RECIPES
Ingredients 4 cups brown or green olives, plain A large handful of rosemary, oregano, sage or other woody herbs 4 […]
Ingredients ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1 tbsp tomato paste 2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp […]
Ingredients 3 sticks of baguette or small ciabatta (plus a gluten free roll) 8 large, very ripe tomatoes 3 large […]
Ingredients 400g chorizo (plus 200g vegan chorizo) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1.5 cups hard apple cider 2 bay […]
Serves 1 hungry adult or 1 adult and 1 child Equipment Induction cooktop Frying pan Foil Container for salad Container […]
Makes 1 serve. Equipment Small container for mixing sauce Cutting board Knife Veg peeler Measuring spoons Grater/microplane Frypan or wok […]
Makes 2-3 serves. Equipment Cutting board Knife Baking tray Plastic container (for marinade) Alfoil Ingredients ½ red onion ½ large […]
Makes 2-3 serves. Equipment Baking tray Cutting board Knife Jug Ingredients 400g beef chuck or brisket, whole 1/8 tsp chilli […]
Makes 2-3 serves. Equipment Small baking tray Knife Cutting board Vegetable peeler Spoon or spatula Measuring spoon Scale Alfoil Ingredients […]
Makes 2-3 serves. Equipment Small baking tray Chux or a sieve (for squeezing spinach) Bowl Jug Spoon or spatula Measuring […]
Makes 4 serves. You can use chocolate melts (Cadbury’s etc), or a good block chocolate like Lindt. If you are […]
A great gift idea or just to treat yourself, learn how to make our chai tea mix with a range […]
This salt is Sally’s invention, and it remains on the menu at The Nixon Room in Brisbane. It is good […]
This Hainan sauce is popular in Singapore, and is usually served with steamed chicken and rice. Add chilli to the […]
This Spanish sauce is wonderful on grilled veggies and meats, or as a dip with bread, crackers or crudites. 2 […]
This Argentinian sauce is great on bbq’d and roasted meats, chicken and seafood, and is also lovely as a salad […]
This recipe is great for using up herbs in bulk. And it will make your house smell great. The salt […]
This very simple mint sauce recipe is great with lamb, carrots with some butter, or in Irish stew. It’s ‘chop […]
You can make a simple version of this butter with just salt, pepper, citrus zest, garlic and herbs. But this […]
This basil pesto recipe was taught to Sally by her grandmother, who learned it from her Genovese next door neighbour. […]
This is a refrigerated dough recipe – so it’s super low effort and hands off with very little kneading. 500g […]
This is a great way to add a different flavour profile to your olives. They are better if you can […]
2 large zucchini 60 ml extra virgin olive oil (about 3 tablespoons) About half a cup of chopped green soft […]
This method can be used for most veggies (except leafy greens). This method works for pickles you’ll eat in a […]
This capsicum is lovely on antipasti/charcuterie boards, in pasta, or on a sandwich with some soft cheese and a bit […]
EAT WITH YOUR EYES! THE PRINCIPLES OF PLATING
There’s a real art to making beautiful looking plates of food. Here are a few basic rules to follow.
- Select your plate carefully
White food on a white plate gets lost – as does green food on a greenish or blue plate. Plates with a small well in the bottom are great for ‘saucy’ dishes.
- Offset the main component
Place the main component on the left or right of the plate, not the centre. Then garnish around it.
- Apply the rule of odd numbers
There’s some science behind this apparently – odd numbers are more attractive to the human eye. So if you’re putting say olives on a plate as a garnish, try to use 3 or 5 rather than an even number.
- Get some height!
Stacking ingredients can look elegant.
- Put wet or moist ingredients on the plate first
Start with your mashed potato, polenta or risotto, and build from there. Sauces can often go down first too – if you have a beautifully cooked piece of steak then putting the sauce on the plate first will mean you can clearly see the meat.
- Think about colour
Mashed potato and steamed chicken breast look bland alone on a plate. Add colour using vibrant foods, fruits, vegetables, herb oils, chopped or whole herbs or chilli, or flowers.
- Texture matters
Try to have a bit of contrasting texture – for example, a plate of risotto is soft so a parmesan crisp gives a nice contrast. Or fry herbs for garnish instead of using them fresh.
- Use negative space
Try to leave at least 5 cm from the edge of the plate clear. Also, you can position food to one side of the plate for a dramatic use of negative space.
- Hot plates for hot dishes, room temperature plates for cold dishes
Pop your plates in a 50 degree oven for a few minutes while you’re preparing to serve. But don’t put plates for cold dishes in the fridge – you’ll get condensation on the plate and it will ruin the look of it.
- Less is more
An overcrowded plate is confusing to the eye – try to limit what’s on the plate and have one ingredient be the ‘star’ of the plate.
- Clean the edges of your plate
If you drip or put finger marks on the plate, a bit of white vinegar on some kitchen towel will usually clean the mark right up. Also, polish your plates before you put the dish together – a well polished plate makes all the difference.
