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late this afternoon, a double rainbow sent our way from brooklyn.

thanks people!

it continues to swelter in this part of the world and so we just sit and try anything to keep cool. this has meant the blinds drawn, bags of ice in the freezer, the water filter on over time. and of course cold watermelon for lunch and then party drinks outside.

when things get a little hectic for me i like to remember thos days we spent last year visiting the country side. sure, they were marked with a sense of excitement and planning for our wedding party. memory of  those slow afternoons and quiet sunset give me that little skip inside, that things are not always so difficult as they seem. i think it is time to return.

something new for tuesdays. one photo of my neighbourhood.

today a welcomed cool change means a quiet start to the day with a hot coffee instead of iced tea. a humble start to a four day week as i sift through some magazine subscriptions. this year we are tightening our belts with certain luxuries so to balance things out a bit i ordered a gourmet traveller subscription. it aids in staying in and starting a week off nicely.

a few things which caught my eye + appetite:

• chefs at home: 72 great quick dishes

#43 cook chorizo in a little garlic and olive oil, add thinly sliced squid strips and cook for a minute. toss the lot through fennel sliced thiny on a mandolin, grate in some lemon zest, add chopped parsley and serve – MARTIN BENN, SEPIA,  SYDNEY

#64 toss a mixture of mint, coriander and dill through some shredded cabbage and dress with lemon juice and olive oil. top with persian feta for a new-age summer ‘coleslaw’. – MATT McCONNELL, BAR LOURINHA, MELBOURNE

• the feature on watermelon: i’ve never thought of watermelon rind pickle or rajasthani watermelon curry. i’d say yes to watermelon, gin and cassis icey poles immediately!

• the fig tart (pictured above) with goat’s curd and honey. oh my.

other mixed bits for the week:

these behind the scene images from inauguration day and inauguration balls. it kind of makes my heart swell. what a privilege to be able to photograph these moments.

i’m not a fan of most carrot cakes as they tend to dissapoint with dry cake, too sweet frosting. this cake looks pretty good, so i’ll have to give it a go v. soon.

foodzie: like etsy but for food only. i’m going to investigate.

now, i’m off to re stock our pantry cupboard which was overtaken by some moths last week.  i’m taking to storing grains and flours in the freezer until summer is over. those moths came out of nowhere and were so very destructive.  we’ve had most of the items on our dining table since then, trying to work through the tins of beans and packets of pasta which have been lingering for a while.

good day!