Gucci & Gyoza: Hot, cross and bothered.

Hot cross buns are as essential in April as gingerbread is in December. You simply can't go through Easter without one. Just the sight of their golden tops, beaming through a bakery window, is enough to set your thoughts bouncing with bunnies. So why do Woolworths and Baker's Delight and a million other shops insist on selling hot cross buns straight after Valentine's Day? Where's the fun in eating something that's been sitting on the shelves since February? Hot cross buns should be sold at Easter and only at Easter, so we have something extra to look forward to (in addition to the five-day weekend) :)

Ranting aside though, here is a list of essential Easter eats:

1. Mocha hot cross bun from Baker's Delight. The most perfect combination of coffee and chocolate known to man. Best served warm.

2. Lindt chocolate bunnies. I think the little gold bell won me over. And also the little chocolate pieces that fall into the bunny's tummy as you eat it. Mmmmmm.

3. Hot cross buns from Pattison's patisserie. A relatively new bakery on the Sydney scene (at least, compared to Baker's Delight) but an excellent one! Their buns have just the right mix of old spice, cinnamon and sultanas.

4. Cheese-on-a-stick from the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Okay, so it's not the most appetising-sounding name. But it's a carnival thing, and something you have to try at least once. It's essentially gooey, melted, sunflower-yellow cheese, snug inside a cripsy brown skin. Not for the faint-hearted.

4. Food samples inside the Woolworths food dome @ the Easter Show. Yes, there is a lot to sample. Oysters, dips, pink champagne, rocky road, vegie chips, pasta, fudge, glazed almonds, chocolate mousse, fruit juices ... the list goes on. The stalls were all very cute, but the one from My Little Cupcake (store in Neutral Bay) was the standout.

5. Scones from the Country Women's Association cafe @ the Easter Show. Literally the fluffiest, softest, most cloud-like scones that have ever melted in my mouth. The queue spoke for itself.

Below are some highlights from the Sydney Royal Easter Show this year. Showbags shall not be mentioned, because the sell-out of the Madison showbag is still too painful to discuss. Instead, focus shall be paid to what was available and was enjoyable: rides, cake decorating, and shopping.