When I’m in the mood for something quick, warm and comforting, I go to soups – always a ramen, pho or laksa, and always with extra chilli. I like the spice and the noodles – slurping them up leaves my lips feeling warm and tingly (and sometimes a little of it splattered down my front).

I put my ugg boots on as soon as I walked in the door over the weekend and got inspired to make Cookie and Kate’s, West African peanut soup, that’s been sitting in “the pile” for a few months now. I added rice noodles to this lovely creamy tomato based soup – the hint of garlic and ginger providing just enough warmth. Oh, and I recommend using the crunchy peanut butter! (says the girl who’s not really a peanut fan…).

West African peanut soup (adapted slightly from www.cookieandkate.com)
Serves: 4; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 35 minutes

6 cups vegetable broth
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 Tbsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
2 nests vermicelli rice noodles
1 bunch spinach (or kale), ribs removed and leaves chopped into 1-inch strips
3/4 cup unsalted peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1/2 cup tomato paste, or 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes*
Hot sauce
1/4 cup roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish

- In a medium sized pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes
- In a medium-sized, heat-safe mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste, then transfer 1 to 2 cups of the hot stock to the bowl. Whisk the mixture together until smooth, then pour the peanut mixture back into the soup and mix well. Stir in the collard greens and season the soup with hot sauce to taste. Simmer for about 15 more minutes on medium-low heat, stirring often. Serve over cooked brown rice if you’d like, and top with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts

I found myself in a book store on Friday night, purchasing said book titled “It’s All Good”, while I waited for my Thai takeaway. Does anyone else do this?

I’ve never bought a celebrities cookbook before. Gwyenth sits on the cover of hers – glowing with an effortless makeup-free face and the I-just-woke-up-with-this-hair look that an entire team of stylists would have spent hours trying to create. She offers recipes that will make me ‘look good and feel great’. So I opened it.

Beyond all the beauty shots, I liked its user-friendly, clean, nourishing and revitalising (although somewhat costly) recipe suggestions. And because fitness guru, Tracy Anderson, can often be found in my living room – for those that aren’t familiar with “keep it up” Tracy; it’s her gruelling daily workouts that keeps Gwyenth’s body looking so amazing – I figure this cookbook might just bring me a step closer to her impossibly lean physique? Hardly, but one can always dream… and will always, eat.

Banana “ice cream” with sweet & salty toasted almonds (It’s All Good by Gwyneth Paltrow)
Serves: 4; Prep time: 10 minutes plus 4 hours freezing time

4 ripe bananas, peeled and thinly sliced in to rounds
1/2 toasted almonds, chopped
2 Tbsp and 2 tsp rice malt syrup
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

- Freeze the banana slices in a single layer on a tray or plate lined with baking paper. Once the slices are frozen, use them immediately or keep them frozen in a zip-lock plastic bag or airtight container, for up to a month
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the almonds with 2 teaspoons of rice malt syrup and a pinch of salt and set the mixture aside
- Combine the frozen banana slices, the almond milk, the remaining 2 tablespoons of rice malt syrup, and the vanilla in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is the texture of soft-serve ice cream, scraping down the sides as necessary. Don’t worry if the mixture is not totally smooth at first – once the bananas start to break down and defrost in the food processor, they’ll give in and the “ice cream” will take shape quickly
- Spoon the banana “ice cream” into bowls immediately and sprinkle each serving a bit of the almond mixture

Mandarins are in season at the moment and I’m determined to make something tasty with them. I don’t want to turn them in to a sauce for my chicken or fish or stew them to top my pancakes or desserts. I don’t want to add them to my salads or stir fries – all of this the Aussie Mandarins website suggested – even putting them on top of my bruschetta… are you kidding?

So I’m taking inspiration from one of my favourite never-fails, Yotam Ottolenghi, and making a Mandarin polenta cake for Mothers Day.

I had to peel quite a few mandarins for this recipe and it just reminded me why I’m so disinterested in them, all that peeling, pipping and pithing – it’s just not worth it in the end. But this cake on the other hand, was so worth it! My goodness it was delicious. A lovely dense cake of polenta and almond meal, moist with fragrant orange blossom and bitter orange. The caramel mandarins on top were the star attraction and added a lovely juicy sweetness. Mandarins, I will now happily enjoy you in to a cocktail or a cake, but that’s it.

