeared all over and under the skin. A glug of extra virgin olive oil; a scattering of sea salt flakes and yes, I think this could work! Well, I am happy to report that yes it did, well and truly work. With Ben even declaring that it was the most delicious dinner he had eaten that week! Side note: The night before we had been treated to dad's speciality - Paella! Now that's saying something. I had not written anything down as I prepared it, as it was just a bit of a throw together, all-in-the-one-pan creation. So I grasped the closest pen and my notebook and quickly scribbled down what I could remember, going back over to the dish to look at what remained to make sure I had not missed anything. The perfect opportunity arose for me to test it out once again. Mum, Dad, my brother and his partner came over for dinner to celebrate Mum's birthday. This time I made sure to keep my pen and notebook next to me, quickly stopping every now and then to jot down measurements and quantities. A refreshing salad of crips gem lettuce, zucchini ribbons and roasted asparagus spears which were drizzled with a Dijon, garlic dressing and soft, creamy goats cheese crumbled on top made the perfect side dish. My attempts at homemade sourdough are slowly getting better and better each time with this particular loaf being my proudest one yet! Thanks to one very lovely lady who shared a few very helpful hints. It would have been a crime not to have had this on the table too, alongside a small dish of softened butter. It was the first day of summer so it only seemed fitting to set the table up outside on the front deck. There is something so very lovely to be able to sit outside and enjoy meals in the warmer months. Each dish made its way out onto the table. Serving ware followed and empty plates were waiting to be filled. Of course, a few photos had to be captured and then it was time to sit, eat and enjoy these special moments of simple pleasures; family, food and summer nights. Oh, and everyone loved the food! (thank goodness) Mum even asked where the chicken recipe came from.....I replied with a smile on my face, "Me". Fennel, olive and tomato baked chicken drumsticks with fennel and garlic butter Serves 4-6 with a couple of sides and good bread. 12 free-range chicken drumsticks, skin-on 2 fennel bulbs, sliced, fronds reserved for serving 4 red eschalots, peeled and sliced 1 cup of pitted black olives 2 lemons, sliced 2 400g cans of diced tomatoes 1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar 2 tsp fennel seeds 6 anchovies 4 cloves of garlic, skins left on 1/2 cup of reserved fennel fronds glug of extra virgin olive oil pecorino or parmesan for scattering over the top For the fennel and garlic butter 100g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature 2 garlic cloves, finely diced 2 tbsp. chopped fennel fronds In a small bowl, beat the butter, garlic, and fennel fronds together and season with a pinch of salt. set aside. Pre-heat your oven to 200c (fan-forced). Place the sliced fennel, eschalots, olives, lemon slices, tomatoes, vinegar, fennel seeds, anchovies, garlic cloves and ½ cup of fennel fronds into a large baking dish (mine measures 30cm x 40cm). Give a pepper grinder a good few turns and then mix everything together. Pop the drumsticks on top and then with a sharp knife cut a few slits into the top of each one. Then rub your butter mixture all over the top and into the cuts of the chicken, nestling each one down into the sauce as best as you can. Drizzle over a good glug of olive oil and then a scattering of salt flakes and place it into the oven for about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, spoon over some of the sauce from underneath then grate over a rather generous amount of pecorino or parmesan to your liking over the top and pop it back into the oven for another 10 minutes. I love serving it straight from the baking dish, scattered with a few reserved fennel fronds so that everyone can help themselves and once all the chicken has gone you can all take great pleasure in tearing off pieces of bread and dunking it into whatever remains. Serve with a crisp salad in the warmer months, or on top of polenta for the ultimate comfort meal in the cooler months. If you haven't got quite as many mouths to feed, then you can quite easily halve this recipe or make the whole amount and freeze. Leftovers make for a wonderful lunch the following day too.

I had been dreaming of creating a lovely spelt and rosemary pastry that would delicately fold over a filling of creamy ricotta and brightly coloured rainbow chard, a good grating of pecorino folded through for that extra bite, for some time. The mushrooms would be gently pan-fried in butter and a little olive oil until golden, filling the kitchen with that wonderful earthy-nutty aroma that would have my fingers pinching those little golden nuggets straight from the pan and popping them straight into my mouth! I remember that the dark clouds outside were warning of the rain to come and the crostata was cooling on the stove top, teasing me to go over and pick a little of the buttery, golden crust off. I restrained myself, waiting to enjoy it for dinner that night. Walking past the large timber crates full of rosy-cheeked apples that are piled up in paper bags, shaded by the large sunny-yellow umbrellas which stand tall at the entrance of the big shed that is home to an array of colourful, seasonal and inspirational produce at Torello Farm on the Mornington Peninsula, I am in my happy place. My eyes open wide to the endless possibilities and I so enjoy taking my time to peruse the produce laden shelves. My eyes dance from rusty coloured potatoes to vibrant green spears of asparagus; multicoloured stems of rainbow chard and tight little bundles of radish who poke their little 'noses' out from beneath their soft green tops. On this particular day, at Torello Farm, it was the last remaining punnets of shitake mushrooms, lovingly grown by local lady, Jess from Mushroom Forestry that caught my eye and found a place at the top of my basket. I had been waiting desperately to get my hands on these little gems. For anyone that knows me, knows that I have a real weakness and a great love for pastry. Not only in the eating of it but in the making and creating of it too. I do so enjoy rubbing the butter into the flour and allowing myself to be still, standing at my kitchen bench as my mind wanders off into dream after dream after dream..... I do hope that if you have a go at creating this recipe that you too will find yourself in that slow, happy place and find pleasure in those simple things. Mushroom, ricotta & blue cheese crostata Serves 8-10 For the pastry– 250g stoneground spelt flour (or plain flour) Pinch of salt 180g unsalted butter, cut into small chunks 1 egg yolk Approx. 