It only seems right to confess that we’re back eating devil’s food. The kind of food that makes your cholesterol rise, your blood sugar levels spike and brings your intestines out in hives. For all the downsides of the humble loaf there is nothing so versatile as a slice of bread, whether as it comes or toasted golden brown.

As with all things in life, moderation is key. Long gone are the days of toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and a sneeky slice to quash those ad-hoc hunger pangs. Instead a slice of bread is reserved as a treat for weekends, high days or holidays, and making a naked soup into a wholesome meal.

Having spent almost two years experimenting with alternative wheat free “breads” I decided that it wasn’t worth the compromise. Admittedly our breads at home are made either with spelt or rye and it feels like a fair balance of pleasurable and healthy eating. There is nothing better than to rustle up a soda bread early on a weekend morning in time to eat it for brunch. Although I do wonder from time to time whether I should give the tried and tested quick artisan bread another go.

I know this may sound a bit dumb but one of the things I noticed most about coming back to eating bread is how floury bread tastes. There is much debate on what might constitute the perfect soda bread.   I now swear by Richard Corrigan’s recipe for the perfectly balanced no yeast bread as it brings a lighter touch and creamy texture without a hint of excess flour.

Most of all this bread feels like bread. It has bite, structure, and chew that no without-breads ever did. If this is the work of the devil, I’m delighted to be back riding with the devil again.

Sure, some previous competitors carve out new careers for themselves as professionals or cook book authors but mostly the stars of the show go back to their day jobs and being home-bakers. Now if that’s not keeping it real, I’m  not sure what is.

As someone who has struggled with various perspectives of baking over the years I fully appreciate the dramas that unfold in the Bake-Off tent. How misread recipes, lack of know-how and artistic inadequacies can leave you physically exhausted and mentally tortured. Yet when the conditions are right and you’re in the baking flow producing a physical structure that both looks and tastes good can be one of the most satisfying things to do.

My cake baking is more intermittent these days much to the disappointment of my husband who sees not serving cake with afternoon tea as a sacrilegious act. Although I would never make the cut for GBBO I have been perfecting the art of the loaf cake over winter using a basic recipe a tweaking to bring a little variety to the plate.    This edition was classic date and walnut I enjoyed best when indulged with one of my favourite blue cheese.

Date and Walnut Loaf

2 Cups of Ground Walnuts (Lightly toast the oven first and when cool whizz them up in the food processor until they are like fine breadcrumbs)

1 Cup Almond Flour

5 eggs

1 cup of dates (used dried dates or you could use the rather more expensive but sweet medjool dates)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.  It takes a minute or so for everything to blend into a smooth pourable batter.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin.  Bake for 40-60 minutes (mine took 60 minutes) or until the a skewer prodded into the cake comes out clean.

Lift from the loaf tin and cool on a wire rack.

Serve on it’s own with a steaming brew or for a luxurious treat with a crumbling of creamy blue cheese.

I am resisting all temptation for further comment on what that might entail and instead draw comfort of the memory of the summer of 1976.  And if that doesn’t show my age.  OK, I shall stop digging……

For now its all soups, casseroles, lit fires and the heavy weight duvet on the bed. Not to mention opaque tights, base layers, gloves and scarves. Even the bassets have on the coldest days been sporting their rather fetching all weather overcoats. That said, the beautiful thing about New Zealand being a cold country with a hot sun is that even on winter days there is nothing better than afternoon tea and cake sitting out in the veranda taking in the rays. For a little extra winter kick I’ve started to get back into making ginger cake as I slowly rebuild my baking efforts towards mastering low slung cakes.

I took inspiration from one of New Zealand’s rising food stars who writes a prolific blog, Petite Kitchen, with a focus on healthy food mostly without.  You know, without wheat, gluten, sugar, dairy etc and, if my food writing group is to be believed, is on a roll in the latest food fad.  I shan’t get into that now as time is short, I have friends coming for dinner and a certain basset is pawing at my leg and politely pointing out that is it 3 minutes until he expects his dinner to be served.

For now consider treating yourself to a warming winter loaf complete with nature’s own warming spice Ginger.  This is one of the easiest ginger loaves made without the juggling spoonfuls of molasses but instead creating your own sweet stickiness from dates instead. No heavy weight stirring needed either just lean in like modern day domestic goddesses and rely on your food processor instead.

