u/theFoodOlic

Every October we carve pumpkins with the kids, and every October I end up with a pile of pumpkin and zero plan. This year it all went into Australian pumpkin scones, and honestly, they might be the best part of Halloween.

They're an Aussie classic made famous by Lady Flo, the wife of a Queensland premier. The pumpkin makes them super soft and fluffy and gives them this gorgeous orange colour. Traditionally you eat them warm with butter, but jam and whipped cream works too (jam first, if you ask an Australian).

Happy to share the recipe if anyone wants it, just ask in the comments. 🧡

What do you all do with your carving leftovers?

I've tried making falafel probably five times over the years and always ended up with either mush or hockey pucks. I finally landed on a version that holds together and has that crispy-outside, herby-green-inside thing you get at a good falafel shop.

The trick that made the biggest difference for me was not over-processing the chickpeas, you want texture, not a paste. Did a batch pan-fried and a batch in the air fryer to compare. Pan-fried wins on crunch, air fryer wins on not smelling like oil for two days. Both good, depends on your mood.

Made a quick tahini sauce to go with it, just tahini, lemon juice, a bit of water to thin it out, and salt. Takes five minutes while the falafel cooks.

Anyway, if you want the whole recipe just ask..

Anyone else scrambling to find ways to get kids excited about school lunches/dinners again now that summer's over? We made pan-fried jiaozi (pork and cabbage dumplings) this weekend and it turned into a whole family production, my kids did basically the entire folding process themselves using a cheap dumpling press I picked up online, and they were genuinely proud of the ones they made.

A few things that made this work well for us specifically:

• Used wonton wrappers instead of making dough from scratch, way less intimidating for a first attempt
• The press means even a 5-year-old can seal a dumpling that doesn't fall apart when it cooks
• No fancy equipment needed, just a non-stick pan and a lid, no steamer, no deep fryer, nothing scary
• We made a double batch and froze half, so now there's a "kid-made" freezer meal ready for a busy school night

Genuinely didn't expect folding dumplings to hold my kids' attention for 40 minutes, but there's something about the assembly-line, hands-on nature of it that just works for that age. Also great because it's a full sensory thing, they get to touch the filling, wet the wrappers, see the whole thing come together.

If anyone wants the actual recipe with ratios and the sear-steam-crisp method for the pan-fry, happy to share, wrote it all up on my site since I kept forgetting my own notes between batches lol.

Made a regular BLT about four hundred times and got bored of it, so I started messing with it.

Two changes. First, peppered pancetta instead of smoked bacon. Pancetta is usually cured with pepper and garlic, and it's mostly not smoked, so it's saltier and cleaner. Turns out the smoke in bacon is a really loud flavour and it kind of steamrolls everything else on the bread. Take it away and other things get room to breathe.

Second, lime zest and juice folded into the mayo. Zest more than juice. I expected this to be a minor thing and it wasn't. Lime and black pepper together is genuinely great and I don't know why I'd never noticed.

Also started slicing the avocado right in its shell, cutting down to the skin but not through it, then squeezing lime over the top and scooping it out with a spoon. No bowl, no mashing, no third dish to wash.

Layering, if anyone cares: lettuce on the bottom so any tomato juice runs off the sides instead of into the bread. Salt the tomato slices first and let them sit for ten minutes; they give up a shocking amount of water.

Happy to write out amounts if anyone wants them; just say.

Been wanting to try making my own BBQ sauce for a while and finally did it this weekend for a backyard cookout. Went with a smoky maple version, real maple syrup, a good smoked paprika, garlic, molasses, a splash of vinegar for balance so it’s not just sickly sweet.

Genuinely can’t believe how much better it was than anything from a bottle. Brushed it on ribs the last 10 min of cooking and also used it as a dipping sauce on the side, and it disappeared both ways. My kids (6 and 8) even liked it, which almost never happens with anything remotely smoky/spiced.

Took maybe 15 minutes total, most of it just simmering while I did other stuff. Kept in a mason jar in the fridge and it’s honestly gotten better after a day or two, flavors mellow out and blend more.

Nothing beats a homemade BBQ sauce for your next event, makes the whole thing feel more special, and the smell while it’s simmering alone is worth it.

Happy to share the exact recipe/ratios in the comments if anyone wants it, don’t want to just dump a wall of measurements in the post itself.

So I first had okroshka while visiting Poland, and it completely caught me off guard. The version I tried there had pieces of gravlax mixed in, and it was honestly one of the most refreshing things I've ever eaten: cold, tangy, a little briny from the salmon, perfect for a hot day.

Living in Spain, gazpacho has basically been my go-to cold soup for years. But okroshka is a real contender now.

