our growing edge: may 2013

welcome to the may episode of growing edge entries – I’m your host, sonya, and today we’ll be talking about cookies and pretzels and cakes – and so much more. if you’re new to our growing edge, it’s a party (!) to inspire us all to try new things. let’s get started!

p.s. my talent is totally wasted without a career on the telly, eh?

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we’ll get off with a few starters: food is my friend has some adorable mozzarella bambinos, and kari at loaves n dishes topped her eggplant enchiladas with a pepita cream that is so gorgeously green, and there’s a colourful wild rice and mango salad over at palachinka that reminds me they’re in season over here in singapore!

we’ve got two toast-toppers this month: lovely mushrooms with wild garlic foraged from the ‘hood at all that I’m eating and some pa amb tomàquet (tomatoes) paired with potaje (salt cod and chickpea stew) and sobao pasiego (a buttery cake) for a spanish extravaganza at it’s not easy being greedy.

two beefy entries edging their way in are genie’s beef bourgignon at bunny. eats. design. and anna’s hearty beef stew in her new slow cooker at the bashful bao.

if you’re not a fan of beef – then what about a slow cooker morrocan lamb tagine for you over at abbe’s cooking antics, or a bengali fish curry over rice at indian cooking made easy?

and if you’ve been thinking of baking up some bread (like I have), maybe it’s time to get down to it with these lovely pretzels by neshanne at oishii treats, and a crusty bloomer over at this was dinner. and if you’d like a bready meal without the work – maybe make up this gorgeous smoked salmon and goat cheese pizza by chef kev at visual meringue!

this month’s also brought some regional specialties: indonesian empek-empek at papaya pieces, a portugese casserole of bacalao a gomes de sa at gastronomette, and the classically american mac ‘n cheese at pandabear prowess kitcheness. we’ve also got a danish dessert soup of koldskål at sayhellohello food, which brings us oh-so-neatly to dessert (my favourite!).

a meyer lemon (love them!) sponge pudding at condiments on a city life, and a beautiful traditionally-austrian gugelhopf at look what I made! – I really want that mold. and as a triumph over a mean bakery – keeping up with the holsbys came up with a pistachio rosewater cake with white chocolate ganache that’ll do you for celebrations.

and to cap off a good meal, nothing better than a drink and some bonbons. a seasonal feijoa cider at nom nom panda and a lesson on making kiwi candy by nom nom cat.

and if you’ve still got space for coffee and some cookies, I made these nutella-stuffed banana cookies myself. they’re something special.

thank you all for participating in this month’s growing edge – you guys are so inspiring! join us next month, and kick something off your bucket list – find out more here.

p.p.s. all photos belong to their lovely owners!