So armed with a shot of inspiration I adapted one of Petite Kitchen’s recipes to make a gorgeously gingery loaf with a hint of sweet and a touch of heat. It’s been a long while in coming but today I’m blogging this as as part of Sweet New Zealand a monthly blogging bake off created by Alessandra Zecchini and hosted this month by one of my online friends Sue who also is a prolific food blogger at Couscous and Conscienssness.

Hazelnut Ginger Loaf

2 Cups of Ground Hazelnuts (whizz them up in the food processor until they are like fine breadcrumbs)

1 Cup Almond Flour

5 eggs

1 cup of dates (used dried dates or you could use the rather more expensive but sweets medjool dates)

2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 cup crystallised ginger (I used no sugar version)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.  It takes a minute or so for everything to blend into a smooth pourable batter.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin.  Bake for 40-60 minutes (mine took 60 minutes) or until the a skewer prodded into the cake comes out clean.

Lift from the loaf tin and cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy with a large mug of steaming tea.

Since my trip to Melbourne was one long birthday party of eating, drinking and chilling out that I enjoyed very much, it seems a shame to stop there.  Being immersed in a foodie experience does wonders for cooking inspiration.  Mine has taken a bit of a knock in recent years with people characterising healthy eating as some sort of punishment.  And by healthy I mean not relying on one food type – i.e. carbohydrate – being the mainstay of your diet.  There are so many wonderful things you can cook and eat that not just taste good but make you feel good too.

So this week we’ve eaten well with some simple culinary twists on comforting foods. Monday was ricotta and spinach cake instead of frittata.  Tuesday was chicken baked in milk giving it a whole new level of luxuriousness.  I spiced up Wednesday’s vegetable soup to bring a sparkle to hump day.  And, last night it was fish without the chips but still with mushed peas. Makes that food diary look fancier than it really was.  

If you believe what you read in the papers, like healthy eating, turning 50 is a depressing point in life.  So far I feel uplifted with a new-found courage.  Somehow I finally feel grown up in a way that never happened in earlier life milestones like turning 18, 21 or 40.  For once being in the middle age doesn’t feel like being stuck in the middle, trapped by either side of life. Instead it feels liberating, simpler and potentially more exciting.  And all because it’s your birthday and you’ve given yourself permission to think this way.

It’s amazing what can happen when you give yourself permission to embrace something fully.  Like giving up on baking with wheat flour.  It’s not like my cakes ever rose to the occasion so embracing slow slung cakes seems like the perfect way to go. If you want to ditch the wheat and still enjoy a succulent and tasty cake I recommend you try this recipe for Spiced carrot, pistachio and almost cake.  You’ll also find the recipe for Spiced Vegetable Soup on the link too.

Middle eastern food seems in vogue these days.  This is a cuisine founded on spices that bring a dash of flavour and exotica to otherwise pretty ordinary ingredients.  All it takes is a bit of planning, preparation and a touch of spice to breath new life into your cooking.  Perhaps that isn’t such a bad recipe for life too.

After five years of kitchen gardening, this spring seems to be better than the previous ones.  Finally, the endless reading and planning for an ideal way of gardening is beginning to make sense.  Also, experience has shown that there is no perfect way to produce food, and you can only do your best and hope nature helps you along the way.  It does of course help to spend time in the garden to get ahead of the growing season instead of prioritising other things.

My attempts to stay in tune with natures way seem less frantic than in the past.  Seeds germinated on cue, and the mice didn’t eat them as I used the conservatory for raising the seeds away from the pesky mice that visit the greenhouse.  There are more plants in the beds rather than growing in the paths as I finally relented and sprayed the paths with weedkiller instead of spending hours hand weeding.  There are of course things I have forgotten to plant yet like sunflowers, but I’m confident that their sprint growing abilities will see them right.  I have somewhat more sweet pea seedlings than there is space in the garden so I shall experiment growing them in a pot for the veranda instead.

My big moment of realisation was that breaking down the chores in the garden is better than trying to do it all in one go.   No more feeling of being overwhelmed or exhausted with it all.  Small accomplishments will in time build up to a bigger achievement. I am no longer fretting the lettuce has gone to seed and the weeds are going crazy in the salad beds because if I turn around I can see the peas and beans are in the ground and starting their upward climbs.  Also, the fruit has been pruned and tied down before the wind does its work and the gooseberries grow their thorny crowns.  The garlic shoots look smart in orderly rows.  The greenhouse is overflowing with greens and herbs so those salad beds can wait a week before getting their makeover.

