Poh & Co.

“This dish was inspired by all the gorgeous fresh produce I found at the Collingwood Children’s farm – a not-for-profit farmers’ market just five minutes from Melbourne’s CBD. Light and crisp eggplant tempura and a simple raw zucchini salad are the perfect companions for my decadent spice-baked cheese.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Matt Wilkinson, chef and cookery author, has a passion for growing, sourcing and presenting the best tasting produce he can. Here he showcases figs freshly plucked from the trees at Merri Creek's community veggie patch.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Entertaining friends and family doesn’t have to be a complicated affair - a simple one-pot comfort dish can be just as impressive. The cauliflower sambal and boiled eggs add a nice finishing touch to this vegetarian winter warmer.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“When you have fantastic produce like these super fresh mussels, it’s really easy to create delicious food without too much effort. Here I serve them straight up with a squeeze of lemon, in lettuce cups with a ceviche dressing and in the half shell with gazpacho jelly and crispy capers. To make it even easier when you're entertaining, prepare the gazpacho jelly the night before.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Cider isn’t just great for drinking, it’s also perfect for cooking. Unsmoked ham hocks are not often used for cooking but trust me, it’s worth giving them a try. You might need to order them ahead of time from your butcher.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Chef Julie Taylor showcases the bountiful local produce from the Bellarine Peninsula at the Elkhorn Road House. A fixture on Julie's seasonal menu is locally made Drysdale cheese - served here in the form of sweet croquettes. The cheese is created by former pharmacist turned goat’s cheese maker, Corinne Blackett.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Nothing beats inviting some friends around for a flame-grilled feast. I love barbecuing lamb ribs because they’ve got a lovely layer of fat which melts as they cook, adding flavour to the ribs, while keeping the meat moist at the same time.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Any firm white fish will work for these tacos, but I particularly like snapper or flathead. A tortilla press is a really handy tool to make even thin tortillas, but you could easily use a rolling pin if you don’t have one.” Raph Rashid, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“The cream cheese pastry I use here works for both sweet and savoury pies because it has so little sugar in it. You can make the pastry a few days ahead of time and keep it refrigerated or frozen which makes this dish an easy number to whip up for a mid-week dessert.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“By investing a little time each summer in processing box upon box of the season’s tomatoes, Rosa Bovezza and her family ensure they have enough passata to feed everyone all year round. This recipe does feed a lot, but you can always freeze half for another time.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“These pastries are my version of a traditional sweet Greek dish called galaktoboureko. It might be a hard word to say, but the combination of creamy semolina custard, crunchy buttery filo and fragrant syrup is definitely not hard to eat! If you can bear the wait, they’re best eaten the day after making.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“This dish was inspired by the fabulous and truly authentic Vietnamese eateries I found in Melbourne, and the fact that the locals seem to love their chicken parma! It’s a great dish to share with friends as everyone tucks in and helps themselves so there’s no washing up.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“When you find a special ingredient like fresh shiitake mushrooms, you want to make a dish that truly highlights their beauty. This little vegetarian number does just that! Quick brining is a great way of ensuring all the mushrooms are equally well-seasoned before cooking. By roasting them, all the water evaporates and you’re left with perfectly seasoned, intense flavoured mushrooms.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Argentine chef Mauro Callegari of The Independent in Gembrook cooks a salt-baked golden trout fished from the nearby Australian Rainbow Trout Farm. Don’t be alarmed by the amount of salt used in this recipe - it forms a crust that seals in the moisture and juices without making the flesh overly salty.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“This not-too-sweet tart is the perfect way to celebrate nectarines when they're in season. You could easily use peaches, apricots or plums instead, however, you’ll need more of the smaller fruit. Whatever you choose, just make sure your stonefruit are ripe, but not too soft, or you’ll have difficulty slicing them on the mandolin. The pastry case and the chia jam can be made the day before, but this tart is best assembled just before serving.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Desserts aren’t just about sweetness - you can get creative with textures, spice and savoury notes like I’ve done here with the lemongrass and chilli. The curd and rice pudding are equally delicious served on their own, but I love the contrast in textures, especially when topped with fresh seasonal fruit. That said, why wait for dessert? You could serve this as an indulgent breakfast too.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Chef and restaurateur Elena Bonnici’s eclectic style of cooking is a reflection of her melting pot of a Maltese-Middle Eastern-Italian heritage. From her restaurant United Arab Eatery in Melbourne, Elena shows Rachel how her diverse cultural upbringing has inspired her playful fusion of flavours.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Even the most fanatical meat lovers will love this veggie burger because it has all the classic trimmings of a regular burger, including the chips. The mushrooms replace the buns so it’s also gluten-free but it’s so delicious you don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything. Plus, the aubergine (eggplant) sauce adds that smoky barbecue touch.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

