PUMPKIN & GRUYERE RAVIOLI WITH BURNT SAGE BUTTER

Pumpkin. Was it created to go with sage? Or the other way around? And where does butter fit into this? And parmesan? Anyway, all these things seem to be made for each other. We had a pumpkin from our neighbours and some gruyere (which had originally been destined for an onion soup). They've gone to a good home. It seems odd to call anything burnt 'perfect', but this was the perfect burnt sage butter. Burnt, not bitter, butter.

PUMPKIN & GRUYERE RAVIOLI WITH BURNT SAGE BUTTER

DRY-AGED RIB OF BEEF WITH PURPLE CONGOS & KALE

There are people who think beef is beef is beef. Apparently. Not round these parts. Well, yes, around these parts - but not in this house. Honestly if your budget only stretches to $7.99 per kg whole rump, you'd be better off buying beef cheeks or other cheaper cuts that produce FAR superior results. What this beef has done is remind me of the importance of handling - possibly equal to the raising of cattle. Paul, our brilliant butcher, has aged a whole rib from the Nolans in Gympie. I didn't ask Paul how long he aged it, but the result is meat that's quite special. Not much done with it - a simple adobo rub and cooked in a VERY hot cast iron skillet. The kale came from the family from whom we buy our eggs. The purple Congo potatoes from the local markets.

DRY-AGED RIB OF BEEF WITH PURPLE CONGOS & KALE

BLUE SWIMMER CRAB OMELETTE WITH OYSTER SAUCE

This is based on one of Neil Perry's recipes. Neil uses spanner crab. I happened to see some nice blue swimmer crabs at the fishmonger, so that's what I've used here. I also bought some nice baby spinach so that's also found its way onto the plate. I swear Neil looks the same today as when I first met him 25 years ago. Not sure what he's doing to achieve eternal youth. Maybe there's a painting of him somewhere that's growing old. Dorian Perry?

BLUE SWIMMER CRAB OMELETTE WITH OYSTER SAUCE

CHICKEN LAKSA

I had my first laksa at the original Malaya Restaurant on George Street, Sydney. Back then it was a single room and very basic - formica tables, linoleum on the floor. Then they went upmarket. They expanded into the shop next door, put flock velvet wallpaper and fake carriage lamps on the walls. And they played Frank Sinatra, Al Martino, Dean Martin and Tony Bennett. Fortunately, the food didn't get tricked up. At least not for a long time. They opened in North Sydney. They moved the George Street restaurant to an old butchers shop along the road. The prices went up, the food lost a lot of its kick. Anyway, laksa's become a bit of an Australian staple - like curries in the UK. Everone has their favourite laksa recipe and favourite laksa joint. This is my version. Home-made laksa paste and chicken stock. Laksa leaves (which is also called Vietnamese mint) from the garden. Coriander picked yesterday and bought this morning at the local markets. Home-made chilli jam - using serrano chillies, also from the garden. Malaysian soul food.

CHICKEN LAKSA

POLLO CON MOLE NEGRO

Ah, moles. They really are one of the most extraordinary creations in world cooking. There are several theories about when the first mole was created and by whom and where. Even though the modern mole is credited to a nun in Puebla in the 18th century, there would have been similar - if less complex - combinations of chocolate and chillies and local herbs and spices before the Spanish invaded Mexico. The Spaniards brought almonds, cinnamon and other goodies that are now key ingredients in the most complex moles. Oaxaca, in Mexico's south, is known as the land of the seven moles. Some are quite simple. The most complex is the mole negro (which isn't really black, just dark). There are between 20 and 30 ingredients in this sauce. That makes it something you don't want to whip up on the spur of the moment. I consider making mole paste therapeutic. When I go into one of my therapy sessions, I make a large batch and freeze what I don't need. In this case, I made about 1 1/2 litres. In Mexico, the small native turkeys would traditionally have been the bird of choice. Chicken is now probably more commonly used - although there's nothing common about Mexican chooks. They have a depth of flavour I'd forgotten. As soon as I tasted my first Mexican chicken, it unlocked memories of a taste I recalled from my childhood - but now long gone from Australian chickens. Let's just call it chicken flavour. OK, back to moles. Until you taste one you can't really claim to have tasted Mexican cuisine. Until you go to Oaxaca, you can't really claim to have been to Mexico. I'd been told by friends in Mexico City that Oaxaca is a magic, spiritual place - and it is - with one of the world's great markets. The mole negro de oaxaca uses chillies that are hard to find in the US and impossible in Australia - chilhuacle, for example. For those of you who simply think of chillies as sources of heat, the variety of flavours and degrees of complexity in Mexican chillies is mind blowing. You get chillies that taste grassy, fruity, chocolatey, nutty, earthy - and degrees of heat from soft and sweet through to searingly strong. Each has its place and none is used for heat alone. There are lots of recipes for mole negro available online. There are lots of recipes in Mexico. Every cook has her favourite combination of ingredients. If you're feeling lazy or pushed for time, you can buy ready-made mole pastes in the markets. In Oaxaca, many locals buy the ingredients in the markets and then take them all to a corner mill to have them ground - cocoa beans, cinnamon, almonds, cloves etc etc in the quantities preferred. Thanks to my dear friend Amr for inspiring me to cook mole tonight.

