The best thing about the warmer months is that it's a great time of the year for entertaining. The longer days and lack of school activities give us time to catch up with family and friends.
Being a cook, I always like to take a plate. So I was excited to present Dionie Salas' Pea & Chorizo Rolls (page 32) to the family. They made a tasty alternative to regular sausage rolls and were a big hit. Equally as good are the lovely Roast Beef Cups, from Sonya Wilson (page 35), taking less than 10 minutes to prepare. Impressive, fast and tasty - three things I look for when I'm cooking a meal.
Like most of you, simple pasta dishes and recipes I can prepare ahead, like Mary O'Donoghue's Tunisian Beef (page 24), easily feed my family.
If you're planning an Australian Day barbecue or get-together then nothing beats a lush pavlova for dessert. Justene Williams shares her favourite fab recipe (page 78). Served as a finale to any meal it's sure to win hearts.
While getting meals onto the table each day can be a challenge, sometimes I think the biggest daily success is opening up empty lunch boxes when the kids arrive home from school. Thanks to your inspiration, we have some clever ideas to help you out and add variety to their lunch box snacks and meals. My daughter Jess loved the Berry Easy Scones (page 8) by Johanna Cleary and she was also happy to add the Potato Pinwheels (page 61) to her list of favourite after-school snacks.
If you ahve some ideas for family meals or lunch box options your kids just adore, then I'd love to hear from you - perhaps they'll be in the next collection.
Food Editor, Darlene Allston |
