Cheesemaker Giuseppe Minoia and his team at Vannella Cheese are as passionate about cheese as I am. They specialise in stretched curd, but also make superb ricotta from both cow milk and buffalo milk. Vannella Cheese is one of Australia’s great artisanal cheese producers.
Baked Scamorza with Salami I love cheeses that melt to a lovely soft texture without becoming oily, like Italian scamorza. Baked scamorza is a perfect quick dinner with salad and some sliced salumi. In Italy it’s often topped with prosciutto, but I prefer slices of Salumi Australia’s picante (chilli) or finocchietto (fennel) salami for something […]
Broad Bean Bruschetta Every meal at Lucio’s Paddington restaurant started with bruschetta, a slice of delicious toasted Italian bread, topped with a mound of something seasonal. I love using tender young broad beans during their short spring season; in summer it’s often diced ripe tomatoes; sliced sauteed mushrooms are wonderful in autumn; and in winter […]
Burratawith Tapenade I love stretched curd cheeses of every kind – including delicate, creamy burrata, the southern Italian cheese that’s a thin pouch of mozzarella filled with a rich blend of cream and fine strands of stringy fresh curd tied off with a knot. It makes a lovely presentation and, with a touch of tapenade […]
I love recipes that are so simple they’re hardly a recipe at all – where great produce and flavours shine and I don’t have to do too much. That’s what these simple fried cheese sandwiches are all about, especially served with this vibrant green sauce (which keeps for a week in the fridge and is […]
Bruschetta Caprese It’s good to eat with the seasons, but occasionally I want a touch of summer year-round … that’s when I call on a few of my favourite things and create this delicious bruschetta. Windy Hills Farm pots of living basil are the perfect way to use this summer herb year-round, Vannella’s small buffalo bocconcini […]
This is a great way to end a meal when you feel like something slightly sweet to nibble on but don’t want dessert. It’s inspired by a recipe in Lucio Galletto’s book Coastline, he makes his own ricotta, I cheat and use Vannella’s. It’s almost too simple to even be called a recipe … so […]
My cooking’s often inspired by what happens to be on hand, like some delicious Vannella ricotta leftover from a cooking class (thanks Giovanni) and a huge bunch of chives from a herb patch gone berserk … that’s how this dish came about. Giant pasta shells, called conchiglioni, are simple to fill and look impressive; they’re […]
Mozzarella Grilled in Lemon Leaves I discovered mozzarella grilled in lemon leaves on the Amalfi coast, where lemons are a way of life. It’s delicious and so very simple to make, especially if you (or a neighbour) have a lemon tree in the backyard. I’ve tried it with fresh fior di latte, but that’s a […]
I’ve always had a soft spot for this Tex-Mex snack, invented, as so many good things are, out of necessity. Asked to feed some hungry customers after the kitchen had closed, a Mexican cook called Ignacio (“Nacho” for short), fried strips of tortillas, melted cheese over them and topped them with pickled chillies. The simplest […]
I love the Greek pies spanakopita (spinach and cheese) and tiropita (cheese). Then recently I discovered this Greek leek and cheese pie, which might just be the most delicious of all. Prasopita is popular in Greece during Lent, when devout Orthodox Christians abstain from eating meat before Easter, but I’m happy to eat it year […]
