Saturday, January 24, 2026

Tropical Mango Mousse

When it's mango season in the tropics, one of our favourite ways to eat them as a dessert is in egg free and creamy Mango Mousse. Fresh or frozen mangoes can be used for this recipe. It's the perfect dessert to enjoy on a hot Summer's Day and over the Australia Day long weekend, which we are enjoying right now. However, I think you will love this dessert, anywhere and anytime.

Monday, January 19, 2026

Creamy Pan Fried Pork with Apple and Leek

How can it be that a Pork based meal served with a delicious creamy sauce is still healthy and low in calories. Of course if you want to lash out and serve this dish with rice, a pasta bake or mashed potato not only will it take this meal to another level it will increase the calorie count. That is entirely up to you and when feeding a family that is a very viable option and along with vegetables, is almost essential. 

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Cherry Compote with Sweet and Salty Cheesecake and Crumble

With our cherry season almost over, and consequently the prices of cherries creeping up again here in Northern Queensland, I am reminded of how much I adore fresh cherries and how I will miss them when they have disappeared from our shelves again. Here's a delicious Cherry and Cheesecake dessert with a crumble for you based on one from the repertoire of Yotam Ottolenghi in his exceptional cook book, Simple. His recipes are timeless. 

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Homemade Ricotta and Parmesan Ravioli with Sage Butter


This recipe will guide you in  producing restaurant quality ravioli in your own time at a fraction of the cost. However it's not just about saving money by cooking from scratch, it's about being able to create these little pillows of deliciousness in your own home, for family and friends to enjoy. This is Italian homemade food at it's best.

Monday, January 5, 2026

In My Kitchen, January 2026

 Hello there, it's been a little while!

Happy New Year to you all for 2026! Not much writing and blogging from me has been happening during the festive season, but I've been doing lots of cooking and food preparation, because I love it, after all it was Christmas time. We were in Cairns, for a few weeks, and I was getting to know and love Shannon's new kitchen. What a dream it is to cook and prepare food in, with mostly new appliances, so I was on a steep learning curve, which was a lot of fun.

Sunday, December 21, 2025

A visit to the iconic Rusty's Christmas markets in Cairns

This my friends is just a very quick little post which I couldn't resist after a visit on Friday to Rusty's markets in Cairns, in tropical Far North Queensland. Fresh as and sweet as, the range of exotic tropical produce was impressive. My biggest challenge when visiting such a market is being able to resist buying a sample of everything exhibited amongst the rich bounty presented by the variety of local stallholders. Local produce, delicious street food, local artisan goods, and quite the carnival atmosphere created by local buskers, gives this market an appealing allure for tourist and Cairns locals all at the same time.

Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Shirley's Christmas Fruit Mince Tea Cake

  

Bottled Fruit Mince is available for purchase at the supermarkets here in the lead up to Christmas, so if you are running out of time, why not take a shortcut, and instead of making your own batch of fruit mince, buy it and bake this warm and delicious Fruit Mince Tea Cake. However, if you have already made your Christmas fruit mince, your homemade batch will no doubt take this festive cake to the next level. As this cake is baking,  your home will be filled with the spicy, rich and nostalgic aromas of festive holiday baking.