Mandarin polenta cake (Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi)
Serves: 8; Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook time: 50 minutes

50g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
200g unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
3 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp orange blossom water
240g ground almonds
120g quick-cook polenta
Caramel topping:
90g caster sugar
2 Tbsp water
20g unsalted butter, diced
5 mandarins
Glaze (optional):
4 Tbsp orange marmalade
1 Tbsp water

- Lightly grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper. If using a spring-form cake tin, make sure the paper circle you cut for the base is large enough to go some way up the sides as well, to prevent leaking
- To make the caramel, have ready by the stove a small pastry brush and cup of water. Put the sugar for the caramel topping in a heavy-based saucepan and add the water, Stir gently to wet the sugar through and then place on a low-medium heat. Slowly bring the sugar to the boil. While it bubbles away, brush the sides of the pan occasionally with water to prevent sugar crystals from forming close to the bubbling sugar. After a few minutes, the water will evaporate and the sugar will start to darken. Be sure to keep your eyes on the sugar, as it can easily burn. As soon as it reaches a nice golden colour, remove the pan from the heat. With your face at a safe distance, add the chunks of butter. Stir with a wooden spoon and pour in to the base of the lined cake tin. Carefully, but quickly (so it doesn’t set) spread the caramel over the base
- Grate the zest of 4 mandarins, making sure you don’t reach the white part of the skin. Set the grated zest aside. Peel the mandarins, remove the pips and pith form the segments and arrange them on top of the caramel in the bottom of the tin – you might need to peel another mandarin to cover the whole base
- For the cake batter. Pre-heat the oven to 170′C. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside
- In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle beater, cream the butter and sugar together lightly. Make sure that when they are combined but do not incorporate much air into the mixture. Gradually add the eggs while the machine is on a low-speed. Next add the reserved mandarin zest, orange blossom water, followed by the almond meal, polenta and sifted dry ingredients. As soon as they are all mixed in, turn the mixer off
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin, making sure the mandarins lining the base stay in place. Level the mixture with a palette knife. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes
- While the cake is still hot (warm it up again if you need so the paper doesn’t stick to the caramel), turn it upside down on to the plate and remove the paper. Leave the cake to cool completely
- For the glaze, bring the marmalade and water to the boil in a small saucepan and then pass through a sieve. while the glaze is still hot, lightly brush the top of the cake with it

‘When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,’ said Piglet at last, ‘what’s the first thing you say to yourself?’
‘What’s for breakfast?’ said Pooh. ‘What do you say, Piglet?’
‘I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?’ Said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully.
‘It’s the same thing,’ he said.

I love that quote. And it reminds me of my first and fondest cooking memory – making pancakes.

Our family holidays to Pacific Palms were the best – nothing to do but boogie board, walk along the beach collecting shells, play board games, card cards and make silly music mix tapes with my brother. For a treat we’d see a movie and get fish and chips. Although that was about 25-years-ago – I’d be quite happy with a summer holiday like that now. But the most exciting part for me, was making pancakes.

If I could’ve made pancakes for every meal, every day, I would. But I was allowed to make breakfast every second day – un-assisted in the kitchen (I was all of about 8-years-old, so this was serious grown up responsibility) and it was only ever pancakes on the menu!

Clad in my pink quilted dressing gown and matching slippers. I remember the big red plastic mixing bowl and getting all my utensils ready (there is a photo of this somewhere…). I knew the recipe by heart. Although most of my early cooking influences came from mum, Dad taught me this one – 1 egg, 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of flour.

I would set up four plates and cutlery along the edge of the laminate kitchen bench. Condiments – strawberry jam, butter, honey, lemon wedges and brown sugar. My guests would lay in bed reading until I called them to the table. The first pancake was always lightly browned the best – I still don’t know why.

To me, this was the ultimate. Cooking unaided, without a recipe and feeding my family a meal they truly enjoyed – it was all too wonderfully satisfying to only happen every second day at Pacific Palms. Maybe this is where my love of the most important meal of the day began.

The only way I still enjoy my pancakes is with a squeeze of lemon and teaspoon of brown sugar.

