"Cumquat marmalade is the best of all breakfast preserves, with a scented sharpness and a golden glow all of its own. " Stephanie Alexander, 1996.
This is a lovely fruity Cumquat marmalade, and I don't know why I don't make it more often. Possibly because my Mum made perfect Cumquat (Kumquat) marmalade and I am never sure that I can match hers. Never mind, I've made another batch now and I couldn't be happier with it, albeit a small batch though which often works best.
We enjoyed 7 days and nights on board the M/S Lupus Mare, sailing along the beautiful coastline of Croatia on the Adriatic Sea which was the perfect way for us to enjoy our first ever introductory cruise.
Lovely Lemons are in season, and anyone with a lemon tree where we live has them ripening profusely on the tree. I thought it was time to assemble my favourite lemon recipes together for you. Everyone of them is tried and true, and they are my go to at this time of year.
The tang of fresh lemon flavours combined with the richness of ricotta cheese, produces an Italian style cake that finishes off a special dinner perfectly, or is just lovely with a cup of coffee or tea. It's light and luscious, what more could you want in a cake? Thanks to Marcellina in Cucina for this perfect cake recipe.
The month of March and into early April, including Easter Week, called for some calming and comforting food, and some careful planning. I needed assurance that food would be catered for throughout the month and particularly over Easter when our club's Annual Easter Indoor Pickleball Tournament was being held, and most importantly, our daughter Shannon was driving home for Easter. I know that also means that a cake needs to be baked, and I also planned that her favourite Monte Carlo biscuits would be in the biscuit tin, or in the refrigerator, still necessary at this time of year.
My Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding Tart has very caramelised crispy edges, which your family or dinner guests might just fight over, if given the chance, and the vanilla scented custard filling layered with pops of chocolate and marmalade is amazingly light, smooth and delicious. This is my idea of a perfect dessert over Easter this year, when there may be some chocolate indulgence, requiring a well balanced dessert with just a hint of chocolate and sweetness to be on theme.
Hope's delicious Monte Carlos have been a favourite biscuit amongst our family for as long as I can remember. When our daughter said she would love Ma Ma's (my Mum's) original recipe, I was inspired to find it. I've really enjoyed doing some research, baking a few batches of biscuits, comparing her handwritten recipe with others, and now I am very happy that I can bake Monte Carlo's exactly the same as Mum did, from her original recipe. They taste perfect.
What a memorable month February was. It might have been the shortest month of the year, only 28 days, but it was action packed, with a Pickleball tournament to be entered, and I can mention that as even the sport we play has a foodie name; and my birthday was almost "smack bang in the middle" of fabulous February as well.
My chicken curry is finely flavoured with a homemade curry paste made from aromatic herbs and spices typical of Thai and Vietnamese cooking, and with the addition of healthy vegetables. It is also gluten free and low calorie. The curry cooks slowly and quietly in the pot of your slow cooker, to reward you at the end of your busy day with a delicious meal.
My take anywhere, lovely Lemon Tart is initially cooked in a frying pan on the stovetop, and then transferred to the oven to bake for only 15 minutes. So simple to make. It's packed with delightful lemon citrus flavours and is luscious and light to eat. It reminds me of a Lemon Delicious Dessert cheesecake, without the lemon sauce.
Whenever it's time to begin writing my kitchen update each month, I always hope I have something interesting to share with you. Then I look at all my food photos for the month, take a quick look back at my Happy Retirees Kitchen posts and think, Thank Goodness, looks like I did some delicious cooking after all that's worth talking about. Where did January go and I hope you are cruising nicely into February.
Red plums are in season at the moment and they are perfect for making this very special cake. However in North Queensland, unfortunately it's a short season and they aren't available for long. This cake makes an incredibly delicious dessert, or is perfect to serve if friends are coming over for coffee, or even have it ready for Easter, which will be upon us before we know it.
"Why should a man die who has sage in his garden?", an old proverb.
What's not to love about the delicately decadent Sage Butter flavours to complement all those delicious Italian dishes, such as potato gnocchi, ravioli, and whatever else you decide to explore. Thanks to Ben who writes the food blog, Havoc in the Kitchen, for inspiring me to cook gnocchi. It's a rustic yet comforting and cosy dish of food and is a cinch to make.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
