9th January 2018
Cakes have not always looked the way they do today; they were originally more like bread, and were sweetened with honey. Nuts and dried fruits were added, depending on whether the baker had them (they were rather precious ingredients and were not always easily available). Although the word cake is derived from the old Norse word ‘kaka’, the first culture…
12th December 2017
I remember making a version of this apple cake back when I lived in Positano, under the guidance (and occasional eagle eye) of my late fiance’s mother. I had a notebook filled with her recipes, but what with the multiple moves over the past four years I’ve mislaid it. I can only hope it’s in storage somewhere because those recipes…
21st October 2012
There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. — Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady Anna, Duchess of Bedford, was the wife of the seventh Duke of Bedford, and is widely credited with the very civilised custom of taking afternoon tea. During Anna’s time (1788-1861) it was customary for…
25th August 2012
Recently my new foodie friend Martyna posted her recipe for delicious homemade cherry ripe bites which arrived promptly in my inbox. I read through it and wanted it instantly; although I’ve never eaten Cherry Ripe before, it sounds like the sort of chocolate I’d love. Besides, her other favourite chocolate bar is Bounty, which is also one of my favourite…
22nd August 2012
I don’t care who knows it, but I am an absolute _citrus fanatic_. I love _anything_ citrus; I mean, my favourite perfume is described as ‘woody, with notes of orange and grapefruit lending it a touch of spring’. I mean it. I adore everything to do with citrus. A friend had a birthday recently and I was asked to ‘rustle…
7th August 2012
When I first travelled to Australia in the late nineties, Sydney didn’t have as vibrant a food scene as it does today. But what it did have were new things for me to discover and fall in love with. I learned to love vegemite on buttered toast, and Tim Tams were obviously too gorgeous to resist. But my favourite discovery…