Pancakes (River Cottage Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingtall)
Makes: 6; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes

250g plain white or fine wholemeal flour
Pinch of sea salt
2 medium eggs, lightly beaten
About 600ml milk
A little sunflower oil
Caster sugar and a squeeze of lemon, to serve

- Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in the eggs, add about 50ml of the milk and start to whisk, gradually incorporating the flour into the wet ingredients in the centre. When you have a thick batter forming in the middle, add a bit more milk and whisk in a bit more flour
- Keep going in this way until all the milk has been added, all the flour is incorporated, and you have a smooth batter, about the consistency of single cream. One of the mistakes people make with pancakes is to leave the batter too thick. So if your batter is still more double than single cream, whisk in a little more milk. You can also make the batter by whizzing everything up in a food processor. Either way, let it rest for at least 30 minutes, then check the consistency again. If it’s thickened up a bit, add a dash more milk to bring it back to the right consistency
- To cook the pancakes, heat a non-stick frying pan or crêpe pan, around 20cm in diameter, over a medium heat. When it’s hot, swirl 1 tablespoon of oil around the pan, then tip out the excess. Add a small ladleful (around 50ml) of batter – just enough to coat the base of the pan – and swirl it around quickly until it covers the base. Cook for a minute or so, until lightly coloured underneath, then flip over and cook for a minute more. Depending on the pan, you may need to loosen the edges of the pancake with a palette knife before you flip

Meet the newest addition to our family, and my nephew, Charlie Squire. All well-cooked 4.6kgs of him born on Wednesday, April 17 at 5.17pm to my little brother and his champion wife, Anna. I’m finally an Aunty, a real Aunty!

I’m still in awe looking at these pictures. I could sit with him, like this – totally enamoured, drinking in his intoxicating new-baby smell – for hours.

But the universe saw all of this coming.
I had my tarot cards read at a hens night a few weeks ago and the second card that was turned over was the Ace of Cups; A seed of emotional awareness has been planted in your life although you may not yet recognise it.

“You have a new love in your life”, Perianne, the tarot card reader said. “You haven’t met him yet, but already the love you have for him is over flowing, just like the cups. He will change your life”.
She was talking about Charlie.
And oh my goodness, over flowing and overwhelming was right. I’ve been beyond excited about his impending arrival but the emotional flood gates were opened as I made a mad dash to the hospital to meet him – just hours after he was born – before visiting hours ended.

Of course I cried (but you know that of me by now), the happiest of tears. It’s what this is all about; it’s the point of being here on this earth and he’s half of my little brother – seeing them like this, how could I not?

And that seed of emotional awareness – now I may get in to some trouble for saying – is realising that I’m not one of those career driven women who want a high-powered job and hugely successful career to come home to at the end of the day (sure that would be nice). And don’t get my wrong, job satisfaction and other creative outlets is paramount for us slightly-mad artistic types – but ultimately, my dream job is to be a mum. I really do look forward to making school lunches, baking slices for school fetes and elaborately fun birthday cakes.
So being the best Aunty in the whole world is the next best thing right now. And I’m taking this new job very seriously because, little Charlie – you don’t even know I exist yet, but you are just the love of my life (so far).

So in the spirit of life changing events, I thought I’d share with you this recipe for a Life-Changing Loaf of Bread. It can’t really compare to life creation but it has changed my life – ok slight exaggeration, I feel good eating it and it makes me happy – that’s good enough.

I’ve never made proper bread and it’s one thing I’d really like to master one day – especially my favourite, sourdough. But this recipe is beyond easy – there’s no needing, no rising and not even a bowl. Every slice looks so pretty speckled with yummy grains, seeds and nuts. It’s high in protein and fibre, gluten-free and vegan friendly. Check out the original here for all the other health benefits.

I made this loaf on the weekend – I make one every couple of weeks and keep slices of it in the freezer. I eat it toasted with a drizzle of olive oil for a cheats dinner or with soup or baked beans or eggs. The flavour and texture really make it a meal in itself.

So go and have babies or make bread – it’ll make you feel good and happy and maybe just change your life.

The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread (My New Roots by Sarah Britton)
Makes: 1 loaf; Prep time: 2 hours (inc. resting); Cook time; 1 hour

1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup flax seeds
½ cup hazelnuts or almonds
1 ½ cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp chia seeds
4 Tbsp psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp. if using coarse salt)
1 Tbsp maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
3 Tbsp melted coconut oil or ghee
1 ½ cups water

- In a flexible, silicon loaf pan combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it
- Preheat oven to 175°C
- Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important)
- Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!

