The Australian Women’s Weekly Food Issue 46

Welcome to our high-summer issue, bursting with the produce and bright ideas this season has to offer. For me, it is also an exciting milestone. After more than 20 years on The Australian Women’s Weekly, I am also taking the editor’s seat for this wonderful magazine, keen to share with you all I have learned during those years. One of the best things about this time of year is that many of us are still in a light and breezy mood. The holiday glow is still visible and we want to keep dinners casual and entertaining stress free. Everyone loves fast recipes with minimal ingredients, so, with this in mind, this month we feature a great line-up of 30-minute feelgood dinners, fab five-ingredient meals, super colourful salads and meat-free options for warm…

The backyard barbecue has come a long way from the days of chargrilling just a few humble sausages. Now it’s an indispensable part of summer life – and with instant gas and electric barbecues, some people barbecue every night. When choosing a barbecue, consider the amount of space you have and the type of fuel you want to use. KINDS OF BARBECUES Trolley barbecues, fitted with wheels, are essentially portable, but are generally set up as a permanent or semi-permanent unit. Most modern trolley barbecues use gas and most are fitted with hoods, allowing for covered and uncovered cooking. They are available with between two to eight burners (some with wok burners). Other gadgets for these barbecues include interchangeable hotplates and grills, rotisseries, warming racks and range of cookware including roasting dishes…

SophiaYoung EDITORIAL & FOOD DIRECTOR, AWW COOKBOOKS After starting out as a chef, I moved to magazines and cookbooks as a food editor and stylist. It’s been fun! What drives me the most is to inspire readers by sharing recipes that will result in them cooking great food. “Fish can be tricky on the barbecue, as it’s prone to stick, for this reason, I cook more robust fish in a fish cage and delicate fleshed fish witha few simple aromatics wrapped in foil.” Frances Abdallaoui FOOD DIRECTOR, THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S WEEKLY, EDITOR, AWW FOOD An avid cook with an ever-evolving fondness for baking, I truly believe that good food is mostly about fresh Australian produce cooked simply with a generosity of care and spirit. “For a simple dessert, cut a cross into a fig from the stem…

IN SEASON PEACHES How do I peel peaches to use in recipes? To remove the skin, pierce it with a sharp knife, then plunge the peaches into boiling water (or pour boiling water over them in a bowl). Drain peaches, then drop into iced water – the skin will slip off. FOR SWINE CONNOISSEURS You will be keen to trotter off to your local bottle store for this one. In celebration of the Chinese New Year as the Year of the Pig, Johnnie Walker has releasing its Blue Label Year of the Pig Limited Edition. For more information, go to www.johnniewalkerhouse.com. IN SEARCH OF THE GOOD LIFE Probiotics are ‘friendly’ bacteria that help keep your gut healthy, naturally. Sometimes they need a little assistance and that’s where Life-Space’s Broad Spectrum Probiotic comes to the rescue.…

THE BEST CHINA The 2019 Sydney Lunar Festival, from February 1-10, celebrates the arrival of the Year of the Pig. Experience dazzling lantern displays, dragon boat races, live performances and, of course, fine Chinese cuisine. Go to whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/major-events/sydney-lunarfestival for more information. GO WEST Enjoy an iconic WA sunset while tasting the best of the state’s wine, craft beers, ciders, and spirits at Sunset Wine & Brews, to be held at Perth’s new Scarborough Beach Reserve on February 9, 10. Add in gourmet food, live music, good friends and the perfect coast backdrop and you have one of the country’s best boutique summer festivals. Find out more at wineandfood.com.au. CREAM OF THE APPLE ISLE One of Tasmania’s premier summer events, Festivale is a three-day celebration of the very best Tasmanian food, wine, beer, cider, spirits, arts…

Here at the Women’s Weekly Test Kitchen, we love a good sponge cake. What’s your favourite Women’s Weekly cake recipe? Renée Hewlitt The Choc Chip Cookies from Beautiful Biscuits. Always a crowd pleaser, especially in giant form! Kerry Walter Restante The Best-Ever Fudge Brownies, because they are actually the best I have ever had, and the wickedly Rich Chocolate Butterscotch Cheesecake, which is the most perfect cheesecake in existence. Ange Pickett Rich Fruit Cake. My recipe dates back to an AWW magazine in 1989 or 1990 (I was in Year 10 or 11) and I have made it almost every year since, including during my exchange year in Denmark in 1992, during my posting to Beijing between 2001-2004, and while posted to Hanoi in 2011 and 2013. I’m now up to about 4…