Today I baked something typically Australian and that you'll find in every restaurant over here: the Sticky date pudding. All the ones I've tried in restaurants were pretty dried but this recipe gives you the moistest cake ever! It's spongy and syrupy, a real treat! With the butterscotch sauce and some vanilla ice cream it's just heaven.     Ingredients: - 250g of Dates, finely sliced - 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate soda - 1 ½ cup of boiling water - 125g of butter, softened - 1 cup of brown sugar - 1 teaspoon of vanilla... [Lire la suite]

I first discovered Laksa 3 months ago, when I ordered it for dinner at Settlers Tavern in Margaret River. It's a rich coconut based asian spicy noodle soup with (in this version) chicken and shrimps. It's full of flavors and full of colors! :) This soup is as good to eat as it is to look at. I think it's from Malaysia but I'm not quiet sure, it's hard to find any info on where it is from exactly (if you know where it's from, let me know!). I've never heard of it before but it's apprently pretty popular here in Australia. So as soon... [Lire la suite]

A few days ago I made this no-knead bread. Which tasted and looked absolutely beautiful! (just so you know, my last 3 meals were made of just bread and butter....). I never thought I could make a bread that looks better... Untill today! I baked an other loaf this morning and dusted the dough with some flour instead of cornmeal. The cornmeal gave a yellow tone to the bread. The flour gave a result more brown which gives the bread a "rustic" look, I love it! :)  How beautiful is that? I'll try an other loaf dusted with wheat... [Lire la suite]

What's more satisfying than making your own bread? There is nothing like the smell of a warm bread wafting through the house. It's one of those simple joy in life. I made my first no-knead bread this morning, I know, I'm five years late, every foodie  on earth has tried it since it has been published in the New York times in 2006 (just have a look here). This recipe is the easiest way of making bread ever! No need to knead, no sticky fingers, no doughy mess! Just mix all the ingredients, wait for 24 hours, throw the dough in... [Lire la suite]

I'm not a big fan of pasta salads. I've always found cold pasta a little gross. So when I usually have some pasta, I need it to be burning hot! And this is gonna be far from traditional italian pasta but that's my french genes speaking) I love my it whith tones of melting cheeses like Comte or Cantal which doesn't work with cold pasta. This Penne pasta salad is an exeption. I like to have it once in a while. It's a really refreshing salad, full of flavors, perfect for summer. I know, it's winter here... But the weather in Australia... [Lire la suite]

There are some recipes that you get satisfied by getting them done just "well". And there are others that you have to get absolutely perfect. I think that classic chocolate chip cookies are one of those things. "The" perfect cookie recipe is an eternal quest, and it takes time to find the holy grail. I don't know anyone who loves to cook that haven't tried tons of chocolate chip cookies recipes.     The best cookies I had so far were from Levain Bakery in NYC. They are huge and really thick, crunchy outside and chewy... [Lire la suite]

I am a huge fan of Nigella Lawson. I remember watching her show "Nigella bites" on CuisineTV 10 years ago and I've followed her ever since. Every other cook show we had in France on TV before was "Bon appetit bien sur" with Joel Robuchon.or "La cuisine des mousquetaires": with Maite. As much as I love cooking, I've never realy enjoyed that type of cooking shows. Too boring and academic, not to mention that Maite and Joel are not particularely attrative or pleasant to watch. But when Jamie Oliver and Nigella started their shows it was... [Lire la suite]

I love cherries. It's a typical summer fruit that you can only enjoy during a short period, from May to the end of July. Cherries are synonyms of holydays for me. It's a fruit that I've always eaten during summer in my childhood. Except at Christmas : My grandmother used to always gave me a few pounds of (over pricey in winter!) cherries. Clafoutis is a French dessert from Limousin. It's a flan-like batter with cherries. My mum used to bake some every summer. I remember not being able to wait until it cooled down and eating it... [Lire la suite]