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Nicknames can be strange things. My dear husband has many friends with nicknames, not all of them able to be easily explained. There is a Johnno that is fairly typical, in fact that's the only one that is relatively normal, given his surname is Johnstone.

When we first started going out I remember him introducing me to a good friend of his whose name is Stephen, but I was introduced to him as Puss, which is what everyone calls him. It's a play on his surname, but I found it (and still do) really challenging to call him by anything other than his "real" name.

There is also a Blossom, a very tall masculine man whose name is actually Cameron - another long story. My brother in law is called Flatty but his name is really Paul. When he was very small he broke his nose, hence the nickname. I'm not sure I've ever called him Paul.

Then there is Dick, Geoff's best mate, who is actually Michael. It's his story so I won't share it here, but it's a pretty good one so far as nickname origins so. Dick joined my age rankings very recently and although he's very low key on such things we had dinner and a low key acknowledgement of his significant birthday. I brought dessert and his penchant is for all things chocolate, est voila, a chocolate mocha tart.

I'm confident in the kitchen and in following recipes I have enough knowledge to adjust as I feel necessary (larger pan than specified, modify to make more filling), nothing groundbreaking. This recipe, one of Gordon's, was easy but mine doesn't look like the one in the picture and I have absolutely no idea why. I honestly think there's been a little bit of manipulation on Gordon's part, for I have no idea how his stayed so fluid and smooth where mine was so much firmer and crustlike. Chocolate desserts aren't my thing, but I'm told it was pretty good.