With only five ingredients, all purchased easily from a supermarket, this sophisticated version of the classic bacon and egg pie is the perfect fuss-free midweek dinner. Note

Meaning ‘salted pork with lentils’, in French, this hearty, rustic-style dish is a specialty of France’s Auvergne region. Toulouse is a small French sausage made of coarsely diced pork and flavoured with wine, garlic and various seasonings. It is available from speciality butchers. You can also use thick pork sausages. Taste before adding any salt […]

equipment two deep 15cm (6-inch) round cake pans 20cm (8-inch) round prepared cake board (page 110) or cake stand 2 piping bags fitted with small plain tube and small fluted tube Mud cake can be made two days ahead; store in an airtight container. Assemble and decorate up to six hours ahead of the party. […]

Rosewater pistachio crêpes

A perfect grilled porterhouse steak atop a pile of creamy blue cheese mash served with delicious caramelised red onions.

You can deep-fry wontons in vegetable oil, in batches, until browned all over. Uncooked wontons are suitable to freeze, use a sheet of baking paper between each layer of wontons. There’s no need to defrost them before cooking. Serve steamed wontons either using the bamboo steamer as a tray or sit each wonton on a […]

If you have a sugar (candy) thermometer, use it for these recipes. These nuts are so moreish it will be hard to hand them over; to prevent such a dilemma, double the quantity and the problem is solved! Note

Cook vegetables slowly to prevent them blackening before they have softened. Before adding lamb to the grill, increase heat to medium-high. Note

You will need about 1 bunch of silver beet for this recipe. Silver beet is high in non-haeme iron, which is important in a vegetarian diet. Iron from plant sources isn’t absorbed as well as haeme iron from meat. Including vitamin C either in the dish (we used lemon juice in this recipe) or with […]

It is important to slice pears as thinly as possible; if the slices are too thick, the cake will sink in the centre. Note

Remember this rockin' cake from The Australian Women's Weekly's famous 'Children's Birthday Cake Book' cookbook? It's sure to be a favourite among the kids, even after all these years.

You will need about 2 limes for this recipe. Note

Buk choy and gai lan can also be cooked this way. Note

You can use other fish of your choice. Mirin is found in the Asian section of your supermarket. You can use sweet sherry as a substitute. Note

Merguez sausages, from North Africa, are traditionally made with lamb and seasoned with garlic and hot spices. They can be found at most delicatessens and sausage specialists. Golden beetroots have a slightly sweeter flavour than the purple-red variety and can be found at most greengrocers. When trimming the beetroots, leave a little of the stalk […]

50cm-square prepared cake board. Most children love lamingtons. We’ve used a lot of them to make this spectacular pyramid ­ just watch it be devoured. Don’t forget a desert-sand coloured background. For an Egyptian-themed party have the guests come in fancy dress. Note

You need four passionfruit to get the required amount of pulp. Note

The lamb and vegetables can be prepared, ready for roasting, a day ahead of time. serving suggestion Note

Spicy date pudding with butterscotch sauce

EQUIPMENT Deep 22cm (9-inch) square cake pan 35cm (14-inch) square cake board DECORATIONS 500g ready-made white icing pure icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting 2 black licorice straps chess pieces Chess has long been considered the sport of kings and aristocrats. If you have a grand master in the making, this is the cake that will […]

Place pretzels in a zip-lock plastic bag; crush roughly with a rolling pin. Combine pretzels with butter and cheeses in a medium bowl. You can make the candied bacon a day ahead; store, covered, in the refrigerator. Note

equipment two deep 18cm-round cake pans 20cm-round covered cake board (page 110) decorations 24 ALLEN’S Strawberries & Cream 6 caramel ALLEN’S Milk Bottle Mania 12 ALLEN’S JAFFAS pink edible glitter dust 1.6 metres ribbon, approximately paper scrapbooking flowers Note

This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

This dish is the perfect summer curry. Not too rich but packed to the brim with flavour. You'll be going back for seconds every time.

Panzanella is a refreshing Tuscan summer bread salad. We’ve put our own spin on it by using little cubes of radish sandwich instead of the traditional bread pieces. Note

You need one small overripe banana (130g) for the amount of mashed banana used in this recipe. Whoopie pies are best eaten the day they are made. Note

Savoury pancakes are just as delicious as sweet and it's these ricotta and basil pancakes that will wow. Served with a tomato and rocket salad, this healthy, tasty meal is perfect for any time of day.

