Spices

Inspired by lahmacun (Turkish-style pizzas), this spiced-lamb and flatbread number will fill your kitchen with the smells of just-baked bread.

Call this a power bowl if you like – we just call it super-tasty. There are layers of Mexican-inspired flavour in this deeply satisfying dish.

Fact: fried-shallot butter makes everything taste better.

Unwrap this steamed fish curry, and you'll be hit with the irresitible fragrance of banana leaves, coconut and spices.

This unique Thai curry marries sour and spice flavours in a thin, almost soupy, broth.

A little spice makes this taco extra nice.

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

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

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.

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.

A simple vegetable dish that somehow has everything you could want: sweetness, savoury elements and comfort.

"Lamb rubbed with spices and cooked slowly is quite a traditional preparation in the Middle East,” says Greg Malouf. “Served with moghrabieh, giant couscous, this is a great dish to put in the middle of the table with some yoghurt and away you go.”

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.

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.

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

A Persian-inspired dish of braised duck with walnuts and pomegranate forms the filling for this ultra-comforting fillo pie.

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

This simple stir-fry might be quick to prepare, but it's full to bursting with flavour, thanks to a heady mix of ginger, cumin, cinnamon and star anise.

Adjika, a paste of herbs, spices, capsicum and tomato, hails from Georgia and is a delicious way to add flavour to meat at the start or end of cooking. Here we use it as a marinade on chicken wings.

Hash browns will always have a place on our breakfast table, especially when paired with a fiery chilli sauce. Be as generous with the sauce as you dare.

This was one of the first dishes we had on the menu at Ester," says Mat Lindsay. "I suggest putting a mussel and a pickle on top of some freshly grilled bread or a potato chip and dipping it into aïoli - a DIY canapé."

It's a cultural mash-up of the best kind - try it for yourself and see.

The yoghurt helps slowly tenderise the chook, producing super-moist, pull-apart chicken flesh with a caramelised skin. You'll never look back.

An easy way to feed a crowd.

Garlic shoots, green peppercorns and fish sauce are the heroes of this dish. Remember that fried rice is best cooked when the rice is dried out and firm from the day before.

Yoghurt dip with sesame seeds, pepitas, cumin, caraway and mint recipe - Spoon yoghurt into a muslin-lined sieve over a bowl, cover and refrigerate until whey drains and yoghurt thickens slightly (1-2 hours). Stir in garlic and season to taste.

Cassata recipe - For sponge cake, preheat oven to 180°C and butter a 21cm-diameter cake tin and a 27cm x 37cm Swiss roll tin and line each with baking paper. Whisk eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt

Chocolate cannoli recipe - Pulse flour, sugar, cocoa and cinnamon in a food processor to combine, then add butter and whole beaten egg and process until a soft dough forms.

The secret? Brine the wings first for extra-juicy flesh.

Buttermilk-brined lamb shoulder with harissa recipe - For the buttermilk brine, place salt and 600ml water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until salt dissolves.

Spiced pumpkin creams with gingerbread crumb recipe - Preheat oven to 180C. Spread pumpkin in a small roasting pan, add 100ml water, cover tightly with foil and roast until very tender (50 minutes to 1 hour).

Simple and immensely satisfying.

Pineapple, date and liquorice parcels recipe - Preheat oven to 180C. Place four 30cm squares of baking paper on a work surface. Top each with another square, then divide pineapple among sheets.

These ricotta and spinach dumplings are surprisingly quick to make. We've laced them with dill, but marjoram also works well, as does some crumbled feta for a spanakopita-inspired twist.

"Ramblr's muscat custard and quince is one of my all-time favourite desserts - can you please publish the recipe?" - Antonio Rossi, Prahran, Vic

Why keep all the trifle fun for summertime? This version will keep you warm during the winter months.

The chef's take on the Cantonese classic.

"The saffron spätzle dish at Lulu La Delizia is spectacular. I'd be most grateful for the recipe." - Luka Weber, Fremantle, WA

"Guajillo chillies give the smooth chilli sauce here just the right amount of heat," says Curtis Stone. "The sauce is married with crisp tortilla chips for this popular Mexican breakfast dish."

This rich love cake recipe, fragrant with spices, made with semolina, cashew nuts and rosewater, has a fudge-like centre and lasts a good few weeks, getting better with age. What’s not to love?