60 ml iced water (you may need a little less or a little more depending on how thirsty your flour is) One sprig of rosemary, leaves stripped so that you get about 1 tablespoon In a medium sized bowl, place your flour, salt and butter in and rub the butter in with your fingertips until you have combined it well. Its ok if you find that there are still some chunks of butter, these will roll out when it comes time. Add the yolk, give it a little bit of a stir with your hand and then add the iced water, bit by bit until your dough comes together. Place onto a lightly floured bench and shape into a ball, flatten slightly and pinch together any cracks. It should be lovely and smooth. Place the rosemary leaves on top and Wrap tightly in cling film and pop into the fridge for at least an hour. You could also make the pastry a few days in advance. Just take it out at least an hour before so that it comes back to room temperature. For the filling – 2 tablespoons olive oil 500g rainbow chard, rinsed. Stalks trimmed and sliced. Leaves roughly chopped. 2 brown onions sliced 1 punnet of shitake mushroom (I used Mushroom Forestry mushrooms) 25g unsalted butter 500g ricotta 2 free range eggs 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts 1 ½ teaspoons preserved lemon, diced (you could use lemon zest, but I think the flavour of the preserved lemons is lovely) A good handful of chopped parsley 1 teaspoon thyme chopped 50g pecorino, grated 50g Danish blue cheese Pinch salt and a good grinding of black pepper In a large fry pan that has a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onions and the chard stems until the onions are starting to colour. Add half of the mushrooms and the teaspoon of thyme, stirring every now and then for about 3 minutes, Add the chard leaves and pop the lid on to steam until the leaves have wilted. Remove from the heat and let cool. Pre-heat your oven to 200c. Prepare a 30cm round pizza tray with a sheet of baking paper. Or alternatively you can just use a baking tray. Cook the remaining mushrooms in a little oil and a knob of butter for around 3 minutes, over a low heat. Set aside. You will use these to scatter over the top. Once the chard and mushroom mix is cool, add to a large bowl along with the ricotta, pine nuts, eggs, lemon, parsley, pecorino and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. On a lightly floured bench, roll your pastry out so that it is a bit larger than pizza tray. You want it to overhang slightly as you will turn this up and over to create a border. Once you start rolling, pick up the pastry every now and then to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bench, add more flour if you need, but be careful as you don’t want it to be too dry. Your rosemary leaves will “blend” in as you roll too. Carefully place onto your tray. Spoon the ricotta mix into the centre of the pastry, then using the back of a spoon or a palette knife, spread it evenly over, leaving about a 2cm border right around. Crumble over the blue cheese. Carefully pick up some of the overhanging pastry and simply fold it back over on top of the filling. You should end up with a lovely pleated border the whole way around. Place the remaining mushrooms on top. Pop into the oven, starting on the bottom shelf first (this helps to cook the base better) bake for 15 minutes, then place on to the middle shelf for another 15 minutes or until its golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Its lovely served with a simple green salad dressed in olive oil, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Leftovers heated in the oven the next day are quite delicious too.

The container of melted butter was carefully placed onto the kitchen bench. The creaky timber swing door opened and a whispered voice said "Do you need this?" I was first introduced to these buttery, almond meal delights at the café I worked at when we first moved to Rye after an incredible adventure around Australia, which lasted almost 3 years! It was my first foray into baking and cooking for paying customers. To say I was full of nerves would have been an understatement! The owners allowed me to spend more of my time out the back - stirring, rolling and mixing a myriad of sweet and savoury concoctions instead of making copious amounts of coffee, and for that I was very grateful. I loved my time in this space. I wasn't quite in the main kitchen, where all the action happened, instead out in the very back room where the dishes would pile up and the delivery drivers would enter through the door with trolleys full of produce. I would wander into my own little world, poking my head around the corner through the doorway every now and then to check that I wasn't needed out the front. It was then back to mixing and stirring. The first time I made friands I remember being slightly alarmed at just how much butter was involved! They really are so very easy to make and that butter definitely makes them better. Yes, there was a time back in the days of A Mini Kitchen "the café" that the whispered voice wasn't heard and there was no container of melted butter sitting on the kitchen bench. You see, the microwave was located out the front, under the counter to heat up the pies, sausage rolls and any sweet treats that needed a little "hug" to warm them up. It wasn't until I was taking them out of the oven that I noticed they looked a little different. Not thinking much of it, I went about taking them out of their tins and placing them on the cooling racks. But something just wasn't right. It was then that someone came into the kitchen with the container of melted butter...…. Oh dear! I did in fact forget to add in said butter and a friand is not a friand without it! We all had a laugh and I set about making yet another batch. This time the butter was most definitely not forgotten and I don't think it ever was again. Those friands didn't go to waste though, hardly anything went to waste in that kitchen. With both my dad and my husband being the sweet tooths that they are, even the brownie offcuts were fair game. Wrapped up tight and tucked into Ben's lunch box to enjoy for his smoko. It had been a while since I had made these little gems. Not since the sale of the café had I stirred that buttery mixture. It wasn't until I had seen a few different posts appear on Instagram that I was reminded of them. I am so happy they did. Using Katie Quinn Davies recipe as a guide. I used to love nothing more than coming up with endless flavour combinations to tempt our customers tastebuds every day. As soon as I started making them again these ideas came flooding back. So, I thought I would share these with you. A rather lovely combination of Mandarin, poppy seed and pine nut.The mandarins have been so beautifully sweet and juicy this season and I was really happy with how these little guys turned out. They make the perfect little treat to accompany a cup of