Love Italy ABDA 14
Love Italy ABDA 14 People's Choice
101 ABDA 14
Jamie Durie ABDA 14
Collette ABDA 14
Big Apple ABDA 14
Frank Camorra SSS
Seafood Class with Frank Camorra, author of MoVida Solera
Frank has set the benchmark for Spanish food in Australia with his MoVida restaurants and bars. Learn some delicious seafood dishes from Australia’s leading Spanish chef at this hands-on lunch workshop.
SSS Basics
Seafood Basics with the Sydney Seafood School Cookbook
Want to gain more confidence in handling fish and shellfish plus take home the gorgeous Sydney Seafood School Cookbook with over 80 delicious seafood recipes from Australia’s leading chefs? At this hands-on dinner class you’ll learn how to choose, prepare and cook fish, crustaceans, bivalves and squid, then sit down to a delicious seafood meal. Class fee includes a copy of the Sydney Seafood School Cookbook (RRP $49.99).
Absolutely Beautiful Interior Design Tips
Anna Spiro has inspiration and advice for adding beauty to your home in Absolutely Beautiful Things - Photographs by Sharyn Cairns and Felix Forest
In Absolutely Beautiful Things, successful designer Anna Spiro shows you how to create an interior that’s just right for you. To her, it's all about the mix, not the match, and, with her help, you'll find beauty in unexpected places. She’ll give you the confidence to put together a layered and very individual home using elements you love, and make you see your old belongings in a new light.
As well as lavish photographs of rooms Anna has created, she shares many of her secrets from a life in decorating, gives practical details on how to work with pattern and colour, and provides a room-by-room guide to furniture choice. We’ve selected some tips from her book and some of the beautiful shots, to get you inspired to redecorate or just try something new in your home.
Absolutely Beautiful Things by Anna Spiro - Photography by Sharyn Cairns and Felix Forest
Vegan and Gluten-free Vanilla 'Cheesecake'
This vegan and gluten-free Vanilla 'Cheesecake' is simply irresistible - Photo by Brent Parker Jones
Beat the heat with this fresh, summery and healthy (believe it or not!) cheesecake from The Whole Pantry by Belle Gibson. Soaked cashews are blitzed with coconut cream and a touch of maple syrup to make a divine creamy 'cheese' filling, while chopped sunflower seeds and coconut oil combine to make an earthy, nourishing base. Studded with antioxidant-laden berries, this ticks all the boxes.
Vanilla 'Cheesecake'
Serves 12
2 cups (300 g) raw cashews
1 cup (150 g) sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cups (115 g) shredded coconut
1/4 cup (60 ml) rice malt syrup
1 tablespoon melted virign coconut oil
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) coconut cream
1/2 cup (125 ml) melted coconut oil, extra
1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or paste
125 g fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
125 g fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
extra fresh berries or fruit, to serve
Method
- Place the cashews in a bowl, cover with plenty of fresh water and set aside for 6–8 hours to soak. Drain and rinse well.
- Line the base of a 20 cm springform cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
- Process the sunflower seeds and shredded coconut in a blender or food processor for about 30 seconds or until coarsely chopped. Add the rice malt syrup, coconut oil and salt and pulse until combined and the mixture clings together when pressed with your fingertips. Press firmly into the base of the lined tin. Refrigerate until required.
- Blend the drained cashews, coconut cream, extra coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a blender for 2–3 minutes or until very smooth.
- Arrange the raspberries and blueberries over the sunflower seed base. Pour over the cashew filling and smooth the surface. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, until firm. If you need to speed things up, place in the freezer for 2–3 hours to set. Serve topped with extra berries or fruit.
Tips: Using a blender rather than a food processor will give you a finer, creamier filling. Coating your measuring cup lightly in coconut oil will help the maple syrup glide out easily when you add it to the mixture, so you won’t waste any!
Italian Joy
Italian Joy is a photographic journey of Carla Coulson's new life in Italy, now available in paperback.
Carla Coulson left her glamorous inner-city apartment, successful business and designer wardrobe to go looking for love and adventure. Her first stop was Italy and she still hasn't left. The paperback release of her photographic journey, Italian Joy, explores her immersion in Italian culture: tasting the food, learning the language, meeting the people and exploring the country. Carla's evocative text and rich photographs bring alive the laughter, warmth and passion of Italy. We meet the people who have embraced her; we see the streets, bars, churches and markets that have enchanted her; and we feel her gioia (joy). Italian Joy will make you yearn to follow in Carla's footsteps and discover the true beauty of life in a magical place.
Salad Days
Crunchy and delicious, this Salad Nicoise is a perfect summer meal. - Photo by Anson Smart
In these long summer months, it's never fun to be tied to the kitchen stove. So why not toss together a salad for dinner and enjoy the weather while it lasts! You could try this Salad Nicoise from Salades by Damien Pignolet. He says 'there should never be any cooked vegetables used since it is actually an hors d’oeuvre based on what the French call crudites or raw vegetables'.