Rich with sweet spices and soured with tamarind, this black braised brisket dish is robust and hot. Serve it with O Tama Carey’s cabbage mallung and rhubarb achcharu.

Pikelets with pear jam recipe - For jam, combine ingredients and 1 tbsp water in a large frying pan, over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves.

"This is a delicately spiced curry dish with lots of green flavours - bay leaves, green chilli - and a light curry powder," says Carey. "This dish uses some of my favourite flavours from both Italy and Sri Lanka."

O Tama Carey's lattice-like fried eggs drowned in a creamy curry sauce are perfect for a hearty breakfast but work just as well at any time of day. Serve them topped with seeni sambol, a Sri Lankan sweet-spiced caramelised onion relish.

A fiery Mexican take on noodle soup that's big on tomatoes, lime and smoky spices.

Fresh coconut and warm spices feature in O Tama Carey's cabbage mallung, a common dish in Sri Lankan meals. Serve it alongside her black braised brisket.

This riff on a dish from the Alinea opening menu uses dried Korean chilli threads to replicate the tingling sensation of spicy cinnamon chewing gum.

For maximum flavour cook this quick turmeric-spiced chicken on the barbecue - coal or wood will give the best result.

This tasty combination of salt cod, charred capsicum and spinach makes the perfect antipasto dish.

Inspired by a Berber dish eaten in Morocco, this fragrant omelette is a wonderful twist on a cornerstone of modern cooking.

A quick and easy fragrant paste made with ginger and turmeric can turn a simple stock into a fragrant broth that’s perfect with mussels, a few pieces of fish or both.

Very ripe tomatoes make all the difference in our okra, eggplant and turmeric stew. Serve with bread or on a grilled fillet of fish.

This northern Thai-style Chiang Mai curry is flavoured with ginger as well as turmeric. It’s slightly sour and deliciously light.

Almond-milk makes an appearance in this contemporary blancmange recipe, with honey providing a sweet kick to an irresistible gluten-free dessert.

This simple spiced coconut sauce adds a lot of flavour to barbecued prawns (or fish or chicken, for that matter). Vietnamese mint gives a beautiful lift, but this dish works just as well with other mints.

"Pandowdy is an American classic dessert - a bit like a crumble, but with discs of flaky pastry shingled over the fruity filling instead, allowing the strawberries to bubble up through the gaps," says Curtis Stone.

“Delicious fresh snapper grilled whole over coals is so simple,” says Cameron, “but add a spicy chermoula dressing, lemon and lots of herbs and you have an unbeatable combo.”

Perth restaurant Mela Indian share their recipe for tender lamb seekh kebabs with a Kashmiri chilli paste and cooling raita drizzled on top. Add naan to make it more of a meal.

Pontoon’s Lance Cameron guarantees that his grilled sardines and harissa are the ideal snack for all sardine lovers - especially with the butter puff pastry.

Restaurant Momofuku Seiobo chef Paul Carmichael has added a modern twist to his Mother's Creole sauce recipe. Rather than smothering the snapper in the spicy sauce, Carmichael encloses the sauce and the fish in a banana leaf parcel, en-papillote style.

Restaurant Momofuku Seiobo chef Paul Carmichael slow-cooks his curried lamb leg "until it falls off the bone." It's as excellent as it sounds.

Spiced barramundi with tomato chilli pickle- simmer vinegar and mustard seeds in a saucepan over low heat until liquid is almost completely reduced.

“People still stop me and request it," Christine Manfield says of her five-spice duck and shiitake pies. "Where the humble meat pie holds special significance for many Australians, this version elevates it to a refined status."

The marinade and chutneys all benefit from being prepared ahead, giving the spicy flavours time to get to know each other - serve the turkey with a bed of rice and yoghurt so you can bring down the heat.

“The laksa paste and the stock can be made ahead of time, making the last-minute cooking and assembly quick and easy," says Christine Manfield.

Achieve the ultimate crackling on your Christmas day pork with a Caribbean twist. Momofuku Seiobo chef Paul Carmichael's zesty Bajan roast pork recipe is bound to have you coming back for more.

Africola chef Duncan Welgemoed shares his recipe for a spicy, smoked and juicy peri peri chicken. Smoking the chicken at the end with bay branches for a great perfume to the meat.

This classic flavour-pairing more than stands the test of time.

