Online collection of fast autumn recipes.

Looking for some quick dishes to get you through autumn? We've got you covered with our online collection of fast autumn recipes. Plus, what to see and do in Dubrovnik, Croatia; our guide to edible seaweed; our recipe for sfogliatelle; and your chance to win a trip to King Island thanks to King Island Dairy or an afternoon with Ferran Adrià thanks to Williams-Sonoma! Happy eating, Anthea Loucas and the team at Gourmet Traveller

Some Thoughts on French Cuisine

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 by David Lebovitz

French cuisine is, once again, a popular topic of discussion these days. Actually, anything controversial about France seems to foster a lot of heated debates. On one side are the folks decrying French-bashing, complaining that the French are unfairly picked on. Then there are the others who eat up books about how superior the French are, because they are better at parenting, they miraculously stay thin, they don’t have plastic surgery, everyone enjoys months of vacations, and Paris is a magical place where love, fashion, and fine food, flourish on the cobbled streets of the city. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in between and, like any where, there is the great, the ordinary, and a bit of the not-so-good. I want to play the referee but there’s usually a bit of truth in most compliments and criticisms, and the reality is more complicated.

French cuisine gets its share of praise and criticism, some deserved, some not. One truth I’ve learned after living here for over a decade is that people really like to eat. The outdoor markets are crowded, lines snake out the door at bakeries, and cafés and restaurants are packed – even on Tuesday evenings – in spite of la crise (the economic crisis).

But what is French cuisine? Traditionally, cuisine du potager (cooking from the garden) or cuisine du marché (cooking from the daily market) were the foundations of French cuisine. Cuisine du potager was born out of economic and common sense; you cooked and ate what was closest to where you lived. Part of it was out of necessity (there was no Chinese garlic or avocados from Peru way-back-when), but mostly because the food was either free, picked from your own garden, or grown nearby. So you were always eating seasonally and locally. In France, you were cooking and eating local products; fresh cream, butter, and cheeses made in your region, peas from your garden, eggs from the neighbor’s chicken coop, and bread from the village bakery.

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Some Things from the Friday Market in Paris

Posted: 28 Mar 2014 by David Lebovitz

It’s Friday and hallelujah. Not just because it’s the end of the week. But also because I discovered an open hole in my schedule, with the entire day free. And the lure of sunshine coming though my windows was all the prompting I needed to grab my market bag and take a leisurely stroll to the outdoor market on the boulevard Richard Lenoir (M: Oberkampf, Tuesday & Friday). After one of those never-ending winters, it was nice to be able to walk in the sunshine, sans gloves and not being all bundled up in a wool overcoat.

When I arrived, the market was teeming with people who obviously had the exact same idea (although don’t know how they got a day off as well), and I was squinting in the sunlight, taking in the fruits and vegetables, noting the changing of the season. In addition to being able to go out without gloves and an overcoat, another sure sign of spring in Paris is ail nouveau, or “new garlic.” Garlic has a season and it’s starting right now, with violet-hued heads of garlic, piled up in baskets. New garlic is slightly soft, without any of the harsh pungency of garlic that’s been stored for months and months. It’s beautiful and wonderful in aïoli.

While squash is considered a winter vegetable, all the stands seemed to be carrying small potimarrons, whose name is a mash-up, reflecting their pumpkin (potiron) and chestnut (marron) flavors. Perhaps it’s time to use ‘em or lose ‘em? I like them roasted and the small ones are particularly attractive when served that way.

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Cookbook Awards

Eat Your Books

The winners of the IACP cookbook awards were announced earlier this month. The pick for Book of the Year, Stone Edge Farm Cookbook, provoked a bit of controversy. This self-published cookbook was all but unknown before its nomination and selection as the winner in not one, but two categories. See the complete list of winners here. The James Beard Foundation recently announced nominees for their cookbook awards. See how their list differs significantly from the IACP nominees. www.eatyourbooks.com

Eat Your Books

Happy cooking & baking everyone! From blogs: Nutella Swirl Brownie & Sugar Cookie Tart and Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Crumb Cupcakes from Love & Olive Oil added with the Bookmarklet Cauliflower Chowder from Damn Delicious added with the Bookmarklet From UK books: 23 recipes from A Change of Appetite: Where Healthy Meets Delicious by Diana Henry 15 recipes from Rachel's Everyday Kitchen: Simple, Delicious Family Food by Rachel Allen 43 budget-friendly recipes from A Girl Called Jack by Jack Monroe More

Winner of the André Simon Food Book Award. announced

Master it -Rory O’Connell

Winner of the André Simon Food Book Award.

