March Nibbles

• You know I'm a sucker for a good cake decorating tutorial (not that I ever *ahem* use them, but a girl can dream right?), so it should come as no surprise that this rose cake tutorial caught my eye. Isn't it lovely? I'm thinking it'd make a lovely centrepiece for a Mother's Day luncheon. And check out these pretty pineapple "flowers" - perfect as extravagant cupcake toppings.
• Hop on over here for the lowdown on legumes - from the Yellow Indian Woman (I kid you not) to the speckled Christmas lima bean, I'm sure you'll find at least one you haven't heard of before. Think out of the box and give them all a try!
• It seems only fitting that a cheeseslut would veer towards making her own cheese. This homemade ricotta looks super doable.
• Love truffles? What could be better than homemade Ferrero Rocher-esque ones? 
• My favourite part about soft serve? The chocolate or caramel shell. And now you can make your own version at home. This is going to change how I "do" summer, that's for sure.
• Nutella addict? Join the club. While it's all good to eat it straight from the jar (what?), sometimes you want to do a bit more. And that's where this list of Nutella recipes comes in very handy. 
• Now I'm not condoning 2 minute noodles (instant ramen for you US folks) in any way at all, but sometimes life happens and you need a quick meal. The Serious Eats team jumps to the rescue with these 30+ hacks for upgrading instant noodles. I'm quite fond of the simmered meat addition.  
• Tomorrow is April Fool's! The perfect time to surprise your family or friends with these silly cupcakes. The peas and carrots look so real!

February Nibbles

• Tired of the same  old, same old root veggies? How about some watermelon radishes with their super funky colours. I have not seen 'em before on these shores, but I'm going to try my darndest to track some down come winter. 
• Perfectly crunchy onion rings, baked in the oven. I would be happy with these, and just these, for supper. (thanks for the pointer, Voer)
• My FFF* award goes to Sardines on Toast. Although not a few find, he constantly inspires with his innovative food and flavour combinations (isn't the melon salad at the very bottom the prettiest thing you have ever seen?) and laidback accounts of his life on the Western Coast of South Africa. Luckily for us in the Western Cape, his small town restaurant is just a two hour drive away from Cape Town in the picturesque town of Paternoster - perfect for a weekend breakaway.
• I cannot stop marveling in awe at the performance of my  new Wusthof Paring Knife. It gives new meaning to the phrase "like a hot knife through butter" - even when slicing tomatoes. Yes, it was a freebie but that doesn't detract one iota from it's awesomeness. You should get one. And while you're at it, buy me the rest of the set too. 
• My favourite recipe for 2011 so far was my Coconut Iced Coffee. What a lifesaver. Best you try it while it's still smoking hot outside. 
• You know I love some good humour (even if it's non-food related) - I think everyone can relate to hideous shower faucet temperatures. Right? Right. It's a never ending battle. 
• In fact, just thinking about it makes me want this eggless chocolate cake. Because chocolate makes everything better. Didn't you know? (thanks Whipping it Up)
• And talking about all things chocolate-y I am here to tell you that Nigella is pure evil. I'm sure you've seen her -  the hourglass figure, seductive lips and shiny hair merely a cover up for her evil kitchen creations. Tempting poor souls all around the globe to walk to their corner grocery store at 6 pm on a Saturday night to buy the ingredients for her Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake. And then proceed to bake said cheesecake on the same night. Clearly the woman is hellbent on world chocolate domination. She must be stopped encouraged.

*FFF = Favourite Foodie Find

November Nibbles

• Love canneloni, but hate the fiddliness required to coax the filling into the tubes? Try this easy way to stuff pasta (via GoodLife Eats).
• Much as I love cooking this is something I can totally relate to: Why I don't cook at home. And if you aren't already in love with the oddball humour that The Oatmeal brings, you're in for a treat.
• Tired of same-old, same-old cakes? No-one will be able to say "been there, done that" when you present them with this Kill Bill themed cake. Personally, I think it's pure genius. 
• The Origins of 10 Food Phrases is not only fascinating, but also a great source of festive season small talk ammo. And I could certainly do with some of that.
• And talking about the season of festivities, joy and (most importantly) fantastic food, these pretty peppermint candies are on top of my to-make list. Along with some homemade Limoncello (watch this space for the recipe).
• Mélanger has the honour of being my FFF* for the month of November. Whipping up delightful looking tarts, flaky pastries and featherlight cakes while juggling a newborn is no mean feat, and yet Julia manages to make it look as easy as pie. Uh, no pun intended. One of my favourite things about her blog is the monthly themes she chooses, which makes for a nice cohesiveness within every month. Past themes include Pink (for Pinktober) featuring a fantastic looking Strawberry Ice Cream and her British Desserts in July, in which she manages to masterfully combine elements of the traditional and the modern in this Chocolate & Orange Trifle 'Sandwich'.
• And my favourite recipe for the past month? It's got to be the fresh, zingy flavours of this unusual Indian Pork with Lime Pickles. If you haven't tried it yet, you're seriously missing out.

*FFF = Favourite Foodblog Find

October nibbles

• Favourite October meal? It was all about the Roasted Carrots with Chili and Feta for me. Hey, I'm a girl of simple tastes. Although I have to add that TheHusband really enjoyed the Roast Potato, Chorizo & Broad (Fava) Beans.

• Gives new meaning to I can haz cheezburger - Cheese & Burger Society.  My favourite? The Mona Lisa or The Couch Potato for those indulgent days. Heck, I won't complain about the Macho Nacho either.

• Sad, but true - 1 in 4 kids are bedroom diners. Isn't eating supposed to be a social event?

• Have an abundance of fruit on your hands? Well you'll never wonder what to do with 'em again once you've mastered this basic formula for a fruit crumble. 