Whenever I visit family and friends, more often than not, I’m armed with something edible. It’s just what I do.
Not long ago, my friends 7-year-old daughter said to me, quite seriously: “Lucy, you don’t always have to bring food when you come to see us, it’s ok to just bring yourself”. Profound. And then again last weekend, upon being invited to a BBQ: “Lucy, you’re always bringing food, please just bring yourself”. This makes me sound like some kind of food-pusher. Am I a pest? It’s just me living at home, so any opportunity to share my food is welcomed – that’s why I cook – not always for myself but because, for me, feeding people is a wonderful exercise in generosity, an act of nuturing and nourishing, and I love it.

So put simply, I thought I’d share a couple of totally delicious salads (the first two in particular) that I’ve made recently to ‘take-with’ – because they’ve been enjoyed by my friends, and they keep asking me back. So maybe Homer Simpson was wrong.

Triple fennel & spelt salad (From My New Roots by Sarah Britton)
Serves: 4

¾ cup raw spelt
2 medium fennel bulbs
1 Tbsp minced fennel flowers with their pollen
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
3 Tbsp minced fresh tarragon
15 kalamata olives, pitted
1 small red onions or shallot
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
Cold pressed olive oil to serve
Fennel marinade:
Zest and juice of 1 organic lemon
1 tsp honey (or maple syrup)
1 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil
Couple pinches sea salt
Cracked black pepper

- Begin by marinating the fennel and onion. Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut the fennel and onion into julienne strips, or any small, bite-sized shape you like. Add to the marinade and toss to coat. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours

- Rinse spelt kernels very well in a large pot or bowl, changing the water until it is relatively clear (2-4 times). If possible, let spelt soak in fresh water for up to 12 hours to improve digestive qualities. Drain spelt and place in a pot with 2 cups water. Add a few pinches of sea salt, cover, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Cook until tender, yet chewy (time varies depending on soaking time, but approximately 30-40 minutes). If there is any water left in the pot, simply drain out. If the water evaporates before the spelt is cooked, add a little at a time until it is. Let cool slightly, fluff with a fork and toss with marinated fennel

- Pit olives by squashing them with the flat side of a knife blade, and slice into small pieces. Add olives, fennel flowers, and tarragon, and fold to combine everything. Season to taste, serve and enjoy

Baby spinach salad with dates & almonds (from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi)
Serves: 4

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
100g pitted Medjool dates, quartered lengthwise
30g unsalted butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 small pitas, roughly torn into 1 1/2-inch pieces
75g whole unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped
2 tsp sumac
½ tsp red pepper flakes
150g baby spinach leaves
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt

- Put the vinegar, onion, and dates in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix well with your hands. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes, then drain away any residual vinegar and discard

- Meanwhile, heat the butter and half of the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the pita and almonds and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring all of the time, until the pita is crunchy and golden brown. Remove from the heat and mix in the sumac, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside to cool

- When you are ready to serve, toss the spinach leaves with the pita mix in a large mixing bowl. Add the dates and red onion, the remaining olive oil, the lemon juice, and another pinch of salt. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately

Kohlrabi salad (from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi)
Serves: 4

3 medium kohlrabies (750g in total)
80g Greek yoghurt
70g sour cream
50g thick double cream
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 ½ tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly shredded mint
1 tsp dried mint
20g baby watercress
¼ tsp sumac
Salt & white pepper

- Peel the kohlrabies, cut into 1.5cm dice, put into a large mixing bowl. Set aside and make the dressing

- Put the yoghurt, sour cream, double cream, lemon juice and olive oil in a medium bowl. Add ¼ tsp salt and a healthy grind of pepper and whisk well. Add the dressing to the kohlrabi, followed by the fresh and dried mint and half the watercress. Gently stir and place everything on a serving dish. Dot the remaining watercress on top and sprinkle with the sumac

Contestant #10
Lamington ($4.00)
Jackman & McCross – 57-59 Hampden Road, Battery Point, TAS 7004 – (03) 6223 3186

Happening upon lamingtons unintentionally, is the best. I came across this little gem straight off the plane and after breakfast at the Jackman & McRoss, in Hobart. I’d like to think we have another international entrant in this competition, but travelling by plane and over the ocean doesn’t always mean so in this part of the world… I’m just in Tasmania.

