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.
Turkish Lentil Soup I lived on this delicious lentil soup when I was in Turkey for three months in 1988. My recipe is adapted from one that I had on the Black Sea coast made by a young lady called Zerrin. A Turkish friend translated for me as she told us how to make it […]
Vitello Tonnato This elegant Italian version of surf and turf hails from the north-western region of Piedmont. It is delicious, though when prepared correctly not particularly attractive, and its English description of ‘poached veal in tuna mayonnaise’ doesn’t do it justice at all! You have to wonder why anyone would want their veal to taste […]
Chilli sin Carne Chilli sin carne is my vegetarian play on the famous Texan dish, chilli con carne. Since there’s no carne (Spanish for ‘meat’), it’s ‘sin carne’ (without meat). The idea would be an abomination to any self-respecting Texan, so why not go a step further and serve it with brown rice – I […]
Pumpkin Soup Pumpkin soup is an Aussie classic, so quick and easy that it’s a staple on pub menus and family dinner tables across the land. I find many versions too sweet, so spice mine up with a dash of ginger and cumin and add tang with a swirl of Pepe Saya crème frâiche, though […]
Polenta Chips & Stracciatella Join my Small Group Food & Wine Tours of Northern Italy One of the things I love most about travel is discovering new foods, and the find of my first trip to Emilia-Romagna was the soft fresh cheese Squacquerone di Romagna. Guests on my Emilia-Romagna food and wine tour are just […]
Escarole Frittata I first tasted escarole (also called curly endive) when I was backpacking around Italy in the late ’80s and stayed with a family in Campania; my hostess showed me how to cook it with pine nuts and raisins. In Naples it’s often cooked with garlic, anchovies, capers and olives as a filling for […]
Vegetarian Lasagne I love this vegetarian twist on a classic lasagne, full of spring greens. It’s a bit messy to make, but delicious to eat; the ricotta mixture is much thicker than the béchamel sauce used in a traditional lasagne, so don’t worry that it doesn’t form a perfectly smooth layer – it all evens […]
Middle Eastern Zucchini Soup I love soup at any time of year – and fresh green veggie soups are so quick and easy. This is not a traditional Middle Eastern dish, just my take on zucchini soup. Cumin is one of my favourite spices and it adds a lovely fragrant earthiness to this soup, while […]
Artichoke & White Bean Dip This artichoke & white bean dip is a simple way to enjoy artichokes when you don’t want to go to all the fuss of trimming, removing leaves and scraping out chokes. Use good quality bottled artichokes, preferably stored in oil or acidulated water, not vinegar as that makes the taste […]
Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni Like this recipe?You’ll love my online Italian cooking class featuring the food of southern Italy! Spinach and ricotta cannelloni is an easy dish that can be prepared a few hours ahead of time, then just put in the oven at the last minute – perfect for casual entertaining. I use cannelloni […]
