Zabar's Blog

Recipe for Pea Velouté

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

This lovely soup is a snap to make. I fished the bay leaf out at the end, before blending it. You can spice it up with the addition of chilli flakes galore, or spice it down with none. I love the mint floating on top. On my list for the next week: for a breakfast, some cinnamon buns; for a lunch, gravadlax with a wonderful oniony cucumber salad sprinkled with chopped pickle; for a dinner, a chicken, leek and mushroom pot pie; and for a dessert: a lemon drizzle cake. 

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Recipes excerpted with permission from The Shortcut Cook by Rosie Reynolds published by Hardie Grant Books, February 2021

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Recipe for Everything Oil

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

This book is filled with wonderful stories and enticing vegetarian recipes. I was intrigued by the jammy, soft-cooked eggs, made with tea or beets. Make this oil, as spicy as you like, for salads and cooking. Next on my list: fried rice, with peas and ginger; sesame rice noodles made with today’s everything oil and charred broccoli; and a sweet French toast.

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Recipe excerpted with permission from To Asia, With Love, by Hetty McKinnon, published by Prestel.

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Recipe for Breakfast Tart

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar
Recipes by Kathy Kordalis, photo by Mowie Kay © Ryland Peters & Small

Here’s a super lazy way to have a backyard gathering: give your friends copies of this cookbook, and ask each to make a recipe from it for a wonderful pot-luck brunch at your house. Set the picnic table, mix some mimosas, iced tea and coffee, and whip up this breakfast tart and one of the amazing French toasts from the book. Invite me, and I’ll help with the dishes.

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Recipe excerpted with permission from Lazy Day Brunches: Relaxed Recipes for the Morning, Ryland Peters & Small

Click on the book cover to buy:

Go to the recipe.