tea and also make for a wonderful edible gift too. Placed neatly into a pretty box, tied with twine and left on the doorstep of a dear friends home. You could also freeze any that did happen to be left over. They freeze really well and make for a good back up for those times when you need a little sweet treat, simply bring them back to room temperature or, if you have one, a quick little zap in the microwave will do the trick. As always, they are best enjoyed on a pretty floral china plate. This little man has had his fair share of sweet and juicy mandarins! He sat there, in his pram, after having been crawling around in the dirt eating one segment after the other (stealing my props!) the sticky juice running down his arms and the biggest cheesiest smile on his face. Mandarin, poppy seed & pine nut friands Makes 18 10 Free-range egg whites 300g unsalted butter, melted 175g almond meal 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 370g icing sugar, sifted 100g gluten free flour (or plain flour) sifted 2-3 mandarins, peeled and segmented, removing any pips 1/4 cup pine nuts Preheat your oven to 180c and lightly grease with softened butter your friand tins. You will need 18 holes in total. If you only have 12, the remaining mix will sit quite happily on the bench while the others bake and you can then spoon this in when you have a spare tin. Lightly whisk the egg whites until its just beginning to create bubbles. Add in the almond meal, poppy seeds, icing sugar and flour, the zest of one mandarin and the melted butter. Stir well to combine everything together. I use an ice-cream scoop to make it easier to get an even amount of mixture into each hole, but you could just use a spoon too. pop a mandarin segment on each one and scatter over the pine nuts and perhaps a little extra poppy seeds too. Place into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until they have turned a lovely shade of golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let them sit in their tins for 10 minutes before carefully running a knife around the edge of each one to loosen. place them onto a cooling rack. They are delicious eaten straight away, still warm from the oven.

Hiding behind those big green leaves that gently cup the snow white florets hides a humble vegetable that can be prepared in so many different ways. From curries to cakes - yes, cauliflower cake is a thing and a delicious thing at that. I can highly recommend making Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe which can be found in his "plenty more" cookbook on page 258. It certainly provides a very pleasurable eating experience. Cauliflower rice. cauliflower mash. golden little nuggets of roasted florets and their leaves. Soups. Salads. The list could go on and on. It wasn't until I was flicking through an old issue of Gourmet Traveller that I came across a recipe that seemed to jump out at me from the page. The cauliflower was coated in a crushed hazelnut crumb; pan-fried until the crumb became golden and crisp and piled on top of a roasted parsnip salad, of sorts, with a rosewater dressing. My mind immediately wandered off to the thought of topping the cauliflower "steaks" with a rich tomato passata, which would then be generously covered with thick slices of buffalo mozzarella and a fine grating of pecorino. The cheese would turn a molten gold and melt into a bubbly mess. I couldn't wait a moment and was so excited at the thought that I trialled the idea later that week. I am pleased to report that they were a great success! Cauliflower Parma's were created, eaten and enjoyed with not a skerrick left on our plates. As I turned to my chief-taste-tester he simply said, with a grin on his face...."They are really good. But if that sauce, that cheese and that crumb were on a chicken breast it would be absolutely mind-blowing!" Oh dear! My hand went to my head and he had quite the chuckle to himself. If you, like my husband really do enjoy your meat and feel that a chicken breast would suit your family a whole lot better, then please do go ahead and create them this way, but I really do suggest giving the cauliflower a go it is really tasty and a great vegetarian alternative. You can even make the passata (or buy a bottle of good quality passata) the day before where it will sit quite happily in your fridge for a good few days until you are ready to cook. Then all you need to do is crumb your "steaks", pan-fry and top with the cheeses. Making it a really wonderful weeknight meal. Either served with crunchy roasted potatoes (roasted in chicken fat, yum!) or a simple green salad with nothing more than a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and a scattering of salt flakes. They also make for a really tasty lunch (if you happen to have any leftover) eaten cold, straight from the fridge! Cauliflower Parma’s Serves 4 4 thick slices of cauliflower. try to keep it all intact but if they do fall apart it’s not a worry just piece them together once they are on the tray. 2 cups hazelnut meal 1 cup spelt flour (or plain flour if you prefer) 1 free-range egg 1/2 cup milk A good knob of unsalted butter About 2-3 tablespoons olive oil 1 brown onion diced 2 garlic cloves diced 2 x 400g tins whole peeled tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato paste A dash of balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon dried Oregano 1-2 balls of buffalo mozzarella Pecorino for grating over the top Pre-heat your oven to 180c and line a baking tray with baking paper. Heat a little oil in a frypan and then add the onion and garlic and cook until softened and just starting to colour. Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic and oregano. With the heat on just low enough to simmer away cook for about 15-20 minutes until starting to thicken. Remove from the heat, taste to see if it needs any salt or pepper and then blitz it all up in a small food processor. Place the flour and hazelnut meal on separate plates and crack your egg into a bowl, add the milk and a little salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Dip the cauliflower “steaks” into the flour, then the egg and finally the meal, coating really well. Heat the butter and the oil in a large frypan over a medium heat, then add the cauliflower, cooking for about 2-3 minutes each side and then flipping over and continue to cook until golden. I spoon some of the butter and oil over the cauliflower as it cooks too, yum! Place onto the baking tray (if your “steaks” have happened to have come apart, simply just piece them together once on a tray) and spread a good amount of passata over the top. Grate a generous amount of pecorino or parmesan over the top of this and then place the slices of mozzarella on top of this. Pop into the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese has turned into a molten, bubbly delicious goo.

