One of the problems with writing a blog is that you're constantly pushing your own agenda. While it's always fun and certainly a good way to challenge yourself, it becomes such a big focus that at times you feel you're missing out. When there are so many great bakers and chefs out there to learn from I don't always want to be doing my own take on something, I want to be following their lead and seeing how it's really done...
Read MoreSummer plums
My mother has a tremendous kitchen garden and, each summer, I'm lucky enough to reap the spoils of any crop that's had a particularly good year. Whatever the birds or bugs don't take are mine for the choosing, and while the majority of the plums, peaches and apricots are promptly squirrelled away as jam it's always nice to set some aside and try out something new...
Read MoreDoubting Herman
A couple of weeks ago one of my neighbours popped around with a proposition:
"I know you like to bake", she said, "but have you ever tried making a sourdough friendship cake? It's a bit of work, you have to do stuff to it everyday for almost two weeks, but I think you'll find it interesting."
Handing me a small tub and brief list of instructions, as she tootled off I made a mental note to better explain next time what it is that I do for a living, and then got to wondering what this whole "friendship cake" thing was all about...
Read MorePortable pie
As the longer days and hot sun hint that summer's just around the corner it's exciting to know it won't be long before we're back enjoying some of my favourite warm-weather produce. While I do so love the cooler months spring does have a habit of feeling rejuvenating, and it's pretty hard not to get excited when asparagus, fresh berries and stone fruit are back gracing our menus...
Read MorePassing pastry
Having recently completed a unit on practical pastry for school, where we dabbled in the likes of sweet shortcrust, the different puffs, strudel, pies and choux; I got to thinking about the savoury shortcrust, and how it would be fun to play around with the textures and flavours of this oft-neglected crust...
Read MoreSavoury cake
Some recipes I try because they read like instructions to the most delicious thing in the universe. Others, I pursue purely out of curiosity. Take, for example, this pistachio and chorizo cake. A quirky combination that I struggled to get my cerebral tastebuds around, there was only one way to find out what such a thing was all about...
Read MoreJosey's loaf
In considering what we choose to consume I'm personally not a big fan of faux foods and, wherever possible, try to eat as naturally and as unprocessed as I can. The thought of 'imitation meats' when you could just make the most of seasonal vegetables frankly sends shivers, and I've just never seen the appeal of 'replacement' ingredients...
Read MorePistachio olive oil cake
A little while ago my incredibly lovely and generous neighbours gave me some of their olive oil, made from their very own olives, hand-picked and pressed from a small orchard of trees they keep a few hours north of the city...
Read MoreWalnut quince squares
The first home I lived in was the best place ever to spend one's childhood. A large rambling home in a small country town there were rooms aplenty, a big leafy yard, and a small paddock with space enough to run chickens, milking goats and ducks. There was a wood pile and vegie patch, cubby house and sandpit, and enough secret little...
Read MoreBread board: A loaf for cheese
Taking a step up from baking soda to working with some everyday, commercial yeast, this week's bread is a simple loaf of the fruit and nut variety. Studded with figs, roasted hazelnuts and fennel it is only faintly sweet, making for a nice variation on fruit toast and a wonderful accompaniment to wine and cheese...
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