Food Wine Sleep

Antipasto or Antipasti literally translates to before the meal and is served as an appetiser/first course. It is such a social way to eat; a group of family or friends standing or sitting near this communal platter and everybody sampling everything together as they chat and catch up. Italian's have eaten like this for centuries and although there are no real rules as to what you put on your antipasto platter, I prefer to stick to the things that have most likely been served on antipasto platters just as long. Think of this not so much as a recipe but rather a list of ideas that you can stick to or stray from.

A delightful dip, which holds it's own without needing to be part of the Mezzeh (Please also see the recipe and description of Hummus in this category) Perfect on grilled Bruschetta, or with savory crackers, Lavosh or crisp Papadums.

Most people can quit obviously recognise a lamb rack or some cutlets, however many people aren't aware that lamb back strap is that exact same meat. It is the "sirloin" of lamb and as in beef this cut has an abundant flavour and I highly recommend it for barbecuing. As with sirloin however, the trick is not to overcook it. In this particular recipe I have taken that extremely flavoursome meat and added another level of flavour by marinating it in homemade Cajun spice. To compliment rather than confuse the strong flavour of the marinated meat, I've served it with a relatively simple and refreshing salad. This particular dish serves quite respectably with either a...

Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles used to like to drink in a bar in Venice Italy, called ‘Harry’s Bar’. However, this establishment is not known for it’s past famous clientele but rather it’s owner, Giuseppe Cipriani. In fact it is probably more accurate to say that his bar is really actually famous for his drink invention, ‘The Bellini’ rather than him or his clientele. After creating the famous drink using white peach puree, Italian sparkling Prosecco wine and raspberry or cherry juice, Giuseppe felt the colour resembled the colour of the toga worn by a saint in a painting by one...

Of all the barbecues I have had, one thing is certain of all of them. Regardless of how many other cuts of quality steaks I may have on offer, given the choice, my friends will always choose this one. I suppose I can’t blame them, the lengthy marinading time means the meat absolutely melts in their mouths and that each and every ounce of it is permeated with the delicious Cajun spices. One other thing that is certain is that everyone that has it asks me how they can make it. I never tell them as then they will stop coming to my barbecues and I will have to start going to theirs and their beers are rubbish and their beer fridges not cold enough. So please don&...

Although you could just go out and buy premixed spices, making them yourself will give you a much nicer flavour and the comfort that you will not be consuming all sorts of preservatives, sugar, and anti-caking agents. For this recipe I have quoted the ingredients in parts in order that you can make as much mix as you like, whether that be a few tablespoons or a couple of kilo's.

Only a few weeks into summer and twice as many barbecues. In that time I have seen enough potato salad, green salads and coleslaw to last a lifetime. I find this dish (although not technically a salad) to be the perfect barbecue alternative to those usual summer staples. The best thing is that it is a lot less work than those dishes (more time for socializing, that is why you have barbecues right), a lot more impressive and much better for you than all that mayonnaise based dressing.

Summer is the season for eating fresh oysters near the water. For casual occasions you can't beat the natural oyster with a squeeze of lemon. However if you're entertaining you might want to spice things up a little. The fresh chilli and ice cold gin in this marinade should be more than enough to do the trick.

I'm not going to give you the time to cook your steak for, as it is a very individual requirement, you may have a really hot barbecue or you may have a not so hot pan, you may like your steak a few inches thick or you may like a very thin cut. I'm not going to tell you what is the ideal cut of steak or breed of cattle as again that is a very individual choice, if you would like some help in choosing a steak, please see our Tips & Techniques category and click on "Steak Cuts". I'm not going to tell you what is the ideal degree of cooked ness for your steak as that again is a very individual choice. I am however going to tell you the 7 fundamentally most...

A good pesto has got to be one of the most versatile ingredients one can have in their fridge. Liven up that boring old sandwich, a welcome change from tomato and cream sauces for pasta, a great addition to any soup and of course, great for a quick entertainment help as a dip, or spread on crostini's with a bit of melted parmesan cheese. This pesto recipe, although not a traditional European one, is equally versatile and then some, use it on most Asian rice dishes, a spoon full in your laksa, toss it through you stir fry at the last minute or dollop a little on your pizza before you serve it.

I like the Middle Eastern Mezze or appetizers. Mezze almost always consists, of Hummus (chickpea - sesame spread) and Babaganoush (eggplant- sesame dip) served with warm pita bread. Other items such as Sambousik (pastries filled with minced meat and nuts) Tabouleh (Cous cous and parsley salad) and more are also added, but Hummus and Babaganoush are omni present when Mezze is served. The rich creamy sesame paste called Tahini is really the "main ingredient" in both spreads and the strong, nutty, almost smoky taste of it, is what makes this spread so flavorful and distinct.

It doesn't get much easier than this, pop it all in a pot turn the heat down low, crack a beer and join your friends by the pool. In a couple of hours you'll be wowing them all with your abilities in the kitchen, even though you were barely there.