When it comes to comfort food the first few meals that come to mind are slow-cooked casseroles, hearty soups and Mums roast dinners. These are meals that take that little bit longer to prepare as they simmer, bake, cook and release that wonderful aroma that feels like a big, cozy bear hug. Its the pleasure that has been had, by the cook, who has set aside time to create that makes them truly special. This is a recipe that does require you to set aside a pleasurable amount of time as you stand at your kitchen bench and succumb to the enjoyment of chopping, slicing and stirring, allowing the sauce to simmer away gently. Its also one that I have been "playing" around with for years. It was, in fact, one of the first recipes that I learnt to cook and it came from the Australian Women's Weekly, "Great vegetarian food" cookbook. Which was also one of the very first books to start off my cookbook collection. I would follow each step so precisely and re-read each direction that it was telling me over and over again. Carefully layering the eggplant and capsicum in between each sheet of lasagne, finally spreading the thick, rich and creamy layer of béchamel sauce all over the top. Over time I began to feel a little more confident and I would swap things around, testing different ingredients and what flavours worked well together. Scribbling down my notes as I went along, I now no longer look at the recipe in the cookbook, instead, I read my own. My handwriting staring back at me from the page and I cant help but think back to those days in the kitchen where I was so afraid of straying from the recipe for fear of "stuffing it up." I have come to learn that by doing this I actually learn even more and I no longer worry about that fatal stuffing it up stage. Instead, I take it back to the kitchen and create it again and again and again until I and my chief taste-tester, (AKA my husband) are happy with it. My next project....A meat lasagne. would you believe me if I said that I had never made one before? Well, I haven't and I think I owe it to Ben to make one sooner rather than later. And bring his dreams of layer upon layer of slow cooked beef, Napoli sauce and molten mozzarella béchamel sauce to life! Roasted Vegetable lasagne Serves 8 250g packet of lasagne sheets or approx. 12 sheets of fresh lasagne 200g spinach pecorino or parmesan for grating on top For the sauce 1 brown onion, diced 2 sticks of celery, sliced 1 carrot, diced 2 garlic cloves, diced 2 tins diced tomatoes 1 tbsp. tomato paste dash of balsamic vinegar dash of red wine vinegar 1 bay leaf a scattering of oregano 2 eggplants, sliced into 1cm rounds 1/4 of a kent or butternut pumpkin, peeled and sliced into 1cm slices 2 small sweet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1cm rounds 2 red capsicums, quartered, seeds removed 500g ricotta 1 free-range egg 100g soft goats cheese small handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped Kale pesto 2 cups kale or cavolo nero, leaves stripped from the stem, washed and chopped 1/2 cup of roasted almonds zest and juice of 1 lemon 60g grated pecorino approx. 100ml light olive oil. If you have macadamia oil its also really lovely doing a mix of this with the olive oil. Pre-heat your oven to 180c. Line about 3 trays with baking paper and place all of your vegetables in a single layer on to them. drizzle with a good amount of olive oil and salt and pepper then pop into the oven for about 30 minutes. Once they are done, place the capsicums in a bowl and cover with cling film, then peel the skins off once they are cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, place a frypan over a medium-low heat add 1 tablespoon of light olive oil and scrape in your onions and garlic. cooking and stirring until starting to soften, add in the celery and carrot and continue to cook until just starting to colour. Now tip in your tomatoes, add the paste, vinegars, bay leaf and oregano. Stir everything together and then bring to the boil before turning down to simmer away for at least 30-40 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Once this has been done, remove from the heat and carefully spoon into your food processor or blender and blitz until its lovely and smooth. season with salt and pepper. Mix together the ricotta, egg, salt and pepper, goats cheese and parsley in a medium bowl. I find that using a fork to do this makes it a lot easier to mash it all together. For the pesto, place all of your ingredients apart from the olive oil into a small food processor, and blitz until it is very finely chopped. Drizzle in some of the oil and blitz again. You want it to be a smooth paste consistency. Check to see if it needs a little salt and pepper. or, more lemon juice, I will let you decide that one. Using a 20cm, x 30cm lasagne dish, drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom then place a quarter of the passata on top. Spread out a layer of spinach leaves and then top with lasagne sheets. spread more passata on top of these making sure you spread it out right to the edge, follow this with the pumpkin and half of the eggplant. Lasagne sheets, passata, spinach, sweet potato, rest of the eggplant and capsicum. Dollop the pesto over the top and using the back of the spoon, spread it around as best as you can. Top this with another layer of lasagne sheets, passata and finally the ricotta. I use the back of the fork to smooth this out to the edges as best as I can and then grate over a very generous amount of pecorino or parmesan. place a sheet of baking paper over the top and then cover with foil. Pop into the oven for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the top has turned a beautiful shade of golden goodness. Sometimes I turn the grill on just for a few moments to really get that lovely colour on top, but keep a close eye on it! Serve with a really simple green salad. Leftovers, if there are any, are even better the next day as the flavours intensify overnight and make it even more delicious. It also freezes really well. * Just a little behind-the-scenes peek into my food styling ways

