Coconut vinegar is a bit of a misnomer as it is actually the fermented sap of nipah palm flower clusters. The flavour is wonderfully refreshing without the usual face puckering sourness of most vinegars and it is much more subtle than regular distilled white vinegar, malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar. It's very complementary to fish, chicken and fruit like semi-ripe papaya and mangoes and if you're throat feels sore of if a bout of the sniffles is coming on, a couple of table...

     

I have what almost amounts to a fetish for dainty sugar crusted rose petals and will put them on cheesecakes, mousses, cupcakes, tarted up layered cakes, syrup soaked pancakes, ice cream desserts and just about anything sweet that doesn't put up a fight. I make them myself, when time permits and my pots of roses are particularly productive. For those not similarly disposed, India Tree makes lovely crystallised flower petals that reportedly taste as good as they look. If your computer res...

I've always recommended the French Press or cafetiere for making good coffee at home and the Bonjour Maurice Ceramic French Press makes a great cup with the added advantage of keeping the coffee warm for longer than most other presses do. This is achieved by its double walled construction which retains heat marvellously but does not alter the taste of the coffee. Its filter is rimmed with either rubber or silicone which makes doubly sure that the grounds stay put at the bottom of the pot and ...

Years ago, I used to get my supply of Bath and Body Works products from a girlfriend who's a flight attendant. Each time she flew to San Francisco, a group of us would wait with bated breath until she returned with bottles of self foaming Bath and Body Works anti-bacterial hand soaps spilling out of her luggage. They smell divine, really do keep your hands soft and  zap all those microscopic nasties your digits habitually harbour.This particular variant doesn't have a self foaming dispenser b...

Have you ever seen such a ridiculously fabulous cake stand? It's amazing the things you stumble upon when you're bored out of your mind at two in the morning and trawling the internet for an insomnia remedy. It reminded me of those flapper dresses that women loved wearing in the 1920s. Even the plainest of cakes would have a certain cachet, served on this (ever so slightly) over-the-top stand. It's actually for weddings but we could all use a little beauty in our lives, even on ordinary days....

Bickford's is an Australian institution and their range of cordials is delicious in every sense of the word. The gently curving bottle, the beautifully rendered label and even the gold tone on the cap all ooze old world charm. Looks aside, I cannot sufficiently describe how wonderful a tall, icy glass of this tastes on a day like today, when the tap water comes out hot enough to make instant coffee, even with the heater off, and laundry dries almost brittle crisp in two hours. They carry a st...

These glazed ceramic bowls scream "MEDITERRANEAN" and will cheer all but the most stoney hearted. They're sold individually at USD 7.95 a piece, have  a capacity of 16 oz and measure 9 inches across. I think they're pretty enough to use out of the kitchen; for holding bars of soap or potpourri in a Mediterranean themed bathroom for instance, if you've got one or want one, now. They caught my eye probably because I've just come back from an island vacation and remain in island withdrawal. Pity...

This set of 4 antique silver finish bottle stoppers, embellished with clear glass jewels, is  as useful as it is heartbreakingly beautiful. If like me, you've always got half finished bottles of wine in the fridge or a bottle of brandy with a broken stopper then you know you need this. Or, imagine your own home made bottles of lemon or lime cordial crowned with one of  these dainties. Each stopper is about 2.5 " tall and made from real cork. Use them in your kitchen or bar. Suggested price US...

Before I bought this book last month, I had never heard of Valentine Warner and the real reasons I decided to get it were the 50% discount (SGD 21.50 at Borders), the outstanding quality of the paper used and the fact that I liked his curly hair. Yes, for the uninitiated, that is the way we women buy things, usually. Well it's become my favourite cookbook of the moment (I am very fickle in that department)  and there are reasons aplenty to like this one. It's loaded not only with recipes but ...

Well, what else, after my most loved tea, if not my most coveted teapot? If you've ever tried to find a black teapot, you will know that it's virtually impossible. Fret no more. I have been dreaming about this dark and gleaming beauty since I first laid eyes on it. This glazed stoneware teapot by Rosanna is part of the Rococo Noir tableware range that includes a sugar and creamer set and pedestal cake stands. It's inspired by 18th century French Rococo art but given a modern and dramatic twis...

The best black loose leaf tea I have ever tasted. Dilmah prides itself on many things. I think they should be proudest of the fact that their tea outshines many other 'premium' teas, at a fraction of the cost of these 'premium' brands. There is a very distinctly bright and fresh character to their tea, unequalled by anything else I've so far tried. Even their range of tea-bags, the bane of tea connoisseurs, makes tea that tastes very, very good. This particular one is my absolute favourite of...

If poaching eggs is always a hit and miss undertaking, you might want to consider this ingenious solution to meandering egg whites and strangely shaped poached eggs. No funny business with vinegar, mini water cyclones in your cooking pot or slippery sliding with saucers. These 'pods' also, theoretically anyway, do away with soggy, water laden eggs that take all the crunch and fun out of toast and crusty English muffins. "Theoretically" because I haven't tried them, yet. The idea alone though ...

If you're as batty about antique or retro glassware as I am,look no further than Laurie Leigh Antiques. Just bat your lashes at this gorgeous pair  of double cased hock glasses. They took my breath away. Hock is an archaic British term for German wines in general or specifically German wines from the Rhine region. From St Louis, France. Circa 1920. Height: 7¾ inches. Price: £595.00. For full details see here.
 

Don't be fooled by the basic no-frills look of this pan, which I actually find quite beautiful, in an elemental sort of way. I have tried my share of cookware, (won't name names though I sorely want to) This is the same pan I recommend in my cookbook, that my editor wouldn't let me name. But this is my blog, so I'll scream it from any mountain top; de Buyer of France, makes hands down, the best frying pans I have ever cooked with. I have the 26 cm frying pan which I paid SGD 59 for, at 5...

Sweet Brazil was created in 1986 when Paula de Lima Azevedo left her job in advertising to concentrate full-time on making fine chocolate.Presently there are two stores in São Paulo and Sweet Brazil is known for its creatively and beautifully designed chocolate made from a blend of terroir cocoa, and most of all, for its elaborate Easter eggs and Christmas offerings.Sweet Brazil makes fine chocolate all year round in an arresting array of appetizing shapes - bars, bonbons, clusters, spheres ...

I cannot personally recommend these quirky French beauties as I haven’t tried them but aren’t they a treat? Imagine one standing on your kitchen counter, and the amused, or indeed, bemused reactions they would elicit. They look more like dolls then graters but those whorls of grating teeth on the ‘skirts’ look sturdy and sharp; possibly sharp enough to shred your nail tips off, if you’re not careful! The grating skirt is approximately 13 cm tall and the rubber base ensures a firm an...

This knife is a dream to use. The curvy handle provides a very comfortable and firm grip and prevents hand or wrist fatigue. The curve and length of the blade is absolutely perfect and allows fast and effortless cutting. I’ve had this knife for about a year now and have hardly looked at another since I bought it. I can’t remember the exact price but I got it at a hefty discount and paid about SGD 70, at Tangs  – a mere pittance for the quality. The cutting edge seems to remain sharp no ...