Michele Curtis - In the Kitchen : the New Bible of Home Cooking.

IN THE KITCHEN

Its back! This book almost feels like an autobiography the dishes Ive cooked, the meals Ive shared, the special occasions spent with friends and family. Its all in here.

In the Kitchen is a special book. It contains recipes that date back to my training as a chef in the 1980s, and spans so many parts of my life: working in London, my relationship with Allan, having children, jobs in Melbourne, writing The Foodies Diary and the original Campion and Curtis In the Kitchen (circa 2002), the friends who have shared their recipes with me, and the businesses I have set up, worked in and owned. Still, whenever I get the chance, I love cooking in my kitchen at home and creating new dishes.

When my publisher, Jane Willson from Hardie Grant, said she was interested in reprinting In the Kitchen, I was ecstatic then I realised it would need an update, as a lot has happened in 15 years. Ive changed and the food I cook has changed just a quick flick through the original book confirmed this, as there are no kale or quinoa recipes! This revision has been my project but, as Allan and I initially wrote the book together, theres still plenty of the original good stuff in here, too.

It has been a cathartic process, culling old recipes and adding new favourites, revisiting old friends and tweaking them (its incredible how much sugar was in some of the cake recipes), and introducing new techniques and ingredients.

Not only have the recipes changed, my life has changed. When Allan and I wrote the original book we had a young family and worked from home, allowing us the freedom to cook yummy meals. Today Allan and I have a great friendship, our children have grown up and I now live with my son, Luke (whos studying to become a chef), and our crazy pug, George. Throughout the years Ive set up numerous food shops and time at home has been tight. I recall saying in one of the earlier books, Make sure you take the time out to create a good wholesome dinner that satisfies your soul and replenishes your energy after a days work. Ha! How hard is that reality? Some days when I got home at 8 pm, the only thing that satisfied my soul was a packet of chips and a bottle of red wine.

However, I still believe that making time to cook a tasty dinner is so important (it would help enormously if there was food in the kitchen, though). Cook for your friends and, if youre lucky, they will repay your hospitality when you need it most. When you cook, make double and freeze the extra. Find the energy to put effort into what you eat and you will function better.

To quote every contestant on a TV cooking show, this book is me on a plate. As I finish writing this, I feel so proud of the book and the recipes in it and all the people who have come into my life and influenced my food and me. As one door closes another opens, but some dishes remain firm favourites, such as spaghetti with breadcrumbs, tuna, parsley and lemon; braised lamb shanks with mint and harissa; and one-pot chocolate cake. They are now joined by zingy beef and ramen noodle salad bowl, spice-perfumed slow-roasted lamb shoulder and gluten-free chocolate brownies.

Simplicity, seasonality and freshness are still the key to each and every one of the recipes, and serving friends and family dinner whether its a quick bowl of pasta or something more elaborate is what makes me tick. A big thank you to everyone who came and ate especially Mia and Luke, who are still always hungry at 6 pm, but can wait till 8 pm.

Michele Curtis

Its often the basic ingredients that raise the most queries in a recipe. Chefs and food writers take huge leaps of faith, assuming that everybody else knows as much about the ingredients as they do. To prevent any confusion, heres my take on the basic stuff to get you started.

Black pepper All pepper used in these recipes is freshly ground black pepper, unless otherwise stated. It brings freshness and spice to any dish. As these properties will dissipate with cooking, add a little more before you serve a dish.

Chicken I use only free-range chickens. Given the amount of chicken I eat, this is my compromise on flavour and cost, though I do upgrade to corn-fed or organic poultry for special occasions. Its worth it for the flavour.

Eggs Eggs used in these recipes are medium-sized and free-range (59 g/ 2 oz each).

Egg wash is lightly beaten egg yolk with a little milk, usually brushed onto raw pastry to add a shiny finish when cooked.

Herbs All herbs used in these recipes are fresh unless otherwise stated.

Oil for cooking Well, this is interesting. This is all going to come down to personal preference. Recent research (and this is probably already out of date by now) shows that saturated fats, such as coconut oil and butter, are better oils for deep-frying as they produce less aldehydes (chemicals that can cause heart disease and cancer). Olive oil is the best all-rounder, but extra-virgin olive oil has a low smoke point, which makes it unsuitable for heavy frying. However, regular olive oil is considered okay for general light frying. Vegetable and sunflower oils should be avoided, as they produce high levels of aldehydes when heated. I tend to use extra-virgin olive oil for light cooking, often with the addition of butter for flavour, except in a few cases where peanut or sesame oil is called for to give a different flavour. I use coconut oil for stir-frying.

Olive oil Extra-virgin olive oil has the best flavour, as well as healthy qualities, so use one that suits your tastebuds and budget. Prices will vary, but aim to buy a locally produced oil to reduce food miles. I also try to buy recently pressed oil. Consider buying a large tin, then decant the oil into a clean, dry, wine bottle and seal it with an olive oil pourer. This is more economical if you use a lot of oil.

Parmigiano Reggiano Be sure to buy Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, rather than imitation parmesan, as true Parmigiano comes only from Italy. To ensure freshness, its best to buy a block and grate it as needed.

Pulses and beans I have become healthier as I have grown older, and I now eat pulses, chickpeas and beans much more often. So often, in fact, that due to time constraints I often use tinned varieties. If using tinned, I recommend you soak them in lots of cold water for 15 minutes to get rid of the metallic taste. Some recipes, however, require long, slow cooking, for which only dried pulses will do. If you are using dried beans, they are best soaked overnight in plenty of cold water, drained, then cooked in boiling water until tender.

Red chilli Unless otherwise stated, small red chillies (not birds eye) are used. Take care when removing the seeds and membrane as these contain the capsaicin (the source of the heat).

Salt I prefer to use sea salt, as it has a finer mineral flavour than common table salt. Living in Australia, Murray River pink salt is my favourite for cooking with, and I also use Sicilian Iblea fine crystals as they dissolve easily in dressings and are ideal for last-minute seasoning. However, you can use any good-quality, locally produced salt.

Seasonal produce I am a big fan of seasonal produce mostly because it tastes the best and requires little work to enhance its flavour, but also because quality is highest and price is lowest when produce is in season.