If you’ve ever been fearful of making risotto, I’m letting you know there’s no need! It’s been a phobia of mine until last year, when a good friend gifted me a bag of excellent risotto rice. Around the same time I had just started my own vegie patch and had silverbeet coming out my ears.

This is the dish that got me interested in French cuisine and technique. The most important thing is to take the time to caramelise every ingredient thoroughly, so the flavour is rich and deep – an important step to add to your repertoire if you are an enthusiastic cook

Roasting large slabs of meat is still my arch nemesis in the kitchen but I do relish the challenge. This was my first attempt at cooking a roast with real fire, and I have to say it was very enjoyable and delicious!

This is possibly my favourite Great Aunty Kim dish. It’s very simple but so tasty and one of those dishes that proves you need very little to create wonderful flavour.

Palmiers are one of my favourite French pastries. The combination of well caramelised puff pastry with well caramelised sugar is so basic but, when done to perfection, it’s one of the best things in the world. When it comes to baking the palmiers, keep in mind a few burnt edges is a good thing, otherwise the palmiers will taste too sweet

This is a great campfire oldie but a goodie, and possibly the only thing I remember from being a terrible Girl Guide.

I love this dish because it’s so wonderfully social and perfect for feeding large numbers easily. I‘ll admit this is my version of it, which includes more vegetables and tomato than most, so I guess it’s been a little Australianised, but why not?!

A simple and restorative noodle soup typical of weekday meals I grew up with. I once made the pork terrine with layered, blanched cabbage leaves because I had no banana leaves at the time and it worked very well - just make sure you remove the stalky parts and secure the parcel well with kitchen string

If you’ve never tried smoking anything, you will see it’s very simple and delicious. Of course, using duck and orange is a classic idea but I’ve put a modern Southeast Asian spin on this with the dressing, then combined it with pickled radishes, raw grated beets and fresh orange segments to offset the richness of the meat.

I’ve given this well-loved combination of raspberry and white chocolate a little sharp kick with the addition of créme fraîche. It softens the overt sweetness of the white chocolate and freshens the palate.

This is a great way to make a delicious and wholesome family dinner using a store-bought Chinese roast duck. If you live somewhere where this might be difficult to find or duck isn’t your thing you can use a supermarket barbecue chicken instead with equally yummy results. I like to use rice stick noodles but any noodle you like is fine.

If you love crunch and you love seaweed, these are your perfect homemade chip. You can cut them into a uniform shape of your choice. Squares or strips are fine, as long as they are even, otherwise they will finish cooking at different times. They are dangerously moreish, so make sure you make plenty. Great as a beer snack!

After a long day fishing this is my go-to style meal. I generally pick any lettuce or vegetable from my garden that may complement the dish. If I catch another species of fish that isn’t red mullet, then I use that. It’s fresh, healthy and clean!

Cendol is one of many in a genre of ice desserts eaten commonly in Malaysia and throughout Southeast Asia. Like most Malaysian street sweet snacks, its flavour profile is based on the holy trinity of Southeast Asian dessert ingredients – coconut, pandan and palm sugar – delicious and refreshing!

