Whether you’ve already got the knack for slow-cooked dishes, mastering the art to making a casserole is a fantastic way to cook delicious winter meals. The beauty of the casserole is that it is so simple to make. It’s hard to beat the wonderful flavours and aromas you get from slow-cooked casseroles. Even budget cuts [...]
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Zucchini Basics
This thin, shiny-skinned vegetable has a pale, juicy flesh that is ideal for use with beef, prosciutto, cheddar, eggplant, tomatoes and pine nuts. Take advantage of the winter months, as they are the time to find the best quality zucchinis. Here are some tips:
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Pink Lady Apples Basics
This sweet-flavoured apple is a cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams and is ideal in cooking and as lunch box fillers. The pinkish-red blush on their yellow skin is distinctive to their crisp, sweet-tasting flesh. After being developed in the 70s, they have become an Australian staple, used primarily in dessert dishes. Here [...]
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Kiwifruit Basics
Furry, rough skin covers the juicy, sweet flesh of a kiwifruit. The large, egg-sized fruit has a slightly tart flavour with hints of melon and fresh berries. Enjoy kiwifruit in desserts or simply pop them into a lunchbox with a spoon for a tasty and healthy snack. The tiny black seeds have a soft texture [...]
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Hass Avocado Basics
This delightful, dark-skinned fruit has a longer shelf life than other avocado varieties, making it the most popular kind in the country. It’s distinctive, textured skin turns from green to purplish-black when ripe. Enjoy the smooth, nutty flavoured flesh in dips, salads, sandwiches, pastas and other delicious dishes. Here are some tips on choosing and [...]
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Cup Mushrooms Basics
Mushrooms make a delicious addition to virtually any meal due to their great taste, raw or cooked. Sometimes described as “meat for vegetarians”, mushrooms are loaded with vitamin B. Their infinite versatility makes them ideal for use in both everyday cooking and even in the most gourmet kinds of dishes. Choose the best cup mushrooms [...]
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Baby Brussels Sprouts Basics
These mild-flavoured vegetables look like miniature cabbages and are very eye-catching. They taste slightly sweet and somewhat similar to regular cabbage with a solid and dense texture. With a slight, nutty flavour, baby brussels sprouts are members of the cabbage family and one of the healthiest veggies around. Here are some pointers for getting the [...]
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Meat Cuts: where to use them
Unless you’re a vegetarian, you probably use meat in cooking several times a week. When you follow a recipe, you are usually told which meat cut to use, but it does help to understand the differences, or even learn about some cuts you haven’t encountered before. Brisket: better known as pot roast, brisket is quite [...]
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A Little Italy: Italian Cuisine Basics
Whether it’s the trusty lasagne or hearty osso bucco, chances are you have a favourite Italian dish. Italian cuisine is one of the best-loved flavours in all of Australia and classic Italian meals like chicken parmigana and spaghetti bolognaise are now a staple of the average Australian’s diet. Get to know this diverse cuisine with [...]
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Olive Oils
Olives and their oil are some of the oldest foods still being used today. Cultivation of the olive has been traced back to as far as 5000 BC. Not only is olive oil delicious, but being loaded with essential fatty acids and high in antioxidants, it is also incredibly healthy. Below is an explanation of [...]
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