The transformative power of time and black garlic do all the heavy lifting in this flavour-packed lamb shoulder recipe. It’s a Greek-inspired lamb recipe that belongs on any Sunday lunch table or festive feast. Serve with fresh bread to mop up all the juice. Looking for more slow-cooked lamb recipes? Ingredients 4 black garlic bulbs, halved horizontally 1.8 kg lamb shoulder, bone attached 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock Mint leaves and pea tendrils, to serve Mint Persillade 1 cup each (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley and mint, coarsely chopped ¼ cup chopped chives 5 ..read more

“The fava here is not fava bean but yellow split peas, which are grown on Santorini and Crete, where this dip originates,” says Kafeneion’s Stavros Konis. “It’s served warm and is a little like hummus.” Ingredients 125 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 carrot (125gm), finely chopped 1 fresh bay leaf 1 small rosemary sprig 500 gm yellow split peas 2 tsp baby salted capers, rinsed, drained Sliced red onion, sliced spring onion and sliced long green chilli, to serve Charred pita bread and lemon wedges, to serve Method 1 Heat 60ml oil in a ..read more

It takes one to know one, which is why when Peter Gilmore tells you a restaurant is good, you can trust it will be exceptional. The executive chef behind two of Australia’s most iconic restaurants — Quay and Bennelong — knows exactly what it takes to stand out from the crowd and continually delight diners. So following a recent trip to Italy, where he mentored the Oceania regional finalist Robin Wagner in the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy competition, we simply had to know: which Michelin-star restaurants in Italy are on his fine-dining hitlist? But before we reveal his top five Italian Mich ..read more

Mirin might not be the first ingredient people would think to add to a mixed drink, but the long-established Ogasawara Brewery in Hekinan doesn’t produce ordinary mirin. Naturally made by hand without any additives and aged for a minimum of four years, it has a gentle sweetness that’s a far cry from the syrupy, saccharine stuff usually found on supermarket shelves. “I’ve been using this mirin for years, mainly when cooking at home but it’s also super delicious to sip on its own,” says importer Matt Young, who brings the umami-rich and amber-tinted flavour enhancer into Australia under his Blac ..read more

The vanilla slice is an Australian bakery classic that continues to hold its own. Sure, it’s a big hit at bake sales and kid’s parties, but it won’t take much convincing to get you baking a vanilla slice recipe on any given weekend, either. Also known as a custard slice, the Aussie riff on millefeuille consists of thick custard layers sandwiched between crisp layers of puff pastry. Put simply, it is pastry perfection. Here are our four very best vanilla slice recipes for when you want a hit of nostalgia. From a classic version sprinkled with icing sugar to a citrus-spiked yuzu vanilla slice an ..read more

Melbourne’s Kafeneion shares its recipe for Psari Plaki, a classic summer dish eaten all over Greece. Psari Plaki is a baked fish recipe with tomato and onion sauce in which any firm white fish can be used. In this recipe, blue-eye trevalla is used. Ingredients 160 ml (2/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion (200gm), thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 500 gm ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped 2 tbsp tomato paste 4 skinless blue-eye trevalla fillets (250gm each) 1½ tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp baby capers, drained Greek oregano and lemon wedges, to serve Method 1 Preheat oven to 180˚C fan-forced. H ..read more

This Greek grilled calamari salad recipe will become a staple on any entertainer’s table. Primed for alfresco feasts and large family gatherings, this grilled calamari salad really shines thanks to its punchy yoghurt and ouzo dressing. Looking for more calamari recipes? Ingredients 1.2 kg baby calamari (200gm each), cleaned, hoods and tentacles separated 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp oregano leaves, finely chopped 3 oxheart tomatoes, cut into rough 3cm pieces 80 gm (⅓ cup) mixed Greek olives ¼ cup (loosely packed) small basil leaves, plus extra to serve Pita bread, pickled pepper ..read more

Jamón quite simply is the Spanish word for ham. “We call it jamón when the legs of the pork have been cured naturally, leaving the hams hanging to air dry,” explains Alberto Andrés of La Central, a Spanish delicatessen and bodega in Melbourne. “In Spain we differentiate between the shoulder and the leg – when it’s the leg we call it jamón. When it’s the shoulder we call it paleta.” Jamón serrano and jamón Ibérico come from different types of pigs and exhibit varying levels of quality, with the latter being the finest example. What is jamón serrano? Spain’s answer to Italian prosciutto, ja ..read more

Heralded as the ville lumière or amour – depending on who you ask – Paris is a stamping ground for the bon vivant and gourmands. Michelin-star haunts, Haussmannian architecture, grand boulevards, leafy parks abound in the French capital where chic décontracté extends beyond the style. Whether you’re heading over for the Paris Olympics and the Tour de France races – or to stroll the Seine and Louvre idly – you’ll need somewhere to slumber. Read on for our curation of some of Paris’ best Airbnbs to book for your 2024 sojourn. Luxe Airbnb with waterfront Eiffel Tower views The Louis XIV-style be ..read more

Arguably the best – and best-known – way to travel around the USA is on the wide open road. But did you know you can do it in luxury style ­– without ever getting behind the wheel yourself? So if you’re dreaming of Yellowstone and its famous geysers, or have always wanted to gaze out over the Grand Canyon, here’s how to hit the road in style. The view from Mesa Arch in Utah – a highlight from Insight Vacation’s Enchanting Canyonlands tour. Image: Getty On the Road. Route 66. National Lampoon’s Vacation. No form of travel is more engrained or enduring in the American cultural psyche t ..read more