This beautiful recipe, given to me by my friend Eric Pernoud, is old and precious. It’s very subtly flavoured with a soft rum pastry and then filled with prunes cooked in Armagnac. This Breton keeps well for about a week and is in fact nicer after few days, when the pastry has softened.

This is my all-time favourite Malaysian dish. Whenever I go back to Kuala Lumpur, my first thought as the plane hits the tarmac is to make a bee line for the closest assam laksa I can get my hands on. Unlike the more well-known coconut-milk based curry laksa, the base broth is made from fish, tamarind and torch ginger flower, resulting in a lovely, sour, fragrant soup, served with chewy, translucent noodles and garnished with the lively flavours of fresh pineapple, cucumber, red onion, torch ginger and shrimp molasses.

Of the many things I’ve baked recently, this was definitely the most satisfying. When these perfectly round, golden buns emerge from the oven, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll be glowing with pride. Soft, springy and mildly sweet, they’re perfect for stuffing with pulled meat or with butter as a dinner bun.

I’m certain that butter chicken must be just about everyone’s favourite curry. Please don’t be put off by the very long list of ingredients because the process is in fact very simple, and at the end you have a luscious dish beautifully balanced with a refreshing raita and buttery rice, stained golden by the earthy flavour of turmeric. I like to cut slashes along the thighs, as this allows the marinade to penetrate the flesh. You can add a spoonful or so of ground almonds to the sauce to thicken it further, if you like.

A pie filled with a beautifully light, unstodgy filling of classic Italian ingredients - prosciutto, spinach, ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella. Delicious eaten hot or cold and perfect for a picnic!

These mini pasties are perfect for anyone who loves cheese – creamy cauliflower cheese filling wrapped in a crunchy cheesy crust! Any kind of cheese can be used in the filling, as long as it melts well.

This is a fabulous gluten-free dessert option, rich with chocolate flavor and a beautiful mousse-y texture – the ale ice-cream is a revelation. It’s a bit tricky to tell when the cake is ready, so check after it has been in the oven for about 1 hour – the centre should wobble slightly when the tin is shaken gently. And don’t worry if the cake sinks a bit after cooling.

Earlier in the year, we road tripped through America’s South from Kentucky to Texas, where we stopped at many a roadhouse and indulged in some delicious southern-style cooking. One of our favourites was smoky slow-cooked ribs! We’ve tried to replicate the taste back home using some of the advice we picked up on our journey. The most important things to remember are: the ribs have to be dry-rubbed, cooked slow, mopped with sauce and, just when you think you’re done, add more sauce! Yee-haw! Best served with coleslaw – mmm... flavour town.

This is a great alternative to a regular pound cake and great for those half eaten avos that might be lurking around in your fridge or fruit bowl. I was concerned the raspberry might overpower the avocado but they go beautifully together.

This is the best mushrooms on toast you will ever have! Meaty and aromatic with all the wonderful stuff that make mushrooms shine – butter, garlic, thyme and parsley. So simple and so delicious. I used onion weed flowers scattered on just before serving as my aromatic, however, if you don’t have any of these, add a little chopped garlic or chives to the pan with the thyme.

This is a lovely pasta dish to make if you feel like having a non-meat meal with clean, zingy flavours. If you are vegetarian or averse to anchovies, of course omit them from the recipe.

Every time Great Aunty Kim makes this, which is Dad’s favourite dish, he reminds me ‘This is the best Kari Kapitan you will ever taste. The best!’. Kari Kapitan is a classic Nyonya dish, meaning it’s a fusion of Chinese and Malay cuisine. A beautifully complex aromatic spice paste forms the foundation of this punchy dish, which doesn't use coconut milk but is balanced at the end with a little sugar for sweetness and sourness from tamarind paste.

If you love your bacon and egg sandwiches, you’ll definitely enjoy this – two pieces of bread coated in a parmesan and thyme crumb then pan-fried to golden, crunchy perfection and filled with your usual suspects. You could spread on a little tomato sauce with the Dijon, if you like.

