Boil

Brown rice vinegar, made from brown rice, has been called the eastern version of apple cider vinegar, although its mild flavour has a subtle sweetness and about half the sharpness. It is available from Asian grocery stores and some health-food stores Note

These are just as good served at room temperature as they are served hot, and they make perfect finger-food for a cocktail party or for inclusion on a large selection of mezze dishes. Note

If you cannot find banana chillies, use capsicums instead. Note

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

You can use frozen soya beans, available from Asian groceries, in this recipe if fresh are hard to find. You could also use the same quantity of fresh broad beans or 2 cups of frozen broad beans instead. 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

This recipe is for lovers of spicy seafood.

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.

Freeze beef for about an hour­ this will make it easier to slice. To obtain ginger juice, squeeze grated fresh ginger into a sieve set over a bowl. A piece of ginger measuring about 10cm in length will yield 2 tablespoons of grated ginger; this amount of grated ginger should in turn yield the 2 […]

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

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

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

We used sebago potatoes in this recipe. Note

The combination of pork and veal mince gives these meatballs a deliciously rich quality that you won’t get with beef mince. Note

This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

If you have an electric pressure cooker you won’t need to reduce the heat to stabilise pressure, your cooker will automatically stabilise itself. Always check with the manufacturer’s instructions before using. This recipe is suitable to freeze. Note

Ragoût, which comes from the French verb, ragoûter, meaning `to stimulate the appetite', does exactly that in this dish.

Cut the marshmallows using an oiled knife, otherwise it will be difficult. Note

You can also use ocean trout fillets in this recipe. Cooking times will change slightly for each different kind and thickness of fish you select. Salmon and ocean trout are at their best if slightly underdone. Don’t slice the apples until you are ready to toss the salad with the dressing because the flesh will […]

If white asparagus is unavailable, use all green asparagus or thin baby carrots instead. Note

Known variously throughout the Middle East and North Africa as basboosa, namoura or harisi, this sweet slice is saturated with a citrusy sugar syrup which gives it a lovely individual flavour. Note

An light and exquisite breakfast with a smoky and delicious crunch of pancetta.

This terrific tortilla combines potato, spinach and mushroom for a tantalisingly soft and fluffy interior that's as satisfying as it is tasty.

siena cake is a perfect accompaniment for after-dinner coffee. Cut into thin wedges or slices about 1cm thick,then into small pieces Note

An easy way to make sure your toffee is cooked to the correct stage and will set hard, is to use a sugar thermometer. Toffee should reach 149°C (“hard crack” stage) on the thermometer. Red delicious are the best apples to use for this recipe. Note

Farfalle is a short, rather sturdy butterfly-shaped pasta that is also known as “bow-ties”. It is good for a dish such as this because the folds and crinkles of each piece help capture the pesto and hold the other ingredients. Replace the farfalle with penne or small shells if you wish. Note

Use any firm fish that’s in season, it’s cheaper that way. Sumac is a type of Middle Eastern spice, now available from supermarkets. The flavour is slightly tart. If you can’t find the spice, cook the fish without it. Note

Once they are toffee-coated, don’t refrigerate the pops, as the toffee will dissolve. Serve pops within 2 hours of making. Note

Makes enough for four 150g servings of panfried veal scaloppine. Also goes well with grilled chicken breast fillets, barbecued pork medallions, roasted lamb cutlets. Marsala, a caramel-flavoured fortified wine, is named after the city from which it comes, and is the most popular dessert wine in Italy. Dry marsala is often served as an apéritif. […]

A delicious and filling chickpea, watercress and capsicum salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Depending on the variety of quince used, some will turn more of a rusty red colour while others a deep crimson. Also, cooking time can vary between types, with some needing a little longer cooking to achieve a red hue. Note

Smoked eggplant and capsicum jam can be tossed through pasta, spread on pizza bases, or served as side dish to chicken, lamb or fish. Note

Risotto cakes came about as a way of using up left-over risotto. It is far easier to shape the cakes when the mixture is cold. It is worth lining oven trays with baking paper to stop the cakes sticking. Note

It is fine to use just 1 x 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. Porcini, also known as cèpes, are the richest-flavoured mushrooms. Though expensive, they are so strongly-flavoured only a small amount is required for any particular dish. They are available from specialty food stores and some supermarkets. Pancetta is an Italian salt-cured […]

Chicken drumettes are drumsticks with the end of the bone chopped off. They are also sold as “lovely legs”. Note

Try using a variety of mushrooms such as flat, cup, button, portobello, oyster and enoki, keeping small mushrooms halved or whole and large types sliced. Cooking the potatoes whole with the peel on keeps the potatoes dry and fluffy-doing this helps to create lightly textured pillows of gnocchi. Note

Soba are fresh or dried Japanese noodles made from buckwheat and wheat flour. They’re available from Asian food stores and major supermarkets. Note

Equipment deep 23cm (9¼-inch) square cake pan 30cm (12-inch) round or square prepared cake board and a bamboo skewer. The cake can be made a day before the party. Note

Any similar-sized pasta shape such as casarecce, rigatoni or penne would be suitable for this dish. Note

Snow pea sprouts and pea tendrils can be hard to get sometimes, use bean sprouts or any other type of sprouts instead. Note

Be extremely careful when blending hot soup, let it cool a little first. Don’t overfill the blender, one third to half full is a good guide, and make sukre the lid is secure. Alternatively use a stick blender. Note

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You can use lemon, lime or blood orange marmalade or your favourite jam instead. Note

Moroccan-style couscous spiced with harissa; a great side served with saucy meat dishes.

A fragrant and delicious spiced lentil side dish from Australian Women's Weekly.

A light and summery Moroccan-style beef salad packed full of apricots, sultanas, pine nuts, mint and dill.

For best results use only the reddest parts of the rhubarb stems. Note

Saltimbocca is a classic Italian dish that literally translates as "jump in the mouth". It is usually made of beef or veal, and rolled with proscuitto and sage leaves.

This is a quick version of making a soufflé as the base is not made on a flour-thickened cheese sauce. Note

Create delicious Italian pasta at home with this beautiful ricotta and silverbeet gnocchi. Served in a fragrant tomato sauce, it's the ultimate comfort food for a cool evening in.

You will need about 7 lemons for this recipe. Note

A classic Italian pasta dish with spaghetti alla napoletana sauce from Australian Women's Weekly.

You will need a 60cm square of unbleached calico. If the fabric is new, soak in cold water overnight, then boil for 20 minutes; rinse well before using. Use day-old breadcrumbs for this recipe. Chop all the fruit to the same size as the sultanas. Wrap the pudding in plastic wrap, seal tightly in a […]

An exquisite and wholesome smoked chicken, radicchio and basil salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

You will need 2 large pomegranates (860g) for this recipe. Note

You could use pecorino cheese as a substitute for kefalotyri cheese. Note

These delicious savoury potato pancakes are absolutely beautiful enjoyed with smoked salmon and dill cream. Perfect any time of the day, this dish is a real winner!

Recipe can be prepared 4 hours ahead up to the end of step 4. Note

You can use drained gelatinous noodles instead of the cellophane noodles. Note