Robert Armstrong’s commitment to his land and olive groves, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range (near Crookwell, NSW) has led to ALTO Olives becoming Australia’s most awarded extra virgin olive oil. His agrodolce (bitter-sweet) vinegars are the best Australian vinegars I’ve found too.
Axoa d’Espelette (Basque Veal Stew) I discovered axoa d’Espelette, a classic Basque dish, when I visited the town of Espelette in southwestern France, famous for its mild dark red chillies drying under the eaves of the whitewashed houses. I brought home jars of the ground piment d’Espelette which flavours this and so many other Basque […]
Rosemary Potatoes Rosemary is surprisingly easy to grow (trust me, I’m no gardener and mine has thrived). So consider popping a cutting in some soil and having it on hand to add its wonderful aroma to dishes like these roast rosemary potatoes, which are great served alongside any grilled meat, poultry or seafood. I find […]
Tapenade Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class featuring the Food of Provence! I love salt, so a dish made of black olives, capers and anchovies is right up my alley. Tapenade hails from Provence in the sunny south of France and is generally regarded as an olive paste, however the name […]
Poussin with Preserved Lemon Salata Poussins, French for chicks, are young chickens, sometimes called spatchcocks. They’re a good size to serve whole or halved, but you can also make this dish with a regular-size chicken and just increase the cooking time. I love the flavour of preserved lemon, and this delicious salata (Arabic for salad) […]
Wagyu Hamburger A discovery of wagyu beef patties at Vic’s Meat Market inspired me to make my own wagyu hamburgers – bringing back wonderful childhood memories of family road trips down the south coast of NSW. Stopping at a milk bar along the way for a hamburger was a rare holiday treat that ended up […]
Pimientos de Padrón (Padron Peppers) Looking for something different to get your next gatherings off to a great start? The darling of many fancy restaurants, Pimientos de Padrón (or Padron peppers) are plump little Spanish chillies grown near Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and they’re the easiest things in the world to prepare (they’re the ones pictured […]
Baked Vegetarian Kibbeh Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! I love the classic torpedo-shaped kibbeh that often appear as part of Lebanese meze, but baked kibbeh (bil sanieh means ‘in the pan’) is much quicker to make and more popular as a family meal. Lakteen means ‘trick’ in Arabic and […]
Salade Lyonnaise Salade Lyonnaise is one of my favourite starters and also makes a great light meal. I became addicted to it on a trip to Lyon where I had an excellent version at the bouchon La Meunière. As with all simple recipes, there’s a trick or two that take it from good to great, […]
Stuffed Vine Leaves (Dolmades) I enjoy rolling the filling into stuffed vine leaves, once you get started it’s quite meditative. Vine leaves come in large packs, which is just as well, as some will be too small or too large and some will tear. It’s worth making a big batch, so consider doubling the recipe […]
‘Nduja Strozzapreti Like ‘nduja?You’ll love my online Italian cooking class featuring the food of southern Italy! This very versatile recipe is built around Calabria’s fiery, spreadable salami called ‘nduja (see FAQ below); it’s available from most delis and my favourite is from Salumi Australia. I’ve made this dish without the chicory (just eggs) and without […]