POLLO CON MOLE NEGRO

BARRAMUNDI WITH ZUCCHINI TIMBALE, AIOLI & HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD

Not sure what I'd rate as Mexico's greatest culinary gift to the world. I reckon it's a toss up between two foods, tomatoes and chocolate. Not much chocolate in this dish. But some lovely heirloom tomatoes from the North Sydney Growers Market. Some bright coloured, sea-flavoured line-caught barramundi from one of the local fishmongers. Some small zucchini from the fruit shop next door. And I have to say, the best aïoli I've yet made. The garlic in this one was almost caramelised, and I used an old sherry vinegar - both of which have added an extra depth to the taste. The timbale is dead simple. Grated zucchini, eggs, parmesan & salt. Prepped in five minutes. Cooked in 20.

BARRAMUNDI WITH ZUCCHINI TIMBALE, AIOLI & HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD

TUNA WITH BABY SPINACH & ROASTED CAPSICUM

Once again the local fishmonger has displayed the sign he seems to put up solely for my benefit. He puts it out by the road. It's the sign on which he writes the fish that he's got in fresh each day. Over the past couple of days, he has written Squire and Jewfish and Snapper in chalk on this sign. Today he wrote TUNA. He always writes TUNA larger than he writes other species. That's easy when the fish has a name as short as tuna. But I know he also writes it large because he's always excited when he sees tuna at the markets that he considers good enough to buy. To be honest, he probably doesn't write TUNA on his board solely for me. He writes it large because there are other tragics like me who'll cross double yellow lines and run down motorised wheelchairs to get some glistening fresh yellowfin tuna. Judging from the girth of the side of fish from which he cut me a chunk, this was a monster fish. Baby spinach leaves wilted in olive oil with a squeeze of lemon juice. Deep red perfectly ripe capsicums grilled to blister the skin, peel, diced. A quarter red onion also finely diced and baby capers cooked quickly in olive oil. The capsicum tossed in to warm, along with some salt, pepper and parsley.

TUNA WITH BABY SPINACH & ROASTED CAPSICUM

ADOBO RUBBED WAGYU SIRLOIN WITH SALSA VERDE

How observant are you? Do you notice stuff? If so, you might have noticed there's more going on here than just beef and sauce. So here's what's not listed above. There are black beans under the cow. They're extremely good for you. The lard in which they're finished isn't. There are baby carrots with agave syrup. There's beetroot with hazelnuts & red mustard cress (with hazelnut oil & white balsamic vinegar dressing). There's a watercress & radish salad (with macadamia oil & mango vinegar dressing).

ADOBO RUBBED WAGYU SIRLOIN WITH SALSA VERDE

PUMPKIN SOUP

Makes about 2 litres. Serves 6

 

1 JAPANESE PUMPKIN (ABOUT 1.8 KG)

900 MLS CHICKEN STOCK

2 TEASPOONS MILD PAPRIKA

2 BAY LEAVES

2 ALLSPICE

4 BROWN ONIONS

2 CLOVES GARLIC

3 TABLESPOONS GHEE

SEA SALT

PEPPER

Skin, seed & dice the pumpkin into approximately 4cm chunks. Tie the bay leaves and allspice into muslin or place in a mesh spice basket. Put diced pumpkin, stock, paprika and spices into a saucepan, cover and cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes – until pumpkin is soft.