• An excellent tutorial on how to temper chocolate for so you can make those lovely  white chocolate mendiants at home.

• In the mood for a slightly healthier milkshake option? Look no further than the spud shake. Yup, it uses mashed potatoes for that rich creamy texture sans cream. Nice one, right?

• Which also brings me to the FFF* for the month. As usual, drumroll please...... and the winner is.....The Daily Spud! Hailing from Ireland (where else?), The Spud claims to really really love potatoes. And it shows. From dips to breads, the ubiquitous potato salad (of course), pies and even desserts. All with either a focus on potatoes or a decidedly Irish spin. You gotta love a one-track mind, right?

*Favourite Foodblog Find

September nibbles

• Favourite September dish? I must confess I really really enjoyed my homemade Tempura. More than what would strictly be appropriate. I might need to see someone about that... The sweet treat award goes to Sour Cherry & Apple Clafoutis for it's pretty look, silky texture and dreamy fragrance.

• Now that we're heading into summer here in the southern hemisphere, how about some Tropical No-Dairy Icecream. And the secret ingredient? Avocado! After my avocado smoothie experience recently (delicious by the way) I've got to try this.

• Potato peeling a pain in the butt (not to mention a finger scorcher)? Here's an easy how-to for peeling a boiled potato.

• You know I can never resist an icing tutorial - this one is for decorating cakes. Since by now we are (theoretically) all proficient with cupcake decoration.

• Talking of cupcakes, here's a quick diy for a cupcake tower. Pretty right?

• Always been intimidated by baking bread? I'm talking the real, honest-to-goodness, I made the dough from scratch, let it rise and baked it type of thing. Fear no more! Here we have a step-by-step instruction manual (pics included) on how to make your own sourdough starter. And as we all know, a great starter makes for a great loaf.

• And the FFF* for September is....drumroll please... I'm No Jamie Oliver! New on the blogging scene, South African and male, Matt's blog records his kitchen adventures working through Jamie Oliver's 20 Minute Meals. I love how down to earth Matt is and as added bonus feature, he spotlights green/eco living from time to time as well. Because green = good, mmmkay?

• Actually I have TWO FFF*'s for September. I'm indecisive okay? So FFF* numero duo is.... drumroll again... La Kocinera. The culinary adventures of a quirky college student, this is witty, snarky writing at it's best. With tongue firmly in cheek, great recipes and an awesome Ugly Betty t-shirt-wearing blog author, this one was a no-brainer.

*Favourite Foodblog Find

August Nibbles

• Favourite August meal - Could it be anything else but chocolate? I think I put on at least 5kg and I blame my Chocolate Camembert Truffles and Mumbai Hot Chocolate for that. Yeah you try and practise restraint around those two.

• And if my spicy hot chocolate is not quite your style, how about some Cold Hot Chocolate. With added caramel flavour. 

• Talking about chocolate, my tumblr log seems to have morphed into a chocolate log. Hey, the heart wants what the heart wants.

• And if you can stomach even more (moar?) chocolate, check out these (homemade) S'Mores Candy Bars. Sheer brilliance.

• Stepping away from chocolate (for the briefest of moments), I bring you Chicken Tikka Disaster (via Eat Out)

• And the FFF* for July? Scandi Foodie, written by Maria, a Finnish girl living in Sydney. I am blown away by her nifty combos, like this gently spiced Pumpkin Chai Bread and the refreshing Halloumi, Pumpkin & Rocket Salad - perfect for the in-between-seasons transition weather we're experiencing at the moment.

• Aaaaand we're back in the room! With delicious Madecasse chocolate, grown & produced in the nearby Madagascar. Not only does the chocolate taste AWESOME (the 75% one and the seasalt & nibs are particularly good), but the company has that feel good factor too. So you don't have to feel quite as guilty when you manage to devour an entire slab in one go.** 

* Favourite Foodblog Find

** This may or may not be based on a true story

Full disclaimer: I received some Madecasse chocolate free of charge, however I was neither asked nor paid to endorse the product on my blog. 

July Nibbles

• Favourite July meal - It's a tie between the Pecan Cream Mushrooms and the Mushroom Galette. Step forward to receive your crown, oh humble mushroom!

• Clearly I'm not the only one who enjoys odd food combos, just take a look at these strange (but yummy) food combos . Though I can't help but notice that Putu Pap with milk & salt was not included on this list. Neither was Egg, Cheese & Bovril on toast. Strange indeed.

• Cookbooks you didn't know existed - Seriously, what kind of dishes are in the Twilight book? Bludwurst? Black pudding? Anything else?

• And the FFF* for July? Indian Simmer. Featuring dreamy photographs of both Indian and non-Indian food (recipes included of course), this US-based new wife and new mom shares her life with us via food. And if that doesn't win you over, this post featuring her little girl's chubby toes definitely will.

• Butch it Up Buttercup! - Yet another reason why NY City is awesome. (via @CabrnetCasanova)

• And while we're on the subject of cupcakes, if you haven't mastered the skill of cupcake icing (join the club...) take a look at these videos:  from simple piped decorations, to the classic sky-high soft-serve style icing, a smooth glass-like finish to an elaborate flower petal cupcake, complete with butterfly. But my favourite has to be this simple, yet elegant swirled topping achieved using just a palette knife - ingenious!

• In other news, you have spoken and the email subscription poll results are IN! It seems you like things just the way they are, so nothing will be changing around here then.

• Last, but not least, topping my "to make" list for August - Luxurious Caramelised Orange & Cream Pots. I have been playing around with this idea for some time now and hope to perfect (and post) it in the coming month.

* Favourite Foodblog Find