It may be tempting fate so early in the season to be so satisfied, but I am going to enjoy it anyway.  After all, who could resist a bit of happiness with a plate of freshly picked asparagus, spring greens and herbs for dinner, even if was blowing a southerly gale outside.

I dread to think what mythology Barthes may have unveiled from this over-thinking about baking.  Probably symbolic of food neurosis and overindulgence whereas I like to think of it as just a harmless albeit  slightly eccentric way of making sure that first cuppa of the weekend as sweet as sweet could be.

Just as translating E numbers in the supermarket was all the rage for whole food lovers in the 1980s, counting carbs, sugar, fats and gluten content is today’s health conscious game.  But all this forensic examination of what you eat is exhausting and takes the fun out of food, pitching good foods against bad and rousing your inner demons to poke fun at your neurosis. It’s enough to send a girl running to the bakery to gorge on crusty white bread and custard slices.

Our neolithic ancestors feasted when food when it was available because their survival depended on it and they never knew when the next famine was on the horizon.  Our survival instincts have yet to recalibrate for the plentiful food supply in the modern developed world leading us to graze almost constantly on whatever passes our way.  Unless of course you are seeking an alternative source of nourishment which means you have to look a little harder and walk a little further or better still bring your own supplies.  All of which takes some of the spontaneity and adventure out of eating out.

Cooking from scratch at home means that you can concoct whatever you like although I find trying to replicate bread, pastry and other tasty treats with alternative ingredients always leads to disappointment and profound dissatisfaction.  It’s not hard to see why people moved to using wheat flour and sugar in such quantities because they have magical properties that other ingredients just don’t have.  Not unlike trying to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear.  So it is back to basics in the kitchen again and learning to appreciate other alternatives and acquire the taste for nuttier, earthier and more robust textures.

Inspired by a recent lunch date with a fellow blogger I baked up a loaf of rye bread which is an ancient grain most people northern Europe used to bake with for centuries until wheat took over as the flour of choice.  And what a success it was although my first bake could probably have done with another few minutes to seal the real deal.  It was deeply satisfying to knock the food devil off his pedestal and settle in for a slice of bread that doesn’t disintegrate when you spread it with butter and you can enjoy without the addictive effect that has you reaching for the bread knife within seconds and back down the path to dietary hell.

As an occasional treat this rye bread will take pride of place at our table and keep the food devils at bay.  And as soon as I have mastered the art of flour less cake baking, almond pastry and sugarless jam making we’ll be all set for enjoying a full-blown traditional yet guiltless English tea.

As best I can tell, the compact nature of the city and its culturally positive attitude makes Wellington almost jump for joy when events and festivals come to town.  Wellingtonians need little encouragement to get dressed up, go out and party, especially when there is an opportunity to indulge their bellies and cosmopolitan sensibilities.  If you love to eat well Wellington on a Plate is the place you can indulge your inner gourmand.

My picks from the Wellington on a Plate menu were rather more intellectually than gustatory stimulating; partly because I hate crowds but mostly because I needed a rest from gluttonous eating after our holiday.  That said, it turns out a workshop on food photography and styling involved eating everything that we worked with, something I had stupidly not anticipated. To kick-start my food photography again I attended the Food In Sharp Focus workshop hosted by Ruth Pretty, one of Wellington’s most respected caterers and Murray Lloyd, a local food photographer who has collaborated with Ruth on her cook books for more than a decade.

As I headed towards the Kapiti coast and the sun came up over the hillside, I knew we were in for a glorious day.  From the moment you turn into Ruth’s Te Horo Headquarters it is clear how much prettiness exists in the Ruth Pretty empire.  Guided from the road along a neatly manicured driveway you come to a halt in a picturesque scene of country, colonial cottages and old English style conservatory.  It is hard to not be enthralled by this romantic country retreat although like a magpie I was quickly drawn into the Cook Shop to feast my eyes on the culinary gadgetry resisting all urges to expand my already stuffed kitchen cabinets and shelves of cook books.

Ensconced in the garden room workshop participants bonded over morning tea with talk of cameras and dreams of taking better photographs and the rest of the day pretty much followed the same pattern.  Food, talk and photographs.  Ruth and Murray were wonderful hosts, teachers and sparring partners offering advice and setting us up with photo assignments of increasing difficulty.  Ruth’s team provided an endless stream of things to eat and drink and we ransacked the mountain of food styling props to find the perfect colour match, plate shape or background colours to bring the food to life.

