Silvia Colloca takes us back to her roots in Made in Italy, here her mother's village in Abruzzo and making maccheroni alla chitarra - photography by Carla Coulson and Chris Chen respectively
Made in Italy home
Musk Farm Slider
Stuart Rattle's Musk Farm gives us an insight into this gorgeous garden and property in Daylesford, Victoria - photography by Simon Griffiths and Earl Carter respectively
WKA Weekend Slider
Katie Quinn Davies is back with What Katie Ate: At the Weekend and more delicious recipes such as these Chocolate and sour cherry hotcakes
Whole Pantry Slider
Belle Gibson shares her healthy and tasty Sticky date puddings and Roast vegetables in The Whole Pantry - photography by Brent Parker Jones
Belle Gibson's Mushroom Burgers
Who said a burger needs meat or bread to be tasty? - Photo by Brent Parker Jones
Social media sensation Belle Gibson is the creator of the world’s first health, wellness and lifestyle app, The Whole Pantry and her first book has more than 80 new, delicious and nourishing plant-based recipes (gluten, dairy and corn free) aimed at nurturing the body.
Belle Gibson has a fantastic alternative to meat burgers in her book, The Whole Pantry. These are just as ‘meaty’ and filling as their beef counterparts, plus they’re delicious and so good for you. A great source of protein and brain food.
Mushroom burgers
Serves 4
8 large flat mushrooms (about 10 cm diameter)
½ cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 large roma (plum) tomatoes, thickly sliced
1 large (320 g) beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated
¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 avocados, stones removed, flesh diced
small handful mint leaves, chopped
1 Lebanese (short) cucumber, halved lengthways, seeded and coarsely grated
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line 3 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
- Brush each mushroom cap with oil and place, stem side up, on 2 of the lined trays. Season the stem sides of the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the thyme leaves and drizzle over half the remaining oil. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked through and still holding their shape.
- Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer on the remaining lined tray. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the remaining oil. Place in the oven when the mushrooms have been cooking for 15 minutes. Roast for 10–12 minutes or until softened.
- Meanwhile, place the beetroot in a glass or ceramic bowl. Stir through the vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain in a fine-meshed sieve, squeezing out the excess vinegar. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Place the avocado and mint in a bowl and lightly mash using the back of a fork. Season with salt and pepper then stir in the cucumber. Set aside.
- To assemble, place a mushroom, stem side up, on each serving plate. Use a wide spatula to carefully top each mushroom with 2 slices of tomato. Sprinkle over the grated beetroot, then top with a dollop of the avocado mixture and mint leaves. Finish with the remaining mushrooms, cap side up.
The Whole Pantry by Belle Gibson - Photography by Brent Parker Jones
Shed Slider
Simon Griffith's Shed takes us to such wonderful places around Australia as the Souris Shed and Daniel's Donkey Shed
Superhouse Slider
Karen McCartney's Superhouse features architectural marvels from around the world such as the Solo House in Cretas, Spain - photography by Richard Powers
Cook's Companion Slider
The 2014 update of Stephanie Alexander's trusty tome The Cook's Companion includes 70 brand new recipes - photography by Earl Carter
30 Days of Lantern Christmas
What we've revealed on our Christmas advent calendar so far!
If you've been following us on instagram lately, you'll know we couldn't wait until December to start peeking behind our Lantern advent calendar! There's plenty of great books just waiting to be wrapped up and given to those special people in your life.
We'll open up our Lantern advent calendar on instagram every day in November to reveal something for everybody because books never go out of style.
Here's what has been revealed on the Christmas tree from the first 5 days.
Day 1
The Art of Traditional Italian + The Art of Pasta by Lucio Galletto
Without an understanding of tradition, you cannot make real Italian food!
Lucio Galletto grew up in a village on the Ligurian coast of Italy, where his parents had a restaurant. In The Art of Traditional Italian, he celebrates La Cucina Italiana: the flavours, the history and the techniques of Italian cuisine, perfected over centuries. All your favourites are here – vitello tonnato, spring minestrone, risotto alla milanese, eggplant parmigiana, veal saltimbocca and tiramisu, along with many more classic dishes you'll wish you'd tried sooner.
