Quick & Easy

You could top the petit fours with fresh raspberries instead of the icing flowers. Petit fours are best made on the day of serving. Note

This cocktail should be made with the best bourbon you can buy. Use a 300ml highball glass. Note

We rimmed the cocktail glass with pink sugar; simply add a drop of red food colouring to sugar and mix well. Note

Substitute any of your favourite vegetables if you prefer them to the ones suggested in this recipe. A hot curry paste will boost the flavour, however, you can use any curry paste you like. Note

An exquisite pork dish with lovely colours and a delicious creamy kumara mash.

If shiso leaves are unavailable, substitute them with basil leaves. Note

Use a zester to get long thin strips of rind. Note

Makes 10-12 maple snaps. Maple snaps can be cooked one day in advance and stored in a cool dry place in an airtight container. Ice-cream can be prepared in advance and stored in the freezer in an airtight container for 2 weeks. Note

A delicious salad full of crispy roast kumara and crunchy and balanced with fresh pear and cranberries.

Scrumptious little pizza snacks with cherry bocconcini cheese and cabanossi.

A deliciously dark chocolate biscuit base with soft, mocha mousse come together in this decadent rich slice.

Create these Greek-style meatballs to make the perfect sharing platter.

Use vegetables of your choice such as green beans, snow peas or buk choy. Use sliced chicken breast or thinly sliced beef rump steak as an alternative to the pork fillet. Use regular basil if thai basil is unavailable. Note

Use a vegetable peeler to slice the cucumber length-ways into thin ribbons. Use disposable gloves when handling beetroot top prevent staining your fingers. If taking to work, toast the bread at lunch time just before you’re ready to assemble. Note

The cake mix is enough to make 12 cakes so you can decorate the remaining 6 cakes into other animals of your own choosing. Note

Confit, from the French verb ‘confire’ meaning to preserve, means both a food item that has been slow-cooked in fat to cover, and also the cooking technique. Confit foods are exquisitely soft and delicately flavoured, so the technique is sometimes used, as in this recipe, simply to achieve this luxurious effect. Note

Baby green beans can be used instead of snake beans. Note

Some clams might not open after cooking. These might need prompting with a knife or might not have cooked as quickly as the others ­you don’t have to discard them, just open with a knife and cook a little longer if you wish. Note

EQUIPMENT 25cm x 35cm (10-inch x 14-inch) rectangular cake board 5cm (2-inch) heart cutter 3cm (1¼-inch) heart cutter Use any shaped cutter for this cake, try snowflakes or stars. You can use letter cutters and write the name of the child on the cake. Use coloured sprinkles that suit the occasion of your party. If […]

Coleslaw is a great crunchy addition to sandwiches. It can have just about anything in it as long as shredded cabbage is the chief ingredient. Most coleslaws also have grated carrot and a mayonnaise or vinegar (or both) dressing. Note

Try layering various herb leaves, such as sage, inside the potato wafers. You can also use russet burbank or spunta potatoes for this recipe. Note

This recipe is for lovers of spicy seafood.

Recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered. Note

Roti is an Indian subcontinent flat bread that is the perfect complement to curries, stews and other saucy dishes.

Naturally sweet strawberries are the star of these healthy pancakes, which are made fluffy and light with low-fat ricotta. Just drizzle with honey for a guilt-free breakfast treat or easy dessert idea.

This recipe comes from western Canada. Keeping time: 2 weeks. Note

Traditional to North Africa, a tagine is an aromatic casserole, usually cooked and served in an earthenware dish, also called a tagine.

You need one medium pomegranate for this recipe. Note

A popular Moroccan spicy tomato stew - the addition of eggs make this a great breakfast dish to share.

You can double or treble this aïoli recipe, if you like, but don’t throw the egg whites away. Freeze them until you have enough to make a pavlova or friands. If the aïoli you’ve made separates, place a yolk in another bowl and whisk the separated aïoli into it. The added yolk will re-emulsify the […]

We used wahoo fish for this recipe, but you could use any white fish such as whiting, bream, sole, flounder, dory, perch, snapper or ling. Note

Crispy, crunchy and delicious Southern fried chicken from Australian Women's Weekly.

Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes before using to prevent them from scorching during cooking. Note

A quick, light and simple salad with an amazing combination of flavours and textures.

Return to pan, cover; freeze until firm. Note

If the potatoes that you purchase for this recipe are young and quite small, scrubbing them well (rather than peeling) will be sufficient. Tuna is at its best if browned both sides Note

Kalonji seeds are also known as nigella or black onion seeds. Tiny, angular seeds, black on the outside and creamy within, with a sharp nutty flavour that can be enhanced by frying briefly in a dry hot pan before use. Kalonji can be found in most Asian and Middle-Eastern food shops. Note

These scones are at their very best made just before serving. Eat them hot, straight out of the oven. Note

You can substitute chopped, drained canned peaches or apricots for the pineapple in this recipe. We used Just Right breakfast cereal in this recipe but you can use any flaked and dried fruit cereal, even a muesli or granola-like product. We used Malibu liqueur but you can use your favourite brand. Note

To save time, buy 400g of shelled uncooked prawns. If you can’t find a kaffir lime leaf, just use 1 teaspoon of finely grated lime rind. Note

If you’re planning a barbecue, you can marinate the prawns in the remaining ingredients overnight, then thread onto skewers and barbecue. Note

Quirky little sausage and pastry treats that are great for children's parties.

Celebrate Chinese New Year with a special message for your friends and family. Cut 12 paper strips measuring 1.5cm x 8cm (¾-inch x 3¼-inch); write a message on each strip. Do this before starting to make the cookies. If the cookie cools and hardens too quickly before you have time to shape it, return it, […]

Peri peri prawn and coleslaw tortillas

Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and chinese kale; it resembles broccoli in appearance, but is milder and sweeter in taste. It has long asparagus-like stems and a long loose floret, both completely edible. Baby buk choy or gai lan work well in this stir-fry, too; use in place of the broccolini. Note

The secret for making perfect roast potatoes? Use olive oil instead of other oils or butter because it tolerates high oven temperatures better and gives a delicious taste to the potatoes.

This is a bright and colourful summery dish with lots of big flavours and great textures.

A slab of American-style pork spareribs will consist of between 7 and 10 ribs each. After the meat is cooked, separate the ribs with a knife then eat them in your hands. Note

These delicious and crunchy little garlic and chive croûtons will spruce up any leafy salad.

This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

An exquisite peppered pork dish that can be whipped up for dinner parties in no time.

Ribollita is a Tuscan soup based on whatever vegetable the cook has at hand. Traditionally, it is thickened with stale bread.

Makes enough for six 275g servings of panfried snapper fillets. If rouille separates, add about 1 tablespoon of boiling water to mixture and whisk until smooth. French for “rust”, rouille is so called because of its deep red colour. A capsicum and chilli flavoured sauce, it is often used to enhance seafood stews such as […]