Savoury French ‘cake’
Salty, cheesy, olive-y, and begging for a drink in hand – this savoury loaf has serious aperitivo energy. It’s French-ish (cake salé, if we’re being fancy), endlessly riffable, and one of those recipes that reliably makes you look like a total genius with very little effort. Think of it as a cross between a quick bread and a giant, warm antipasto selection….
Beef tacos with pickled cabbage and creamy avo
Got a crowd to feed? Here’s your gig. We figure it’s not worth cooking up this style of a long-braised beefy storm for the average nuclear family but if 2.7 diners is all you’re mustering, just halve everything and be prepared for leftovers. No biggie. The cooked meat will freeze…
Berry skillet cake
What if you could make a cake without the hassle of finding the exact right cake tin?? 'Spring form’ this… ‘bundt tin’ that… ‘square pan’ the other… pfftt. Sometimes it’s all too hard. At least it is in SOMEONE’S house, where the corner kitchen cupboard is the dark…
Tahini chicken
“This is a dish that I can’t believe is not more commonplace. It is basically a chicken version of the classic Lebanese baked fish dish, samke harra. In this recipe the chicken is smothered in Taratoor and finished with various nuts, parsley and chilli…
Fried cauliflower with caramelised onion, currants and pine nuts
“If you make this dish correctly, you’ll be asking yourself if you’ve burnt it. It’s okay. My training in modern European kitchens where everything had to be golden brown had me second-guessing, too. It just doesn’t taste the same if it is golden brown. It’s that dark bittersweet flavour that transforms cauliflower…
Muhallabieh chocolate pudding with barberries and pomegranate
“This version of a classic Lebanese milk pudding normally set with cornflour (cornstarch) is a rip off of Rita Macali’s chocolate panna cotta. When working at Ladro as the prep chef before opening Rumi, I would occasionally sneak one of these for breakfast…
Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting
What’s cuter than a cupcake? A cupcake with a great gob of frosting piped on the top, that’s what. Anything with piping looks bougie, don’t you think? We love letting loose with a piping bag; it’s our happy place. And it’s arguably the most extra thing you can do because…
Double pumpkin pasta
We bought you double-crumbed chicken, now we’re bringing you double-trouble pumpkin pasta! There’s nothing tricksy about this recipe; a smooth pumpkin sauce coats the pasta, with golden roasty bits of pumpkin for scattering over the top before you serve…
Whole roasted flounder with curry leaf butter
“So few ingredients, but a completely stunning result. Curry leaves are worth seeking out if you have a good greengrocer nearby. Their nutty, popcornlike flavour works incredibly well in tandem with brown butter and fish…
Polenta with sweet-spiced lamb ragù
“Sweet spices in a ragù are typical of northern Italian cooking, and they are surprisingly perfect with meats like lamb, beef and game. The star anise and cinnamon lend sweetness and depth, while the tomato, red wine and rosemary bring this back to more recognisable territory…
Fig and hazelnut frangipane tart
“We really amp up the hazelnut flavour by first making a hazelnut praline, which is then used to make a traditional frangipane. The combination of figs with hazelnuts in a crisp, sweet tart shell is pure bliss…
Chicken schnitty tenders with caper mayo
We ask All The Questions around here. Such as, ‘what’s better than crumbed chicken?’ Parmesan-crumbed chicken, duh! And, ‘what's’ better than parmesan-crumbed chicken?’ DOUBLE parmesan-crumbed chicken, of course. That’s right…
Kimchi fried rice
“This dish has a special place in my heart – I’ve eaten it a lot over the years and absolutely delicious. Take the time to follow a few easy prep steps for spot-on rice. First, rinse your rice well under cold, running water before you cook it; this washes off excess starch that can make it clump…
Banana splits
“This is a childhood treat Mum would make for us, and I’m a fan of the retroness of it, so I’m on a mission to bring it back. The recipe is just how she made it, but I’ve added the pecan praline. You might have some praline left over, which you can store in an airtight container for up to a week (if it doesn’t get scoffed before then)…
Chocolate pistachio meringues
“Experts Resoundingly Say a No-Sugar Diet is No Good” ** declared an article headline we read over breakfast the other day, as we shoveled jam-mounded refined carbs and syrupy coffee down our throats with abandon…
Fish and tomato curry
When you crave a curry, nothing else will do. But, you know. Making a ‘proper’ curry, whether Indian or South East Asian, involves loads of ingredients and making a paste from scratch. (Except a Japanese curry, where you just throw a few of those curry roux thingos…
Baked lemongrass chicken with coconut rice
In a world filled with ready-made pastes, jars of pre-mulched garlic and citrus juices in squeezy bottles (do not use these! They’re pasteurised, contain preservatives, and taste like rubbish), sometimes it’s nice to grab a whole pile of aromatic fresh stuff and chop…
Chili crisp chocolate chunk cookies
Fellow members of the chili crisp fan club will revel in these umami-packed cookies where sweet and savory battle deliciously for attention. These are gooey, mottled with melty pools of dark chocolate, and wrinkled with crunchy golden ridges. Brown butter makes them toasty, nutty, and extra chewy…
Pandan coconut cream pie
Coconut and pandan might as well be soulmates. They belong together. It’s a partnership revered across Southeast Asia and one I re-create again and again throughout this book…
Marbled ube banana bread
When the pandemic officially began, I took refuge at my childhood home in the Southern Outer Banks of North Carolina. In a matter of weeks, banana bread was in the midst of a resurgence. Everyone was baking it and everyone was talking about it…