This book is a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds – original artworks from some of Australia's finest artists accompany the recipes in this exciting collaboration between Lucio and the long-time friends whose art famously lines the walls of his Sydney restaurant, Lucio's. This is food from the heart – passionate, generous and authentic.
Day 2
Lantern Cookery Classics
Lantern is proud to publish many of Australia's most celebrated cooks and chefs.
Lantern Cookery Classics gathers timeless recipes from these much-loved authors in this new series of indispensable books for your kitchen bookshelf, and this convenient boxed set is perfect as a gift or to enhance your own collection.
Soon you'll be whipping up your favourite dishes from Stephanie Alexander, Maggie Beer, George Calombaris, Kylie Kwong, Gary Mehigan and Matt Moran.
Day 3
Superhouse by Karen McCartney
To Karen, the super house has nothing to do with size; instead, it is one that has a strong connection with nature, that goes well beyond the everyday, and that, through the sensitivity of both architect and client, is imbued with mindfulness. From Australia to Ireland, Italy to Morocco, she's found such spiritually uplifting places. Following interviews with many of the architects and owners, she discusses each house in detail; her informed and engaging text is matched by Richard Powers' striking photography. A must for anyone interested in architecture and design.
Day 4
A Food Lover's Pilgrimage to France + A Food Lover's Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela by Dee Nolan
Dee Nolan laces up her walking boots for more adventures of the cultural and culinary kind, this time retracing the footsteps of the early French pilgrims, who travelled to Santiago de Compostela in vast numbers. In this book, as in her previous book A Food Lover's Pilgrimage Along the Camino to Santiago de Compostela, she seamlessly weaves together her two great passions: the history and religious relics of the medieval pilgrimage and her keen appreciation of food and wine.
As Dee winds her way through the vineyards of Burgundy to the gastronomic capital of Lyon, across the vast Aubrac plateau of the Massif Central and through the fertile valleys of Quercy and Gascony, she discovers that 'what is old is new again'– not only are the ancient pilgrim paths enjoying a resurgence in popularity, but early farming methods are making a comeback and there's a renewed interest in regional produce and food traditions. Travelling at 'human pace' reminds her of the importance of connection - to our past and present, to the land we live on and the people we meet.
This captivating book unearths numerous treasures in the French countryside, from exquisite Romanesque churches to world-renowned wine and cheese caves, colourful local customs and food experiences of both the Michelin-starred and home kitchen variety.
Day 5
Garden Life by Richard Unsworth
Garden Life is a gardening book with soul, in which Richard Unsworth, leading landscape designer and co-owner of renowned outdoor store, Garden Life, shares his boundless enthusiasm for all things green.
This book showcases to-die-for gardens Richard has designed - from the grounds of a harbourside mansion to inner-city courtyard, from coastal retreat to suburban backyard - each one displaying his unique flair and flawless vision. He gives expert tips on incorporating features from his gardens into your own, and detailed advice on plant selection, including growing your own fruit and vegies. Equally passionate about the power of gardening to help us connect with one another, Richard also shares the garden journeys of the people he has met along the way.
A celebration of nature and her gifts, and of the joys and challenges of creating a beautiful garden, Garden Life will inspire and empower you to engage with your own outdoor space.
Weekend Ribs with Katie Quinn Davies
These baked ribs are sticky and delicious - perfect for sharing!
Hooray it's Friday! And what better way to celebrate the weekend then by cooking up some tasty ribs. This recipe comes from Katie Quinn Davies' new book What Katie Ate: At the Weekend – and it's one of her favourites. These are sticky and sweet and spicy and sour so cook them up and serve with some cold beers.
