About

It all started with a dinosaur. Or rather, a dinosaur cookie cutter. I was coming down the escalator at a mall when I spotted a stall selling these nifty kitchen gadgets, including some colourful cookie cutters. My eye was instantly drawn to this gorgeous dinosaur. It was love at first sight and I had to bring her home.

It wasn't just for me, I thought my dino-loving daughter would get a major kick out of some dino cookies too. Though I'd been baking for a few years, I'd never tried cutout cookies before, so I turned to the Net for recipes. What I found changed me, changed my life.

I came across these amazing blogs run by outrageously talented decorators. Cookies, cupcakes, cakes, marshmallows even .... anything and everything sweet could be decorated, and how! The more I browsed, the more I was astounded by the possibilities. And intrigued.

I've always loved cake decorating, but that was reserved for birthdays and special occasions, definitely not an everyday, year-long activity. But since I stumbled across the world of sweet art, decorating has become a deeper part of my life. I wouldn't exactly call it my new-found passion, it is more like a lifetime's love of arty, crafty pursuits that's now being channelized into this oh-so-sweet direction. 

So is this a decorating blog then? Not exclusively. I decorate sweets a couple times a month, bake more often than that, and I cook almost every single day. As you can now tell, a lot of my time is spent in the kitchen.  It's my lab, my playground, my studio. So I hope to bring a lot of what I do in there over here. I also love to write; in fact, this blog has been running for years. It's only recently that I've decided to power it with food. And sugar, lots and lots of sugar :)

And why 'Red Moonrise'? For the simple reason that I think a red moon rising is one of the most magnificent sights in nature. I've been an avid moon-gazer for a long time, and while a glimpse of the moon always feels uplifting, the red moon in particular holds a special meaning for me. Seeing it is a spiritual experience, and it always inspires me to do better, to be a better person.

Now about me. I'm a stay-at-home mum of one. I was born and raised in Mumbai, India, but in the past seven years, I've lived in four cities in three different countries and continents. Home is currently Sydney, Australia, but for how long, remains to be seen. Does that seem exciting? It is, from the sightseeing & new experiences point of view. Not so much from the baking-needs-a-lotta-equipment-but-I've-gotta-travel-light point of view.

My nomadic lifestyle certainly imposes limitations on what I can own, and therefore accomplish, in the kitchen. But it is challenging to find alternative solutions, to adapt recipes and methods to make them work with what I've got. It also makes me incredibly grateful for every little thing that I can add to my kitchen collection.

So welcome then, to Red Moonrise! I hope you enjoy this blog as much as I enjoy creating what goes on here.

- Salomie