Jackman & McRoss is known for its sourdough bread, pies and a fantastic selection of savoury and sweet tarts. And now, lamingtons!

After breakfast, B2B and I took home a selection of cakes – Chocolate Frangelico tart; Lemon curd tart; White chocolate and peach tart; Summer pudding and a lamington – all intended for afternoon tea. but I couldn’t wait. Back at B2B and H2B’s house in the hills of Cygnet – while my hosts play with their adorable new puppies – I get my lamingtion out to play.

To my great delight, when I cut through the centre, it’s filled with strawberry jam and coated a thick rich chocolate. But it’s got a taste test with three judges to pass just yet.

We all agree it’s delicious. Light sponge and a chocolate coating that’s much thicker than usual, like icing (earning big points here). And the lovely jam – a little bit tart and specked with strawberry seeds.

A definite contender to take out the top spot in is competition. In fact, I’ll guarantee it a spot in the top 3 – even if I have to travel over an ocean to eat it.

I love corn and I love bread, so naturally I love cornbread – it’s cake-like gritty texture, that’s just a little bit sweet. I fell in love with a magical custard filled version I made a few years ago, so anything ‘cornbread’ related catches my eye. This is a recipe from a blog that I follow – palate/palette/plate, and it’s been sitting in my pile of things-to-make-to-eat for about 6 months now. It gives me great pleasure to work my way through though these (many) torn and printed pages of inspiration.

It was… “different”, “interesting”, “quite nice” some said. And although I’m not sure I’ll make it again, that’s what my food journey is all about, trying something new and eating it anyway!

Blueberry cornbread (palate/palette/plate)
Serves: 8; Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 30-40 minutes

3/4 cup stone ground cornmeal
1/4 cup course corn grits
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 cup plain flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp lime zest
2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 cup fresh blueberries

- Heat oven to 200′C. Coat cast iron frying pan (with heat proof handle) with olive oil and put in oven to heat

- Wash blueberries, pat dry, and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp flour. (This will prevent the berries from bleeding/sinking while the bread is baking)

- In a large bowl combine cornmeal, grits, flours, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, buttermilk, honey, olive oil, lime juice and zest. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until just combined. Fold in 2 cups fresh corn, blueberries and about 1/3 cup chopped basil

- Remove hot frying pan from oven and pour in batter, spreading out evenly to the sides of the pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the edges are golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool briefly in the pan, then loosen the edges with a spatula to release the bread from the pan and allow to cool completely before storing

The morning fog hangs thick in the valley like a half-eaten bowl of soup. Silence. I can just about make out the wide black figures that begin to appear over the hillside… “Moooo”.

A dozen Black Angus hover along the fence line… a procession… just watching, their shapes – like cardboard cut-outs – black against white. A flick of their ear asks me “who are you and what’s for breakfast?”. I step out… my bare feet are cold and wet on the damp ground. I should really put some shoes on. But I don’t care, I’m happy… with cold feet, in this monochrome scene.

I’m at Eagleview, in Crookwell, the White Rabbit’s family farm for the weekend. The fog had already set in when we arrived late last night. And I can’t begin to tell you how well I slept (internal high fives).

We’ve planned to make Teresa Cutter’s buckwheat porridge for breakfast (I haven’t really ‘done’ a lot with buckwheat). A mix of roasted buckwheat, chia seeds, raisins, warming cinnamon and sweet vanilla has been left to soften and swell in rice milk over night, before being cooked on the stove top and mixed with grated apple. We top it with fresh figs, strawberries and blueberries. And nothing could be more perfect on this crisp and dewy morning.

There’s also something savoury to accompany, Sarah Wilson’s egg and bacon cupcakes, that White Rabbit had prepared for us earlier (to snack on in the car last night), full of protein, simple and delicious.

It’s quite cold, but we eat at the table outside. I borrow a pair of socks and woollen blankets keep our legs warm. The cows have followed us, their faces peering through the bushes… “Moooo”… “who are you and what’s for breakfast?”.

Any insomniac or suffers of AI disease will understand the pain (yes, I’m that tired it hurts) and frustration you feel when your adrenals are out of whack, you’re producing too much cortisol and your body is preparing to go in to battle, with itself.

