I know when summer has arrived in Sydney; rich orange skin mangoes start to appear in our weekly fruit and vegetable box. Their golden flesh has a sweet, tangy flavour and gives off a delicious floral fragrance.

I remember as a child, walking to the night market with my parents and eyeing the tempting sweets that lined the bustling streets of our local area. These sweets were usually bought from the street vendors as special treats rather than made at home.

This is a childhood favourite, a welcomed cooling treat during the hot season. Generous amount of crushed ice was added to the creamy coconut milk mixed with caramel-like sugar syrup and chewy sago pearls. This recipe is very simple and you can add additional flavours and textures to it if you wish.

Lychee and ginger really works well together; the ginger adds a touch of heat and compliments the sweetness of the lychees. The sorbet is refreshing and I imagine would work well with a sprig of mint for decoration or if you fancy a drop of gin or vodka to create a frozen cocktail.

The new season Navel Oranges are fabulous at the moment; thin-skinned, juicy, sweet with a slight sharpness. After indulging in a couple, I decide to make a dessert with the simple addition of corn flour rather than using eggs or milk. It makes a refreshing treat for friends who are either vegans or dairy-intolerant.

I had an email from Michelle who wanted a recipe for Burmese paratha. It has been some time since I made them and immediately reminded me of our trip to Rangoon in 2004 where we spent one morning watching the paratha being made for our breakfast.

Bananas are a staple in our weekly fruit bag. This week I’ve allowed them to fully ripen in anticipation of making banana jam. Normally bananas or jams are not something I get excited about but I have been thinking about this recipe for several weeks.

This is a sweet snack made during the water festival, Thingyan, in mid-April to mark the lunar new year. People, young and old, throw water over each other to celebrate and welcome the new year by washing away bad luck.

This is the second week running I find a wedge of pumpkin in our vegetable box. I am a little surprised to find pumpkin in late Spring which takes me on a search of seasonal vegetables in Australia.

An old friend from London came over for dinner at the weekend. I had cooked my weekly batch of chicken curry and with Sydney warming up for the summer, I was inspired to make Shwedaung salad: coconut chicken curry, noodles, shredded white cabbage, raw shallots and fresh coriander. It was a perfect supper teamed with a good bottle of red.