According to news reports on the ABC this morning, 2013 was Australia's hottest summer on record and 2014 is likely to be the same, if not hotter. With that in mind, I'm gearing up with a range of refreshing spritzers that are health-giving as well as thirst quenching and cooling. 

Sponsored post

Chef Luke Nguyen in France (image courtesy SBS ONE)

To celebrate the return of Luke Nguyen's France to SBS ONE on Thursday, 17 July at 7.30pm, SBS is giving Good Things readers the chance to WIN a fabulous Luke Nguyen DVD prize pack.

CorningWare is renowned world-wide for producing premium quality bakeware. First introduced in 1958, it's a brand that generally evokes fond memories of puddings and porridge and tuna mornay. And decades-old wedding presents that are still treasured and much used to this day.

The 2014 Canberra & Capital Region Truffle Festival begins on 21 June and I'm absolutely delighted to partner once again with Anne and Denzil Sturgiss from Tarago Truffles who have generously offered readers of Good Things the opportunity to WIN a truffle hunt for two during this year's season.

Anneka Manning (photograph by Bree Hutchins)

'Dear Liz, this is your invitation to BAKE! ❤ Anneka.' reads the delightful inscription penned on the first page of my review copy of Anneka Manning's Bake, Eat, Love. Oh my! Baking is such a pleasurable past time and of my favourite things now I'm retired, so I'm with you, Anneka. 

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine the flavour of creamy macadamia nuts panned in rose-flavoured couverture chocolate then dusted with the finest cocoa powder. Mmmmm, 'exquisite' is the word that best describes Rose Obsessions from Duck Creek Macadamias.

With the Easter weekend approaching, baking is number one on the agenda at my place. The house will filled with delicious baking aromas from Spicy hot cross buns, or maybe my muffins, vanilla sugar drops, chewy macadamia cookies or my favourite apple and passionfruit cake. So many good things to choose from and a delicious long weekend, I’m not quite sure which to bake first. One thing is for sure; there will always be vanilla in the mix!

Having the opportunity to meet, watch and learn from some of the world's culinary greats was one of the things I loved best about the cooking school that I once co-owned. Cooking legends from Australia and the other side of the world don't often gather in one place to showcase their talents every day. Do they?

Stamp collecting, was one of my favourite pastimes when I was a child. I still treasure the little orange album full of postage stamps from around the world, which were painstakingly examined with a magnifying glass before being tweezered into place and secured with gummed stamp hinges. I wonder, do the children of today enjoy this hobby?

'Is not possible!. He tell me I not know how to make-a paella! I tell him paella is-a Spanish, not Cockney-stinking eel pie! I make-a paella like my mama! My mother's recipe is big in Barcelona!'
                                                                 — Manuel (the waiter) to Basil Fawlty, The Anniversary Party, Fawlty Towers