Hello weekend

Hey there! I saw this cartoon the other day and have decided to stop describing every other week as crazy busy ;) After a few quiet weekends at home - mooching around, making food, generally relaxing and recovering from colds - I am so ready to welcome some friends who are visiting! We're going out for Laos food on Saturday night and I'm hoping to bake a cake to share too. For your weekend (hope it's a good one):

I listened to my first-ever Australian Birth Stories podcast this week. Thank you to Sarah for recommending this episode with Heidi Sze. I've been reading Heidi's blog for some time and am lucky enough to work on recipes with her. Normally anything birth-related makes me nervous (I am very squeamish and have never been to hospital!) but Heidi's interview is so calming and informative.

Also lovely on the podcast front - Nigel Slater's interview on How to Fail. Tony and I both have favourite cookbooks of his (Kitchen Diaries for me, Eat for Tony), and he's thoughtful and honest in this conversation. Thanks to Sophie for the recommendation.

Aziz Ansari's special on Netflix is fun. And he opens and ends the show by addressing the sexual assault allegations that were raised last year.

On a very different note, Tony and I watched The Final Quarter doco last weekend, about AFL player Adam Goodes and the constant boo-ing he was subjected to for several years. It screened on TV this week, and you can watch it for free online. It's definitely an intense and confronting watch but I found it so illuminating. Hope you can watch it too.

Still on the granola train and really enjoyed this nut-heavy version with tahini, coconut and maple. I couldn't skip the oats, and went 2 cups nuts, 1 cup oats. It's so crunchy and easy to make. I mixed up a batch in my pajamas on Sunday morning :)

This episode of the Soul Music podcast took me back in time. It's all about Amy Winehouse's song Back To Black.

I have been watching a ton of BonAppetit YouTube videos of late. This week I sampled their Baking School, which is all about layer cakes. I learnt heaps - including things that normally put me off because they sound really sciencey (gluten development anyone?) - and it's the nicest way to unwind before bed.

Because winter really is the season to bake, the bread and butter pudding of my dreams made with brioche and marmalade. It has pockets of melted chocolate and is custardy in the best possible way.  I tested it a couple of times and wasn't sad about eating it for two weeks straight.

Also - I'm writing a winter food newsletter for ABC Life. If you'd like to read, you can sign up here. The baking edition goes out on Saturday morning. Next month I'll be sharing recipes that look forward to spring.

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