Humble Crumble

With the weather seriously picking up in Sydney (well except
today) and a friend’s Anglo themed barbeque to go to, it was time for another
food experiment.  A sweet treat was requested as our contribution to the barby and having not used the ice cream machine for a few weeks it seemed destiny that I have a crack at Pimms sorbet. (more…)

I‘m loving how plump and sweet strawberries are right now.  The waft of intense ripe strawberry that you
are treated to when you pick up a punnet is mouth watering. It instantly triggers thoughts of warm weather, delicious desserts and Pimms.  (more…)

Everyone loves ice cream and sorbets the range at the supermarket a convenient option for ‘afters’. Whether it is the brightly coloured packaging and expansive flavours of Ben and Jerry’s or the rich imagery used by boutique brands to conjure feelings of luxurious sexy indulgence; the freezer section of the supermarket can be pretty alluring. But for me it just isn’t enough! (more…)

It’s been a pretty dreary week in Sydney 5 days of almost non stop rain. The obvious choice (apart from the pub) is to make something to scoff whilst watching other people hurry in from the rain. So I decided to make an old favourite of mine, French apple tart or Tarte aux Pommes à la Normande. This is a fantastic regional specialty of Normandy in northern France where there is an abundance of apples. Perfect for such a pastry and making cider.

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This weekend I spent a lot of time thinking about flavours that compliment each other. Classic European and Anglo favourites that sprang to mind were apple and pork, mint and lamb, chicken and tarragon, bacon and eggs, feta and olives. The list could go on but I would only be tormenting the hungry reader.  Who came up with these great pairings and when? Were they by products of what was plentiful and in season? (more…)

I have to admit that despite my love of old school English desserts and French pastries I generally prefer savoury dishes. However when I saw a post on a friend’s facebook page claiming they had found a recipe for the best chocolate cake ever, my competitive streak was stirred into action, literally. (more…)

Today I would like to share something that is enjoyed all over Australia and New Zealand at this time of year. (more…)

Thanks to the stealth ebay assassin skills of Nina, our kitchen is now sporting a much larger fridge freezer.  Now what better use of extra freezer space is there than to fill it? …With sorbet! (more…)

For the first time since leaving Britain (many years ago) I will be celebrating Shrove Tuesday next week (8^th March).  This is the last day before the start of Lent (Ash Wednesday) a traditional Christian fasting period.  In the UK Shrove Tuesday is often referred to as Pancake Day a day when foods such as fat, eggs, milk and sugar are eaten (because they were restricted during the fasting during Lent.  Hence why the French call it Mardi Gras – fat Tuesday. (more…)

As I have been a little tardy in my posts recently I wanted to share something extra delectable. I sought inspiration from a trip to Athens I made some time ago. I was fortunate enough to try Amygdalota, small macaroon style almond cakes, no perhaps they are more like biscuits. The origins of this scrumptious morsel are unknown but they are often associated with weddings. However as it seems the Greeks invented everything (or at least claim to) including the almond I will settle for the fact that it is authentically Greek. (more…)