You talk of Wangi Wangi as being "worth the trip" when most probably most of your readers come from Lake Macquarie, being a much more populous city than Newcastle. It is only a trip if you are coming from Swansea, unless you come by boat. I will be visiting the Vita Pizza Bar and Restaurant at Wangi Wangi very soon. Thank you for the tip. Pizza is my speciality too.

With this cooler weather, I have found myself not only making batch after batch of scones, but I have also ventured into jam making. As my strawberries are running rampant in my garden, I took it upon myself to have a go at making strawberry jam, with much success!

Hi Jeff-this is my recipe and people seem to love it. Dry fry (important-NO oil, and use a heavy pan) a mix of flaky salt (murray river pink salt is good) coarse ground black pepper and chopped red birdseye chillies (seeds removed or its too hot) - about a tablespoon of each. Dont inhale the vapour- do it with the extractor fan on high or you'll choke. When it is aromatic tip in a kilo of green prawns with tails on. stir around till the prawns are opaque, then pour on about a half a cup of coconut cream. Let it bubble and go a caramel colour -scrape all the crusty bits off the bottom then squeeze a whole lime over it, tip on a platter and let people grab a prawn by the tail section and eat! Whenever I do this people want to mop up the sauce with bits of bread when all the prawns are gone-some (the pissed ones) just stick their fingers in and lick so its always a hit. Dont overdo the coconut milk- its not the same if its too soupy and it has to change colour. try this -its simple but delicious and different

"Spaghetti Surprise". Just sneak a few whole cloves of garlic in and wait for someone to bite into one - Surprise!!

In my teens and 20's (whilst studying at uni) I worked in an Italian restaurant as a cook - ten years later I still regualrly have people around for meals where they name the menu a day or two in advance, I cook the food! Proper pizza is still the favourite of everyone - I make them in the same style as you, although mix it up and make 'meals' on a pizza - try a roast lamb pizza with roast lamb, rosemary, baked kumera pieces and green beans.

My favourite is to invite a pile of friends, chop up lots of different ingredients, lay them out, provide the pizza base and sauce, then let people make up their own. I also cook lots of 'proper' curries. My dad is from India (british raj) and was one of the first importers of spices and tea into Australia (1950's-1990's). Try convincing people in the 60's etc to try a curry. So my family grew up on good food, our Indian dinner parties were amazing. No Keens curry powder for us. And no opening a jar of goop and add the meat. The only way to have a curry is to buy the individual spices and fry them in ghee (clarified butter) and go from there. Follow a recipe or make up your own. It's very easy. The aroma and flavour beats the crap served up in bain maries at the average Indian eateries popping up in Hamilton etc. By the way, can anyone recommend an authentic Indian restaurant in Newcastle or the Hunter? I prefer my own over whats available.... but I wouldn't mind a night out for an Indian feast.

Ah, how about a cuppa soup?. My wife thinks I can't boil water.

my favourite is a jamie oliver recipe. you boil some quartered potatoes and 2 lemons for about five minutes. lay the spuds on the bottom of a baking dish ( i use a lasagne dish) get some coriander and the boiled lemons which you need to pierce all over and use them stuff the chicken. lay this on top of the spuds. then chop up two chorizo sausages and lay over the top of the chicken then drizzle with olive oil. get some baking paper and wet it and then wrap it around the chicken so all the food is covered up to sort of make a little steam tent. bake for about 90 mins on medium (about 5 in gas oven - thats probably about 160 in elec i think). take the paper ten off and turn up the gas to 6 for another 15 mins and this will brown it all beautifully. everyone who has tasted this just loves it and my fammily often ask for it when they are coming over for dinner. my dog always gets the carcass but last time i forgot to take the lemons out before i gave it to him and it was so funny to find him running around the yard with a whole lemon in his mouth. it must have tasted okay cause he was most reluctant to give it up.