Lisa Featherby

Dan Hong shares his recipe for a stunning main course of crab stir-fried with Chinese flavours such as ginger, spring onion and XO sauce.

It works as a delicious side or can hold its own as main.

Try a classic mustard glaze on roast duck and unlock whole new levels of flavour. Aria Brisbane's Ben Russell leads the way.

Lee Ho Fook chef Victor Liong's ham glaze delivers all the flavours of char siu pork you know and love with a side of Christmas cheer.

A hot and sour dressing adds a sweet and spicy hit to this classic combination of chicken, aromatic herbs and rice noodles.

Give the Christmas classic of roast turkey an Australian twist with this recipe by Orana chef Jock Zonfrillo.

Embrace the best of the season in this bright dish that partners ruby-red blood orange with flaked trout, mint and the crunch of fennel.

Green papaya and juicy pomelo are a fresh contrast for the rich duck in this textural salad.

Piedmont goes hand-in-hand with chocolate and hazelnut – it’s the birthplace of Nutella, after all. These little biscuits, also known as ladies’ kisses, combine both with just the right amount of crunch.

Roasted mud crab dressed with its own juice, then enlivened even more with tangy mayonnaise - does lunch get much better than this?

"Great squid with a little live fire doesn't need too many accompaniments," says Jordan Toft of Sydney's Bert's.

A salad with extra crackle that’s a balance of sweet, bitter and rich. Begin this recipe a day ahead to dry the pork skin.

Take tuna salad up a level with a version that combines sashimi, seeds and raw zucchini with a tahini-soy dressing to bind it all together.

Crisp tortillas, creamy feta and avocado, green leaves and dainty edible flowers all dressed up with coriander and lime. Think nachos, but spring-salad style.

One for the gin-lovers out there.

Similar to crème caramel, this northern Italian dessert adds coffee, chocolate and amaretti to the mix. Sounds like a good move to us.

A pasta dish that's best served on special occasions.

This Italian starter of raw beef and toppings hails from the Piedmont region. We've opted for mushrooms and parmesan but feel free to tweak the toppings to your taste - just don't skimp on quality.

Like a classic ham-and-cheese toastie, only better.

Agnolotti are the Piedmontese answer to ravioli. And we can confirm they're just as delicious.

The tried-and-true combination of tomato, mozzarella and basil is shown in all its glory in this oozy pizza from The Dolphin Hotel in Sydney.

It's all about Italian flavour in this frittata, with aromatic fennel and spicy 'nduja playing a leading role.

Pork and pear is a classic pairing that tastes even better when the flavours combine in a one-pan dish.

Cooking the okra a little longer results in a wonderful caramelised flavour that could have you rethinking any reservations you had towards this pocket rocket of a vegetable.

You know ma po tofu, but are you familiar with the joys of a jaffle stuffed with the Sichuan staple?

This Piedmontese bread and cheese soup is a guaranteed pick-me-up on rainy days. The bonus? It's a cinch to throw together.

Risotto plus a glass of Barolo equals a good time. Adding Barolo to the risotto? That's a guaranteed formula for fun.

Three kinds of cheese, mortadella, sopressa and breasola - you can see where the name comes from.

The type of pie that tastes like you've spent all day in the kitchen but can be made in a fraction of the time.

Hailing from Savoy, this baked delight is all about layers of rich flavour: cream, potato, bacon and Reblochon.

Seared rib-eye steak is paired with Middle Eastern flavours in this fun dish designed to share.

Lebanon's answer to steak tartare uses parsley, basil, spring onions and a trio of spices as a counterpoint to rich wagyu.

Creamy tahini dressing plus crunchy radishes, chickpeas and herbs add up to one very satisfying bowl.

A medley of seafood shines in this tomato, fennel and white wine broth that feeds a crowd and uses just one pot. Ripper.

These toasties are a riff on the time-honoured move of sandwiching leftover Bolognese sauce between two pieces of bread. Amen to that.