The soul of a great salade nicoise is, of course, using the best flavoured tomatoes available. The old nicois folk salted firm tomatoes before they began preparing the other vegetables. This technique develops the full flavour but has the disadvantage of rendering the tomatoes on the soft side and not looking really fresh, although the flavour is so much better. While the other vegetables chosen may vary with what is in season there are a few essentials such as green peppers, cucumbers and black olives. Sliced raw globe artichoke hearts and very tiny raw podded broad beans may be included when available. As to using lettuce, again this is not traditional so it is up to individual taste. Very small or torn cos leaves provide some texture and torn red oak-leaf lettuce adds some colour.
This salad is best presented on a deep platter so leave adding the dressing and tossing until your beautiful salade niçoise is on the table. I adore this dish as the colours and aroma transport me to the sunny shores of southern France.
Salad Nicoise
Serves 6
3–4 eggs, at fridge temperature
8 tomatoes, cored, cut into 2 cm thick slices
sea salt
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 green peppers, cut into thin matchsticks
4 spring onions, white part only, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal
2 small Lebanese cucumbers, peeled (optional) and very finely sliced
120 g small black olives, rinsed and dried with paper towel
torn lettuce (such as cos or red oak-leaf), washed and dried
250–300 g tuna in oil (preferably Ortiz red label or Crespi), drained well
10 anchovy fillets (preferably Ortiz brand), drained well, cut lengthwise into 2–3 pieces
12 basil leaves
VINAIGRETTE
120 ml best-quality extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons tarragon vinegar or Banyuls vinegar, or to taste
Method
- Prick the eggs with a pin, then cook in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 minutes. Refresh under cold running water until cold. Shell and cut into quarters.
- Place the tomato in a colander, then sprinkle with sea salt. Leave for 15–20 minutes, then gently pat dry with paper towel.
- Rub a platter with the garlic and season it lightly. Arrange the tomato, pepper, spring onion, cucumber, olives, lettuce (if using), egg, flaked tuna and anchovies on the platter so that the various colours contrast with each other. Gently tear the basil and scatter over the salad.
- To make the vinaigrette, mix the ingredients, adding enough salt, pepper and vinegar to your taste, and distribute evenly over the salad. Toss gently so that the ingredients are anointed evenly.
Salades by Damien Pignolet - Photography by Anson Smart
KBM Gourmand
Mangia! Gatherings Gourmand
Phillippa's Gourmand
Maggie's Kitchen
From Maggie Beer's own kitchen come 120 favourite recipes she has shared with her television audience, as well as the everyday basics Maggie believes form the foundations of a good food life. With her trademark warmth and finely honed knowledge, Maggie shows us how to get the best out of our ingredients so that every meal is as memorable as it is simple to prepare.
Featuring the seasonal produce that has become synonymous with the name Maggie Beer - sweet quinces, verjuice, Barossa chooks and extra virgin olive oil - this collection will remind us daily of the joys of cooking and the pleasures of the table.
Cauliflower with Toasted Crumbs
If the mark of being vegetarian was based on a love of vegetables, then I’d be one (I just have trouble leaving out the meat, offal, poultry and fish!). For some reason I’ve never successfully grown cauliflowers, so luckily I get the chance to buy small heads from our Saturday-morning Barossa Farmers’ Markets during winter, which is their season. Cauliflower is a vegetable I enjoy so much that I feel it actually needs nothing more than a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a smattering of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to be utterly delicious. But if you want to serve cauli as a dish in its own right then go the extra mile, as I’ve done here, by adding the crunch of breadcrumbs and the pungent saltiness of anchovies.
Method
- Blanch cauliflower in a saucepan of boiling salted water, then remove with a slotted spoon. Blanch garlic cloves in the same pan for 5 minutes, then drain and peel.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan over low heat, then sauté garlic for 7 minutes or until golden and almost cooked through. Remove and set aside. Add remaining olive oil, lemon thyme and cauliflower florets to the pan and cook over medium heat for 4–5 minutes or until cauliflower is golden and cooked through. Add breadcrumbs and cook, stirring until golden and crisp, then add anchovies, parsley and garlic and stir to combine.
- Add grated pecorino, then serve.
1 small head cauliflower, cut into 2 cm florets
1 head garlic, cloves separated
1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon thyme leaves
1½ cups coarse sourdough breadcrumbs (made from about ½ loaf)
1 × 45 g tin anchovies, drained
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup grated pecorino, to serve
Chicken Braised with Figs, Honey and Vinegar
Here is another of those one-pot dishes that your family and friends will love. The trick is to use a shallow baking dish so that the ingredients come almost to the top of the dish; that way, when you drizzle the chicken skin with honey it will caramelise beautifully as so much more of it is exposed to the heat than if cooked in a deeper dish. If figs aren’t available, then add par-cooked and peeled baby onions tossed with vinegar, raisins and rosemary instead, to keep in tune with the lovely sweet-sour flavours of the dish.