For my own version at home I use sausage instead of gravlax (easier to find, works just as well), but really any protein works here, ham, boiled sausage, even leftover chicken if that's what you've got. The base is usually kvass or kefir/buttermilk, loaded with diced potatoes, egg, cucumber, and radish. Fresh dill is non-negotiable; it ties the whole thing together.

The texture takes a second to wrap your head around, it's more like a chilled, brothy potato salad you eat with a spoon than a "soup" in the traditional sense. But once it clicks, it clicks hard.

Anyone else discover this on a trip and now can't stop making it at home? Curious what proteins other people use, I feel like this dish is way more flexible than it gets credit for. If you want my recipe, ask in the comments.

We've been in Spain for a while now, and if you've never experienced a proper Spanish summer, it is HOT. The kind of hot where you start scheduling your day around finding shade. Every kid here grows up on leche merengada in the summer, and mine are no exception; they ask for it constantly once the heat kicks in.

If you haven't had it, it's this almost frozen cinnamon milk drink, and it's genuinely a proper yummy brain freeze in the best way. A lot of places serve it more like a granita, not fully frozen solid, but with these little bits of ice scattered through it. The homemade version I make is smooth instead, no ice crystals, just properly cold, topped with this airy whipped foam and a generous dusting of cinnamon.

Something about the combination just works: cold, a little sweet, and that cinnamon hitting your nose every sip. It's become our unofficial "it's too hot to function" ritual every summer now.

Anyway, if anyone's dealing with brutal heat right now, it's worth looking into. Happy to share how I make mine if anyone wants the details; just ask in the comments.

Cucumber, thick Greek yogurt, garlic, dill, a splash of olive oil and lemon, done. Ten minutes tops, zero cooking, and it somehow tastes better the second day if there's any left.

I've been making it on repeat because it's the one thing that actually feels refreshing when it's stupid hot out, and my kids will eat it without complaint, which is honestly the real win here. Goes with literally everything: grilled meat, pita, or just eaten with a spoon straight out of the bowl at 2 pm because I'm an adult and I can do that.

Anyway, if anyone has a favourite variation on this, I'm all ears; I feel like I've been making the same version forever and could use some inspiration.

Made this Quiche Lorraine for the 100th time and I’m still not over how good it is.
Ok so I finally sat down and wrote out my go-to Quiche Lorraine recipe because I’ve made it SO many times at this point I could probably do it blindfolded. That nutty, melty gruyere + crispy bacon + that silky egg custard filling in a flaky crust… it’s just chef’s kiss.
Genuinely one of my favorite things to bring to potlucks or parties because:
1. You can make it ahead of time (less stress the day of, more time to actually enjoy the party)
2. It’s just as good warm, room temp, or even cold the next day
3. Cut it into small bite-sized squares and it instantly becomes the easiest, most elegant finger food on the table, no plates or forks needed, people just grab and go
4. It always disappears first lol
Last time I made it was for a kid’s birthday party actually, cut into little bite-size pieces so the kids (and adults sneaking bites) could just grab one and go.
Drop a comment if you want the recipe and I’ll share it! Also curious if anyone swaps the gruyere for something else and how it turns out…

ok this might be a controversial slaw opinion but hear me out, I put actual chopped dill pickles INTO my coleslaw, not just pickle brine in the dressing, the pickles themselves. tossed them in with the shredded cabbage, carrots and onion, and it changes the whole texture, you get this little briny crunch in almost every bite instead of just background tang. then the dressing uses the pickle juice too so it’s kind of a double pickle hit, apple cider vinegar, a bit of maple syrup and mustard to round it out so it’s not one-note sour. did fresh bacon on top, fried right before serving so it stays crunchy. but genuinely the pickles-in-the-slaw thing is what made people go back for seconds at our bbq, nobody expected diced pickles in there and everyone loved it. does anyone else chop pickles straight into their slaw or am I an outlier here

Roasted eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, and onion on a sheet pan with olive oil and thyme until caramelized, then tossed it with fusilli, kalamata olives, and chopped sundried tomatoes (oil-packed ones, way better than the dry bagged kind). No dressing needed, the roasted veggies do all the work.

Made it the night before and it was honestly better the next day once the pasta soaked up all that flavor. Served feta on the side instead of mixed in since not everyone at the party eats dairy, worked out great.

Anyone else roast their pasta salad veggies instead of doing them raw? Feels underrated. Happy to share exact quantities if anyone wants to try it.

My oldest is absolutely obsessed with sushi. Like genuinely unhinged about it, onigiri, maki, nigiri, he will eat all of it without hesitation. So when someone on this sub suggested trying chirashi sushi bowls as an easy weeknight version I filed it away and finally got around to it last week.

The appeal for me was no raw fish. My youngest is still iffy about raw fish, and I'm not about to source sashimi-grade salmon on a Tuesday night. Canned salmon dressed with soy sauce and sesame oil sounded a bit sad on paper, but honestly, it was genuinely delicious, flaked, seasoned, and tasted way better than it had any right to.