This is my all-time favourite dessert. For years I’ve made it with a half cream and half milk, which is the recipe I inherited from Mum and grew up eating. It was only about six years ago a French friend told me that a traditional créme caramel uses only milk – the result, a much lighter, even silkier custard. It’s up to you how far you want to take your caramel – I prefer a lovely, rich mahogany.

This cake is pure, unadulterated childish glee. There’s no holding back. It’s full colour, full sugar, then full throttle post-ingestion. And I have to say, it’s as much fun to make as it is to give! I guarantee you’ll have as much fun making this as the recipient has cutting it! I mixed popping candy in with the sprinkles before coating the cake for extra fun.

These delicate little coconut wafers remind me of Chinese New Year because they would always be offered as a snack during the practice of ‘open house’, where friends and relatives could visit each other unannounced over the many days of this celebration. Sweet and crispy, these can also be rolled into cigar shapes.

I was and am amazed I was able to ‘Pri’ this out of its creator’s hands, so thank you to my friend, Priyant for sharing this gorgeous recipe – a dense, chewy brownie, rich with a combination of dark and milk chocolate, together with the toasty goodness of pecans. Refrigerating the brownies overnight will give them a particularly lovely, chewy texture.

I’ve only just started making this French bistro classic and it’s quickly become a favourite in our household. Poached meringue bobbing in a chilled custard, then finished with lovely crunchy flakes of toasted almond and thin shards of bitter caramel.

I really worry about the laws regarding pet food, so I always make my own. These are incredibly easy and loved by Rhino and Tim! Don’t worry about picking the leaves form the parsley, just chop it, stalks and all.

This dish, from the Champagne region of France, is a peasant version of beef bourguignon, where the meat is substituted with eggs.

This is a great option for those of you who want to create the flavours of a mille-feuille or vanilla slice without all the fuss of the construction – an excellent dessert for stand-up functions. When making the crème pâtissiére, don’t leave the sugar to rest on the eggs for any length of time before whisking vigorously, as the sugar can ‘cook’ the yolks.

This is incredibly fast and so full of flavour. The little bit of charred spice on the pork, deglazed with a fortified wine and combined with the sweetness of the pears, is the most divine combination. A winning quickie mid-week meal!

Kimchi is the national food of Korea and comes in many forms but this one is the most widely known and eaten. It’s usually very spicy, sour, salty and pungent but the great thing about making your own is you can adjust all of these elements to your liking. Great to have with rice and seaweed, with cold or hot meats in a sandwich, and also as an instant flavouring for soups.

This is definitely one of my favourite soups. I love how the tomatoes and lemon keep the soup tasting beautifully bright and summery, while remaining very hearty.

Cannoli is a pastry-based dessert that originated in Sicily. They are typically filled with sweetened ricotta, pistachio and chocolate. However, you can find variations including vanilla and chocolate-flavoured custard and, less commonly, mascarpone

This is the easiest stir-fry you’ll ever make. No fiddly chopping or worrying about the fierceness of the heat; you can cook this on an old electric stove and it will still turn out fabulously. The sweetness of the prawns, fish cake and gently aromatic leeks knit together so beautifully, I always have seconds – and thirds…

For years I’ve avoided making choux pastry for no good reason. It is, in fact, very easy and versatile. You can fill it with a sweet or savoury custard – in this case, I’ve used cream. I’ve chosen coffee because it’s Sarah’s favourite!

This is a special meal for Italians, as it is only eaten twice a year; once at Christmas and once during Easter. It is a very festive dish and everyone in my family looks forward to it.

This was the dessert that turned me onto liking lemon desserts – beautiful memories of the Dandenong Ranges in the thick of winter with my friends Kirsty and Aaron changed this forever. The very subtle perfume of lavender is a perfect marriage with the sharpness of lemon.

