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