It's so hot I'd like to sit in a cool pool all day slurping iced coffee in the morning, iced soup for lunch, icecream for tea and something boozey on the rocks a little later. Chilled soups might seem a bit outlandish at first, but they're so good you've got to try one.

Deciding what's for tea is almost as trying as the cooking process itself. That's why every Sunday I'll post a list of suggestions for the week following. Pick and choose, be adventurous and try something new. If you don't know how to cook something just drop me a line.

Did you see that salary guide on Trademe? I was quite interested to see how different jobs compare moneywise and it came as no surprise that people who haven't actually got a real job earn the most.

It's apple time again. Over the next few weeks I'm sharing almost all of my favourite apple cake recipes. Nah - not apple and cinnamon muffins or some such profanity. REAL apple cake, so make sure you don't miss it.

Faithful companion for years to come

I'm sick of going into cafes for a bite to eat only to find ghastly sausage rolls, pallid savouries with WHATEVER (or nothing at all) under a pile of watery potato mash and day-old scones with a concrete lid of cheese - while everything else contains battery chicken.

Ethics pertaining to food seems to be a hot issue, so I thought it to be a good idea not just to recommend Felicity Lawrence's book Not on the Label, but to present you with a review. Here it is:

I was innocently peeling the sticker off an orange this morning when my eye caught the word "California".

Where I come from New Year's Eve is called Silvester. The man died on December 31 and wasn't a forest dweller but a pope.

For my birthday I got six of these thick ice cream cups with wavy edges. They started to look dusty in my cupboard so I got them out today. I usually scream at paying $10 or $12 a pop in an icecream parlour. Sure - if they make their own and use good-quality ingredients it might be worth it.