chocolate mousse cake with hazelnut praline

I’ve come to the conclusion that a good chocolate cake is the little black dress (LBD) of the dessert world. I mean they are both absolute classics that are always in vogue. There is a dress-them-up or dress-them-down flexibility which makes them a workhorse in their respective arenas. And they are both excellent examples of why when you’re onto a good thing, you should stick to it. Read the rest of this entry »

mango granita with coconut cream

For those of you who are regular visitors to stonesoup, it will not come as a surprise that I’m admitting to being an icecream freak. There isn’t anything in the dessert arena that gets my heart racing like a good scoop or two. In Winter I love to serve it as an accompaniment to hot, rich things like a crumble, but it is during the Summer months that icecream tends to take center stage as a dessert on its own. Read the rest of this entry »

Little Summer Puddings 

When it comes to bread I’ve always been a fan. From your San Franciscan sourdough, to Turkish pide, to Italian ciabatta and foccacia, Indian naan and roti, Lebanese flat breads, the quintessential French baguette and even your humble white loaf, I love them all.

Read the rest of this entry »

Christmas time. I love it so. Holidays, Summer, feasting, family and friends - a few of my most favourite things all rolled into one. So glad it’s here.

It’s hard to believe, but it was Christmas two years ago that saw the birth of stonesoup. I had been toying with the idea of starting a blog for a few months but had decided to leave it until I had some time to devote to figuring the whole thing out. I’d started a list of potential topics to cover (I know I know, I am a Virgo, not much happens in my world without a list) . Read the rest of this entry »

ready for a sunday lunch
table setting & ambiance by missy helgs

I’ve never really been into the concept of having a best friend, or ‘bestie’ as my mad no-so-little brother likes to call them (he also calls his mates who live on the farm next to his ‘nexties’… but that’s a whole other story).  It’s not like I believe in quantity over quality when it comes to friendships more that I’d rather just enjoy them instead of wasting time comparing my nearest and dearest. But if you were to force me to name my best mate, then it would probably have to be my favourite Melbourne resident, the lovely Missy Helgs. Read the rest of this entry »

chocolate soufflé with dulce de leche

So when it comes to your palate, what category would you class yourself in?? Are you like my mum was: a die hard dessert lover, turning to that section of the menu before even giving a passing thought to your main course option?? Or are you more of a savoury lover?? Someone who never has space for dessert until someone suggests finishing things off with a wee bit of cheese?? Read the rest of this entry »

lamb & eggplant curry

The last time anyone can remember my dear old Dad coming to the big smoke was back in 2004 to pick me up from the airport after my winemaking trip to France. As you can imagine, it took a bit of convincing to talk him into a city visit. But persistence prevailed and on Saturday night I found myself standing on the platform at central station to greet the Canberra XPT. With fish and chips on our minds we headed to arguably the best fish café in Sydney: Fish Face in Darlinghurst. Read the rest of this entry »

 beetroot pesto