BACON AND EGG TORTILLA BAKE PART OF WAYS WITH BREAD & WRAPS Bacon and eggs, but baked in one dish with almost nothing to wash up. Small tortillas are folded into a dish with bacon, cheese and tomato tucked in the folds, then an egg and milk custard mix is poured over and baked until […]

There is always a bag of slaw in our fridge. Cabbage and carrots are cheap, plentiful and keep for a week once shredded, and the mix will take whatever else is in season, from fennel and celery to daikon, apple, broccoli and cauliflower. The vegetables are only half the story though. Change the dressing and […]

Every time we make a batch of ice cream we end up with a mountain of egg whites, and this is where they now go. Blended with a few tins of sardines and baked over grated carrot and cabbage, they set into a thin slab that cuts into flat, ready-to-go portions for the dogs. Our […]

After a few attempts at the stirred Korean version of steamed egg, we finally landed on the traditional Chinese steaming method instead — simpler, more forgiving, and silkier than anything we managed on the stovetop. Paired with a quick pan of caramelised brussels sprouts, zucchini and spring onion, it’s flexible enough for breakfast, a light […]

Chickpea Peanut Butter Biscuits PART OF CHEAP & EASY — MAX’S KITCHEN STARTER These biscuits start with a tin of chickpeas and a potato masher, and that’s about as complicated as they get. No food processor, no flour, one bowl. Mash, stir in peanut butter, an egg and a little honey, fold through some dark […]

This one looks far fancier than the effort it takes. A wheel of brie is rolled flat, trimmed and reconstructed into a wobbly rectangle and placed on a sheet of chutney smeared puff pastry, topped with honey and a spoonful of tangelo paste or jam, then the edges are rolled up and it all bakes […]

Every trestle table in the 1980s had one of these slices on it. No one remembers asking for it — it just turned up, wedged between the party pies and the lamingtons, wrapped in foil, at every barbecue, wake, school fete and Christmas do. There was always someone who brought it to absolutely everything, and […]

Every cocktail, cordial and iced coffee wants sugar syrup, and the shop-bought stuff is sugar and water at a ridiculous markup. This is the version we keep in the fridge — made a little heavier than most recipes so it keeps for a year and doesn’t water down a drink. An old vodka bottle is […]

Peach & Biscuit Bake Max’s Kitchen Starter — one tin, one packet This is the “viral” biscuit-and-peaches bake, cut down to a size that actually makes sense for one person cooking for themselves. The internet version usually calls for two packets of biscuits and feeds a family; this one uses exactly one packet and one […]

This is the ice-cream recipe that’s finally replaced every other method in this kitchen. It starts and finishes in the Vitamix — no stovetop tempering needed, no ice bath and only the blender and a few jugs to wash up. Make it for rich ice cream in a tub, and add stabilisers if you’re making […]

This one’s a keeper. Cucina povera at its best — a quarter cabbage and a couple of onions turned into a sharp, mustardy little condiment that punches well above its size. It’s not a ferment, just a quick vinegar pickle, but it holds in the fridge for a good two weeks. Scoop it out for […]

Mug Cake — Build Your Own Part of Cheap & Easy — Max’s Kitchen Starter If you’ve ever had a mug cake explode in the microwave, or come out gluey in the middle, the fix usually comes down to ratio rather than luck. This one uses whatever packet cake mix is already in the cupboard, […]

Every few years this one does the rounds again — the story of a woman who fell in love with a chocolate chip cookie at a Neiman Marcus café, asked for the recipe, and was told it would cost “two-fifty.” She agreed, assuming $2.50. Her credit card statement said otherwise: $250. Furious, she supposedly took […]

This one’s straight out of the “what’s in the garden” playbook — continental cucumbers, a punchy peanut-lime dressing, and whatever crunchy bits are on hand. Ready in ten minutes and works as a side to almost anything off the grill. CUCUMBER SALAD WITH PEANUT SAUCE Ingredients 2–3 continental cucumbers (approx. 600g) 40g peanut butter 20ml […]

Ways with Mince: One Base, Three Meals A FOOD4US TECHNIQUE POST Most nights start the same way here: onions and garlic powder in the pan, a grated carrot cooked down, and a kilo of mince browned properly. What happens after that browning is where it gets interesting — the exact same base splits three ways […]

Nachos PART OF WAYS WITH BREAD & WRAPS The taco mince gets one more life here — stir refried beans through what’s left, pile it over corn chips with a mountain of cheese, and bake until it’s bubbling at the edges. This is the leftover-mince hero of the whole series: if you made a double […]

This one goes in the oven and does its own thing — no standing over a pan, no timing multiple pots at once. Three packs of ramen, a tin of coconut milk and green or red curry paste go straight into a baking dish together, and six eggs finish it off, baked right into the […]

THE FAMILY LIBATIONS LIBRARY A collection of drinks we’ve tested, tasted, and refined over years of entertaining. Everything from after-dinner classics to party-size batches. Many use fresh citrus from the garden — when you’ve got lemons, limes, and tangelos coming off the trees, you learn to make them do interesting things. Mix and match, adjust […]

This started as an attempt at a clean, margarita-ready orange liqueur — no brandy, no Christmas spice, just citrus. A few taste tests in, while it was still young, the verdict was clear: it’s too good to hide under tequila and lime. Triple sec can do that job. This one earns its place on its […]

This is the recipe that will keep you fed without spending too much time or money. Learn the base and you have four completely different dinners. Once you can make this, you can cook something nutritious and at least you won’t starve. CHEAP AND EASY – WAYS WITH MINCE Your Pantry Kit Stock these once […]

This is not a jam and it’s not a marmalade — it’s something better. A soft, spoonable citrus paste that sits beautifully on a cheeseboard, scooped into a small ramekin and left small knife, for people to help themselves. It is exceptional with blue cheese as well as with soft cheeses. The flavour is intensely […]

If you’ve ever reached for preserved lemons needed in a recipe and found the jar uninvitingly old and mouldy, this is the fix. One lemon, three ingredients, twenty minutes — and you have a small jar of intensely flavoured paste that works anywhere you need a salty, lemony hit without adding liquid. It keeps in […]

This started as an experiment to turn a crumpet batter into a tray bake, and ended up somewhere much more useful — a fast, one-bowl yeasted bread with a super crisp top and bottom and an open, sliceable crumb. No kneading, no shaping, just mix, pour, rest and bake. Slice it through the middle and […]

This dish has become a genuine showstopper on our table. Roasted sweet potato on a billowy whipped tahini yoghurt base, finished with a spicy honey drizzle and toasted pine nuts — it looks impressive, tastes extraordinary, and most of the work can be done the day before. It works equally well as a vegetarian centrepiece […]