This is really fab sugar-less healthy snack to make for the family – it also makes a great gift. I like to wrap the centres of the bars with a strip of baking paper tied on with kitchen string, so you can pick them up without getting sticky fingers.

If you’re a fan of pies, this is one to take very seriously. The crust is studded with the lovely earthiness of blue cheese, encasing a richly flavourful braised beef – it’s a marriage made in heaven and I promise it’s worth the effort! The pastry includes copha – you can use all butter, if preferred, but copha will create a lighter result. If you like, you can cut some leaf shapes with any remaining pastry to decorate the pie before baking.

Apples and cheese have gone together forever, so it’s no surprise this combination works so well – in fact, it’s stunning. Most will prefer it with the caramel but I quite like it without. I use a mandoline to slice my apples super-thin.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina is considered the epitome of Tuscan steaks. It is usually made with the revered Chianina breed of cattle. Weighing in at over one kilogram, the steak is prepared and cooked simply over hot coals to showcase the quality of the beef.

This is my own concoction. It uses seafood and taro and is closest to a fusion of Thai and Chinese fried rice. When making fried rice, I prefer to cook the rice the day before, then refrigerate it overnight. Freshly cut cucumber pieces served as a side dish make a refreshing accompaniment.

This is a traditional stuffed olive recipe we made back home in Ascoli. It was a family tradition and it’s a pretty fiddly recipe, so the whole family would get involved and we’d make a day of it, often making hundreds at a time.

Moussaka is one of the traditional meals in Greece. It is a dish that needs time and patience to make, so is normally reserved for close friends and loved ones.

My citrus spin on all-time Aussie favourite. The dipping bit requires a bit of patience but I promise it’s worth it!

"This is a dish my mum and Great Aunty Kim cook a lot for Sunday lunch or for a big family get togethers. There is often a big dish of this in the middle of the buffet table because it’s the designated ‘non-spicy’ dish the little ones can eat - and they love it! This is best eaten hot and when the noodles haven't completely soaked up the sauces, giving them a delightfully slippery texture." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"This is THE most lovely, moist and versatile chocolate cake I’ve ever come across. The brown sugar imparts a lovely dimension. To add variety, you could throw in some spices like cinnamon and cardamom for echoes of chai. If you like the idea of turning the it into a more traditional cake with a black forest-esque finish, bake it in a 20 cm round cake tin. After cooling, slice into 3 layers and brush with Kirsch or Frangelico and fill with whipped cream and sour cherries." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"If you’re not much of a baker or dessert maker, this sweet apple pastry recipe is for you. It’s got all the flavours and textures of apple pie but requires only dubious skills and takes a fraction of the time, especially if you buy the puff pastry instead of making it yourself. If you can’t find pink lady apples, granny smiths will do just fine." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"I never thought the humble carrot cake could be taken to such a ridiculous level of indulgence. I was given this recipe by my good friend Pri who’s a huge fan of American-style home cooking and she’s been harassing me for ages to make it. It has all the hallmarks of great American baking - buttermilk, cinnamon, corn syrup and cream cheese, and oh my goodness, it’s heavenly with a capital 'H'. I have changed the original recipe a little, using butter instead of oil and reducing the sugar, which almost seems futile, but hey, I try...." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"Mille feuille is hands-down my favourite French pastry. Even in the most beautiful patisseries in Paris, filled with complex arrays of decadent cakes, I only had eyes for mille feuille! It’s beauty lies in the classic principle of simple flavours and textures executed perfectly - well caramelised puff pastry that’s such a deep golden it’s almost burnt, sandwiched with oozy, silky vanilla custard. This is a chocolate version I sometimes make for my market stall. If you’ve always been too shy to make puff from scratch, try my rough puff. It requires a fraction of the skill level and time to make traditional puff." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"After cooking all day in the restaurant this is just the kind of thing I want to eat when I get home. It's quick to prepare and very satisfying. If you don’t have a wood oven or you’re a bit short on time, skip the smoking process and finish the chicken off in a 180ºC oven for 45 minutes or until tender and golden brown." Andre Ursini, Poh & Co.