Chipotle, lime and jalapeno ribs
Serves 4
1.5 kg free-range baby back pork ribs
1 cup (250 ml) chipotle sauce
1 cup (250 ml) light agave nectar
finely grated zest of 4 limes
1 cup (250 ml) lime juice
3 jalapeno chillies, seeded and finely sliced
sea salt
lime wedges and coriander, to garnish
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then add the ribs and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming off any fat from the surface from time to time.
- Whisk together the chipotle sauce, agave nectar, lime zest and juice, chilli and a good pinch of salt in a bowl until combined.
- Place the ribs in a baking dish, cover with the sauce and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C fan-forced and roast for a further 1–1¼ hours, basting well every 15 minutes, or until the sauce is thick, glossy and caramelised.
- Serve hot with lime wedges to the side and coriander scattered on top.
No-knead Spelt pizza with soppressata and potatoes
Try this soppressata and potato pizza for breakfast! - Photography by Chris Chen
In her second cookbook, Made in Italy, Italian-born Silvia Colloca returns to the villages where she spent her childhood, in the regions of Abruzzo, Marche and Molise. Here she shares a recipe for pizza with potatoes and soppressata. Soppressata is a cured pork-based salami that has been squashed slightly and is therefore ‘pressato’ (flat); the spicing varies from place to place according to local tradition, and in Molise tends to vary from family to family. Very much like salami, it is eaten just as it is with local fresh bread – often as a morning snack.
No-knead Spelt pizza with soppressata and potatoes
Serves 6
1 1/3 cups (200 g) strong baker’s flour
1 1/3 cups (200 g) spelt flour
100 g wholemeal spelt flour
340 ml water
½ teaspoon dried yeast
pinch of sugar
salt flakes
1 medium potato, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1–3 sprigs rosemary (optional)
150 g thinly sliced soppressata (hot or mild, according to your liking)
Method
- Mix the flours, water and yeast together with a wooden spoon until combined. Add the sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and mix well – your mixture will look and feel quite sticky and does not require kneading. Cover the bowl with plastic film and prove the dough at room temperature for 10–14 hours or until it is bubbly, wet and considerably grown in size. At this point, you can use the dough as your pizza base or you can rest the bowl in the fridge, well covered with plastic film, for up to 5 days. The flavour and structure of the dough will improve the longer you slow-prove it.
- Preheat your oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- While the oven is heating, cook the sliced potato in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain gently, season with salt and set aside.
- Tip the dough onto the tray and spread it out with wet hands to the desired shape. Top with the softened potatoes, drizzle with the olive oil and add a little rosemary, if liked. Bake for 15 minutes, then add the soppressata and bake for a further 10–15 minutes or until the crust is caramel brown and the bottom is crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- When shaping the dough be mindful not to burst the air bubbles that have formed during the slow fermentation. These coveted air pockets hold the secret to a light-as-a-feather crust.
30 Days of Lantern Christmas
What we've revealed on our Christmas advent calendar so far!
If you've been following us on instagram lately, you'll know we couldn't wait until December to start peeking behind our Lantern advent calendar! There's plenty of great books just waiting to be wrapped up and given to those special people in your life.
We'll open up our Lantern advent calendar on instagram every day in November to reveal something for everybody because books never go out of style.
Here's what has been revealed on the Christmas tree recently.
Day 6
Love Italy by Guy Grossi
Join Guy Grossi as he travels around the gastronomic paradise that is Italy, tasting the best of Italian food and meeting the passionate artisans who produce it.
All the quintessential Italian ingredients are here, from parmesan to prosciutto, balsamic vinegar to buffalo mozzarella. Discover the wonderful characters behind the ingredients, and the traditional artisan methods that have been passed down through the generations.
Then cook your way through 150 recipes, including Slow-cooked veal shoulder with porcini, Bresaola with gorgonzola, honey and fennel, Artichoke tortellini with capers, lemon and olive oil, Crispy polenta chips with truffle mayonnaise and Vanilla panna cotta, strawberries and aged balsamic. This is irresistible, authentic Italian food you can make at home.