I’m doing all the right things to promote what they call “sanitary sleep” before bed – having a hot shower, turning the lights down low, limiting any work on the computer and reading instead of watching TV. I’ve spent the day bouncing around at work and exercising, and I know I’m tired, so tired. I take herbal sleepers, drink copious amounts of my ‘sleepy-time’ tea, listen to meditation podcasts – and don’t forget my calming lavender pillow spray! – but some nights, nothing will work.

My tongue is pressed hard against the inside of my teeth and my mind is racing. There’s a flickering light bulb that swings in front of my eyes and something is buzzing. I can hear my heart beating in my ear as it rests against the pillow and I can forget about even trying to get comfortable. I hide any clocks – it would make it so much worse, psychologically, to see the hours tick by.

Then morning comes and so does a slumber that would rival Sleeping Beauty. My eyes are cemented shut and sitting in morning peak hour traffic becomes a struggle to even stay awake. My thoughts are fuzzy and my speech still a little slow… Someone turn the ignition key, please!

Sleep deprivation is a form of torture, and after nights and sometimes weeks on end of this (new mums, I humbly salute you), not even the most beautiful sunrise can offer consolation – and coffee is on the ‘no-no’ list for me. But, this morning, I found solace in a soul-nourishing cup of chai – that wonderful warming spice milk tea from one of my favourite countries, India. It somehow made things warm from the inside out, and the day, a little more bearable.

They say once you’ve been seduced by chai tea, you never go back. And my first memory of chai was when the theatre of its seduction began… “chai-eeeeeee, chai-eeeeeee”, the call of the chai wallahs signally their location to passengers on our overnight train from Delhi to Mumbai (an experience in itself that I’ll never forget!), about 15-years-ago. People hung out windows to get a cup of the beverage that keeps India running. And if the sellers call didn’t get our attention, it turned to performances on the platforms and up and down the train aisles pouring the chai in a long thin stream, as far from the cup as possible, without spilling a single drop.

I wish I could include some of my photos of the chai wallahs from that trip, but they’re all on paper in photo albums (remember those?!) collecting dust somewhere, so I’ve nicked this from the net – It reminds me of what a happy bunch the Indians are and the smile my morning cup, and every cup, of chai gives me.

Traditionally, this tea comprises the wonderful spice combination of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, pepper and nutmeg and today, mine also has vanilla. The components in chai deliver so much goodness and there are several health benefits (info. courtesy Body & Soul);

- Reduces cancer risk: Common chai spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and ginger contain antioxidants and phytochemicals with cancer-prevention properties
- Prevents colds: The antioxidants and phytochemicals found in chai work in unison to support our immune system. Ginger, particularly, has gut-boosting properties which benefit our defences. Chai is also beneficial for warming the system when you do have a cold
- Relieves PMS: Chai spices such as cinnamon and ginger have been shown to balance hormones and alleviate pain associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Boosts metabolism: Regular consumption of chai spices stimulates digestive and pancreatic enzymes. There is also improved oxygen uptake and fat breakdown. Chai also contributes to the feeling of fullness. All these factors combined rouse our metabolic switches
- Prevents diabetes: Chai spices, if consumed regularly, may assist in regulating blood-sugar levels
- Reduces bloating: All the spices contained in chai enhance the activities of stomach and intestinal digestive components
- Boosts energy: The Indian spices contained in traditional chai teas help facilitate energy production within the body. They are a natural and healthy stimulant, that leads to a more balanced energy release into cells. This is beneficial as a morning kick-start and in preventing the afternoon or early evening energy slump

CHAI (www.theyearinfood.com)

5 slices of ginger
1 ½ cups water
4 whole cardamom pods, crushed
4 black peppercorns
1 stick cinnamon
4 tsp loose black tea
½ cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
2 Tbsp honey or sugar
1 vanilla bean

- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the ginger slices and water. When the water is hot, but before it begins to boil, add the cardamom pods, peppercorns, vanilla and cinnamon. Once the water boils, add the black tea and turn off heat. Cover and allow to steep for three to four minutes.
- Heat the pot over a medium flame once more, and add the milk and honey now. Let the mixture simmer for another three or four minutes. Turn off heat, and serve.