The sushi rice is the non-negotiable part. Rice vinegar, mirin, sugar, salt, warm, glossy, lightly sticky. Everything else is just toppings scattered on top which is where it got fun.

I put everything out in little bowls and let the kids go. My oldest went completely feral, shredded carrots, cucumber, edamame, hard boiled egg, nori strips, sesame seeds, tobiko, the works. Full build. Very proud of himself. My youngest went with rice, salmon, cucumber and egg and called it a day. Both completely happy with their own version which almost never happens in this house.

Whole thing took 30 minutes. The kids asked when we're having it again. I'm calling that a win.

Finally made spätzle from scratch this weekend after years of my German husband side-eyeing my pasta-only noodle nights, and honestly it was way easier than I expected. One simple dough (flour, eggs, water, salt), split into two ways: half went into a brown gravy for my younger kid who refuses anything with visible “stuff” in it, and the other half got loaded with melted Gruyère and crispy fried onions for the Käsespätzle version. I don’t have a spätzle press so I just pushed the dough through a regular cheese grater with a spatula straight into the boiling water and it worked great, no fancy equipment needed. The gravy one vanished in like four minutes and my older kid went back for thirds of the cheese version, which never happens with anything that isn’t shaped like a dinosaur. Whole thing took about 35-40 minutes including resting the dough, so it’s actually doable on a weeknight. Anyone else grew up on this, and is your gravy more like a thin jus or thicker like a stew sauce? Curious if that’s regional or just a family thing.

I know you all grow up with this and it's completely normal to you but I just made my first proper batch of agua de jamaica from scratch and I am in love.

Dried hibiscus flowers rinsed and steeped with a cinnamon stick and fresh lime for 15 minutes, lightly sweetened, refrigerated overnight. That's it. The colour when it hit the pitcher was unreal, deep jewel-toned crimson, nothing artificial, just the flower.

I've had it at taquerias before but making it at home hits different. The cinnamon adds this subtle warmth that I never noticed before, and the lime brightens everything perfectly.

For anyone who grew up drinking this, do you add anything else to yours? Family variations? More or less sweet? I need to know everything.

He comes home every day asking for sushi.

I'm still amazed that my kids actually love sushi like genuinely love it, will pick it over pizza but this is the next best thing mama can manage to make at home on a Tuesday afternoon.

So I started making onigiri, and it's genuinely changed after-school snack time in our house. It's just seasoned sushi rice shaped into triangles and wrapped in nori, sounds fancier than it is.

Rinse your sushi rice until the water runs clear, cook it. Thats it for the rice. The key is shaping it while it's still slightly warm because cold rice doesnt stick and you'll end up with crumbling triangles and a very sad child.

Wet your hands, lightly salt them, grab a handful of rice, press a little indent in the middle, add your filling, close it up and squeeze into a triangle. Wrap a strip of nori around the bottom right before eating or it goes soggy.

For the filling we do Kewpie tuna mayo, just canned tuna and Kewpie mayo, a tad of hot sauce, salt and pepper. Kewpie is the Japanese mayo in the bottle with the baby on it. Dont use regular mayo, it's not the same.

But honestly the best part is you can fill them with basically anything. Leftover roasted chicken works amazing. Egg salad. Leftover salmon. Avocado and cream cheese. Whatever's in your fridge on a Tuesday afternoon when you have zero energy and a hungry kid staring at you.

He ate three and asked if we could have it every day.

If anyone wants the full recipe with exact quantities and tips just drop a comment and I'll share it!

I first tried Tres Leches in a tiny bakery in Huanchaco, Peru, here’s my from-scratch version

Tres Leches is one of those desserts that belongs to an entire continent. Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba, Peru, Venezuela all have their own version. I first had it in a dusty backstreet panadería on Peru’s Pacific coast and never forgot it.

The secret is in the three milks: condensed for sweetness and depth, evaporated for body, and whole milk to keep it fluid enough to really soak through. That pooling at the bottom of the dish isn’t a mistake, it’s the whole point. It’s also better the next day, making it the perfect make-ahead summer dessert.

Sponge:
170g flour, 200g sugar, 6 eggs room temp, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla, pinch of salt

Milk soak:
400ml whole milk, 400ml evaporated milk, 375ml condensed milk, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp vanilla

Whipped cream topping:
350ml heavy cream, 50g powdered sugar, ½ tsp vanilla, cinnamon to dust

Method:
Separate eggs. Whip whites to stiff peaks with half the sugar. Whip yolks with remaining sugar until pale and doubled. Fold together gently, then fold in flour mixture. Bake at 175°C for 30 min. Immediately poke holes everywhere, pour all the milk mixture over the warm cake, refrigerate overnight. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon before serving. Serve cold.

Happy to share the full written recipe in the comments if anyone wants it!