"I don't read novels I read cookbooks." This is what I say when asked "what book are you reading at the moment?'. Although, I must admit I really do enjoy getting lost in a good book every now and then, but more often than not you will find me with my nose in a book of the culinary variety. My shelves are laden with them, creative masterpieces by cooks, chefs and bakers, all with two things in common. A love for food and a love for sharing that passion. A bound book that you can actually hold in your hands is a beautiful thing. Each turn of the page excites the senses; its the smell of the paper, the sound as each page is turned and the feel. Its the beauty of the photographs, the joy in the words and the transportation into the cooks world which provides the reader with an enjoyment that becomes so pleasurable that you just want to immerse yourself in as many of these creations as possible. Many a dog-eared page, scribbled note, splatter, oil mark and bits of food grace the pages of quite a few of these books in my collection, with each one telling a story of its own. There is a particular page in my Little & Friday book that is covered in lemon stickers and another in Emma Galloway's "My darling lemon thyme" that has now turned a lovely shade of cocoa brown. Its these pages that tell others, who may take a wander through your collection, just how loved these recipes are and how many times they have been created. Who were they created for and for what reason; A celebration, a picnic, a gathering or simply "just because." It is through these books, some of which have been turned to time and time again over the years, that I learnt how to cook. I would study the recipe and follow it to a tee, carefully measuring and weighing each ingredient. The authors became my teachers, my inspiration and led me down a path of discovery. I had found my passion and I whole heartedly entered into the world of food glorious food! Not only in the cooking of it but everything that comes along with it, the sharing, the eating and the memories that are created. These books allowed me to become more and more confident in the kitchen and continue to do so. You see the thing about cooking is that you never stop learning. There is always new flavour combinations to be explored, new ingredients to try and of course new cookbooks to lose yourself in. So, I thought that I would I share a few of my favourites with you. In no particular order here is my list, they always provide me with inspiration and new learnings. These are the ones that sit above my kitchen bench, in prime position ready to be plucked from the shelf whenever I need that helping hand. What Katie Ate by Katie Quinn Davies Easy by Bill Granger The Country Cookbook by Belinda Jeffery Treats from Little & Friday by Kim Evans River cottage Veg everyday by Hugh Fearnley_Whittingstall Bluebells Cakery "Sweet & Savoury" by Karla Goodwin My Darling Lemon Thyme by Emma Galloway Mix & Bake by Belinda Jeffery Living the healthy life by Jessica Sepel Bluebells Cakery by Karla Goodwin Ostro by Julia Busuttil Nishimura Jackson & Levine by Laura Jackson and Alice Levine A table in Venice by Skye McAlpine Australian Womens Weekly "Bake" (this was one of my first cookbooks and travelled around Australia with us!) Magazines have also had a huge impact and the ones that I would regularly devour were... Donna Hay Gourmet Traveller (only in the last few years though, as before this they used to intimidate me a bit, the recipes always seemed a little more complicated) Delicious and more recently Country Style I would also quickly "steal" the food section out of the paper each morning at the café I used to work at. And of course there were the TV shows, in fact it was the beginning of MasterChef that really lured me in and made me want to learn more. Others included... Rick Stein Rachel Khoo, The Little Paris Kitchen Nigella Lawson The cook and the Chef Food Safari Jamie Oliver Yotam Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast Perhaps if I have inspired you to head to your local bookstore to purchase one or two from this list you may just like to bake a batch of these lovely little rosewater, lime, currant and dark chococlate "tea" biscuits to enjoy with a cup of tea as you settle yourself into your comfiest chair and get lost amongst the pages, contemplating what will be on your next "to create" list. In fact, these biscuits were inspired by a recipe from Bluebells Cakery. Happy reading. x Rosewater, currant, lime & dark chocolate "tea" biscuits. Makes about 12, depending how big or small you decide to make them 150g almond meal 110g caster sugar pinch of salt zest of 1 lime 1/2 teaspoon rosewater 1/3 cup of currants 1/3 cup dark chocolate (the best you can afford, I love using Callebaut dark-chocolate callets) 2 free-range egg whites 1/4 cup caster sugar 1/4 cups icing sugar, sifted Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper and pre-heat your oven to 160c. Combine the 1/4 cup of icing sugar and caster sugar in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, add the almonds, sugar, salt, lime zest, rosewater, currants and chocolate, then stir to combine. Lightly whisk the egg whites just so that they are combined, then pour into the rest of the ingredients. Stir until it all comes together, then roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls, dropping them into the bowl of icing/caster sugar and coating them all over. Place them on the prepared tray, about 5cm apart sprinkle over a little more of the sugar and flatten only ever so slightly with your fingertips. Pop into the oven for about 18-20 minutes, or until they are just starting to turn a shade of gold. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. If you can wait that long! They keep really well, I have just had the last one with a cup of tea as I type this up and I made them over a week ago now. A great little biscuit to whip up at a moments notice and equally nice to share with others. x

