Nigella's Apricot Almond Cake with Rosewater and Pistachio

There's only one Nigella Lawson, and this delicious, fragrant and beguiling cake is one of my all time favourites of her many cakes. With the apricots shining like jewels on the surface along with the chopped Pistachios, and the beautiful flavours of Rosewater and Cardamon within, this cake could proudly be served as the finishing touch to a Middle Eastern Banquet, or as an afternoon tea treat.

Easy Pickled Cucumbers

It's pickling season. This Cucumber Pickle was made from a couple of the largest cucumbers I have ever seen, and were surprisingly very crispy and sweet. Even cucumbers which look as if they are on steroids, and these did, can still be pickled or the smallest ones as well.  How versatile is the common cucumber?

Mexican Chicken Tray Bake with homemade Arriabbata Sauce

This Mexican Chicken Traybake is now at the top of my list of delicious chicken traybakes, and I've cooked a lot of them. Full of authentic tasty Mexican flavours, a homemade Arriabbata Sauce, colourful vegetables and succulent chicken, this meal is a real winner. It's Mexican Fiesta time.

Paul's Cherry and Brandy Fruit Cake

 

This is my go to fruit cake recipe, all year round, when I'm not baking my Rum fruit cakes at Christmas time. This cake is also festively flavoured enough to grace your Christmas table, when dressed up in ribbons and bows.  Laced with brandy and adorned with whole glacé cherries throughout, it is a delicious cake to have on standby in your pantry or refrigerator when needed. This one will be travelling away with us shortly.

Delicious Ginger Crunch Slice

This Ginger Crunch slice has a melt in your mouth shortbread base, and a delicious ginger caramel icing. If you haven't already tried this slice, prepare to fall in love. I really doubt that you will be able to stop at 1 piece, we couldn't.

Chocolate Chiffon Tart

Chocolate Chiffon Tart is a light and airy dessert confection with a chiffon style filling similar to a chocolate mousse. It is a delight to just sit and savour over this tart as you eat it. I find it is much more enjoyable than a tart filled with pure chocolate ganache, which I find can be quite sickly and too sweet.

Our Annual fresh Ginger and Turmeric Harvest is on now, with Ginger and Turmeric Recipes included

We  have just harvested our tropical and edible crop of aromatic Ginger and Turmeric. It's an annual event, generally occurring between the heat of Summer and the early chill of Winter, when the rhizomes or roots are mature. Ginger and turmeric grow almost like a weed here in Mackay in the tropics. Since then we've been chopping, slicing, cooking, freezing and dehydrating the ginger. Now I have enough dehydrated Spice Ginger and tropical Stem Ginger in Syrup, and frozen ginger and turmeric to last me for the next 12 months.

In My Kitchen, May 2025, and looking back on April

Welcome lovers of food, to my kitchen, and to what's been happening this month in my world. April is always a busy month in our calendar. As the weather starts to cool down here in Northern Queensland, it's time to bake, make soups and stews, and plant some Spring seeds and seedlings in the garden. I've planted Baby Spinach and Pak Choy seeds already.