it's really hot

REALLY hot.
On the verandah at the moment it's 46.5 degrees Celsius.

And the oven is not going on again today!

Also, this is late. But aren't they pretty?
This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

I made plain sweet tuiles with raspberry filling, raspberries and mint leaves. The raspberry filling has lemon. My brain isn't working enough to tell you any more because the heat is making me act irrationally and yell at my siblings.

Happy January!

january, just summer

I was in Brisbane for a festival/conference about sacred music, which was interesting. Ab Fab caterers were true to their name, incidentally. But I didn't photograph the food, because I got distracted by the food.
Moreton Bay figs..
...and the bougainvillea, and forgive me for not looking up that bird. Is it an ibis?
I love a sunburnt country, but it's a bit dry, the trip back south confirmed.
...Beach.
Check out that pastry. Finest I've yet to meet in a vanilla slice, and shall certainly be informing the Vanilla Slice Blog of Louttit Bay Bakery, so good I don't even care if you don't go there when you're in Lorne (but you'd be missing out).
The pastry, though. Flaky, slightly sweet, not buttery, just the right amount of dry between all that oohhhhggg custard. And the icing on the top sweet, just enough to balance.. Perfect!
There is fine eating to be had in Lorne. But I am too lazy to blog about it, and too embarrassed to take photos in public. So you can observe my home adventures.


Must be the first meal I made this month, approx two days ago. My fingers smelled like garlic until, oh, about now. It was worth it... say ricotta, I'm yours. and parmesan. Plus all the other usual suspects, yes, and How I love them.
And summer.