Arriving home after a week of sunshine filled days, long morning walks along the beach and multiple dips in the ocean we were very quickly reminded that we are still very much in the winter months here, on the Mornington Peninsula. As strange as it may sound and as lovely as it was to feel that warmth soak into my skin, I have to say that getting all cosy and snug in over-sized winter knits and sliding my feet into my house slippers is something that I do enjoy quite a lot. Along with steaming bowls of wholesome goodness in the form of soup, its what winter is all about, isn't it? As soon as that spoon touches my lips I can almost immediately feel the goodness warming me up from the inside out. I think its safe to say that this concoction with its lemongrass, ginger and coconutty delicousness will be on the menu at some stage this week in our home. The cashews make a really lovely addition too, adding an extra amount of creaminess as everything is blended together to take it from a chunky mess to smooth as silk. A scattering of toasted coconut flakes and a thick slice of buttered toast or a few homemade spelt, yoghurt flatbreads is all that is needed to make this a very satisfying winter meal if I do say so myself. Going off the feedback from my taste testers they seemed to think the same too, which always makes me a very happy cook! Perhaps the only other thing that would make this as close to perfection as possible, would be to enjoy it sitting in front of an open fire, becoming mesmerised by the warm glow and listening to the crackle and hiss of the wood as it burns ever so slowly. I really hope that if you do get the chance to re-create this that brings only happiness to your tummies and gives your tastebuds a reason to dance. Lemongrass, ginger & pumpkin soup Makes quite a lot and freezes really well for those times when you've been too busy to think about what is for dinner! 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 leek, cut in half lengthways and sliced 1 brown onion sliced 4 garlic cloves, finely diced 2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped 3 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced About 4cm piece of ginger, finely chopped 1 teaspoon chilli flakes 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 tablespoon green tomato chutney 2 tablespoons sambal 1.5 to 2kg butternut or Kent pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks 1 400g can of diced tomatoes, plus half a can of water to swish out any leftovers 1 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar 1 teaspoon fish sauce 1.5 litres of vegetable stock or water if you don’t have any stock. ½ cup of unsalted raw cashews, or more if you are lover of the humble nut Juice of 1 lime or lemon 400g can of coconut milk, reserving a little for drizzling on the top 2 spring onions, sliced and toasted coconut flakes for garnishing. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the leek and onion, stirring every now and then until softened. Turn down the heat a little if you find they are browning too quickly. Add the garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, chilli and continue to cook for another couple of minutes. Now add in your spices, chutney, sambal and stir to combine everything. Enjoy the smell, it's amazing! Tip in your pumpkin and stir to coat it in all of those delicious flavours, then add in the tomatoes, the water, palm sugar (or brown sugar if you haven’t got palm) fish sauce, stock and cashews. Bring it up to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer away, partly covered for about 45 minutes. Turn the heat off, allow to cool just a little, if time allows, or if you are like me and cannot wait, take care and with a hand-held stick blender, blitz it all until it is smooth. Alternatively, you can do this in a blender as well, you just have to do it in batches. Once its all blended together, pop it back on the stove over a low heat, add in the juice of your lime and the coconut milk and stir. I love this part as it always makes a beautiful pattern as the milk and soup combine. Check to see if it requires any salt and pepper, remembering that it may not need all that much, just a sprinkle and a few twists of the pepper grinder. Ladle into warm bowls, top with spring onions, toasted coconut and a drizzle of the reserved coconut milk. Serve with either crusty bread or spelt flatbreads. Spelt flatbreads. 200g spelt flour ½ teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt 200g Greek yoghurt Mix everything together in a medium bowl, then knead on a lightly floured bench. It is quite a sticky dough so add the flour as required to make it easier to handle. Now, divide it up into about 4-6 portions, depending on how big you would like them to be. Roll out until they are quite thin, but not thin enough that you can see through them. Heat non-stick pan over a medium-high heat and cook each one for a minute or two on each side. They will puff up, remove from the pan and continue this until all have been cooked. Wrapping them in baking paper or a clean tea-towel to keep them lovely and warm.

