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TUBULAR TASTES

TUBULAR TASTES

Deliciously succulent pasta tubes filled with aubergine, ricotta, spinach, parmesan and smoked Fior di Latte, topped and bottomed with home made tomato sauce ….. salivating yet? This week’s recipe is a home-cook’s dream as it can be prepared well ahead of time and gently reheated to serve topped with fresh basil leaves. It can be made in very large quantities for parties and freezes well ....

LUXE SOUP

LUXE SOUP

Dinner for a very dear friend’s birthday required a bit of thought. I wanted to cook her favourites but with a twist. She loves a corn curry I’ve been making for years but I didn’t want to serve a curry meal and so decided to convert the curry idea into a soup for entrée and make it a bit luxe for the celebration by garnishing with crayfish tails ....

BACKYARD ABUNDANCE

BACKYARD ABUNDANCE

This one ticks all the boxes. Gluten-free, organic, sustainable, low food miles, seasonal, community-minded, delicious and free. I’m referring to a bag of limes and avocados given to me by Rosie. The avocados came from a tree overhanging her backyard and the limes from one of her green-fingered friends ....

THINKING JAPANESE

THINKING JAPANESE

I love shopping in Japanese grocery stores. There are plenty of items with which to stock up the pantry, as well as loads of other intriguing goods to look at. Ume products. Noodles various. Seaweeds of all shapes. And dried mysterious things in beautifully designed packets ....

SPANISH MELON SALAD

SPANISH MELON SALAD

The most common melon in Spain is the Sapo de Piel, literally ‘toad skin’ melon, but it’s often called Christmas melon too because it keeps so well. It’s deliciously sweet when ripe, which is when the skin turns bright yellow between the characteristic dark green markings. It’s fairly freely available these days here too, although it’s most often simply called Spanish melon ....

SASHIMI ETC.

SASHIMI ETC.

Sashimi. Carpaccio. Ceviche. Words to get the mouth watering and that say fresh, light, healthy and delicious. All are classic and simple ways to prepare a piece of fish. And great to eat after the rich excesses of Christmas food, especially on a humid night during a Sydney summer ....

CHILLED SMOKED SALMON LASAGNE

CHILLED SMOKED SALMON LASAGNE

This smoked salmon lasagne, served chilled, is a favourite oldie but a goodie recipe from Steve Manfreddi which we have adapted by using gluten-free lasagne sheets for the coeliacs amongst us but it works equally as well with wheat pasta. The tomato sauces and parsley and garlic salsa can be made two days ahead and the whole lasagne compiled and refrigerated the day before ....