EDITOR’S LETTER

Remember back to when life wasn’t so complicated? You could dress up as Batman and role-play all day! As a child, I mostly grew up with plenty of time to entertain myself, as my older siblings were away at boarding school. We had a relatively large backyard that housed chickens, our Pembroke Welsh Corgi called Pal, a great mulberry tree, a large pool and a wooden cubbyhouse, where I used to make (and sell to make-believe customers) many a mud pie.

My adventures would usually start straight after school, when I’d run out the back and into “adventure land”. I’d dress up in clothes from my cupboard in the cubbyhouse, jump on my pushbike and ride around the pool really fast, pretending to be en route to various make-believe friends’ houses – my “persona” was Janet Rogers. Life was great, as it involved fashion and food and not much else. In this issue of AWW Food, I urge you to indulge in a little imagination of your own and, as winter’s final month envelops us, to snuggle up and create your own little place to escape to.

For the kids and the young at heart, we’ve re-created a little outdoor adventure with inspiring cakes for you to start living the dream (page 86). Just about anyone can whip up these fun cakes. They’ll definitely add a ray of sunshine to a cloudy day and – what the heck? – whether it’s party time or not, I think it’s always important to radiate your imagination on those around you, as happiness is contagious!

To truly grasp all that sensational slow cooking that can only truly be embraced in the winter months, this month we have selected some truly memorable recipes for you to keep and share.

Our Snuggle Up issue is all about cosying up to fine food with family and friends. If you’re looking for something to really sink your teeth into that will stick to your ribs, our succulent meat feature (page 96) definitely ticks all the boxes. Serve these mains up with a creamy side of mash (page 24) to really ramp up the comfort levels. Once you’re in the kitchen, you can also pop on your French beret and whisk up a stunning soufflé (page 40) that will really impress. The next morning, you can whip up a delicious stack of pancakes (page 30) to delight the family.

For me, this month is all about stuffing as many sweet things into my mouth before my big spring-clean detox in September, so step back in time with me and lap up our nostalgic sweet treats (page 120). You’ll also love our cover recipe, Passionfruit & Yoghurt Cake. To really make me smile, please feel free to cook the cover and then drop me a line and let me know what you thought and how you went (I’d love to see a photo, too). Email me at alennon@bauer-media.com.au. ’Til next month, a smile lasts awhile!