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

This cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, in the fridge for 1 week, or in the freezer for 2 months. Note

To prevent them from drying out, keep finished ura-maki wrapped in plastic, uncut, until ready to serve. Goes well with sesame dipping sauce, and oysters osaka. Note

Serve risotto quickly after stirring the radicchio through the rice, as the radicchio will discolour from the heat. This recipe is not suitable to freeze. Note

Vindaloo curry paste can be made up to a week ahead and kept, covered tightly, in the refrigerator. Making this dish a day ahead helps intensify the flavours. Note

Meat filling can be prepared a day ahead. Note

Wrap the steamer lid in a clean tea towel to avoid condensation drops falling onto the custards. Cook custards in two batches if they don’t all fit in your steamer. Note

A bold and hearty stew that celebrates the warmth of fresh spices and tender beef cheeks. This winter staple is best made in an electric pressure cooker which significantly cuts down on the cooking time.

The term palliard' means a quick-cooking, thinly sliced or pounded piece of meat, usually veal, beef or chicken. It may also be known as an escalope’. Remove the tenderloin from chicken breast; this is the thin strip of meat lying just under the breast. Using a large sharp knife, cut each chicken breast in half […]

It is fine to use just one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. Note

This king of the jungle cake will be a hit with young explorers at a jungle-themed safari. If the weather is wet or humid, chop the Violet Crumble bars and position them on the cake just before the party, as the damp air will make them sticky. You’ll have about 1 cup of cake mixture […]

Packaged cupcakes usually come iced, however, you can ice over the top with the frosting or remove the icing. Place the muffins in matching paper cases, if you like. Note

Pancetta, an Italian unsmoked bacon, can be used, sliced or chopped, as an ingredient in recipes rather than eaten on its own. It’s also great used as a pizza topping. Note

If shrimp paste is unavailable, substitute 1 tablespoon fish sauce. Shrimp paste is available from Asian grocery stores or the Asian section of most supermarkets. Tamarind concentrate is made from dried tamarind pulp and is a popular souring agent that adds an appetising tang and fruity background flavour to curries and sauces Note

You need to buy half a large barbecued chicken (450g) to get the amount of shredded meat required for this recipe. Note

The gherkins will lose their colour gradually during storage. This does not affect their taste or texture in any way. Note

Remember to remove the skewers from the drawbridge before cutting the cake. Note

to freeze Complete recipe to the end of step 3. Cool sauce to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container. Label, date and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a saucepan and continue from step 4. Stir in ⅓ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves just before serving, […]

Peppermint essence is an extract of distilled peppermint leaves Note

A Kashmiri speciality using only the most tender young lamb available from this mountainous province in north India. “This is winter comfort food for me. I like to make it on a weekend to eat through the week.” Sophia Young was a New York-trained chef before she began in the Test Kitchen in 1993. She […]

This is Vietnam’s famous beef noodle soup. Note

You will need about 3 punnets of raspberries for this recipe. Note

Stollen is delicious toasted lightly under a griller (broiler); serve it buttered. Bread flour is a strong flour, meaning that it has a relatively high gluten (protein) content; this causes the bread to rise, giving it shape and structure. It is available from most supermarkets. Note

Christmas cutters are available from all good kitchenware shops or cake decorating shops. Note

You can use ready-made air-popped popcorn instead of making your own; you will need about 8 cups. While this looks cute enough for a baby’s first birthday, it’s best not to use the popcorn ­instead, pipe some of the frosting over the sheep to make its woolly coat. Note

It is fine to use just the one 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. You can use any dried fruit in place of the raisins in this recipe such as dried apricots or peaches. Note

Pepato is an Italian sheep’s milk cheese, most often pecorino, studded with peppercorns. It is available from some delicatessens and specialty cheese shops. If you can’t find it, use pecorino or parmesan cheese with a good grinding of black pepper. Note

You need about 2 large trimmed rhubarb stems for this recipe. Muffins can be served warm or at room temperature. Note

The peanut sauce can be made in a food processor or blender instead of a mortar and pestle. You need about a quarter of a small cauliflower for this recipe. Note