Love Italy is a warm, honest and joyful celebration of real food and real people. It is destined to become a classic cookbook and a must-have for any lover of Italian food and culture.
Photography by Mark Chew
Day 7
What Katie Ate: At the Weekendby Katie Quinn Davies
What Katie Ate: At the Weekend takes favourite recipes from Katie Quinn Davies' wildly successful blog, along with many never-seen-before recipes, and presents them in this gorgeous book filled with Katie's unique and beautiful photography. She shares her inspiring ideas for informal get-togethers, whether it be for a couple or a crowd. Entice your guests with Katie's refreshing take on flavour-packed pizzas, salads, tapas, cocktails and decadent desserts.
Photography by Katie Quinn Davies
Day 8
Design Your Life by Vince Frost
Design plays an essential role in our daily lives. You don't have to be a designer to design your life. But it doesn't hurt to have some professional help. It took designer Vince Frost more than 25 years as a professional to appreciate the power of the design process as a means for improving his life. 'If my design process brings value to me, perhaps it can bring value to others. Or, more radically, bring others to recognise their own value.' This book will not solve your problems. You have to do that yourself. But this book will inspire you to work better at living better.
Day 9
Favourites: Over 100 Recipes to Cook at Home by Gary Mehigan
Masterchef Australia co-judge Gary Mehigan lives and breathes food. This book is the result of Gary's ongoing food obsession: a collection of his favourite recipes garnered from thirty years in the industry. It includes treasured treats from his childhood in England, classics from his early cooking career in London, diverse dishes inspired by MasterChef Australia, as well as the comforting family meals he cooks for his wife and daughter at home. All the easy-to-follow recipes in this book make the best of fresh, in-season ingredients, and are set to become your favourites too!
Photography by John Laurie
Day 10
Matt's Kitchen Garden Cookbook by Matt Moran
Acclaimed chef Matt Moran shares his passion for local produce with this stunning collection of recipes.
Inspired by the market garden at his Sydney restaurant Chiswick, as well as time spent visiting producers all around Australia for his TV series Paddock to Plate, Matt dishes up a mouth-watering selection of recipes with this trademark deft touch and winning flavour combinations. Try the fresh, palate-sharpening pickled vegetables and dukkah or seared kingfish with radish, avocado and wasabi to start with, then tuck into slow-cooked lamb with hummus, tomato salad and mint salsa. For sweet treats, look no further than apricot and rosemary tarts or berries and meringue with passionfruit curd.
Photography by Ben Dearnley
Day 11
The Cook's Companion by Stephanie Alexander
The Cook's Companion has established itself as the kitchen 'bible' in over 500,000 homes since it was first published in 1996. This 2014 revision includes two major new chapters, two expanded chapters, 70 new recipes and a complete revision of the text to reflect changes in the marketplace and new regulations. Stephanie believes that good food is essential to living well: her book is for everyone, every day. She has invaluable information about ingredients, cooking techniques and kitchen equipment, along with inspiration, advice and encouragement and close to 1000 failsafe recipes.
Photography by Earl Carter
Day 12
Delicious Days in Paris: Walking Tours to Explore the City's Food and Culture by Jane Paech
Romantic, mouth-watering Paris – where do you start?
Let food-lover and Paris expert Jane Paech show you around the city's mille-feuille of history and culture, with its tempting pastry and chocolate shops on every corner. You'll visit both legendary and little-known cafés, restaurants and pâtisseries of Paris, and see museums, art galleries, gardens, markets and other interesting places – all at a civilised pace, with time to daydream. Taste camembert, champagne, strawberry tarts, meringues and macarons on Jane's fourteen themed walks.
Creating the Superhouse Book
Karen McCartney, author of Superhouse.
Superhouse: Architecture and Interiors Beyond the Everyday is the new book by Karen McCartney, who has a wealth of experience in the areas of design, art and architecture. Today she talks about how her new book came about and some of the amazing houses that are on display.
Superhouse, as a concept came about through a discussion with my publisher over lunch and we agreed, there and then, what a good title it was.