A staple of Christine Manfield's recipe repertoire, this soy chicken is slow-braised in a master stock, taking on the aromatic flavours of Sichuan and liquorice root. The tomato-chilli sambal keeps for a month, so feel free to make extra.

Potato gratin is a classic that defies eras, but it was especially popular in the ’70s. We’ve added smoky bacon, parmesan and sourdough crumbs to up the savoury goodness.

Mustard and cheddar provide a little extra kick to these gougères - perfect with a glass of Champagne.

Delicate clams are the winner in this dish with dollops of rich saffron mayonnaise. Mop everything up with a crispy baguette.

Montrachet's double-baked crab soufflés are superb - thankfully, they've shared the recipe so you can enjoy them at home.

Curtis Stone shares his recipe the barbecued lamb ribs he plates up at new LA restaurant Gwen. "Lamb ribs are juicy and delicious to eat right off the bone," says Stone. "The ribs are covered and cooked low and slow in the oven and are finished uncovered on the barbecue to achieve a good crust."

Garlic shoots makes for a spicy vegetable side to compliment tonight's main meal; Anchovy chef Thi Le shares her recipe for a street-food inspired side or snack.

Long Chim and Nahm chef David Thompson shares his recipe for a golden Thai snapper soup with a sour and sharp tang.

An excellent start to a hearty dinner party or picnic, these duck rillettes with piccalilli are a special at Curtis Stone's restaurant Gwen.

A beautiful bavarois for a saffron-cardamom infused yoghurt dessert, topped with pistachios.

A street food favourite, these grilled pork skewers by chef David Thompson pack a huge amount of flavour. Make them the star of your next barbecue.

Shirni Parwana shares its recipe for a carrot cake with garam masala spice, topped with cardamom and lime cream cheese icing.

Pan fry sea mullet in butter for a quick and satisfying dinner. The harissa-spiced pearl couscous will be great for lunch the next day, too.

"This twice-cooked octopus is one of our most popular dishes at Stanbuli," says Stanbuli chef Ibrahim Kasif. "In Istanbul's traditional meyhanes, the tarama is usually served split and loose, but this version is emulsified, thick and luscious."

These sticky lamb ribs are perfect for a party crowd, with a sharp chilli-vinegar on the side.

This traditional Turkish-Cypriot village bread can be used as a decadent accompaniment to main meals or as a tasty twist on breakfast toast.

Try this savoury Indian street food favourite for an afternoon snack or evening entrée.

Our take on a Peruvian rice pudding, made with chancaca which gives it a distinctive pale caramel colour.

Prepare a meal fit for a king as Sydney restaurant Stanbuli shares their recipe for a decadent Sultan's delight with duck and smoky eggplant.

A new take on cauliflower cheese, souped up with bacon and turned into tasty fritters. They’re a great way to kick off a dinner party or drinks.

“These are among my favourite Istanbul street foods,” says Ibrahim Kasif. “Vendors usually display them piled up on trays lined with newspapers, exposed to the elements. They’re made to sell fast because the vendor might need to move quickly if they’re caught by the police or council authorities. The mussels are insanely good: room temperature, peppery and fragrant with allspice.”

Chillies, spices and a hint of dark chocolate combine to make this Mexican recipe for chicken mole from Mamasita.

A twist on Peru's free-form pumpkin doughnuts, we dust ours with icing sugar and cinnamon then serve them with a rich dulce de leche cream.

There are many versions of this stew throughout Argentina and Chile in particular. Some include peaches or apricots, others have a hit of tomato.

“Cassava (known as manioc or, in Rio, aipim) is a major ingredient in Brazilian cooking, and versions of bolinhos – fried balls – are found in all the best botecos in Rio,” says Burgess.

These Latin American pastries are soaked in syrup, making them stickily delicious.

“Braised oxtail is very popular in Brazil,” says Burgess. “It’s a dish that’s deep in flavour, and fresh at the same time.”

Egg and pisco syrup cake

There are many variations of empanadas across Latin America; in Brazil they’re called pastéis (pastel in the singular), and in Puerto Rico they’re called pasteles.

Tamales are parcels of corn dough wrapped in corn husks or leaves such as plantain or banana, then steamed.

Black turtle beans are widely used in Latin American dishes, from Brazil’s feijoada to the simple bean soups of Cuba and Mexico.