A personal cookery lesson from one of the UK's finest cookery teachers.

Nowadays we seem to know a lot about food, but much less about actual cooking. In Master It, Rory O’Connell, co-founder with Darina Allen of the Ballymaloe Cookery School, will teach you simple but essential skills to make you a truly good cook. 

At the heart of his approach are good ingredients, carefully prepared, and used in recipes that are tried, tested, carefully measured, and full of the essential tips and details that will make your dishes a success.

Each chapter teaches a particular technique – preparing a soup, roasting meat, making biscuits – and include a collection of fresh, seasonal recipes to use it in, from wild garlic soup, to roast pork with fennel seeds, chilli and garlic, to caramel and almond thins.

• ISBN: 978-0-00-744728-2
• Size: 153x242mm
• Format: Hardback
• Imprint: Fourth Estate
• UK: £ 25.00 

Healthy Every Day - Pete Evans ( Chef and host of My Kitchen Rules)

RRP NZ$49.99, Plum paperback

 ‘Food is a celebration, something that brings people together. Create delicious meals that nourish you, your family and friends.’ Pete Evans

In this new title,  published just this week,Chef and host of My Kitchen Rules, Pete Evans, shares his favourite recipes for good health and vitality. Inspired by a ʻpaleoʼ way of eating, these are the meals he cooks for his family featuring loads of fresh veggies, nuts and seeds, sustainable seafood and meat, and free of gluten, sugar and dairy. 
There are no recipes for potato chips in here, but you will find one for crispy Kale Chips that will satisfy you and give you a hit of iron, calcium and antioxidants at the same time. And instead of the usual fatty and non-nutritious burger and fries, there’s a Burger with the Lot that is full of flavour but won’t leave you feeling bloated and sluggish.

Drawing on his love of the cuisines of Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam and Morocco, he shows you how to make lighter, healthier versions of your favourite breakfasts, salads, curries and burgers. Pete has also been inspired by the fermented food of Korea and Japan, and has included a chapter that shows you how to create your own Kimchi and other delicious fermented dishes, like Summer Kraut with Pineapple and Mint. And while you won’t find any sugar in this book, there are some delicious gluten- and dairy-free treats, such as Young Coconut Ice Cream and Raspberry Mousse Cheesecakes.

Healthy Every Day makes it easy to change the way you cook and eat, inspiring you to create delicious meals that will make you feel (and look!) fantastic.

 About the Author

PETE EVANS is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, author, health coach, TV presenter, adventurer seeker and father. Born in Melbourne and raised on Australia’s Gold Coast, Pete Evans has a strong passion for fresh food, surfing and fishing. He’s one of Australasia’s leading authorities on healthy cooking and is dedicated to improving people’s lives through education about nutritional food and wellness. Pete is co-host of Channel 7ʼs hugely successful show My Kitchen Rules.

GET YOUR HANDS ON THE BEST BUNS IN TOWN

26 March 2014 GET YOUR HANDS ON THE BEST BUNS IN TOWN - NO SQUATS REQUIRED... READ MORE GASTRONOMY HOW TO: SERVE RESTAURANT QUALITY BEEF AT HOME... READ MORE GASTRONOMY THIS INNER CITY HOLE-IN-THE-WALL WILL KICK OFF YOUR DAY NICELY... READ MORE

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Granola

Posted: 25 Mar 2014 - David Lebovitz

Let’s stop kidding ourselves. Just like “muffin” is basically another word for cake, granola doesn’t have to be strictly “health food.” In fact, some granolas are so sweet they could easily qualify as candy. But since I tend to spend the better part of the day roaming around my apartment, sticking my hand in various boxes and jars of stuff to eat (some that qualify as health food, while other things that don’t quite fit that definition), I wanted to come up with a granola (called muesli, in French) that I didn’t feel so guilty about dipping my hand into throughout the day.

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California cuisine, slow-cooked braises and chocolate till you drop

An Andrew McConnell exclusive, benchmark California cuisine, slow-cooked braises and chocolate till you drop are all in our brand new April issue. Here's a preview. Plus, our review of Sydney's Moon Park and Danjee restaurants; our travel guide to France's Loire Valley; some of our best-ever rib recipes; and your first look at the Huxtable cookbook. Happy eating, Anthea Loucas and the team at Gourmet Traveller

Steak tartare with smoked salsa Butcher’s steak with fermented radishes and Korean hot sauce Southern-style flat-iron with potato and corn hash and baby cos with buttermilk dressing Tomahawk steak and roast tomatoes with rosemary Grilled intercostals with soy, sesame and ginger and cold noodles Picanha, chimichurri and sweet and sour peppers

VIEW ALL RECIPES

Mr Darling Lemon Thyme - baked butterbeans w/ tomato & feta

I wrote about this new title recently .

