The black beans used in this recipe are also known as turtle beans, and are Cuban and Latin American rather than Chinese in origin. Jet black with a tiny white eye, black beans can be found in most greengrocers and delicatessens. Note

The seafood can be prepared the night before, as can the dressing. Refrigerate seafood and dressing until you’re ready to start cooking. Note

Spicy vegetable and lentil salad packed full of char-grilled capsicum, carrot, pumpkin and red onion.

A deep purple-red spice ground from berries grown on a Mediterranean coastal shrub, sumac adds an astringent flavour to both raw and cooked food. It suits poultry, meat and fish as well as it does a salad. Its piquancy was long only associated with Middle Eastern foods, but these days it is used in many […]

Deliciously tender pork, fennel and olive ragout that can be done in a pressure cooker in no time.

You will need about 1⅓ cups (265g) of uncooked rice for this recipe. Note

You’ll need to buy about three packets of conversation hearts to get 16 pink hearts. Note

It is fine to use just the one 300ml carton of cream for the mocha sauce. Note

You can substitute rib-eye (scotch fillet) or sirloin (new-york cut) steak for the eye fillet in this recipe. Note

Salted cod, also called salt cod, baccala, bacalhau, bacalao and morue, is available from Italian, Spanish and Portuguese delicatessens and some specialty food stores. Note

You can replace the pork medallions with lean pork fillet. Use a vegetable peeler to slice the carrot lengthways into thin ribbons. The pork can be served warm or cold. Reheat the pork, covered, in a microwave oven on HIGH (100%) for about 1 minute. Note

Sumac is a purple-red, astringent spice ground from berries growing on shrubs around the Mediterranean; it has a tart, lemony flavour. It can be found in Middle-Eastern food stores and major supermarkets. Note

Preserved lemons can be bought from delicatessens and some supermarkets. Remove a piece of lemon from the jar, discard the lemon flesh. Rinse the rind under water; dry, then chop finely. Note

This Asian-style sesame noodle salad is sticky, sweet and utterly delicious.

Use green peppercorns in brine if you can’t find the dried variety, rinse then drain them thoroughly before using. You need to soak eight bamboo skewers in water for at least an hour before use to prevent splintering and scorching. Any firm white fish fillet, such as ling or blue-eye, can be used in this […]

We used whole pink snapper in this recipe, but you can use any whole white fish. Note

This delicious herb-marinated pork fillet is perfect enjoyed with a side salad, or some steamed veggies for a quick and tasty family dinner.

Cook the chicken the night before. Note

The same amount of ingredients used to top a 30cm pizza will top four mini pizza bases. Note

You need two large (460g) overripe bananas to get the required amount of mashed banana. Note

Serve this cake warm. Note

Hearty and delicious dish of potato wedges with a spicy beef topping.

This recipe would also work really well with apple. serving idea Note

You could also add some coarsely chopped fresh coriander or finely chopped fresh chilli to the corn salsa. Couscous, the North African cereal made from semolina, lends an intriguing crunch to the coating on the chicken. Note

Store slice in an airtight container for up to a week. Note

You need to cook 2 medium potatoes (380g) for this recipe. The scones are best made and eaten on the same day. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.Thaw in oven, wrapped in foil. Note

Black Cats and vanilla Milk Bottles are found in Allen’s Party Mix. Pink and oranges Nerds are found in Wonka Neon Nerds. Note

Panang is the English adaptation of the Thai word “phanoeng” or “panaeng” meaning curry. The paste is a complex, sweet and milder variation of an authentic Thai red curry paste, which is especially good with seafood. Some commercially prepared curry pastes can vary in heat and flavour. Add less than recommended until you can determine […]

Literally meaning “composed salad”, the ingredients in this dish are layered on top of each other, rather than being tossed together, and the dressing is drizzled over the top. Note

Chickpea flour (besan) is available from the health food aisle of supermarkets or health food stores. Note

Blow on the candles on this delicate and beautifully styled birthday cake.

This decadent chocolate coffee cake layered with vanilla mascarpone cream piled high with sweet syrupy marsala-soaked dates is almost too beautiful to eat. Almost.

With the help of a pressure cooker, this Mexican dish of tender chicken & chorizo sausages with kidney beans can be whipped up in no time.

A delicious traditional treat.

Golden, caramelised apples are the perfect topping for these light, fluffy pancakes. Drizzle with syrup and add a dollop of cream or ice-cream for a truly decadent dessert.

Line quiche pans one at a time. Keep the remaining pastry sheet covered with a damp clean tea towel, to stop it drying out while lining the first quiche pan. Note

Treacle can be used in place of molasses. Note

Use a soft creamy blue cheese for the blue cheese mousse. The mousse can be made a day ahead and kept, covered, in the fridge. It’s best to cook the beef as close to serving time as possible. Note

Ratatouille can be made a day ahead; store, covered, in the refrigerator. It is great on its own, or served with pasta. In a Provencale dialect, touiller means to stir and crush, thus the name ratatouille perfectly describes this rich vegetable stew. Note

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

Edible glitter is available from specialist cake decorating shops 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

Kick start you day with these satisfying, flavour-packed pancakes, or serve them up as a late-afternoon snack for the family. They'll be a hit with kids and adults alike.

A colourful salad of crispy roasted vegetables and grill haloumi salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

storage Friands will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days, or in the freezer (without frosting) for 2 months. Note

If you’ve ever brunched on yum cha, you’ve probably eaten gai lan and loved it; stir-fried or steamed then splashed with a little sesame oil and oyster sauce. This deliciously crunchy vegetable is the perfect accompaniment to our crisp-skinned chicken. Note

Delicate and beautiful sweet violet cakes for sharing with family and friends.

To ground walnuts, blend or process until fine. Note

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

A charmingly simple way to decorate and serve delicious fresh strawberries - either as a simple treat on their own or with ice-cream for a more substantial dessert.

We used 42 green jelly beans to outline the head of the octopus. Stand cake mixture at room temperature while you bake the cakes in batches. You will have 1 cup of cake mixture left over, enough for another 24 mini cakes. You could add these to the cake to make longer tentacles. Note

These spicy roasted chickens are great for sharing with friends and family.

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

A rich and sweet Turkish pastry held together with dark chocolate, pistachios, walnuts and honey syrup.

You can use jelly beans or rainbow straps to decorate the fish. If using butter cream instead of the vanilla frosting, you will need one quantity of butter cream. Note

Summer has a mango salad, but what about the colder months? This fresh and flavourful concoction will soon become your favourite autumnal and winter snack.

We used chicken breast mince in this recipe. Note

Hidden inside each of these mocha meringues is a whole hazelnut for a delightful surprise.

Decorated with whipped milk chocolate ganache, Maltesers and edible glitter, these sweet cupcakes will impress chocolate lovers of all ages.