"Also known as zeppole, these savoury anchovy-stuffed Italian doughnuts are always in high demand, especially when we have the whole family over on Good Friday and Christmas Eve. This is the Calabrian version but if you’re not a fan of anchovies, make the sweet version instead by just leaving them out and rolling in sugar once fried." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"Bagna cauda is a Piedmontese dish and a favourite of mine. I was first introduced to the idea of this dish by my friend and restaurateur Andre Ursini, but this recipe is Antonio Carluccio’s. If you’re not a fan of this salty little fish, now’s the time to try it, because there are few other dishes that give it such an elaborate dressing-up and there’s no better way to eat raw seasonal vegetables. Even my lovely Jono likes this when usually he wouldn’t touch an anchovy with a ten-foot pole." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"If you’re turning up your nose at what seems like an unlikely marriage, try it first. The combination of earthy beets, bitter with smoky dark chocolate and slightly salty cream cheese is heavenly! Totally Unicorn is a heavy metal band and my brother-in-law, Mikey, is their illustrious drummer. Whenever they go on tour and stay with us, this is what they get for supper after a night of intense head banging." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"As a child growing up on a farm, I never really learnt much in the way of cooking from my mother because I was always outdoors! After I was married, however, we moved in with my mother-in-law for a bit and this is just one of the many recipes she taught me. It’s a twist on the classic meat and three veg, so you don’t need to serve it with anything else - except perhaps a nice glass of red wine." Rose Agostino, Poh & Co.

"These orange-scented madeleines remind me of breakfast in France - just one reason I love them so much! It seems the punters love them too, as they disappear like hotcakes at our market stall. Believe it or not, they’re better the day after baking, so if you can bear to wait, you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful moist little morsel. Perfect with coffee or for secret snacking." Sarah Rich, Poh & Co.

"Zong, or joong in Cantonese, is a pyramid-shaped glutinous rice cake or dumpling with Chinese origins. Whilst the outer layer always consists of sticky rice, the filling can vary a great deal depending on region and country, since many South-East Asian cultures have adopted a version of this dish. "When the capital of his beloved Chu kingdom was overrun by a neighbouring state, the famous patriot and poet Qu Yuan of the Warring states period was overcome by grief and drowned himself in the Miluo River. To prevent the fish from eating his body, parcels of rice were thrown into the river as a diversion." Christina Yeow, Poh & Co.

"Char hoon is a classic Hokkien dish and this recipe is from my dad’s side of the family. I will never be able to eat this without thinking of my late Grandma and Grandpa Yeow. It’s a dish I can fiendishly inhale – it’s so delicious, so reassuring, every problem in the world evaporates when a bowl of it is sitting in front of me." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"This is my favourite way to enjoy polenta - soft with a rich goat ragú, cavolo nero and prosciutto, and shared in the centre of the table with loved ones. Red flint corn polenta is the real deal when it comes to polenta. Whole-milled, hearty, full flavoured and earthy, it is hard to source in Australia but can be found at Italian specialty food stores. Alternatively, substitute with a good quality polenta, except for instant polenta which pales in comparison when it comes to flavour and texture." Andre Ursini, Poh & Co.