I like to serve this with grilled semolina, however, the semolina needs to be cooked at least 2–3 hours in advance (or the day before) and chilled in the refrigerator until firm before char-grilling. If you don’t have the time for this, then serve the chicken with boiled waxy potatoes or some creamy soft polenta instead.
Method
- If you plan to serve this with grilled semolina, then bring milk, water and bay leaf to the boil over high heat in a saucepan, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Strain into a heavy-based saucepan, discard-ing bay leaf, then bring to the boil again. Reduce heat to low. Slowly pour in semolina and add salt, then whisk continuously to combine for 4–5 minutes, ensuring there are no lumpy bits. Grease a baking dish with olive oil, then pour semolina mixture into the dish. Cover with plastic film and leave to set in the refrigerator for at least 2–3 hours.
- Preheat fan-forced oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then add onions, thyme and rosemary and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Transfer to a shallow flameproof baking dish. Quickly sauté fig halves in the frying pan and transfer to onion mixture in baking dish.
- Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and place on top of onions and figs, then add cinnamon, stock, verjuice, vinegar and lemon zest. Drizzle with honey, then bake for 30–35 minutes or until chicken is cooked, basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove from oven and transfer chicken and figs to a dish to rest; keep warm. Simmer pan juices over high heat until reduced and syrupy.
- If you’ve prepared the semolina, then cut it on the diagonal into 7 cm pieces. Lightly dust each piece with flour, then heat a splash of olive oil and a knob of butter in a char-grill pan over high heat and cook semolina pieces for 2 minutes on each side or until warmed through and grill marks appear.
- Return chicken and figs to sauce, then drizzle with olive oil and scatter with parsley, if using. Serve at once with grilled semolina, if desired.
extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
2 red onions, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons chopped lemon thyme
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
4 large ripe figs, halved
4 large Barossa or other corn-fed chicken marylands (thigh and drumstick joints), thighs and drumsticks separated
sea salt
1 stick cinnamon
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup verjuice
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
zest of 1 lemon, removed in wide strips with a potato peeler
2 tablespoons honey
chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional), to serve
GRILLED SEMOLINA (OPTIONAL)
2 cups milk
2 cups water
1 fresh bay leaf
1 cup instant semolina
1 teaspoon salt
plain flour, for dusting
extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
unsalted butter, for cooking
Passionfruit Parfait
This recipe is inspired by Martin Boetz of Longrain restaurant, a talented Sydney chef and a truly lovely person. I first met him years ago when I cooked at a fund-raising dinner for breast cancer research in Sydney. My friend Alex Herbert (who worked at the Pheasant Farm restaurant during its last six months) arrived on the night with Martin in tow and we each had to cook a course for three hundred people – a tall order at any time, but the camaraderie made it fun and helped us to get through it. Ever since, I’ve followed Martin’s career. I took inspiration for this directly from him, but added some changes of my own so it can be made without an ice cream machine. Thank you Martin!
Method
- Bring coconut milk and cream to the boil in a heavy-based saucepan, then set aside.
- Beat egg yolks and sugar with hand-held electric beaters until pale and thick, then pour coconut and cream mixture over egg mixture and whisk until combined. Pour mixture into a clean heavy-based saucepan and heat it gently over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon for a few minutes or until it coats the back of the spoon. Don’t allow the mixture to boil as it will curdle. Pour the mixture into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
- Stir passionfruit pulp into the chilled mixture, then transfer to a 1 litre baking dish, place in the freezer and leave to freeze. Stir occasionally so that the custard becomes creamy and frozen without forming lumps.
- Serve scoops of parfait in bowls or glasses.
1 cup coconut milk
100 ml pouring cream
4 free-range egg yolks
90 g caster sugar
150 ml passionfruit pulp (from 8–10 passionfruit)
Amina's Home Cooking
MasterChef favourite Amina Elshafei is blessed with a rich family history – her mum is Korean, and her dad is Egyptian. Join her as she takes you on a unique culinary adventure, exploring the best cuisine from both cultures. Here in her long-awaited cookbook you'll find recipes for traditional Middle Eastern dishes such as Lamb, Prune and Fig Tagine and Korean staples such as Kimchi, as well as exciting new recipes, such as Sumac-crusted Trout with Heirloom Tomato Salsa and Harissa Chicken.
Amina's mouth-watering multicultural cuisine is a revelation – this is food to share and savour.