Provençale Omelette Provençal omelettes tend to be open-faced rather than the folded omelettes found elsewhere in France. They’re also often hearty with stronger flavours typical of Provençal cuisine – and they’re a great way to use up leftovers such as ratatouille. I love a soft red, like the Father’s Milk pinot noir/gamay blend from Gentle […]
Cicciones with Pork Ragu I love the chewy texture of cicciones with pork ragu. The name of this rustic Sardinian pasta means ‘little fat ones’, which is so appropriate! This is the same pasta dough used to make lombrichi, the ‘worm-shaped’ Sardinian pasta you’ll see on the video below. The full-flavoured Serra Lori rosato, made […]
Bucatini all’Amatriciana I love tomato, cheese and all things quick and easy, so I’m not sure why it took me so long to try my hand at bucatini all’Amatriciana, one of Italy’s classic pasta dishes. Perhaps it’s because guanciale (cured pork cheek) can be tricky to find – so when I discovered Salumi Australia’s guanciale […]
Fettuccine Bolognese Slow-cooked meat sauces, called ragùs, are made all over Italy, though the best known comes from Bologna in Emilia-Romagna and is the ancestor of Australia’s beloved ‘spag bol’. Not that it would ever be served with dried spaghetti in Emilia-Romagna where fresh egg pastas, like tagliatelle and fettuccine, are more typical. There are […]
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 […]
Lamb Kefta & Egg Tagine My lamb kefta and egg tagine recipe is inspired by a dish from Moroccan chef Hassan M’Souli who served a his version at Manly restaurant Out of Africa. I love eggs and I love the way this dish looks with them cooking in the sauce as it arrives at the […]
Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni 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 Barilla cannelloni tubes that don’t need to be cooked before filling, the moisture from the sauce […]
Ratatouille This versatile Provençal dish is delicious hot or cold, as a standalone vegetarian meal, or an accompaniment to grilled meat, poultry or seafood. There aren’t any hard and fast rules, it’s a quick, one-pot combination of eggplant, capsicum, onion, tomato, and usually zucchini, in whatever quantities you have on hand. Some people insist on […]
Eggplant Parmigiana Despite the name, which suggests a connection with the northern Italian town of Parma, Eggplant Parmigiana is typically southern Italian. It’s traditional to Naples and the surrounding countryside, which is famous for the delicate fresh mozzarella made from buffalo milk (I use one from Vannella Cheese), and also popular in Calabria and Sicily. […]
Spice-rubbed Lamb Backstrap This quick spice rub adds real punch to any red meat. I sometimes serve spice-rubbed lamb backstrap with instant couscous tossed with slivered almonds, finely diced preserved lemon, chopped green olives, chives, salt and olive oil, but if I’m short on time plain steamed rice is good too. And in the glass, […]