But of course, being a Libran, and prone to indecision, it wasn’t long before the positives of the title began to drift into negative territory and I worried that it sounded superficial, flash and just too damn moneyed. So I wrote a definition of what ‘super’ meant to me in this context. This was my outline.
‘A super house is one that delivers a 360-degree completeness of form, its exterior and interior have a seamless execution and, above all else, it is awe-inspiring. This quality can be elicited from the perfection of its natural setting, a remarkable use of materials; an exceptional level of craft, groundbreaking innovation or a use of space that lifts the spirit. All the houses chosen will be beautiful and possess a quality that sets them distinctively apart from the everyday. A strong connection with nature would provide the choice of projects with a necessary thread of coherence.’ So while each house had to deliver ‘beyond normal’ it also had to possess qualities that superseded those that money alone could buy.
While I had written two books on iconic Australian houses it didn’t quite prepare me for the experience of going global. It is one thing to pick up the telephone to an architect in your own country and arrange a photo shoot – it is quite another to spend weeks trawling the internet for houses you think hit the mark (it is surprising how many are good, and how few are great). Of course, the criteria is different to every person but I knew that I had to source extraordinary places – where the sense of living differently was marked – whether it was an English castle, a house embedded in rock in the San Juan Islands in the USA or a tiny woodland cottage in Ballarat, Victoria.
‘Did you visit to them all?’ people ask – wide-eyed at the prospect of all that global travel. While the answer is, no I didn’t, I did get to many and, if not me, directly in some instances I sent a proxy. My husband David Harrison was travelling to the Milan Furniture Fair and interviewed the amazing designer Piero Lissoni on my behalf and then he arranged for David to see the Monza Loft. I did get to the USA, Spain, the UK, Belgium, Switzerland, New Zealand and, of course, all the houses here in Australia. The architects are an interesting bunch often practising globally - hence there are examples of Chilean architects are working in Spain and Parisians working in Morocco. They were all incredibly generous with their time and thoughtful with their responses to my endless questions.
Richard Powers, the photographer, did travel to every house capturing their awe-inspiring qualities in beautiful poetic light, showing their context in nature and detailing their interiors.
The next stage was to sit down with Lantern designer Evi Oetomo and work through every chapter to ensure the flow of photographs told the story of the house and made sense in conjunction with the words. After all the work – 26 months after the initial conversation – of following the process closely every step of the way, knowing every caption and every drawing intimately, it still felt like wonderful surprise to hold the physical book in my hands. The cover has this tremendous silky tactility and the image feels rich and three-dimensional. That’s what happens when a great team of people work together.
Here I have chosen some images that sum up for me so much of what was extraordinary about the process of the creation of the book.
This holiday house, by Chilean architect duo Peso von Ellrichshausen, is set in the remarkable landscape of north-eastern Spain. It is something of a concrete monument where all the living is on the four verandas, with tremendous 360-degree views, and a swimming pool located in the middle of the house.
My friend Alex and I travelled to Spain, staying in the nearby medieval town of Cretas before setting off in our tiny car to visit Solo house. Of course we had directions, and of course we got in trouble – driving on an increasingly rough and narrowing track with brambles scratching the side of the car. We could see the house – we just couldn’t get there. It must have been rather a strange sight, from any of the verandas, to see this little car darting about in the dense vegetation – clearly lost. We did eventually get there, climb the 197 steps to the entrance and experience the full-on drama of the space.
This house was important to me because it is in Ireland, and in all my years growing up there I didn’t ever experience architecture with this kind of spare, modernist beauty. For me, Ireland was about low thatched cottages, Georgian Dublin and red-brick Victorian Belfast. The Goulding Summerhouse was designed by Ireland’s foremost architects, Scott Tallon Walker, who changed the architectural language of the country, pulling it into the twentieth century.
Vincent Van Duysen is a Belgian architect I have long admired for his ability to draw out the inherent beauty in an existing space and add new sympathetic elements with their own contemporary language. I interviewed Vincent in the kitchen of this house and the generous owners kindly cooked us lunch – a rare experience. Shown here is the hallway leading to a summer sitting room with its restrained furniture choices and great art.
