Stelle Table

Homemade Focaccia Bread with Black Olives, Dried Rosemary, and Rock Salt Topping There’s something deeply grounding about making bread at home. Focaccia is one of those breads that looks impressive but asks for very little - just flour, water, yeast, olive oil, and a bit of time. No bread maker, no additives, no preservatives, nothing to make it last on a supermarket shelf. Just real ingredients coming together in the simplest, most satisfying way. Focaccia is the kind of bread that reminds you how little you actually need to create something authentic, and how cheaply it can be made. A bowl, a few minutes with your hands, and a quiet hour or so while the dough rises. There’s a rhythm to it that feels almost old‑fashioned in the best possible way - kneading the dough, folding it gently, letting it rest, then finally pressing your fingertips into the soft surface to make those familiar dimples. A drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of rock or flaky salt, some olives, maybe a few drie...

Green Chili Jam Recipe

Green Chili Jam I started summer with a few 'assorted c hili' plants from a local homeware store, not knowing what varieties they were. They turned out to be a great mix of jalapeño and Japanese chili that literally grew themselves! I’ve been using them in everything - especially since they never ripen to red where I live. If you've got loads of chilis, this green chili jam is the perfect way to make in bulk and bottle those bright summer flavors for the cooler months ahead. This recipe couldn’t be simpler, and it’s a great way to use up those Asian condiments lurking in the back of the fridge in something other than a stir fry. This jam brings together crushed garlic, fresh ginger, rice wine vinegar, tamarind paste, fish sauce, water, sugar and a hint of lime zest melt into the green chilies, giving the jam a delicious zingy yet salty depth of flavor that’s hard to identify. It's endlessly versatile and works with cold meats, on sandwiches with cheese, meat patties...

Feijoa and Crystallized Ginger Muffins

Feijoa and crystallised ginger muffins—cosy, fragrant, and perfect for feijoa season Native to South America, the feijoa has well and truly made itself at home in New Zealand. The trees are everywhere now, tucked into backyards, lining suburban streets, and popping up in those slightly wild corners of older gardens. A unique, perfumed flavour arguably so prolific they're New Zealand's unofficial national fruit. Feijoa season always seems to arrive in a rush, too. One moment the trees are quietly minding their own business, and the next they’re dropping fruit faster than anyone can reasonably keep up with. It’s the time of year when every second house has a box of them out by the letterbox, and everyone instinctively knows to help themselves. If you’re lucky enough to have a tree of your own - or neighbors who do - you’ll know how Feijoa season rolls: for a few short weeks they’re absolutely everywhere, and then suddenly they’re gone for another year. A bowl on the bench is co...

Zucchini, Mint and Feta Bites Recipe

Zucchini, Mint and Feta Bites with Green Chili Jam Zucchini (courgette) fritters make the most of those summer gluts — one day they’re tiny, the next they’ve turned into marrows. A good fritter really comes down to managing moisture and mixing technique, both of which make the difference between light and tender or heavy and soggy. Zucchini fritters themselves have roots in several food cultures. Variations appear in Greek, Turkish, and Middle Eastern cooking, often flavored with herbs like mint, dill, or parsley and enriched with cheeses such as feta or halloumi. New Zealand cooks have adopted them wholeheartedly, especially as a way to deal with the annual late‑summer avalanche of home‑grown courgettes. They’ve become one of those recipes that every cook tweaks to suit their own tastes. The flavorings can be kept simple, built them out depending on what’s in the fridge. If feta cheese isn't your thing, a handful of grated cheese - cheddar, parmesan, or even a bit of halloumi - ...

French Apple Cake (Gâteau aux Pommes) — Easy & Homely

French Apple Cake (Gâteau aux Pommes) - Easy & Homely There’s something wonderfully grounding about a French apple cake. It’s the kind of dessert that feels both humble and elegant at the same time - simple pantry ingredients, soft apples folded through a light batter, and a texture that sits somewhere between a cake and a pudding. It’s the sort of bake that doesn’t need icing or decoration; its charm comes from the fruit itself and the way it turns golden in the oven. What I love most is how this cake fits into a much bigger story. Nearly every country has its own version of an apple dessert, each shaped by local fruit, traditions, and the rhythm of home cooking. In the United States, it’s the classic deep‑dish apple pie with its flaky lid. Germany has Apfelkuchen, often baked in a shallow tin with layers of fruit and a tender crumb. Austria has its strudel, paper‑thin pastry wrapped around spiced apples. Even here in New Zealand, many of us grew up with simple apple sponge puddin...

No‑Bake Strawberry Cheesecake with a Jelly Topping

Delicious No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake There’s something amazing about a no‑bake cheesecake - the kind that comes together in several parts but all very easy. This strawberry version is light, creamy, and full of fresh berry flavor, with a simple digestive biscuit base and a glossy strawberry jelly topping that sets into a beautiful, sliceable layer. The base starts with crushed digestives mixed with melted butter, pressed firmly into the bottom of a springform tin. It’s the kind of foundation that always behaves: sturdy enough to slice cleanly, but still soft enough to feel homemade. For the creamy center, fresh strawberry pulp is blended with cream cheese, sugar, and a splash of vanilla until smooth and pink then the whipped cream is folded in to give the mixture its cloud‑like texture. The final touch is a simple strawberry jelly topping. Store-bought jelly crystals give a lovely flavor and to be honest I don't use enough gelatine in my cooking to warrant...