Now the publishers, Harper Collins, have kindly allowed me to reproduce a yummy recipe I made from it:

baked butterbeans w/ tomato + feta SERVES 4–6

This is a perfect weekday dinner, in that it can be prepared in advance and then just popped into the oven for the final bake-off. If you own a large ovenproof frying pan (cast iron is perfect) you can make and cook this all in the one pan – always a bonus in my book. If I’m lucky, I have enough tomato + basil sauce in the freezer to last me at least half of the year, but sometimes I use a humble tin of whole peeled tomatoes instead and add 1 teaspoon unrefined raw sugar to bring out the flavour.

¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 large carrot, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped

1 quantity tomato + basil sauce (page 234) or 400g tin whole peeled tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in ¾ cup (185ml) hot water

3 cups cooked butterbeans or 2 x 400g tins butterbeans, rinsed (see NOTE)

¼ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

100g firm feta cheese,crumbled

+ Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). 
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over

medium heat (if you have an ovenproof pan, use it). Add onion, celery,

carrot, garlic, oregano and thyme and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often

until onion is translucent. Add tomato sauce or tinned tomatoes with sugar

and tomato paste mixture. 
Cover and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

+ Stir in butterbeans and parsley. Season to taste with sea salt and black

pepper and transfer to a large ovenproof dish (no need, if you’re using

an ovenproof frying pan). Scatter with feta and bake, uncovered, for

30 minutes. 
Serve with bread or cooked rice and salad.

NOTE: If cooking beans from scratch, soak 1 cup dried beans overnight in

plenty of cold water at room temperature. In hot weather put in the fridge. The

next day, drain off water and refill with plenty of fresh cold water. Bring to the

boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface, and simmer gently for

approx. 1 hour, or until tender but not falling apart. Top up with extra water if

needed. Add a few pinches of sea salt and cook for a further 5 minutes before

draining well.

Clean Living Cookbook

Clean Living Cookbook 

Luke Hines & Scott Gooding

Hachette - RRP $39.99

No matter how much exercise you work into your daily routine, you can't be in optimal condition if you're not eating right. With this in mind, Luke and Scott have created a collection of recipes that are easy to make, delicious to eat and great for your overall well-being.

The paleo diet - also known as the 'caveman diet' - is based around the belief that you should only eat what you can catch, pick from a bush or forage for. So cut out all those hard-to-digest grains and unnecessary sugars, and fill up on these delicious, nutrient-dense meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Luke Hines and Scott Gooding won the hearts of the public with their healthy food revolution on the hit show My Kitchen Rules. Their paleolithic style of eating combined with their focus on keeping active has captivated the nation. Their first book, Clean Living, is their guide to being the best you can be and contains recipes and exercises. Clean Living Cookbook is their second book.

‘Two Bondi Beach boys from Sydney who enjoy the simple things in life have put together a
well -illustrated book on how to make the right choices when it comes to fitness and food.’ New Zealand Fitness magazine

And the publishers have kindly agreed to let me post this recipe from the book, which I have made (very easy) and can report is delicious.A perfect Sunday brunch!

Sweet Potato Fritters with Smoked Salmon

Serves 4

Everyone knows just how much we love sweet potato, and this recipe is the perfect way to incorporate it into your first meal of the day.

600g sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated

1 egg yolk

Sea salt and ground black pepper

2 tablespoons coconut oil

100g sliced smoked salmon

2 avocados

2 tablespoons chervil leaves

2 tablespoons avocado oil

Lemon wedges, to serve

   1.  Combine the sweet potato and egg yolk together and season well.

2.  Heat the coconut oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.

3.  Divide the sweet potato mixture into four and shape into loose rounds. Then press into flat rounds in the pan to form a round fritter. Cook for 3 minutes on each side until crisp and tender.

4.  Transfer the fritters to serving plates and top with the smoked salmon. Serve with avocado and a sprinkle of chervil leaves. Drizzle with avocado oil and serve with the lemon wedges.

Extract and image reproduced from Clean Living Cookbook ($39.99 RRP) with the permission of Hachette NZ, available where all good books are sold.