This dish for me always conjures up memories of long summer nights, nights spent amongst a forest of sailboat masts, glowing orange as they reflected the deep northern sunset. Every Friday for a whole summer myself and my two best mates since high school, John and Trevor would take John's dad's sailboat out onto the Georgia Strait, sailing around just off Vancouver. I remember one Friday in particular we were sailing back from the Gulf Islands, the diminishing light from the never setting sun painting the water a profound blue and the mighty fir trees appearing as mere peach fuzz on the coastal mountains, it had been an amazing day on the water. We were bringing the bo...

This pineapple salsa is ideal for summer barbeques. Serve it as a dip with white corn chips, on top of grilled fish, throughout a salad of prawns or along side any chicken dish. The best time to make this is about 1/3rd of the way into pineapple season as that is when they are at their sweetest and luckily also when summer is in full swing.

Roasting large joints of meat to the correct doness can be fairly difficult at times and once the roast too much done, there is no turning back anymore. The difficulty starts by getting people to agree on one uniform system. While in classical French cooking (and most of the European countries) only 4 degrees of doness (blue, saignant, a point and bien cuit) are used, in the rest of the world and certainly in English speaking countries we generally use five degrees of doness (rare, medium rare, medium, medium well and well done). Some even order the meat by percentages e.g. from 25 % for rare, to 70%, 80% and obviously 100 % for well done. Whatever method one prefers, the...

The inspiration for this dish comes from an old booklet I bought when I was just starting my apprenticeship as a chef. Good cookbooks were very expensive and I could not always afford them so I bought myself this little paperback booklet dedicated to “Western Cooking” meaning the fare of the cowboys, the Midwest and Indians. Just recently while cleaning up some of my old stuff, in stored in boxes, I came across this little booklet and found a coffee rub for steaks in it. Although the recipe in the booklet was much simpler, I liked the taste and the general idea of it and so, this is how, an amended version of it I now use with pork chops for BBQ&rs...

This dish builds on a recipe my friend Damian gave to me a couple of years back. I was working with him on a function for the annual Melbourne Cup horse race. We had had some problems with suppliers not delivering on time and as such were behind the eight ball with our prep all morning. It was now 12 noon and I recall nervously saying to Damo, "Here come the customers and we haven't even got half the prep done, I've still got to cook the cous cous, I haven't even got the chicken kievs let alone stuff them." Damian calmly replied "Pass me that orange juice. I'll make the cous cous and you run across the road to the Thai restaurant and tell them you'll buy so...

Salads are often not associated with the colder months of autumn and winter. This salad however is ideal for the colder months. The soft baby spinach leaves are a great alternative to the crispy summer lettuces, the oven roasted pumpkin is a nice slice of country warmth, and the crispy slightly salty prosciutto makes a nice wake up call to the hibernating taste buds.

Mussels would have to be one of the most versatile of all seafood's, as long as they are dressed appropriately for the weather they are pretty much heaven year round. In winter there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of them swimming in a steamy Mariniere broth. In summer, as in this dish there is nothing more refreshing, a bowl of freshly steamed mussels, in season Mango salsa, crusty Vienna bread to soak it all up with and a very crisp white wine to wash it all down with. Enjoy.

Tabouleh like hummus and babaghanouj has its origins in the Middle East, it is a salad made of parsley, wheat bulgur, tomato and lemon. I have some Lebanese friends and an annual highlight for me when summer rolls around is to be fortunate enough to be invited to a few of their many barbecues. The only thing that flows thicker than their hospitality is the food. It always starts with some traditional dips, spreads, stuffed vine leaves and stacks and stacks of freshly baked flat bread to spread and dip it all with. After that the barbecue gets fired up and the various types of meats hit the grill, there is garlic marinated chicken skewers, minced and spiced lamb skewers, b...

Fresh fish and fresh herbs, what more could you ask for in a spring dish. Both are complemented perfectly by the addition of a hearty Middle Eastern salad. You will find because the Fattoush is pretty substantial as far as salads go, it can also be eaten as a meal on its own.

Occasionally, when my friend's restaurant is very busy and I am not so busy, I will help out in his restaurant for old time's sake, (every Chef needs to feel the rush of a busy service once in a while, or we'll wither and die). These occasions are usually in the busier summer periods, which consequently are obviously the hotter days in the kitchen. Some days they are so unbearably hot that when the hunger hits you could not imagine eating a hot meal, even though the guests seem to be quite content to do so. The difference of course is that those patrons are in a different world than ours, they are dining in the ocean breeze at this seaside haunt, while we Chefs are workin...

This is a great salad for the warmer months of spring and summer. Easy to assemble, good for you, great with barbecues or picnics, it’s a perfect match to many white wines, it’s more substantial than a leaf salad and most importantly it’s not another mayonnaise based potato or pasta salad.

A popular drink in Mexico is Agua Fresca, literally translated it means "Fresh Water". It consists of any available fresh fruit juice mixed with cold water and a little sugar. It is a perfect drink for the hot Mexican climate and is the inspiration behind this recipe, although inspired by; I did stop short of naming it, "Vodka Fresca".