"What is your favourite dessert?"

Since I have a bit of a “sweet tooth”, I'm often asked: "What is your favourite dessert?"

That is a very hard question, I always go back to the simple recipes I grew up having but I'm also always changing my mind about that. I guess I haven’t fallen hopelessly in love yet. Besides, my knowledge of the most traditional and famous desserts from around the world still is very limited.

Growing up, I used to reject everything that I thought I wouldn't like. Sometimes without even knowing what it was I couldn't be bothered to even think of trying. I was quite happy in my comfort zone, just eating what I knew; but that wasn't healthy.

I remember one time when my sister told me: “How can you be a chef if you don’t eat all of this stuff?!”

That really hit me, how could I create new things if I didn't even know the taste and combinations I could make with all these various ingredients?

So I tried to “force” myself into trying new flavours, but while living in Brazil it was hard, I always ended up eating the same thing over and over again.

Moving to Australia really changed my life, in more ways than I could have ever imagined; it opened my mind to whole new world.

Arriving here I was introduced to a huge variety of cuisines and I knew it would be hard to try some of them, but since now I had to cook everything myself and the ingredients here were different, I started to open up to this new lifestyle.

I have eaten things I loved and things I don’t even want to see again - sometimes I believe it’s best not knowing what it is before trying.

There is still a lot of things I don’t feel comfortable trying, and some that I do try but wouldn't have chosen myself (you know when you go out with that friend that eats everything and sort of makes you eat too?), but now I believe I am more open minded to maybe consider – something I wasn't before.

So, what is my favourite dessert?

For now, I can say it is my version of Pavê or Chocolate Trifle, but I can honestly say that now I am much more open to try new food and maybe change my list of favourites.

I am thankful to my sister for saying that to me one day, but now I understand that I don’t have to like everything in order to create. I just have to try and be aware that they exist! You never know, one day you might see yourself cooking with that ingredient that you never liked and create something incredible.

Now I would like to know your opinion and what desserts you think I should try.

Here’s to being open for the new!

Cheers.

Dee. ;)