"If you are a lover of chicken and comfort food, I doubt you will find another dish that celebrates both quite so thoroughly. As well as the traditional ginger and spring onion sauce, Malaysians also serve it with a garlic-chilli sauce and kecap manis, a sweet, sticky soy. It’s such a simple meal to make and, if you don’t count the poaching time, only takes 20 minutes to put together." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"Among a myriad of Nonya specialties, my Grandma Yeow would always have this Chinese cake ready if she knew we were visiting. Instead of a standard cup measure, the size of the cake is determined by the size of the bowl you use to measure ingredients. The same rice bowl is filled to the rim with eggs, then the same amount of sugar and flour. The trick is to get the lining of the baking paper right, otherwise your cake will end up a disfigured specimen in the water bubbling beneath. The texture is interesting – a cross between marshmallow and bread, with the flavour of custard. A perfect fat-free tea cake." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"My in-laws, Bec and Chris, cooked this for me and Jono while they were visiting from Perth and it’s one of the best brekkies I’ve had. Light and full of summer veggies – what gorgeous, lively flavours to wake up to!" Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"Haloumi is a semi-hard cheese originating from Cyprus. It is traditionally made using sheep or goat's milk, though it can be made from cow's milk quite successfully. You’ll need a digital thermometer to give quick accurate readings when making the haloumi and while it does make a reasonable quantity, the cheese will keep refrigerated in the brine for several months. While I foraged for the wild river mint myself, it’s really important to know exactly what you’re picking, so if in doubt, or you can’t find it, use spearmint or other herbs such as basil instead. At the restaurant I serve the haloumi and river mint soil as part of a beetroot salad with saffron labne and whey sorbet, but you can use both components to jazz up a simple beetroot salad." Kane Pollard, Poh & Co.

"Dumplings are the definitive Chinese peasant food but no matter where your cultural heritage lies, there's no denying these little parcels are the ultimate comfort food. The sensation of chomping into one of these plump parcels and its juices squirting down your chin is unbeatable. And before you start thinking it's all too hard, remember many hands make light work – this is a great recipe for a communal effort." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"This Malaysian favourite is ridiculously simple to put together. It's excellent as a casual starter or finger food and makes a superb beer snack. I must warn you to smack away any greedy fingers lurking around when you cook it up or you might find your portions somewhat dwindled!" Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"Early on in the year I had to confront the strange fact of never having made a decent pancake in my life – sometimes it's the simplest things that can elude you. After a month of anguish testing many recipes, I finally arrived at this delicious result." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"This is a recipe I've been making since my mid-twenties. It's so simple that even the most amateur cook will be able to achieve a brilliant result. To anyone out there hoping to impress a romantic prospect, this dessert is your wingman! No delicate creaming or folding required. Bar macerating the cherries in liquor, and deliberately having to burn some butter, it's an unceremonious affair of dumping all the ingredients in a bowl, mixing, pouring and baking. I promise you, nothing can go wrong or my name is Frank!" Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"This is one of my favourite hot weather meals. So lively on the palate with wonderful zingy herbs, crunchy pickles and sweet, salty, garlicky meatballs - it’s an absolute crowd-pleaser! Apart from the prepping of the pickles it's also a very quick, easy meal to put together." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"There’s a world of difference between a good pizza dough and a perfect one. It’s not hard, but you do need to follow a few basic rules. Firstly, it’s essential to use the right kind of flour. You’ll need a plain flour with a medium protein content and this is sold as strong, baker’s or pizza flour. The second tip is to never combine the salt and yeast together as the salt can kill the yeast and you’ll end up with a brick of a pizza. And finally, if you have time, proving the dough for 24 hours before using not only adds depth of flavour to the dough, it also allows the yeast to fully mature meaning you’ll feel less bloated after eating." Mauro Gulli, Poh & Co.

"This reminds me very much of a Malaysian goreng pisang – a street snack of banana that's battered and deep-fried. Imagine the oozy sweetness of banana and butterscotch coming from beneath layers of crispy skin, shattering with every mouthful. Very yummy indeed." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"This recipe is very typical of South East Asian dessert drinks which revolve around coconut milk, various types of beans, pandan and jellies, topped with shaved ice. It’s a perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer’s day. " Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"This sablée is incredible versatile to use in place of any regular sweet shortcrust. What makes it different from a regular shortcrust (apart from the cocoa) is the addition of the hazelnut meal which gives it more depth and richness. The sharpness of the passionfruit curd contrasts wonderfully with the earthy richness of the sablée, and the addition of the lavender cream gives this dish a lovely hint of summer perfume. " Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"If all you’ve ever had is a store-bought satay in Australia, I really hope you try this recipe because it will revolutionise the way you think about satay. These are sweet and deeply fragrant, full of wonderful South East Asian aromatics. The sauce is less about a gravy of spicy peanut butter, and more of a lusciously complex sauce of which peanuts are a balanced part of the flavour profile. The accompaniments are often met with surprise, but provided to be dipped in the sauce to give refreshing respite from the richly marinated morsels of satay meat. You can substitute the chicken with chuck steak to make satay beef. " Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"This dish is one of the must-haves when you visit this iconic restaurant in Willunga on South Australia’s beautiful coastline. There are no tricks or secret ingredients in this recipe but you’ll get the best results with spanking fresh squid." Shawn Peddle, Poh & Co.