Meanwhile, skin and halve the onions, then slice. Heat the ghee over medium heat in a shallow pan (choose one that has a lid). Add onions and the whole peeled garlic cloves. Cover, reduce to low and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are nut brown and caramelised.

Remove the spice bag from the pumpkin. Add the onions and blend until smooth. Add salt (probably 1-2 teaspoons) and pepper (a half dozen twists of the mill) to taste. Blend again. (This freezes well. I divide it into single serve portions of about 330 mls.)

PUMPKIN SOUP

HOKKIEN NOODLES WITH TEA-SMOKED SALMON & XO SAUCE

Hokkien noodles are Chinese, from the Fujian region. I don't know what the good folks of Fujian do with their noodles but here in Oz the best-known dishes based on Hokkien noodles don't originate in China but come from Singapore and Malaysia. I've used them in a dish with more Thai influence than Singaporean or Malaysian. Smoked fish is reasonably common in Thai cuisine, so I smoked a fillet of salmon over jasmine tea leaves, rice and sugar. I cooked the noodles first in a broth of chicken stock and a little light soy. Then the noodles went into a wok with peanut oil, soy sauce and XO sauce. Flaked smoked salmon, green onions, bean sprouts, fish sauce, sugar and ground roasted rice were tossed through to warm. A salad of cucumber, chilli, coconut vinegar & sugar on top with some coriander & mint leaves to finish. A bit of prep with the smoking, slicing and washing of various bits, but once the ingredients are prepared, the whole thing takes five minutes to cook.

HOKKIEN NOODLES WITH TEA-SMOKED SALMON & XO SAUCE

WAGYU RIB FILLET, NICOLA POTATO MASH & WATERCRESS

There are lots of pensioners around here. That means a couple of things. Lots of Zimmer frames & electric wheelchairs. Bowling clubs with $5.95 lunches. Butchers selling cheap bulk meat. The meat looks like it's come from cows that were forced to walk to the abattoir. Honestly if your budget only stretches to meat that costs under $10 a kilo, then I don't know why you wouldn't buy GREAT cheaper cuts like beef cheeks, pickled pork, oxtail, lamb shoulder and pork neck rather than leathery rump. Then you can treat yourself to something flash like a nice piece of wagyu rib fillet. The meat has so much flavour that it doesn't need tarting up with other stuff. Some sea salt and black pepper and that's probably it. Great big bunches of really fresh watercress from a family at the weekly markets. Creamy nicola potatoes also from the markets.

WAGYU RIB FILLET, NICOLA POTATO MASH & WATERCRESS

PANKO CRUMBED SNAPPER WITH LISBON SAUCE, CAPSICUM & BROAD BEANS

Steve Snow has a restaurant called Fins. It used to be in Byron Bay but moved about 30 minutes closer to here a couple of years ago. One of the sauces he makes is this one with Portuguese flavours. I roasted and skinned some ripe red capsicums. I shelled, steamed and then skinned some broad beans. And this is the result.

PANKO CRUMBED SNAPPER WITH LISBON SAUCE, CAPSICUM & BROAD BEANS

MONKFISH WITH POTATOES, PANCETTA & BLACK OLIVE VINAIGRETTE

Is there an uglier fish than monkfish? Shaped like a flathead with a Luna Park mouth, it ought to be forced to swim in a camouflage suit. It's a mouth with a tail. It's big, it looks uglier than most fish and its texture is different from most fish. More like lobster. You don't see it very often. In fact I hadn't previously seen it at any fish monger near home. Anyway, it worked pretty well in this combination.

