A heavenly pavlova recipe by Jordan Toft, head chef at Bert's in Newport, Sydney.

With a bit of time and love, this slow lamb roast will be the star of the dinner table.

This sweet-and-sour noodle dish might look simple, but it packs a flavour punch.

A great dinner party starter, made with whatever is fresh from the veggie patch.

A unique twist on traditional tabbouleh, with broccoli, quinoa, and a dressing packed with herbs and zest.

When life gives you cabbages, make pickles. These Yemen-style pickled leaves work well with the fresh, chopped vegetables and nutty chickpeas.

Put your stamp on this classic dessert by switching out the nut and fruit varieties.

Nadine Ingram of Sydney's Flour and Stone shares her showstopping Christmas dessert.

Fire up the barbecue for this popular north Vietnamese dish. It's smoky with charred pork, crunchy with a refreshing noodle salad, and comforting with a light, sweet broth.

Almost too pretty to eat - almost.

If pork and crackling are your Christmas essentials, this dish will tick all the boxes.

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.

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

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.

You've seen this Roman pasta dish all over social media. Now, find out its origins and try your hand at the deceptively simple recipe.

These boozy cakes are a punchy end to a meal - or a fun way to kickstart an afternoon party. The choice is yours.

One for the gin-lovers out there.

This cannelloni recipe is the type of pasta dish that will impress your dinner guests to no end. Save it for occasions when you need to pull out all stops.

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

Rustic Italian-style shortbreads get a sweet boost from lemon icing on top.

Nail the Roman benchmark of amatriciana with this recipe from Santo Palato chef Sarah Cicolini.

The nutty taste of roasted white chocolate brings a whole new element to these sweet Italian pastries.

Inspired by the flavours of tiella di Gaeta, a Roman pie, this octopus dish from Guy Grossi's restaurant Garum is full-flavoured and visually stunning, to boot.

Crudo is always a winner when you're looking for a light way to start a meal. This Guy Grossi number with a sorrel and cucumber dressing is no exception.

These small cakes pack a mighty punch. Soaked in lemon syrup and topped with mascarpone frosting, they're a taste of Sicily in every bite.

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.

Scottadito are named for the burnt fingers you get from trying to snatch the lamb chops straight from the pan.

Sambal, dried shrimp and seasonal vegetables add up to one deliciously simple salad that's ideal served as part of a banquet.

The sponge in this roulade has an pleasant nutty flavour thanks to using toasted flour. It's a baking trick we know we'll keep coming back to. Try it for yourself and see.

Fragrant with lemongrass, tingling with Sichuan peppercorn and enriched by galangal and makrut lime leaves, this is a sauce to remember.

While crab and fish sounds like a rich combination, there's plenty of fresh flavour going on here to balance things out.

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.

Ricotta. Doughnuts. Need we say more?

Veteran chef Guy Grossi shares his recipe for these rich and gently spiced pork sausages.

A caramel-like flavour comes through in the sauce accompanying this fish. You'll want to savour every last drop over a big bowl of steamed rice.

It's the layered Italian classic you know and love, but Santo Palato's Sarah Cicolini has swapped out the meat for Roman cauliflower.

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

At Eyal Shani's Miznon restaurants, this simple dish of salted green beans with lemon and garlic is served like a snack in a brown paper bag. Who knew eating your vegetables could be this easy?

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

Utterly simple and with a speedy curing process, these sardines make a quick and easy light lunch with some crusty bread or an effortless starter as part of a larger menu.

Malaysia's take on fried chicken involves the distinctive fragrance imparted by curry leaves as well as a spicy tamarind syrup to coat the chicken.

A cinch to prepare, and it tastes even better the day after it's cooked.

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.

Miznon chef Eyal Shani is at his finest in this simple eggplant recipe with an unusual presentation.

Cabbage cake? Yes, you read that right. And it's nothing short of magnificent.

A jolt of hot espresso is the perfect foil for these creamy, just-set puddings.

“Use a very sharp knife to thinly slice the charred beets. The slicing is when the magic is revealed,” says Eyal Shani. “The beetroot heart has remained untouched. It’s red, full of life. Most of its fluid has evaporated leaving him weightless, but still juicy, sweeter than ever, bearing unique mineral flavours within that are unparalleled.”

Savour it one fluffy mouthful at a time.

“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.”

An intriguing name like this could only come from one chef: Miznon's Eyal Shani.

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.

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.

This delicate dessert is lightly scented with orange and mandarin and is a perfect way to embrace citrus season.

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

Recreate the Igni chef's favourite childhood cake for your next celebration.

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

The chef of Hobart restaurant Sonny shares his family's recipe for lasagne, one of the first dishes he learned to cook.

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

This stunning dish is powerful enough to take a place among the main courses in a banquet or you could serve it as a side to roasted or grilled meat.

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

A few hours in the kitchen preparing this cosy dish of gnocchi and tuco, a light Argentinian sauce made here with tomatoes and shredded chicken, is a few hours well-spent.

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

“The flavours you remember from childhood are the ones that stick with you.," says Frank Camorra, reflecting on his mother's go-to stew.

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

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

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

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.

These baked chocolate custards are a winning trifecta of dark chocolate, pear and ginger.

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

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

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.

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 fish roe adds something raw, fresh and acidic to the meal." says David Moyle, of Longrain and Longsong fame.

"John Dory needs butter," says David Moyle. We can get behind that.

The sweet and sour flavours of caponata are the perfect partner to rich chicken liver.

"A Cantonese staple, this dish is a breeze to cook,” says Tony Tan.

The Sichuan dipping sauce is a spicy foil for the fattiness of pork belly.

These moreish chicken skewers, grilled over hot coals until crisp and charry, are perfect drinking food: convenient, compact and full of big flavours.

This vegetable curry involves marinating mushrooms in a mix of tamarind, ginger and lemongrass before grilling them and the results are powerful.

"In Hong Kong, this refreshing much-loved salad is considered the perfect summer dish," says Tony Tan.

The flavours of Portugal and China unite in this unusual spin on fried rice.

Recipe for lemon dream cake by Nadine Ingram from Sydney bakery Flour & Stone.

The smoky flavours of coal-roasted eggplant are complemented by ricotta salata and sweet golden shallots in this stand-out salad by Longsong chef David Moyle.

“I always use metal skewers – they hold the heat and cook the meat internally,” says David Moyle. “They can also be washed and reused rather than just thrown out.” If you’re not confident dealing with the ink sacs, squid ink is available in 4gm sachets or in jars from Simon Johnson and The Essential […]

"These peas go really well with everything," says David Moyle. "Cooking the peas and chicory over coals blisters them in a similar way to blanching but adds a subtle smokiness."

"The bulk of this dish can be prepped ahead of time, and who doesn't love sugar snaps?" says Dave Verheul.

Rillettes are a French bistro classic. But they're surprisingly simple to prepare at home, too.

This light starter makes the most of summer produce while offsetting the creaminess of burrata with a light pickle and olives. It's a simple yet crowd-pleasing dish.

Cod roe can be tough to find - a good taramasalata bought from your favourite deli works well with the crudités.

"These two-bite snacks are perfect with a gin Martini," says Lindsay.