Only Recipes, by Alessandra Zecchini ©

You will need some ready made sweet Crêpes (about 9) and whip about 100 g of unsalted butter with one heap tbsp of icing sugar and a good dose of Cointreau (to taste!). Spread the butter cream on the Crêpes and top it with edible flowers from the garden (you can do this if the flowers in your garden have not been sprayed). I added a few Alpine strawberries (also from the garden) but any berry would work here, or some orange slices too, and  voilà! An instant cake that looks great, taste really good and takes no time!  Photos and recipes by Alessandra Zecchini  ©

Italian panettone is quite expensive in New Zealand, and pandoro too (a part from being difficult to find). But I always make sure that I get my hands on some. The other day I though of doing something 'adventurous': I bought some locally made panettone. Usually I am not one who criticize products on the blog: if I don't like something I just don't talk about it. But I cannot hold back here: I opened this panettone and I immediately knew that it was wrong. Those of you who know panettone will understand: you open a box and a wonderful fragrance fills the room, but here... nothing! No smell. And no taste. It was dry, boring, and reminded me of cardboard. Even my kids agreed (and they are no panettone experts, but they know the real thing when they smell it, and taste it!). I have to tell you another thing about me: I don't throw food away. For me it is a sin, the food must be really bad or gone off to end up in the rubbish. I thought my kids to clean their plates, th...