My family barbecue all year round. I once told the Boy that you could barbecue anything…he didn’t believe me. My original claim may have been slightly hyperbolic, I don’t think it was completely off the mark! You can barbecue starters, mains and desserts, you just have to know how!
Barbecuing the vegetables in this recipe gives them a subtle charred, smokey flavour and contrasts the freshness of the lime beautifully. As the Australian weather warms up, this is a great way to treat yourself to a little taste of Summer. Continue reading “Barbecued sweet potato salad and Summer”
Tag: bakingwithgab
Speedy Portuguese tarts and perfection
I love a good Portuguese tart, but I can never recreate them authentically in the kitchen. I feel that the Portuguese do a much better job of them than I do, why challenge perfection?
I went to a Portuguese festival earlier on in the year and I fell even deeper in love with the little pastry treats. I instagrammed them too, look! Instead of trying to recreate them in all their custardy glory, I make a quick version to tide me over until my next trip to a Portuguese bakery. Continue reading “Speedy Portuguese tarts and perfection”
60th birthdays and teddy racers
It was my father’s birthday 60th today. I didn’t post much over the weekend because we had what can only be described as a Neil Quirk-athon. He played golf with my brothers and the boy on Saturday morning and we lunched afterwards. Then on Sunday he had old friends over to celebrate the big birthday.
And today I made him his grandmother’s chocolate cake. Suffice to say, he has been celebrated to last him until he is 70.
Rich chocolate cake and edible flowers
I have wanted to use edible flowers for so long. Pre-blog. The idea that such beautiful decorations are edible fits in well with my general approach to cooking – I don’t like things to just look good, I want them to taste good as well.
So when I stumbled across some gorgeous edible flowers at Leichhardt organic markets, I bought them on impulse. Continue reading “Rich chocolate cake and edible flowers”
Spinach and parmesan quiche & leftovers
My dear mother often buys spinach. She has the best intentions for it – healthy meals, delicious spinach and cheese pastries, something different to the usual green addition to our meals – but it very rarely gets used. It often (rather wastefully) sits in the fridge and wilts until someone takes pity on it and disposes of it.
I know, I know, I can hear you all groaning in disapproval – “how wasteful”, “think of the starving children in Africa”, etc but that’s what happens in a house where everyone works. There just isn’t enough time for good intentions! Continue reading “Spinach and parmesan quiche & leftovers”
Pear bread and Pinterest
My hunt for pear recipes was inspired by this cuteness, which I found on Pinterest. He is now my lock screen on my phone – he just makes me smile.
My lock screen did not go unnoticed by The Boy. Despite thinking I was crazy, the boy left me my own little smiley pear. Said smiley pear is now sitting in a display cupboard, I can’t bring myself to eat him.
This recipe was made with his friends though, I’m not sure how to break it to him… Continue reading “Pear bread and Pinterest”
Parmesan entertainers (biscuits)
My love for parmesan borders on the obsessive. I don’t mean that weird dry yellow powder that comes in a shaker bottle; I mean realparmesan cheese.
If it were up to me, spag bol would be 1 part spaghetti, 1 part bolognaise and 3 parts parmesan cheese.
It’s tangy and mature and just delicious.
In my world there is no such thing as too much parmesan. Pasta, salads, fruit, sandwiches – you name it, I’ve parmesaned it. Continue reading “Parmesan entertainers (biscuits)”
Mini lemon thyme cakes and discoveries
Last post I mentioned re-discovering a fabulous carrot and poppyseed cake. I realised that I don’t proclaim my discovery of things often enough. It would be remiss of me to write any further this week without mentioning my two new loves – lemon thyme and cake stands.
Of course, I’ve always known that both existed, but this week I have seen them in a new light. So I guess you could call these sort-of-discoveries It was an abundance of lemon thyme in the garden that drew me to seek out new recipes to harness it. The smell of lemon thyme is absolutely enchanting. It’s like lemon’s cooler older brother – lemon thyme is a little more mature and mellowed out where lemon is really loud and abrasive, too busy trying to prove himself. Continue reading “Mini lemon thyme cakes and discoveries”
Carrot & poppyseed cake and re-discovering
A friend requested I make a carrot cake a while ago and I said I would oblige. I hadn’t even considered posting a carrot cake, because I would never usually choose to eat carrot cake. I was chatting to mother dearest about it and she reminded me of a recipe that she hasn’t cooked in years. And I didn’t realise how much I had missed it!
This mixture is beautiful. It is moist and crunchy and dense and delicious. Have I convinced you to make it yet? I haven’t even started describing the velvety cream cheese icing. Continue reading “Carrot & poppyseed cake and re-discovering”
Brownie cheesecake slice and remembering
Mother remembered on Thursday morning that she had to take a slice into work on Friday. She left me a note asking me to make one for her. Of course I obliged; being unemployed and sole contributor to my baking blog, this request was perfectly tailored to my situation!
She needed something easy to transport (cupcakes are out), something that would feed a group easily (pots de crème are out) and something delicious. I’ve made brownies before and they’re delightful, but I felt as though she needed something a little more show stopping to tempt her co-workers.