If you took palak paneer and stuffed it into a roti, you'd be halfway towards these deliciously unconventional toasted wraps.

A salad that makes the most of winter produce, this simple number is ideal on its own if you're looking for a light lunch but you can pair it with fish or chicken for a larger meal, too.

The Middle Eastern favourite of hummus and minced lamb gets a makeover that's all about light and fresh flavours.

Barbecue plus lamb plus Turkish flavours equals one very tasty plate.

Claudia Roden may chuckle when she thinks of dukkah’s popularity these days, but it’s grounded in one simple reason: It tastes great. Serve it with salty cheese, or as we’ve done here, with quail eggs, as a fine way to kick off a party.

We think the layering process of baklava is like meditation. The eating, meanwhile, is pure joy.

“Filled pastries have a very long history in the Middle East,” says Joseph Abboud. “The original, sanbosag or sanbusaj, became samosa in India, sambousek in Lebanon and sambusa in Ethiopia, to name a few. Börek, which are a great snack, are another.”

Zhoug is a hot green sauce from Yemen that’s often added to soups and stews for a fresh and fiery finish. Here we’ve paired it with sweet roasted pumpkin for a no-fuss side that’s a winner with chicken.

This simple dessert can be eaten warm, cold or at room temperature, and you could do far worse than serve the leftovers for breakfast.

For a tart that's as good as it looks.

Why not turn the lobster roll into a transseasonal snack by serving them hot?

This side is based on the Persian dish of tah-dig, where rice is cooked until it sticks to the bottom of the pan, providing a wonderful mix of fluffy and crunchy elements in the same mouthful.

Fragrant, nutty and beautiful to boot.

The only thing that can make a fortifying chicken noodle soup even better is adding another form of carbs to the mix.

Like a custard tart, but with a refreshing tang.

A lentil soup that's inspired by shorbat adas, a dish often served during Ramadan, does wonders when you're in need of a little nourishment.

Could these hot, salty, funky squares of deep-fried cheese from Harley & Rose be the ultimate bar snack? We're putting our money on it.

Pickled vegetables and oil-cured eggplant make a winning starter that's easy to prepare ahead.

Silverbeet and currants braised in wine make for a sweet-and-sour combination that's the perfect foil for the richness of lamb.

Devil-style sauce, as it's known in Italian, is named for its spicy notes. Here, that means a pizza with plenty of hot salami and pickled jalapeños. They make an addictively good combo.

Vegetarians rejoice: smoky slivers of beetroot threaded onto metal skewers mean vegetables are no longer an afterthought at barbecues. Thanks, Joseph Abboud.

Crack the brittle caramel top and sink your spoon into blissfully smooth custard. It doesn't get much better than this.

A winter salad that makes the most of radicchio's intense flavour by grilling it then pairing it with orange.

Sausages and lentils are a surefire route to winter comfort.

A perfect side dish for autumn and winter produce that delivers a pleasantly spicy hit thanks to fermented chilli sauce.

Beetroot tops often fall by the wayside, but they have so much flavour that it’s a shame to waste them. Here we've turned them into the basis of a quick vegetarian stir-fry.

You've tried pumpkin and sage stuffed pastas; why not take that same flavour combination and translate it into a midweek-friendly tagliatelle?

This salad is supremely versatile: serve it with roasted lamb shoulder or grilled vegetables, or perhaps with flatbread alongside our Hwayej-spiced chicken.

Game up your midweek standby of tray-baked chicken with a heady spice mix from Yemen, featuring caraway seeds, cumin, cardamom and more.

Harley & Rose's banana sundae is a mix of tropical notes and familiar flavours: think coconut sorbet, Brazil nuts and a dark chocolate sauce.

Made with garlic mayo and lots of pickles, this burger is a slam-dunk in the flavour stakes.

Think of this as step up from a good old-fashioned glazed-fruit tart.