This is one of my favourite houses in the book. Designed in 1967 by Pritzker prize-winning Brazilian architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, it is a most beautiful sun-lit house with its articulated windows, patterned Portuguese floor tiles and great furniture. The new owner, who owns a high-end home wares store in Sao Paulo, Mi Casa, has restored it and decorated it with his eclectic taste in furnishings to give this magnificent place genuine character and warmth.
Paul Morgan’s Trunk House is a great example of one of those houses where the footprint is small but the ideas are expansive. We photographed the house on a winter’s day and it was very necessary to have the little wood burning stove going full pelt.
There is a tremendous focus on the relationship to the surrounding trees to the degree that they are integrated into the building forming supports for the curved verandah.
I visited Barton Myers and his wife Vicki at their house in Santa Barbara in April of last year. My daughter and I were staying in the Chateau Marmont, because I thought it might be the only time in our lives we could do it (and yes I did spot Charlotte Rampling) and drove the hour and a half outside metro LA, travelling partially along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway to the beautiful setting of the house at Toro Canyon. Fire prevention measures dictate many of the design considerations from the reflecting pools of water to the water-filled cacti that populate the garden. I interviewed Barton Myers after he had finished sweeping the concrete deck. He used to be in the navy, his wife Vicki explained, and old habits die hard.
Superhouse: Architecture and Interiors Beyond the Everyday by Karen McCartney - Photography by Richard Powers
30 Days of Lantern Christmas
What we've revealed on our Christmas advent calendar so far!
If you've been following us on instagram lately, you'll know we couldn't wait until December to start peeking behind our Lantern advent calendar! There's plenty of great books just waiting to be wrapped up and given to those special people in your life.
We'll open up our Lantern advent calendar on instagram every day in November to reveal something for everybody because books never go out of style.
Here's what has been revealed on the Christmas tree recently.
Day 13
French for Everyone by Manu Feildel
After a recent trip to his homeland, Australia's best-loved French chef, Manu Feildel, was inspired by a way of life that values the quality of food, and the importance of sharing it around a table each day.
If you think cooking French food involves tricky techniques and long lists of ingredients, you'll love these easy dishes. From Manu's take on vol au vents, quiche and crepes, to perfect steak with red-wine and little chocolate pots for dessert, Manu shows you how to enjoy cooking French food at home every day.
Photography by Ben Dearnley
Day 14
Utterly Delicious Simple Food by Belinda Jeffery
Belinda Jeffery's instinctive cooking style responds to the seasons. With this in mind she has divided her latest cookbook into recipes to suit the time of year.
In this wonderful new collection, Belinda offers all the culinary inspiration you will need to see the year through.
Photography by Rodney Weidland
Day 15
The Garden at Stonefields by Paul Bangay
This is celebrated landscape designer Paul Bangay's inspirational story of creating Stonefields, one of Australia's most beautiful country gardens. The Garden at Stonefields reveals the triumphs and trials of designing and building this extraordinary house and garden – Paul's most challenging and personal project yet. Photographed by Paul's long-time collaborator Simon Griffiths, the stunning photos reveal the evolution of the site from conception to completion, and capture the unique beauty of each area of the garden.
Photography by Simon Griffiths
Day 16
MoVida Solera by Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish
Frank meets the food and wine producers, farmers, fishermen, chefs and cooks who share the recipes they have cooked in their kitchens for generations. Along the way, he takes in riotous spring festivals, lively markets and peaceful sherry bodegas, and reveals his favourite places to eat, drink and stay. From an olive picker's breakfast to cuttlefish in saffron sauce and the smoky lamb skewers called pinchitos morunos, MoVida Solera is a celebration of Andalusian food and culture.
