The Porridge Diaries, Part I.

The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are getting colder, and the urge to stay holed up under the covers all day? Well, that's the only thing going up. Yes, winter is well and truly upon us. And if we can't spend all day in bed hiding from the outside world, then the next best thing is starting the day with a bowl of steaming porridge. So to celebrate this tried-and-tested winter warmer, we've documented our three favourite versions. Think of them as Quick Oats, version 2.0. 

Persimmon and apricot buckwheat porridge

Ingredients 
1/2 cup buckwheat kernels
1 cup water
 1/2 cup milk, of any kind (we used rice)
2 persimmons, 1 riper than the other
Handful dried apricots
Crushed walnuts
 

Method
Bring buckwheat and water to the boil, before simmering until it reaches a porridge-like consistency. Reduce heat and add milk. Mash the riper persimmon and place in microwave for a minute and mix in with the porridge. Transfer to a bowl and top with the remaining chopped persimmon, apricots and crushed walnuts. D

[Bowl, Country Road. Creative Direction/Tanya Levak. Food Preparation & Words/Ellie Packer.] 

Two ways with a... Pomegranate.

Sweet versus savoury – undoubtedly one of the biggest (if not the biggest) dichotomies in the food world. You’ve either only got eyes for dessert (thanks to a somewhat demanding sweet tooth) or are a cheese platter type of girl. Sugar or salt. But lately, the traditional flavour separation has ceased to be a rule, and is now something more closely akin to a… guideline. Case in point: salted caramel. But salted caramel isn’t really a meal (but hey, we wouldn’t protest to sitting down with a bowl of it), so we’ve looked to the humble pomegranate as the starting point for two dishes; sweet and savoury. The first is a goat’s cheese and fennel salad (taken from this old Jamie Oliver recipe), where the only thing better than the sweet, juicy pomegranate seeds is a generous helping of crispy, buttery croutons. Just forget the ’80s-style cubes and roughly rip up day-old sourdough, drizzle with olive oil and a (come on – generous) sprinkle of sea salt before crisping up in the oven. Jamie would. The dessert portion of our meal? Tartlette’s olive oil and bittersweet chocolate pots de crème. Add a few spoons of pomegranate seeds and you’ve got the ultimate sweet end to your meal. But the clincher? Made with just a dash of rice malt syrup, it’s a sweetness that comes sugar-free. D

[Creative Direction/Tanya Levak. Food Preparation & Words/Ellie Packer.] 

Little Ray of Sunshine.

Don’t get us wrong - we love the simplicity of a black-on-black winter look just as much as the next girl. Sometimes though, as the winter chill starts to get us down, a dose of vibrancy can do wonders for the soul. Set aside those black skinny jeans that you've been resorting to all week and whip out those winter brights. Hot pink cable knit? Check. Deliciously array of sugary-sweet ice-cream shades? You got it. Now all we need is some winter sun to rear its bright head. You’ll be shaking off those winter blues (or in this case, blacks) in no time. D

[Creative Direction/Tanya Levak. Words/Ana Piteira. Photography/Kristina Soljo@OneNinetyNine.  Make-Up/Molly Oakfield@OneNinetyNine. Hair/Hilary. Model/Ksenia@Chic Management.]

1. Dress, The Daily Edited. Clutch, Olga Berg. Sunglasses, stylist's own. 2. Top, Dakota. Skirt, Nicholas. Bag, Olga Berg. Shoes, Zizi by Florsheim. 3. Jumper, Karen Walker.  Skirt, YB J'amie. Shoes, Repetto. Headphones, Skullcandy. 4. Jacket, White Suede. Skirt, Missguided. Shirt, Antipodium. Headband, Lovisa. 5. Sunglasses, Missguided. Jumper, Missguided. 6. Dress, May the Label. Shoes, Repetto. Bag, Adorne. Headband, Lovisa. 7. Jacket, Shieke. Top, Oasis. Skirt, A.D. by Haryono Setiadi. Sunglasses, stylist's own. 8. Jumper, Saveus. Skirt, Bettina Liano. Shoes, Wittner. Beanie, House of Holland.