Boil

Before starting the recipe, boil the kettle so you have boiling water ready to go into the saucepan to blanch the brussels sprout leaves. You need to plunge the leaves into iced water, so make sure you have some on hand. You could also use a portion of cold-smoked, boneless trout, if you prefer. Note

If you don’t have a candy thermometer, boil the syrup until it’s thick with heavy bubbles. Remove from heat, let bubbles subside, then reassess the thickness of the syrup. Note

A quick and easy Italian-style pizza with roast garlic and crispy potato.

With a rich, tomato-based vegetarian filling and a bubbly, golden cheese topping , these buttermilk potato pancake rolls are our delicious take on Italian cannelloni.

A sweet, tangy and refreshing sorbetto that is perfect for a summer's evening.

This recipe would also be delicious using cauliflower instead of broccoli, or a mixture of both. Note

The pasta cases can be made, cooled and removed from the pans one day before the party. Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The bolognese sauce can be made two days ahead; keep it covered in the fridge. Assemble the baskets up to 3 hours before the party. Note

Use a combination of basil and mint leaves if you cannot find any japanese mint (shiso). You will need half a small jap pumpkin for this recipe. Note

Peri-peri (piri-piri) is a hot Portuguese sauce made of chilli, garlic, ginger, oil and herbs, and is available from supermarkets. You can also use pontiac potatoes for this recipe. Note

A bright and colourful roasted cherry tomatoes, broccolini and pepitas salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Substitutes You can use other flavoured sausages such as pork and apple. This dish is a great way to use up your leftover vegetables. Try using carrot, swede, fennel, pumpkin and kohlrabi instead of the kumara. Note

Danish salami is a smoked, delicately spiced salami; you can use another variety if you wish. Note

Using wide, tender pappardelle means more surface area to carry that delicious, cheesy, prosciutto-packed carbonara sauce right to your watering mouth.

You can substitute any pasta for the penne in this recipe. The Italian name of this pasta (penne) means ‘pen’, a reference to the nib-like, pointy ends. Penne comes in both smooth (lisce) or ridged (rigate) versions, and a variety of sizes. Note

Bacon option; place a halved cooked bacon rasher on top of heated beans and continue layering as above. Note

We used Sambuca in this recipe; it can be replaced with Pernod, ouzo or your favourite aniseed-flavoured liqueur. Note

Spaghettini is a very thin spaghetti. It is available from Italian grocery stores and most large supermarkets. Note

You could use tahini (sesame seed paste) instead of grinding the toasted sesame seeds. Beans or watercress can be used instead of spinach in this salad, and peanuts or macadamia nuts could be substituted for the sesame seeds. If you like, you can sprinkle the cooked spinach with smoked dried bonito flakes. Note

Rhubarb comes in bunches and needs all leaves trimmed away and stalks washed before cooking. Any leftover rhubarb puree is delicious served with muesli or cereal for breakfast, or topped with a favourite crumble mixture. Note

Any poached fruit will work here, but use something with a more robust flavour, stone fruits are a good choice. Note

Some butchers sell a pork and veal mince mixture; you could buy 500g of this, if it’s available. Note

We used corn kernels from 2 large fresh corn cobs in this recipe, but you can use frozen (then thawed) kernels or well-drained canned kernels. Roast your own capsicum under the griller, or in the oven until the skin blisters and blackens, cover, cool, then remove skin before using. Or, buy roasted capsicum from a […]

For extra fibre, use wholemeal pasta. For those who are gluten-intolerant, try gluten-free pasta. Note

Spelt is an ancient form of wheat that has a higher level of protein and wider range of nutrients than ordinary wheat. It still contains gluten, making it unsuitable for coeliacs. You can use any form of long pasta instead of the spelt fettuccine. Note

Dried rose petals are available from specialist food stores. Note

For this spicy traditional Indian milk tea, we used English Breakfast tea ­but try experimenting with other varieties until you find one that suits your taste. Note

A spicy sausage that originated in Tunisia, merguez has become traditional fare throughout North Africa and Spain.

For a clear jelly, don’t push the mixture through the muslin-lined strainer, instead, allow the mixture to strain gradually. Note

Keep salad refrigerated; bring to room temperature before serving. Note

Starchy potatoes, such as sebago, are best to use. Reheat before topping with dip and almonds. Note

The pork neck can be marinated in the glaze the day before. The pork and potatoes can be roasted in an oven at 180°C/350°F. Note

Quick and easy steamed Asian greens from Australian Women's Weekly.

Also known as floating islands, this dessert is an adaptation of a French pudding, in which a stale sponge cake, steeped in liqueur, was floated in a bowl of custard. Note

Tender pork fillet wrapped in sage and prosciutto and served with creamy potato mash and green beans.

Use any firm white fish fillets, such as perch, ling or blue-eye trevalla, for this recipe. Note

When they’re in season, this pudding also works well with quince. Prepare 4 small quince (800g) as for the pears in step 1, cooking them for 30 minutes until softened. Note

Sweet and sticky maple-glazed chicken with a fresh and nutty salad; a wonderful summer dish.

Potted prawns can be made a day before the picnic, keep well-iced during transportation. Make crostini close to departure time. Note

Canned whole baby beets can be substituted for fresh beetroot, if preferred. Potatoes, beetroot and peas can be cooked in advance and refrigerated, covered. Combine salad just before serving or beetroot will “bleed” into egg and potato Note

You need six 30cm (12-inch) squares of unbleached calico and six 1m (1 yard) lengths of kitchen string. Note

Persian lamb and rhubarb stew

Delicious and flavour-packed Asian-style dumplings with a spicy dressing.

Cook dumplings, in batches, in a large saucepan of boiling water for about 5 minutes or until filling is cooked. Remove dumplings from the water with a slotted spoon. Note

An exotic rocket, pear & ricotta fritter salad that is packed to the brim with delicious flavours and textures.

This pudding recipe is suitable to freeze. Note

Grilled chicken parcels stuffed with ham, spinach, ricotta and sun-dried tomatoes.

Soba noodles are long, flat thin Japanese buckwheat noodles from Asian food stores and major supermarkets. Note

You need 1 large (230g) overripe banana to get the amount of mashed banana required for this recipe. Note

Roasting the tomatoes concentrates the flavour, which goes well with pumpkin. Serve the salad warm. Note

We used desiree potatoes in this recipe. Season this dish carefully as the haddock and stock are already salty. Note

A simple but delectable roasted capsicum soup with fried provolone polenta.

Place any leftover lime leaves in a resealable plastic bag and freeze for another use. Add three or four to a curry, scrunching the leaves first to release the flavour; toss thinly sliced leaves through a tropical fruit salad; or add sliced leaves to a jug of iced water for a refreshing citrus flavour. Mango […]

Some butchers sell a pork and veal mixture. If itis not available as a mixture, buy half the amount as pork mince and half the amount as veal mince. Passata is available from most supermarkets. If you can’t find it, use pureed canned tomatoes instead. You can freeze this dish in an airtight container for […]