Photography by Alan Benson
Day 17
Mangia! Mangia! Gatherings by Teresa Oates and Angela Villella
Teresa Oates and Angela Villella are passionate in their quest to preserve the customs and vibrant food culture of their parents' native Calabria, and to introduce new generations to the joys of simple, generous cooking with the freshest produce.
In their first, bestselling book, Mangia! Mangia!, they celebrated home-style southern Italian food and their families' life-affirming seasonal food rituals. Mangia! Mangia! Gatherings is all about accogliarsi, the spirit of coming together that permeates the lives of those in this close-knit community, and the traditional recipes that embody this spirit.
Photography by Simon Griffiths
Day 18
Stuart Rattle's Musk Farm Foreword by Paul Bangay
In 1998 Australian designer Stuart Rattle purchased the dilapidated Musk schoolhouse and surrounding grounds. Over the following few decades it was to become his most enduring project – a true labour of love, with every detail of the buildings and grounds carefully considered. A sanctuary where Rattle could freely express his own taste. Now, this tribute to the much-loved designer takes you through every room and garden, with stunning photography by Earl Carter and Simon Griffiths. A beautiful memento of an extraordinary person.
Photography by Earl Carter and Simon Griffiths
Day 19
Grandiflora Celebrations by Saskia Havekes
Flowers provide that special something that can take an event into the realms of the extraordinary, and internationally renowned florist Saskia Havekes has helped create some of our most spectacular celebrations, from weddings, birthdays and Valentine's Day gifts to fashion shows, gala dinners and the Logie Awards. In Grandiflora Celebrations, you are invited to explore behind the scenes as she prepares arrangements in beautiful private homes and public spaces.
Day 20
Dessert Divas by Christine Manfield
Welcome to the pleasure dome! Desserts are all about pleasure – and what's life if there isn't pleasure?
Acclaimed chef Christine Manfield believes that desserts should appeal to all the senses. They should be utterly seductive, ethereal and delicious, with aesthetics that capture your imagination. Desserts must also be big on personality, which is why she has christened this collection Dessert Divas – they are dramatic showgirls!
Photography by Anson Smart
Shed by Simon Griffiths
The first sheds Simon Griffiths can remember were his grandfather's, on the farm he owned in the western district of Victoria.
Australia is a land of sheds; it doesn't matter where you go, there they are – country, city, the outback, the coast, the mountains; there's always a shed. A place of retreat, where we can forget the pressures of everyday life, work on a treasured project, store all those keepsakes we can't bear to throw away, or spend time with friends or with ourselves in silent meditation.
Simon Griffiths travelled around the country photographing Australia's intriguing sheds and has gathered them all together in his new book Shed. We've picked out some of our favourites to showcase on the blog.
30 Days of Lantern Christmas
What's been revealed on the Lantern advent tree this week?
The weeks are just flying by! If you've been following us on instagram lately, you'll know we couldn't wait until December to start peeking behind our Lantern advent calendar! There's plenty of great books just waiting to be wrapped up and given to those special people in your life.
We'll open up our Lantern advent calendar on instagram every day in November to reveal something for everybody because books never go out of style.
Here's what has been revealed on the Christmas tree recently.
Day 21
Food Fashion Love and Food Fashion Friends by Fleur Wood
Tumble down the rabbit hole and into the wild and whimsical world of Fleur Wood, one of Australia's leading fashion designers and an enthusiastic home cook. Discover what inspires, motivates and sustains her, from flower-scented baths and tisanes to old-fashioned portraits, love-heart lockets and food with soul. Fleur shares her knowledge and passion for all things vintage and offers a window into the creative processes that drive her covetable collections. Indulge your senses with fabulous fashion, cutting-edge style and plenty of mouth-watering recipes in this visual feast from the immensely creative and talented Fleur Wood.
Day 22
Shed and Shack by Simon Griffiths
The Shed: A place of retreat, where we can forget the pressures of everyday life, work on a treasured project, store all those keepsakes we can't bear to throw away, or spend time with friends or with ourselves in silent meditation.