I can't quite recall when my love affair with curries began. Perhaps it was the introduction through my mums Thai green chicken curry, made with the sachet of Masterfoods Thai green curry paste to which she would then add a few extra veggies for some added texture, that excited my tastebuds and left them wanting more. I can almost taste it as I remember how the crisp green snow peas would go crunch in my mouth. That creamy coconutty goodness swirled through the white rice that sat at the bottom of the bowl and trying to scrape every last little bit up on the tines of the fork. Which is always quite hard to navigate, a fork can simply not curve around the bowl like a spoon can which results in said fork being replaced with an index finger to steal those last remaining tiny grains. I think it has a lot to do with that moment where the spices hit the hot pan, sending a glorious cloud of lingering aromas into the air. A concoction of flavours that work their magic while ever so slowly simmering away. As my cooking has evolved over the years and I have learnt more about which flavours go with what, I am more inclined to replace the store-bought curry pastes with ones that I create myself. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely a time and a place for the store-bought variety. Especially when camping, yes, they come in very handy when one wants something warming and delicious while sitting around the camp-fire. I used to think that creating my own would involve a myriad of ingredients and take up quite a bit of time. But, by keeping it simple and allowing each ingredient to meld into the next you really can create some magic, especially getting the satisfaction that you have created your very own. It all comes together to create something that it so full of flavour. I ask you, is there a more comforting feeling than being tucked up tight in your home; steaming hot curry in your lap and a plate full of warm, soft flatbreads to mop up those saucy bits that leave a pool of deliciousness in the bottom of the bowl? It conjures up memories of ordering Indian take-away. That sound as the lids are pulled off the containers and lined up on the bench; steam escaping from the torn bag of roti breads. Falling into the couch in front of the TV as the Daal Makhani, Lamb saag and the onion bhaji are slowly devoured. The recipe for this slow-cooked lamb and cashew curry has been one that I have been playing around with for a while now. Each time tweaking it here and there, adding to it and taking away from it. Scribbling notes all over the lined paper. I am not one for a kitchen full of gadgets, but my slow-cooker certainly has had its fair share of cooking some delicious meals in it. Especially as the seasons change to cold, crisp days and icy evenings blanket the sky. Where wood-smoke billows from the surrounding chimneys and the pot slowly simmers away throughout the day, filling our home with the most mouth-watering aromas as the lamb becomes ever more meltingly tender and dinner cant quite come quickly enough! I really love serving this with the brown rice and lentil salad, as I am a huge lover of the whole meat and dried fruit partnership. The tiny little currants in the salad provide the perfect pop of sweetness and the curried yoghurt dressing is one that is also quite delicious, even if its just dolloped right onto top of the curry itself. Flatbreads in my opinion are a must, they take only minutes to create and provide the most perfect "tool" for wiping up every last drop of saucy delciousness. I hope your plates are wiped clean and your tummies are left in a world of happiness as you sit sround the kitchen table (or perhaps plonked on the couch) surrounded by friends or family, enjoying each others company, sharing stories and filling your home with memories. Slow-cooked lamb and cashew curry Serves a lot!! A great one to freeze. 1.5 – 1.8kg lamb shoulder, bone in 5cm piece of ginger, peeled and chopped 1 brown onion, chopped Juice of 1 small lemon Bunch of coriander root, washed well and chopped 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon coriander seeds A good grinding of black pepper A good pinch of chilli flakes ½ teaspoon ground cloves 1 tablespoon curry powder (I quite like the Keen's curry powder) 1 tablespoon light olive oil Dash of water Pinch of salt 1 medium or 2 small sweet potatoes, washed and cut into large chunks 2 potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large chunks 8 cardamom pods, crushed 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or water 1 cup dry-roasted cashews 400g tin of coconut milk Juice of 1 lemon 2 big handfuls of spinach For the curry paste, place ginger, onion, juice, coriander, seeds, spices, oil, water in a food processor and blitz until its formed a coarse paste. Heat a dash of olive oil in a frypan that is large enough to fit the lamb in and brown it on both sides until its turned a lovely shade of that golden goodness. Place the potatoes and sweet potato in the bottom of your slow cooker and place the lamb on top. Rub the curry paste all over the lamb and dollop the remaining down onto the potatoes. Add the tomatoes and ½ fill the tin with water, give it a good swoosh around and pour this in, add the cardamom pods, stock or water and give it a bit of a stir. Pop the lid on and turn it onto low. Let it work its magic for 8 hours. Once its done, ladle out most of the liquid and pop into a medium saucepan over a medium heat and simmer away for at least 30-40 minutes or until it has reduced by half. Add the coconut milk and lemon juice and salt if needed. Shred the lamb, using two forks and remove the bones, then add the liquid back in along with the cashews and spinach and give it all a really good stir. Place onto a lovely serving platter and scatter over some coriander leaves. Spelt flatbreads 200g spelt flour 200g Greek yoghurt ½ teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt Mix everything together until it forms a dough. Then divide into about 6 even portions. Roll out onto a floured surface, place a non-stick frypan over a medium heat and cook each flatbread for about 1 minute on each side. They will puff up and you will be tempted to just tear off a sneaky little egde. Do it, they are delicious! Wrap in some baking baper or a clean teatowel to keep them nice and warm. Brown rice and lentil salad with currants and curry yoghurt dressing ½ small cauliflower and its leaves, broken into florets 1 cup brown rice 5 cardamom pods 1 tin lentils or 1 cup of dried lentils 1 tablespoon coconut oil 2 brown onions, sliced 1 teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon turmeric ¼ cup sunflower seeds 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds ¼ cup red wine vinegar ½ cup currants 1 tablespoon honey The juice of ½ a lemon Pinch of salt and a good grinding of black pepper Sprinkle of chilli flakes A good handful of coriander leaves, chopped Dressing ½ cup Greek yoghurt ½ teaspoon curry powder Zest of ½ a lemon Juice of ½ a lemon 1 tablespoon chopped coriander Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Place cauliflower florets and leaves onto a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle a good amount of oil over the top, salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Roast for about 30 minutes until golden and just starting to become crispy. Cook rice. Fill a saucepan with water until it comes just up to the crease on your pointer finger when you rest it on top of the rice. Bring to the boil, stir and then reduce down to the lowest heat, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Then turn off the heat and leave to sit with the lid on. Drain and rinse lentils or you can use dried lentils as well., just cook in a medium saucepan with a bay leaf until they are tender. I usually use the du puy lentils. Over a low-medium heat, add the coconut oil to a fry pan and add your sliced onions. Cook until they are lovely and golden, this usually takes me about 20-30 minutes. Add the seeds, turmeric and chilli flakes, continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Now add in the vinegar, currants and honey and cook until the liquid has evaporated, squeeze in the lemon juice, add salt and pepper if needed. Finally stirring through the coriander. For the dressing combine everything in a small bowl. In a large bowl add the rice, lentils, onion mixture and the cauliflower. Mix this carefully together. Place onto a serving platter and dollop with the dressing. Pop everything onto the table and let everyone help themselves.

