CANDIED FRUIT BISCUITS

My perception of reality must have got packed by accident into a Wilson box last week, bubble-wrapped like my Vancouver mug, and my cake tins, and all the sugar sprinkles, as I woke up one morning to find myself in a tiny, sunny town by the foothills, with no going back. Until I get that delivered to me (after it's been taken to a very spontaneous trip to Venice; or Belarus, for what we know), I really won't have a clue on what to get used to first, whether it's the 30+ degrees or not being invisible or the nice food or cheap coffee; nor an alternative to being reverse-culture-shocked (why is the icing sugar sold in 100g envelopes only. Where's the imported Asian flour. Ooh look at the colourful candied peel), or making recipes up with random, yet pretty, and pretty delicious, baking ingredients. If I get my discernment back, I will let you know; either way, I have done great with the baking. The Italians approve.

RICE PUDDING CAKE

It all starts with rice pudding, a tiny flat and one lifelong ally, and it looks like that's how it ends too; and what's in-between, I wouldn't know how to spell out in words; but it's not all bleak; and there's the darkest London but a way out of it too; and the darkest night you'll ever see, but also night travellers, who have the heart of a lion and take your hand and walk with you morning-bound. And never mind all the books I should have written; the Book of London is one I will carry with me; but now I better go, and I've said it before but I'll say it again: bye.

CHOCOLATE & MARSHMALLOW PIZZA

I've been feeling like this: dessert pizza.

MACADAMIA MARZIPAN CHOCOLATES

Yet again, my head can't really cope with definitiveness too well; and it's overwhelmed by flashes from distant places in space, plus the past and the future (although I wouldn't know for sure, I had enough self-proclaimed witchcraft and wizardry, and cooking lessons, and bruises, for a lifetime), and I don't know if our nordic escapes will soon be a distant memory too, but here's to marzipan chocolate, best enjoyed in the 9pm sun in squatted military areas where cannabis trade is a thing; and to not being alone; and welfare pack lunches and mind-blowing banana eating techniques; to design museums and art galleries but also cake giving and post card shopping; and, please, to the hopefully several more escapes to come (to Disneyland too, with lucky rabbits), and if they don't have marzipan chocolate there it's fine, I'll bring along a Bonus Pig bag full of it.

ESPRESSO MINI CAKES

No adjective can describe the past four years more accurately than 'tiring', and still it isn't over just yet; so for the couple weeks to come (and for the roads left in both of our shoes): cakey coffee muffins, and I'll sleep when I'm dead.

HAWAIIAN WEDDING CAKE

In my head there’s a station where my thoughts depart to far-away places; and they go find a sun that shines fair and bright and a light breeze, and the clearest water, and if your dusty hands washed one another you would know what it feels like to be new; and I don’t know if it’s a quiet port town, or a land of pine forests and deserts, or a thousand mountains, or familiar foothills, or yet another Hawaiian dream with eyes open wide; but they may discover a place where they belong more than here; and if it’s a sweet fruity cake that takes them there then I hope it takes me too.

RAW LEMON SWISS ROLL

Cake roll happens because of promises made to sunny people on sunny days; and because the shape of things to come is looking very swirly to say the least; but also because if swirly things (or stomach ache, or car crashes, and car-crash shaped cake) ever come your way, you've got to be ready and turn them around as best as you can; and it may take some serious multi-tasking, and you may have to improvise or momentarily hide piles and piles of stuff in your wardrobe or interrupt your Preacher episode half way through and your NutriBullet will perhaps struggle; but if you try and you're lucky enough, you may end up staring in excitement at delicious citrusy creamy things, and these delicious citrusy creamy things may well make you sunny inside a little.