At this time of the year in many parts of Australia, cumquat trees are bursting with ripe fruit. Many suburban homes have cumquat trees in their gardens as an ornamental, but sadly the fruit is left to rot as it is too tart for most people to eat.  However, cumquats make fantastic marmalade – the perfect way to use that cumquat crop that you didn’t know what to do with.

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It’s winter in Oz, and even though I am lucky enough to live on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, we still have chilly evenings. Slow-cooked lambs shanks hit the spot perfectly for a winter-warming meal. [Read more →]

With summer drawing to a close, mangoes are starting to become more expensive and less plentiful. I say make the most of them while they’re still around, and this recipe is a great way to enjoy the last of the season’s mangoes.

The divine Thai flavours of garlic, chilli, ginger, lime and coconut marry beautifully with the prawns and mango. The curry sauce can be made in advance – you only need to add the prawns and mango just before serving time. Perfect for entertaining and a piece of cake to make, you’ll make this recipe time and time again. [Read more →]

Indonesian food is a much loved Asian cuisine in Australia. There are strong Indonesian influences in many modern-Australian dishes, especially those served in restaurants in Darwin and North Queensland. [Read more →]

Although ready-made shortcrust pastry is readily available, nothing says “homemade” like homemade pastry. Making pastry is easy and your guests will appreciate the personal touch that has gone into your cooking. [Read more →]

This is a perfect dessert for a cold evening, served piping hot straight from the oven. You can prepare this recipe in advance up to the end of step 7, storing the crumbles in the refrigerator and then baking just before serving time. [Read more →]

There is a proverb that says “if you can read you can cook”. Whilst not entirely true, it illustrates a fundamental of successful cooking: read the recipe from start to finish, well in advance of commencing food preparation. There are four good reasons for this:
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One of my My New Year’s resolutions was to give my body a spring clean, get fit and lose a couple of kilos. Hence I am currently on a two-week detox, which entails a fairly strict eating regime – no meat, dairy, refined flour products, sugar, alcohol, caffeine….you get the picture. It’s essentially a vegan diet. [Read more →]

I created this recipe as I wanted an elegant, low effort, healthy dessert to add to my repetoire. Inspired by the Middle Eastern pudding Muhallebi, this light and refreshing dessert is perfect to follow a rich meal. You can easily put this together in 15 minutes, although it will require about an hour or so to set in the fridge. And in keeping with my philosophy, this is ideal for entertaining, as it can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.
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These festive fruit mince pastry stars are a great substitute for mince pies at Christmas time. They take a fraction of the time to make, look prettier and taste just as good. 

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