There are many recipes for the humble carrot cake, I know, but one can never have too much of a good thing, right? I believe there is enough room for them all, as we all have different tastes. Some like the addition of pecans, pineapple, walnuts, currants and even sultanas. While for others the simpler the better. If you are interested in a little read there is an article on the Good Food website about finding Australia's best carrot cake which is quite fascinating. As I sit here at our kitchen table, scribbling away in my notebook (I always write my blog posts by hand before typing them up, old fashioned I know, but I love it) the time has almost ticked over to 10:30pm. I have just finished my cup of tea and enjoyed another of the little almond, rose, lime and dark chocolate "tea" biscuits. I made these for our mama's and bubba's morning tea catch up and I had a few leftover, yay! I still cant quite believe that in less than a month our little ones will be turning one. Time has certainly flown by! Going completely off track for a moment, we have somehow managed to set up quite the mosquito haven in our home. Sitting here, every now and then one floats by my face, its "bzzz" of its wings clearly audible as the house is quiet apart from the soft little breaths of little Beau bear (I have now moved from the kitchen table to the couch) as he drinks his milk ever so sleepily. His little hand resting over his face and his small, warm body draped across my lap as I continue to write this, balancing my book on one knee. This is how it is now, really the only time I can actually sit down in my creative space and put pen to paper, in the quiet hours of darkness towards the end of the day. When the dishes have been done, the stove top wiped clean and the cushions on the couch put back in their place. I wouldn't have it any other way though. I have wanted to share this recipe from the beginning. It has been handed down from a family member and has been baked more times than I dare to count, always taking pride of place on the counter back in the days of the café. It was by far one of the most popular sweet treats, which saw it being made so frequently that I could just about create it with my eyes closed. I think I am safe to say that quite a few of us felt the same way too! There is something beautiful about a cake baked in a bundt tin. Does anyone else get taken back to the film "My big fat Greek wedding" when they say bundt? If you have not seen this hilarious movie I highly recommend you do yourself a favour. The laugh lines will be present a good couple of hours later. Those patterns and curves of said tin just make for something special. However, I am still yet to purchase one of those grander designed ones that I see so frequently being used on Instagram. The sheer beauty of them really does take my breath away. It's always slightly nerve-wracking when taking your chosen cake out of the tin though. A slight jiggle and a tap before inverting it onto a cooling rack always makes me hold my breath, hoping that it unmoulds cleanly and intact without any cracks, dents or crumbs that have been left behind. Its all in the greasing of the tin! And carrot cakes to have the tendency to be quite sticky. As the tin is lifted, the steam escapes and the cake is left to cool before being smothered with the classic companion to a good carrot cake...cream cheese icing. Its one of life's simple pleasures and my hope is that this recipe will bring many happy moments with whomever you choose to share it with. I should also note the slight twist I gave this a few weeks ago. It had been some time since I had last made it so I did have to refer back to my journal to refresh my memory, however I didn't have quite enough carrots so I ended up doing a combination of carrots, parsnip and sweet potato and the result, I am happy to report, was one full of a deliciously moist crumb. Dare I say that I think I actually enjoyed this version that little bit more. Can I still call it a carrot cake I wonder? Makes one large, deep 25cm bundt cake 4 cups grated carrot 2 cups caster sugar 2 and 2/3 cups plain flour 1 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons bi-carb soda 3 teaspoons baking powder 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 1/2 cups light olive oil 6 free-range eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste Optional extras - zest of an orange. Or a combination of carrots, parsnip and sweet potato. You can also halve this recipe if you don't have a large bundt tin. It also makes lovely cupcakes and smaller cakes too. Just be wary of the baking times as cupcakes will only need about 20 minutes. Pre-heat your oven to 160 degrees. Grease your tin really well with butter, making sure you get into all of the grooves and curves. In a large bowl, sift your flour, salt, bi-carb, baking powder and cinnamon. Add in the sugar and using a whisk, combine all the ingredients together. In a separate bowl, add the olive oil, eggs and vanilla paste and whisk these together until they have combined really well. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and fold it all together, just before the flour is completely folded through add in the carrots and continue to mix until its combined evenly. (If you are using the zest of an orange, which is quite lovely too, you can add this in with the carrots) Pour the mixture into the tin and pop it into the oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out just clean. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack. Don't forget to give it a bit of a jiggle and a tap to make sure that it has released around the edges. Leave to cool completely before icing. Cream cheese icing 70g unsalted butter, at room temperature 125g cream cheese, at room temperature 260g icing sugar, sifted 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth, then add in the cream cheese bit by bit until this is lovely and smooth also. With the mixer on the lowest setting, add in the icing sugar one spoonful at a time. Add the vanilla bean paste and turn the mixer up to a medium speed and beat for about 3 minutes. If you find that it needs a little more icing sugar just add it in bit by bit until you are happy with the consistency. Now, all that is needed is to smother your beautiful cake in a generous amount of cream cheese, slice and enjoy! x