Pina Colada

If the sun is shining, the day is warm and, particularly, if you have a swimming pool handy - this is the drink to enjoy!

2 oz. rum

1 oz. coconut cream

1 oz. thickened cream

6 oz. pineapple juice

1/2 cup crushed ice

Blend and serve in a highball glass with a pineapple wedge. 

Chocolate Almond Cake with Rhubarb Cream

Rhubarb is one of the most beautiful plants in my garden with huge leaves supported on succulent ruby red stalks. The leaves are poisonous but the stalks are delicious stewed with a little sugar and served with ice cream or as a crumble base, or with chocolate...

This is the most sublime cake from Irish chef Rachel Allen who I adore. Recently I made it for Rose's Birthday Dinner and received the utmost compliment from one of our guests who asked if I'd bought it at Bourke Street Bakery. Need I say more!

125g Dark Chocolate

4 Eggs

150g Castor Sugar

150g Ground Almonds

150g Rhubarb, sliced into inch long pieces

2 Tbs Raw Sugar

Fresh Cream, whipped

Preheat the oven to 180•C. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Meanwhile beat the eggs and castor sugar for 5 minutes with an electric hand beater. Stir in the melted chocolate and mix well. Then gently fold in the ground almonds. Divide into two lined and greased 18cm round tins and bake 20 mins. 

Stew the rhubarb with sugar and water to just cover in a pot until tender. Allow to cool then assemble cake by sandwiching the chocolate rounds with rhubarb and cream. A truly decadent dessert. 

Bean Soup

The smell of this soup cooking reminds me of Saturday night dinners at the Gelato Bar in Bondi Beach where we used to go for family dinners when I was a kid. Dad would always start with this soup and finish with lemon gelato.

Half Packet Red Kidney Beans, soaked overnight

1 Ham Hock

1 Brown Onion, quartered

2 Garlic Cloves

2 Beef Stock Cubes

Bung everything into a large pot, cover with water and bring to a low simmer. Then let it cook all day, skimming any scum from the surface and topping it up with hot water a little until you are left with a thick, delicious liquid. Some of the beans will thicken the soup and the meat will fall off the bone. Then just remove the skin and bones from the hock and break up the pork and check for seasoning.