I’m a geology student and like all geology students I’m a bit crazy about rocks, or just crazy in general.

I love baking and amongst other things books, the outdoors, quirky little museums, art exhibitions, the ballet, tea… but more than anything long lazy brunches with great friends.

How long have you been a Daring Baker/Daring Cook and what’s your favorite thing about being in the group(s) so far?

My first Daring Baker’s Challenge was last August, I love that the Daring Baker’s encourages me to try making things I never would have thought of before, that is, after all the reason that I joined.

What’s your favorite kitchen gadget? How about your favorite kitchen appliance?

A wooden spoon, its the one thing I really couldn’t do without. While I love my pasta machine and my ice-cream maker, they are rarely used, especially when I have little time on my hands.

Are you known for making a certain dish or dessert? If so, what is it?

Cake, cake, cake and a little bit more cake and weird and experimental things, mainly cakes with high vegetable contents.

Is there any recipe and/or technique that we haven’t covered yet that you’d really like to make/learn?

Puff pastry, I need a push in order to give it a go.

What is the ultimate comfort food to you?

Really good macaroni cheese, make simply with just a touch of mustard and no other additions.

What’s your favorite cookbook for desserts/baking? What’s your favorite cookbook for savory/cooking?

I flick and flit too much to have favourties, I buy cookbooks for the pictures more than anything else, but I keep on trying recipes from ‘Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache’ due to their wonderful peculiarity. My Good Housekeeping Cookery Book was a bible until I lost it, now I look for a copy in every secondhand bookstore I go into, I want an copy far more than a current one. I have a feeling Ottolenghi will become a firm favourite in good time but its still sitting untouched on my bookshelf.

Is there one food that you seriously dislike/hate? If so, which is it and why?

Aniseed, or anything aniseed flavoured… poppy seeds, fennel, etc… all things I’d love to like.

Who taught you how to cook and/or bake?

This one’s a long story that can be accounted to more than one person, first and foremost my mother taught me to bake and to cook, but school Home Ec classes were the place I learnt, significantly, to make bread and to be a little adventurous while baking.

Reading any good books lately? Which ones?!

I’ve currently reading ‘The Character of Physical Law’ by Richard Feynman, is a surprisingly easy and relaxing read and ‘Catch-22’, which is pure brilliance. Sadly reading is something that has fallen a little by the wayside recently, especially the kind of fiction I normally love, I’ve read ‘A Thousand Barrels a Second’ in order to learn more about the oil industry, but yesterday I spent a fortune in a gorgeous book shop and I’m looking forward to diving into some Saki; to exploring some new fiction.

Where is your favorite vacation (holiday) destination?

Istambul: I’ve visited it once, for a couple of days but the city stole my heart. There’s something quite magical and inexplicable about it; I want to go back.

What is your favorite cooking/food related magazine? Why?

I would have said ‘Olive’, but I just brought a copy of ‘Delicious’ and I think I may be converted, its full of recipes that seem to be calling to me.

Do you have a food addiction?

Cake?!

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Cake for breakfast.

What’s your favorite “sweet” spice? How about your favorite “savory” spice?

Cardamom for both categories because its so interesting; though difficult to use. But my most used spice is probably cinnamon.

Is there one recipe on your blog that you would like to share with us? If so, leave the link here.

Coffee and Cardamom cake, like coffee cake, but, oh, so much better.

You can visit Alex on her blog Rosemary Cake