PEAR, GINGER AND HONEY CAKE

PEAR, GINGER AND HONEY CAKE

A ripe pear is notoriously difficult to purchase so we always seem to have a number, in various degrees of ripeness, sitting in our fruit bowl …. just in case. This week a few rapidly ripening offenders were put to very good use in our Pear, Ginger and Honey Cake which we topped with Pears Poached in Mead ....

PEAR, CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA CAKE

PEAR, CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA CAKE

Easy to whip up and even easier to devour, our gluten-free, Pear, Chocolate and Vanilla Cake is as delicious eaten warm as it is at room temperature. But don’t be put off by its modest appearance. A slice will deliver wafts of vanilla, sweet and juicy slices of pear and bursts of chocolate all in a moist, sweet gluten-free cake ….

PEAR TARTE TATIN

PEAR TARTE TATIN

A Tarte Tatin was traditionally only made with caramelised apples and known as an upside-down apple tart but these days anything baked with the pastry on top, a good suntan, and turned up to serve, is referred to as a something-or-other Tatin, sweet or savoury ….

BEEF SHORT RIBS WITH A HOT & SOUR SALAD

BEEF SHORT RIBS WITH A HOT & SOUR SALAD

Our beef short ribs, slowly braised in the oven with a simple paste of fresh garlic, ginger, coriander and onions, some chicken stock and sherry, will make a very tender and succulent stand-alone dish. But when topped with its Hot and Sour Salad it will zing with chilli, fresh herbs and lime ….

THREE GREEN SAUCES

THREE GREEN SAUCES

How often do you look in the fridge hoping for some inspiration for the evening’s meal? We find that if we have some delicious homemade sauces and condiments on hand then the ideas come a bit quicker and easier ….

FRESH DATE AND VANILLA TART

FRESH DATE AND VANILLA TART

This ambrosial Fresh Date and Vanilla Tart is the genius of Sydney pâtissiere, Lorraine Godsmark, and she is deservedly famous for it. I have basked in her glory for the many years I have been making her wonderfully rich, sweet and aromatic concoction….

CYPRIOT SEED SALAD

CYPRIOT SEED SALAD

A friend made a Cypriot Grain Salad for us recently, which was nutty, fresh and super-wholesome, not to mention fabulously delicious. It was also naturally gluten-free because the freekeh that’s usually in the grain salad was substituted with quinoa ….

GREEK ROAST LAMB

GREEK ROAST LAMB

This no-fuss recipe is a handy stand-by when you really need a great meal to cook itself. In 5 hours, and in one dish, it delivers all the flavours of a classic Greek Roast Lamb - fall off-the-bone meat, lots of garlic, lemon and oregano, and onions and potatoes as well ….

GAFGHAN BISCUITS

GAFGHAN BISCUITS

New Zealanders, it seems, have quite a reputation for home baking. Their 1908 cookbook, Edmonds Cookery Book, provides recipes for a plethora of favourite sweet-treats including the classic and now politically incorrectly named, Afghans ….

POTTED PRAWNS

POTTED PRAWNS

I really like this dish of Potted Prawns. It’s simple to make, delicious, a bit ‘old school’ and two of my favourite ingredients, prawns and butter, are the heroes. Use the best quality prawns and butter you can find and you’ll be assured of success ….

WISHING YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

WISHING YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

We’re signing off for the Christmas and New Year break and will be back into the gluten-free kitchen in early February. We thank you for your support and hope you have a wonderful Christmas. We sincerely hope that 2024 will bring real peace to the lives of those who so desperately need it. Our hearts are with them.