Whether you think of it as breakfast, brekkie, brunch or le petit-déjeuner, our first meal of the day is often the most culturally specific. And, especially taken a little later, a leisurely meal between breakfast and lunch time, or brunch, can be a fun way to entertain. Try these delicious brunch recipes.
Fresh Fruit with Spicy Thai Salt I was reminded of this classic Thai dish at Viand, when Annita Potter served a simple pre-dessert of pomelo segments alongside a little mound of ground salt, sugar, chilli and kaffir lime. I’ve bought sliced pineapple from Asian grocery stores with a little pod of the salt-sugar-chilli combo, but […]
Portuguese Rice Pudding Rice pudding is one of the most typical Portuguese desserts. It always makes an appearance at celebrations, from birthdays to weddings, and is usually decorated with a relevant motif sprinkled on top in cinnamon; initials or numbers are popular for birthdays, while hearts, flowers and simple lattices are also common – so […]
Turkish Breakfast I loved every meal in Turkey – but I think breakfast, kahvaltısı, was my favourite. Turkish breakfast is so different from what I grew up with and I never tired of it. Each morning, my travelling companions and I sat down to a plate of chopped cucumber and tomato (so fresh and ripe […]
Chestnut Rice Chestnuts are a favourite autumn food in Japan in both savoury and sweet dishes. At their simplest, yakiguri (roasted chestnuts) are sold to passers-by from mobile street stands just as they are in Europe. For something slightly more filling they’re combined with rice in this simple and delicious classic dish of kuri gohan. […]
Hamin Eggs with Cumin Salt I first tasted this dish in the mid ‘90s at Middle Eastern restaurant Fez in Darlinghurst, and it became my go-to breakfast dish. Years later I discovered that it’s the long slow cooking that gives hamin eggs their creamy texture and brown onion skins that add the beautiful colour. Find […]
Orange, Almond & Date Salad Once you discover how easy it is to segment an orange (see video below), you’ll be making this simple dessert regularly. Use vivid Persian pistachio slivers instead of almonds if you like (no need to toast them) or add some pitted olives, chopped parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper for […]
Aussie Solomon Gundy Get More Caribbean Inspiration Here! Solomon Gundy is a classic Jamaican spread (also called solomon-a-gundy) made from heavily salted herring so strongly smoked that the flesh turns a reddish brown (thus ‘red herrings’). The rather odd sounding name comes from the old-fashioned English term salmagundi, referring to a highly-seasoned dish made from […]
Indian Rice Pudding (Kheer) Called payasam or kheer, this rice pudding is one of the most typical southern Indian desserts and has as many variations as there are cooks. At its simplest, it’s rice simmered in milk with a pinch of sugar and spice, though it’s often flavoured with fruits, like mango or jackfruit, or […]
Saffron Poached Pears I love the simplicity of these saffron poached pears that chef Janni Kyritsis taught me to make many years ago. At MG Garage he served them alongside a delicate cardamom-scented blancmange made with yoghurt – I like them with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or dollop of Chantilly cream, or […]
Radishes with Cultured Butter Like this recipe? You’ll love my online French cooking class featuring the Food of Provence! I heard about this way of serving radishes many years ago, but it made no sense. Then one day I was served the most beautiful baby radishes with cultured butter and salt flakes – and it […]