Photography by Simon Griffiths
Day 23
Simple Chinese Cooking and Kylie Kwong's Simple Chinese Cooking Class by Kylie Kwong
Cooking Chinese food at home has never been easier – all you need is this book, a wok and a quick trip to the supermarket.
Kylie Kwong's philosophy is to use the freshest produce and cook it simply to make the most of the clean flavours. All the necessary ingredients are available at your supermarket and Kylie's recipes are friendly and straightforward. In no time, you'll be cooking everyday favourites like soy sauce chicken and sung choi bau on weeknights and fresh-tasting button mushroom salad and prawn wonton soup for weekend occasions.
Day 24
Kitchen by Mike by Mike McEnearney
Kitchen by Mike is all about creating a shared experience around wholesome, generous and responsibly sourced food.With a mission to make good food available to all-comers, Mike's first book is full of his signature market-fresh recipes with unmatched depth of flavour. Generous with his knowledge, Mike also shares the secrets behind Kitchen by Mike's sensational house-made bread and fresh cheeses, and the joys of a well-stocked larder, fridge and freezer.
Photography by Alan Benson
Day 25
Heirloom Vegetables: A Guide to Their History and Varieties by Simon Rickard
In this lively, passionate and at times political introduction to the world of heirloom vegetables, gardener Simon Rickard describes the history of many of his favourite varieties, encourages you to get growing yourself, and explains why he believes edible gardening is so important to our future - and the future of the planet.
Photography by Simon Rickard
Day 26
The Whole Pantry by Belle Gibson
Social media sensation Belle Gibson is the creator of the world's first health, wellness and lifestyle app, The Whole Pantry – chosen by Apple as Best App of 2013 in the Food and Drink category.
Now Belle brings us her first book, with more than 80 new, delicious and nourishing plant-based recipes (gluten, dairy and corn free) aimed at nurturing the body, including healthy versions of old favourites such as lasagne, burgers and black forest cake. As part of Belle's 'whole life' philosophy, she passes on a wealth of information on how to live a healthier life, with support on everything from natural beauty and superfoods to detoxing.
Photography by Brett Parker Jones
Corrections - Made in Italy
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING REVISIONS:
Mostaccioli - Honey, chocolate and nutmeg cookies, page 264
Please add ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg with the other spices in step 1 of the method.
Silvia Collocca Berkelouw Books
Writers live - SIlvia Colloca introduces Made in Italy
In her new cookbook Silvia Colloca shares family stories and recipes that are close to her heart, showing how fresh seasonal ingredients can be transformed into something truly exceptional. You are invited to meet Silvia when she introduces her new book Made in Italy at Berkelouw Books Mona Vale. Cost is $ 9.00, $5.00 of which will be credited against any purchases on the evening. Bookings are essential.
Bookings Eventbrite
P 9979 2112
Silvia Colloca introduces Made in Italy
Silvia Colloca returns to her roots in Made in Italy - Photographs by Carla Coulson
Silvia Colloca’s new book, Made in Italy has just come out! And she'll be signing copies at Berkelouw Books, Mona Vale. Made in Italy ties in with Silvia’s debut television series which premiers on SBS ONE at 8pm tonight.
In her new book, Italian-born Silvia Colloca returns to the village where she spent her childhood, in the picturesque regions of Marche, Abruzzo and Molise.
Silvia re-unites with family and close friends to celebrate the incredible array of fresh local produce, the regional variations and the resulting local cuisine. With her trademark warmth and good humour, she shares family stories and recipes that are close to her heart, showing how fresh seasonal ingredients can be transformed into something truly exceptional.
Come along if you'd like to hear some of her wonderful stories first-hand and grab a signed copy of Made in Italy.
When: 6.30pm, Thursday 4 December
Where: Berkelouw Books, Mona Vale, Sydney
Cost: $9 ($5 will be credited against any purchases on the evening)
RSVP essential or call 02 9979 2112 to reserve your place.
Made in Italy with Silvia Colloca by Silvia Colloca - Food photography by Chris Chen, location photography by Carla Coulson