I’m the first to admit that when it comes to food styling I am out of my depth and panic set in the moment we started our first assignment to photograph three entrees of Palace Court Prawn Cocktail, Black Olive Rugelach and Saffron Crepes with Roast Pumpkin and Cumin. The food was of course impeccably created, all I had to do was plate it and make it look pretty.  Often I’m taking photographs of food I cook with @m_treanor perched on my shoulder waiting to tuck in so I know being under pressure to act quickly rarely generates the best photographs and I felt that time pressure all day.

Between each photography session our images were presented and critiqued whilst we tucked into the food and drinks beautifully served by Ruth’s staff.  Participants shared their own photographic insecurities and it was a relief to know that others were feeling the pressure in different ways so we shared ideas and offered advice to calm our nerves.  I swopped tips about apertures and shutter speeds with background and plate colour combinations.  It was fascinating to see how everyone presented and photographed their food so differently and the feedback from Murray and Ruth was always supportive and constructive.

Lunch was photographed and then eaten followed by the photograph critique.  It was hard to concentrate with such delicious food being served.  Honey and Lemon Marinated Home Smoked Salmon Fillet with Red Pickle Onion and Salad of Greens, Flowers and Herbs; Coq Au Vin with Gratin Mash, Flower Sprouts with Honey Mustard Dressing and Orange Cakes with Whittakers Dark Cacoa Olive Oil Mousse and Vanilla  Bean ice Cream.

At the end of the afternoon Murray picked his ten favourite photographs with prizes awarded for the top three.  I would be lying if I said I was a little disappointed not to have at least one of the photographs I took picked out as I was pretty pleased with the what I managed in the rush and tumble of the day.  No doubt that I could have improved them, made better use of light, props and styling and looking at other people’s photographs helped me learn ways of doing this .

The workshop was a brilliant way to indulge your belly and your camera and I’m keen to continue to pretty up my food photography.  I am full of admiration of food bloggers who really perfect their food photography, it takes culinary skills, design know how and photographic dexterity and a lot of trial and error.  Even the most well planned food photography shoots can end up differently when the photographer and stylist works together to find the most appealing props, angles and light.  There is of course the added reward of being able to eat your photographic subject at the end.

It may be frosty out but in the kitchen we’re embracing the comfort food of winter.  Casseroles, soups and plenty of warm fruit.  For the first time ever this year I’ve become partial to a Persimmons.  At first glance you’d be fooled that they were tomatoes and you can slice them and eat them as if they were.  I however prefer them roasted or stewed and I have grand plans for sneaking them into breakfast muffins.  Although I’m rather taken with the prospect of a persimmon, fennel and rocket salad from the lovely Emma aka Darling Lemon Thyme who has just sent her first cookbook manuscript to the publisher after much hard work.

Just writing a few thousand words for an essay feels a Herculean effort to me so I am full of admiration of people who take on a book writing challenge.  It’s been so hard to keep up with reading for the course, research and writing the assignments as well as keeping up with my own blog. I always knew it would be hard but I didn’t know how guilty I would feel about blogging so infrequently.  I have some breathing space before my next essay is due I shall try and get back into the writing habit and publish at least two blog posts a week.

Having just returned from an overnight trip to the first Martinborough Olive Oil Festival I do at least have material for my next blog post up my sleeve. As well as getting a master class in olive oil tasting we saw olive harvesting and learned all about how they press the oil.   Much to our surprise also we met someone who was bringing their olives in to press and they live close to Wellington where this is a similar climate to where we live so needless to say we’re inspired to see if we can source a suitable variety to plant a few trees of our own.  I think they’ll be a perfect addition to our backyard pantry.

I did think about trying out a few in a studio but after some frustrating attempts as part of photography courses I know it’s just not my thing (you can read about them here, here and here) .  I’m all natural when it comes to photography so patience will have to prevail.  Instead I’ve started to play around setting up shots using the light that floods into our new conservatory and here’s one that shows my harvest of pumpkins that was most definitely the flop crop of the year.  The largest pumpkin barely fills your hand and whilst the striped pumpkins shown in this photograph might look all cutesy they will barely fit in an egg cup. This is a bit of a change from one of my previous growing efforts.

Call me a fair weather photographer if you like but it strikes me that hobbies should be fun and there’s no fun in photography when you’re fingers are so cold you can barely twiddle the dials.  As I write this blog the rain is streaming down and the icy blast from the south chills me to the core.  Once consolation though, I get to wrestle the bassets for the warmest spot in front of the fire.  It won’t be a surprise to know that I hardly ever win.