ARE ALL RICOTTAS CREATED EQUAL?

It's a question to kick off today's episode.

Yumi has also been entertaining one of her besties, and whenever she comes to visit that means it's time to revisit the legendary Spanish dessert Burnt Basque Cheesecake. I've been making this for quite a while using Nagi's recipe, but after a visit to unmissable Redfern eaterie, Flyover Fritterie, I was inspired to try adding saffron, rosewater and cardamom.

To make it, follow the directions from Nagi's recipe but use these quantities:

500g ricotta

2 x blocks of cream cheese

250-300g of caster sugar*

a healthy fat pinch of saffron threads, bloomed in 2tbs of warmed rosewater

about 30 cardamom pods, smashed open, seeds removed then seeds run through the spice grinder (fibrous pods composted).

310g Greek yoghurt

30g custard powder

a squeeze of vanilla paste

*I have made this twice - once using 250g sugar, once using 300g sugar - it was freakin delicious both times so do what you like.

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ORZO TRAY BAKE WITH FETTA AND PEPPERS

Turn oven on to 220C.

Quarter 4 peeled red onions, one whole chilli, one roughly chopped red pepper, and split a head of garlic across the hemisphere of the bulb.

Drizzle with olive oil then roast for 20mins until the onions are cooked and the veg are starting to char.

Add in a tin of cherry tomatoes, a tsp of nigella seeds and a tsp of crushed coriander seeds.

Cook for 20 more mins, squash the tomatoes now on the back of a spoon, squish out the garlic and add it back to the pan with 800ml water, 250g orzo, mix and then dot with a whole packet of fetta (200g) that you crumble over. Cook for 15 mins until the orzo is cooked.

Top with sprinkled green herbs like parsley, dill or fresh coriander.

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Simon and Yumi belly-laugh over some food-related nonsense and it's contagious, so listen if you need to get some sunshine today. Yumi also shares a bit about what happened at her recent (and very fancy) birthday lunch.

And maybe you also need ...chocolate cake? The quite legendary CHOCOLATE CAKE recipe from the wonderful Helen Goh can be found here.

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