MONKFISH WITH POTATOES, PANCETTA & BLACK OLIVE VINAIGRETTE

MPARRETTATI WITH PROSCIUTTO & TOMATOES

If you don't live in Australia, you won't know how abysmal the standard of prosciutto used to be in this country until a few years ago. Yes it was made from pigs, but they'd clearly had a hard life. If not a hard life, they'd been abused savagely after death. The prosciutto was dry, salty and unforgiving. Approaching jerky in character. Well now we have access to proper prosciutto - di Parma (from around the town of the same name) and San Daniele (from Friuli in Italy's north). (We also now get the equivalent hams from Spain - jamon serrano & jamon iberico.) The prosciutto used here is from Parma and is subtle in flavour and soft in texture. It has simply been torn into ribbons and scattered over the cooked mparrettati (which was mixed with some garlic cooked briefly in olive oil). Some intensely sweet small Johnny Love Bites tomatoes were slow-roasted with sugar, salt and olive oil to intensify the flavour. Simple school-night fare.

MPARRETTATI WITH PROSCIUTTO & TOMATOES

RICE NOODLES WITH KING PRAWNS & PEANUTS

There's something special about rice noodles. There's something erotic about that slippery texture. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, rice noodles do things that other foods don't. OK, spaghetti comes close. But the softness of rice is, well, almost flesh-like. Every time I do rice noodles with prawns, the ingredients vary slightly. This time I used two readily available condiments - chilli paste with holy basil and crispy prawn chilli. What else? Peanut oil, light soy sauce (Golden Boy Brand from Thailand), bean sprouts, peanuts, green onions & coriander, sugar and lime juice. Fifteen minutes from start to finish (well, excluding peeling the prawns). The downside? It works best with beer or a fruity white - and in cooler weather I prefer a red. So, a glass of white with the food, then onto the red. Everyone's happy.

RICE NOODLES WITH KING PRAWNS & PEANUTS

BEETROOT RISOTTO

Risotto. Italian comfort food. Well, northern Italian comfort food. Italy grows more rice than any other European country. The Po Valley is Rice Central. Rice has probably been growing in Italy since the middle ages - which would mean that it is older than Italy - by about 500 years. There are lots of dishes served around the world that are called risotto. Most of them are just rice dishes. If it isn't made with arborio,  carnaroli or vialone nano rice varieties and isn't made using home-made stock and isn't cooked to order (which a lot of restaurants won't do because the constant stirring is so labour-intensive) then it isn't risotto. My favourite basic risottos in no particular order  are fennel, squid ink, crab, verde (with various green leaves & herbs), radicchio, beetroot and saffron. Any of these  can be adorned with other goodies - seared scallops on the squid ink, for example, or quail or goat's cheese on the beetroot. I bought a huge bunch of small beetroot at the markets yesterday and roasted them today. I had a litre of very rich chicken stock in the freezer. I've sprinkled a few red mustard cress leaves on top.

BEETROOT RISOTTO

FIVE SPICE QUAIL WITH UDON NOODLES & BOK CHOY

I want to write about spice mixes. And mixed herbs. How many is the right number in a blend? In the middle east, the most popular spice mix is za'atar. This is often a mix of three dried herbs - oregano, marjoram, thyme - plus sesame seeds and salt. It can often include many more herbs and spices. In different countries and different households savory, cumin, coriander and fennel seeds might be added to the mix. Sometimes caraway, sometimes sumac are also present. In India, garam masala mixes can be a combination of any of the following - long pepper, black pepper, white pepper, clove, black cumin, brown cumin, cinnamon, cardamom (black, brown and green varieties), star anise, coriander, nutmeg and Malabar leaves (a form of laurel), chilli, ginger, mustard, cassia, mace and garlic. In Chinese cooking, the most commonly used spice mix is five spice powder. This is a mix of star anise, cloves, fennel, Sichuan pepper and cinnamon. That's what I've made here. The quail were brushed with peanut oil then dusted with five spice powder and barbecued. The udon noodles were cooked in a light Asian broth. The bok choy steamed, with a few drops of sesame oil over the top once plated.

FIVE SPICE QUAIL WITH UDON NOODLES & BOK CHOY

TUNA ADOBADO WITH CORIANDER & PEPITA PESTO

Variations on a cucurbita theme. Japanese pumpkin and yellow squash - both members of the same botanical family - provide a bed for the yellow fin tuna with a dry adobo rub. Another family member in the coriander and pumpkin seed pesto. Fried leeks for texture, red radish sprouts for colour.

TUNA ADOBADO WITH CORIANDER & PEPITA PESTO