Not familiar with toum? Don't worry - one scoop of this dip and you won't be able to forget its luxurious texture and heady garlic notes.

A cross between a salad and a main course, this is a certified hit from Melbourne restaurant Harley & Rose.

A thick cut, some serious weight and a nicely charred exterior - this is how you rib-eye.

Duck, orange and bitter radicchio make for a pleasing medley of flavours in this winter salad.

Fans of peanut brittle should be on high alert: this tart will be impossible for you to resist.

What's better than popcorn? Popcorn with chocolate, of course.

Some deeply roasted cauliflower and a few curry leaves are all you need to make a fast yet flavourful weeknight curry.

One of those rare occasions when squashed fruit is a good thing.

While we love cauliflower roasted, using it raw and shaved whisper-thin adds a lovely textural element to salads.

Adding Nutella to tiramisù may not be orthodox but it sure adds a special quality to what could be Italy's most famous dessert.

This dish doubles-down on the seafood theme with nori plus snapper - it makes for a high-impact yet speedy dinner.

A salad with plenty of bite that's ideal alongside rich dishes.

A blend of lamb mince, bulghur and spices, these Middle Eastern meatballs are comforting in winter and make a great summer starter when you're entertaining.

Using a mix of raw and roasted vegetables in salads is a simple way to add different textures and flavours to a dish. Beetroot works particularly well.

Proof that dairy-free doesn't mean taste-free.

A refreshing salad that still packs a punch thanks to the black olives and lightly pickled cucumber.

This one-pot wonder is full of bold flavour from salami to olives to chilli. It's a guaranteed winter warmer.

Could this be the hit dish from Pinbone's Italian pop-up, Mr Liquor's Dirty Italian Disco? It certainly gets a vote from us.

Inspired by pilaf recipes, where the grains are cooked in stock, this recipe combines fluffy barley with Swiss brown mushrooms enriched with Japanese flavours. It's a cultural mash-up of the best kind.

This is one luxe sandwich, bringing together steak, cheese and truffle, while an artichoke salad balances things out.

Start your next soirée in style with this smoky and chive-flecked trout pâté. The bonus is that it's surprisingly simple to prepare.

Escalopes are great for cooks in a hurry. This recipe makes the most of this thin cut by cooking them on one side only and achieving a wonderful texture in the process. Win-win.

It's a good morning when breakfast tacos are on the menu. But, honestly, this flavour combination is so versatile, it works well at any hour of the day. Pass the lime.

Banish all memories of heavy, mayonnaise-laden potato salads: this versatile side dish is light and full of bright flavours.

It's hard to improve on a classic. For our cheeseburgers, we've stuck to a simple patty recipe and added a few flourishes in the trimmings: two cheeses, a slick of sriracha and a chilli-flecked coleslaw. It's a surefire winner.

Hugh Wennerbom's advice for beautifully tender fish is to season it a day ahead. With a bit of pre-planning, it's the kind of trick that's 100 per cent achievable.

Grilling a hardy bean such as the Roman variety is an easy way to add a smoky hit to the otherwise humble side dish. Add roasted garlic and crisp bits of bacon and watch as the whole lot is devoured.

This simple appetiser is big on flavour, contrasting salty anchovies with the sweetness and bite of tomatoes. Every bite is like a taste of Italian summer.

Looking for a super-crisp crumb on your schnitzels? Your search is over.

Once you realise how easy - and downright tasty - making your own focaccia is, there'll be no turning back.

It's safe to say Hugh Wennerbom knows a thing or two about roasting chicken. The man behind Holmbrae chickens shares his tips for beautifully crisp skin with a side of garlic and thyme vegetables.

The chargrilled Roman and green beans add so much flavour to this green salad, it could easily make a light dinner or lunch. Just add crusty bread, a poached egg or some shredded chicken.

Apples are a great match with pork and stone fruits are even better.