From the tiled streets of Lisbon to the misty hills of Sintra and the port cellars of Porto, my journey through Portugal was a visual feast.
"A Virtual Potluck" - back in April 2006, I embarked on a journey to host a monthly virtual potluck on my blog. We might have been spread out all over the world, but the few food bloggers we were found a wonderful way to come together and share the warmth of our friendships.
If there is one thing the viral Japanese cheesecake teaches you, it is that joy doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s the quiet revelation that a treat can be assembled, not laboured over. That a few thoughtful ingredients, layered with a little patience, can feel like a small luxury.
January always feels like a liminal month to me. Not a clean cut, not a full beginning, more like a soft corridor between worlds. Even though the calendar insists we are already well into the new year, energetically we are still shedding the skin of the Year of the Snake while slowly sensing the hooves of the Horse approaching.
Some recipes arrive quietly and stay. This roasted beetroot with ginger, chives and a peanut lime dip is one of those dishes for me. It is simple, earthy and deeply satisfying, yet layered. The sweetness of beetroot, the warmth of ginger, the freshness of chives and the calm richness of peanuts come together without forcing anything. When I made it again recently, I realised how closely it mirrors the guiding word I have chosen for 2026: Yutori.
Deconstructed here but when it all comes together, it trully is a decadent chocolate bar. The Dubai Chocolate Knafeh Pistachio Bar somehow went viral and I was keen on giving this my own homemade twist.
"Jump to recipe!" After my last post, I thought, why not offer something new to the blog to help those of us who are keen to get straight to the recipe without much fluff around a post.
