It's easy to watch the people in reality tv from the safety of my couch. Easy to judge and think "I could easily cook that - or better!" So I thought it was high time I stepped into their shoes, even if off-camera and in my own kitchen. 

The link to the recipe on the MC website can be found below, but this was just one component of the challenge. Perhaps I shouldn't judge their stress levels so lightly! On a cloudy Sunday afternoon, I tackled the tart. 

A good friend of mine has just flown into London for the start of a lovely holiday. A booking at the River Cafe comprises her lunch and I'm so jealous! It makes me daydream from my desk about the lunch I had there with the Boy last December.... although I'm guessing Miss R doesn't have to struggle through sleet and slush in the quest for that trademark cerulean blue doorway.  

Searching through the snow works up quite an appetite, and it is with sadness that I have no pictures of our first course - too hungry! I remember meltingly soft stuffed squid and the most perfectly dressed rocket salad. I did not want to share. 

Despite the jet lag, I remember ravioli that was the perfect al dente, and I learnt that cimi di rapa is the new cavolo nero. I also want a white domed wood-fired oven in my house ... a girl can dream. 

Our other main was paparadelle with rabbit slow-braised in Chianti and rosemary, with parmesan. My only wish was for a larger quantity - unnecessary but still desired. 

On a recent trip to London I had three go-to places on my list:

- Harrods

- the River Cafe

- the Hummingbird bakery

Harrods for the drooling over Chanel and Dior, buying Hunter wellies (although I wished they were Chanel or Dior...), and finally, walking past their in-house Laduree tea salon, seeing a recently published Laduree "Sucre" book and not buying it. Oh how I regretted that one - six months later and I'm still trying to track down a copy in English. But that's another story...

Being a bakery, the Hummingbird doesn't require booking exactly 2 months in advance like The River Cafe, but they were still famous for their lines. Fortuitously, our visit was on a freezing, dreary Tuesday morning. I'd like to say I traipsed down Portabello Road, popped into the Hummingbird for a whoopie pie and bumped into Gwyneth whilst I was there, as the reality is far less inspiring.

It was bitterly cold (about 2 deg plus that wind!), the markets and bustle Portabello Road's known for were absent, and jet lag meant we arrived at 8am when the majority of shops were definitely not open. Luckily a local cafe was and, blue with cold, we sat down to breakfast between some yummy mummies sporting Cartier watches, massive diamonds and winter clothing that was infinitely cooler than my ill-equipped Queensland 'woolens'. Oh to live here with their disposable income! 

Fortified by English muffins with light, herbed cottage cheese and a creamy hot chocolate, feeling was restored to my hands and face and I wanted to move in and never leave.

Now to venture across the chilly road into the unavoidable chocolate and pink brightness of the Hummingbird. Despite having just eaten, I was drawn to the smell wafting out across the street. There were rows and rows of cute iced cupcakes but attention is also drawn to the proud, towering cakes for sale on pretty glass cake stands. There is something generous and old-fashioned about a big cake that their miniature cupcake sisters just can't capture. Then I see some whoopie pies and don't know where to begin - how does anyone pick in here? Relax. They're just cupcakes. Made a decision and it's done.

 Red velvet, chocolate, vanilla and carrot cake cupcakes all go into a box. After all - it's not very ladylike to purchase and eat a whole cake myself! Now I only hope my stomach clears some space quickly.

Note to self: cupcakes are an excellent midnight snack when one is suffering from jet-lag but can't comprehend venturing outside the hotel for food at 1AM in London's winter. They were as soft as I'd hoped, with pillowy icing and loads of flavour. The chocolate and carrot cupcakes were easily my favorite - no pics of the carrot cupcake as I couldn't stop at just one bite. It had it all - cake, nuts, texture, cream cheese icing. Bliss.

A quick post today - hooray! - I've been surprised with a glossy, cherry red Kitchenaid in the suitcase of a friend visiting from America. Not only are Kitchenaids made there (a surprising feat in our day of everything being made somewhere in Asia) they are also considerably cheaper. 

Look in any kitchen or department store in Australia and they're priced at about $750, online for $650.

Ruby, however, (named for a friend with an inspirational attitude to life, love of baking, eating, sharing ... and for the colour of course!) cost $260 USD. If only I had friends visit from the States more often!

So welcome, Ruby - happily sitting by Pearl's side. I can't wait to have the two going at once!

If there exists a person who can resist the lure of fried, gooey haloumi, textured dolmades, and hot, sticky honey puffs - it is certainly not me.

Ignoring the standard festival fare - hot chips, dagwood dogs etc. - attendance at the Greek festival for me is all about the food. Catering for the 60,000 people who attended over the weekend is obviously a challenge, and there was the occasional culinary disappointment - but haloumi and honey puffs keep me satisfied. 

Held in Musgrave Park, South Brisbane, parking is the expected nightmare and tables inside the festival were scarce. Nevertheless, I am content to stand and nibble whilst watching the "Greek" dancing - authentic and improvised (*ahem* aided by too much beer).

First course - mezze plate ($18) with dolmades, haloumi, calamari, baby squid, Greek salad. The calamari is superbly soft and yet still crisp, and the dolmades have the perfect balance of creamy rice and astringent lemon/oil marinade, wrapped in soft vine leaves. Chewy baby octapus and a slightly soggy salad are the let-down and my taste buds cry out for a squeeze of lemon over the whole plate. 

Next - souvlaki. Having arrived at 3pm, the lamb souvlaki are sold out, but the chicken is more than satisfying. Tender pieces of thigh marinated in a mix of many ingredients, including dried herbs, mustard seeds, chilli. Delicious.

On to the spinach and feta triangles wrapped in filo, easily the nicest filo pastry I've had. No trace of grease, just flaky and light as a feather.

Appetite sated, it's now time for a wander about the stalls selling traditional Greek produce. In the background I hear cheering from a 'wine-making' competition, with contestants jumping and stamping in half-barrels of grapes. I hope no-one is intending on drinking the wine... My interest stays firmly on the dried wheels of figs, jars of marinated vine leaves, tinned dolmades, peppers, nuts, Turkish delight, halva, even cute miniature cupcakes with themed blue and white icing.