"These very elegant and beautifully flavoured biscuits were introduced to me by my best friend Sarah. Such a heavenly combination of wonderful shortbread biscuits sandwiched with pastry cream and rolled in crushed almond praline." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"Learning how to crimp a curry puff perfectly is one of my earliest food memories. From the age of six, I used to practise obsessively on Play-Doh. If you can't manage the crimping, the job is easily done by using the tips of a fork to press down on the seams. As long as they're adequately sealed, they will go down the same way. For those longing for a sauce, there is no need – these moreish little parcels are a crowd-pleaser, full of flavour and traditionally eaten as is." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"I’m sure there isn’t a single person on the planet who doesn’t love breaking through the lightest of cake crusts into a warm, gooey pot of chocolate. This is my faithful emergency recipe, for the times when I have dinner guests and not enough time to make dessert. It’s easily and quickly executed, even with spectators watching intently!" Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"This is the most brilliant tomato sauce – its versatility is limitless. Pour over pasta, braise vegies in it, use as a pizza base or between layers of a vegie lasagna or here, with gnocchi. It needs nothing else, intense with fragrant garlic and the intensity of perfectly vine-ripened tomatoes. As for the gnocchi, there seems to be common perception that it’s difficult to make. So long as you stick to a couple of hard and fast rules – to not overcook and water log the potatoes and to squeeze instead of knead the gnocchi dough, I promise all will be well." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

"This is another old faithful I love to make on the days I refuse to leave the house. It's a dish I endearingly call one of my "binner" specials because it salvages any wilting herbs, slightly wrinkly tomatoes and leftover: rice, transforming them into the yummiest, healthy one-pot meal." Poh Ling Yeow, Poh & Co.

Take a tour of Poh's Adelaide

“This recipe was inspired by the steamed dumplings of my childhood and experiences from my travels, so it’s a Khoo original. Pickled chillies are a great way to pep up any recipe, and while they’re really easy to make, they’re also readily available from delicatessens too. I like my food with a bit of a kick so I leave the seeds in the chillies, but you can take them out if you prefer it milder.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“These stunning little tartlets are the perfect way to celebrate orange season and make a great dessert or afternoon tea. You can make the tart bases well ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container but make sure you assemble the tarts just before serving so they stay nice and crisp!” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“This is a really easy dish to put together with a few simple ingredients. It's perfect for any time of day - breakfast, lunch, dinner or even a midnight snack. You don’t have to used sliced white bread for this - just use whatever you have hanging around at home and even better if it’s a few days old. And it wouldn’t be a Khoo recipe if there wasn’t some cheese involved! You can easily make this dish vegetarian by just leaving out the bacon and using a vegetarian–friendly cheese.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Here Margaret Fulton’s granddaughter shows us her modern take on a classic 1950s English salad first made in honour of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. You can serve the recipe canapé-style, as we have done here, or as a large shared salad with the pappadums passed separately.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne

“Matt Wilkinson, chef and cookery author, has a passion for growing, sourcing and presenting the best tasting produce he can. Here he pairs freshly plucked figs from the trees at Merri Creek's community veggie patch with blue cheese, walnuts and corn bread.” Rachel Khoo, Rachel Khoo's Kitchen Notebook Melbourne