Explainers

A master butcher explains everything you need to know about one of the most interesting beef cuts, beef cheeks.

Alistair Wise, of Hobart’s Sweet Envy, steers us through one of the pastry kitchen’s most essential – and mesmerising – preparations.

A staple in Singaporean and Malaysian coffee shops, this coconut spread lends an extra dimension to sweet breakfasts and desserts.

These fermented sauces form the essential flavour of Korean cuisine. Know your gochujang from your ganjang with our handy explainer (with some recipes, too).

They say hummus takes mere minutes to make but years to perfect. Get the jump on it with these hard-won tips from Kepos & Co’s Michael Rantissi.

Knowing your way around a lamb leg opens up serious grilling potential. Butcher Richard Gunner demonstrates how it's done.

Brent Savage, chef at Sydney’s trailblazing vegetarian fine-diner Yellow, lets us in on his secret ingredients that make whipping up vegetarian dishes a breeze.

This native shrub, once used as animal fodder, has found a new lease on life at the table, proving its worth in salads, roasts and stir-fries.

We asked two people in the know – a cheese buyer and a food writer – for their tips on buying great cheese every time. And the good news is that tasting the cheese is strongly encouraged.

A punchy paste packing citrus and chilli, yuzu kosho is the kind of versatile flavour bomb that’ll spice up pretty much anything. Get the lowdown on this Japanese condiment.

No time? No worries. Leading chefs dish on how to cut corners without compromise.

Big Green Egg or binchotan, asado or braai - there's more than one way to stoke a fire. We ask chefs for their hot tips and tricks for summer grilling.

This potent Italian flavour enhancer will be your new secret kitchen weapon.

Your kitchen bible, explaining everything you need to know to navigate your way through a recipe, a French restaurant menu and more.

Beach banana, pigface – whatever you call it, this native succulent adds a welcome salty hit and juicy crunch to fish dishes, salads and stir-fries.

The best fillets are those you cut yourself. Here, seafood savant Josh Niland shows you how it’s done.

With a rich toffee flavour, coconut sugar adds an extra dimension of interest to baking.

Whatever the buzz around its purported magical powers, this intriguing ingredient has texture and flavour all its own.

The lowdown on buckwheat, including its nutritional value and origins, plus four recipe ideas.

This fiery spreadable salami turns up the flavour dial on everything from eggs to pizza.

Versatile cacao nibs add crunch and flavour to sweets and savouries alike.

Plant cabbage now to enjoy its versatility in everything from dim sim to sauerkraut come spring, writes Mat Pember.

While it's not as ubiquitous as Cantonese sweet and sour pork or Hainanese chicken rice, China's pork burger, rou jia mo, is having its moment in the sun.

Aquafaba is growing in popularity among the vegan community as an egg substitute. But what exactly is this strange sounding ingredient?

It may be the world’s smallest food grain, but its nutty flavour and gluten-free status give it culinary clout.

Now is the time to start planning for your cooler-climate crops, says Mat Pember, starting with easy-growing leeks.

A vegetable patch without rocket lacks a great staple, according to Mat Pember. The perennial performer is a leaf for all seasons.

This Japanese seasoning goes beyond salt and pepper to deliver the ultimate umami bomb.

A quick grower with a pleasing flavour, the red beard onion truly delivers – in both name and nature, writes Mat Pember.

This juicy, golden fruit spells summer. Serve it in a slushie, a salad or a dessert for an instant lift of sweetness.

Butcher Richard Gunner is on hand to explain the differences between bavette, onglet and queue de boeuf.

These harbingers of spring are now in their prime – blanch, roast or throw them on the barbie to bring out their best flavour.

Every bit of this tall leafy herb can be eaten - Lennox Hastie says it adds a musky spice when scattered over eggs or cooked in pasta dough.

Powerhouses of flavour, olives add punch to any savoury dish, brightening the likes of braises, sauces and more.

Venturing beyond the mass-produced plant varieties brings fruitful rewards, says Mat Pember, as he introduces the pineapple tomato.

They're not called prickly for nothing, and peeling a prickly pear isn't quite as straightforward as other fruits - providore John Velluti walks us through it.

Served hot or cold, these buckwheat noodles are a smart standby for making fast and tasty one-bowl meals.

Red mizuna welcomes winter's chill. Plant while it's still cold for many happy returns, writes Mat Pember.

Is this Australia's answer to poutine?

Coriander, or cilantro as it’s known in the Americas, can be tricky, but a little know-how goes a long way towards success, writes Mat Pember.

What do I do with the cuts of beef labelled “asado” I see at my local butchery?

The fizzy fermented drink has been brewed for thousands of years.

This ancient staple is a handy standby in the modern kitchen, adding ballast to soups and braises, and making robust salads and sides.

Seafood expert John Susman praises the oft-ignored and underused parts of fish like the heads, roes, wings, fins, and more.

Packed in salt or preserved in oil, these little fish make a big splash in the flavour stakes.

We explain how to create the Basque's rich barramundi-boosting sauce.

A rare catch at Sydney's fish markets, mantis prawns have dedicated admirers.

When it comes to the pick of the patch, Mat Pember goes weak at the peas. To harvest or not to harvest is the question.

Koji has been used by Japanese cooks for centuries to make everything from soy sauce and sake to miso and mirin.

Whether you prefer Dutch-process or natural, step out of the chocolate box and enrich both savoury and sweet dishes with this adaptable ingredient.

One of the most prevalent of the so-called superfoods these days, kale is easy to grow and resilient, writes Mat Pember, and keeps on keeping on.

Like mini hearts of cabbage, Brussels sprouts are the best of the brassica family, writes Mat Pember, and they put on the best show in the patch.

What's the key to cooking a great beast on a spit?

The less time spent in the kitchen on hot days the better, so have these thin noodles on hand for quick-fix summer dishes.

A real ace of the garden, strawberries may require attention but bring real joy...

Quinoa keeps well and lends its nutty goodness to salads, snacks and sweets.

As much as we love seafood steamed, roasted and fried, the best method of cooking a fish is over a fire...

For Mat Pember life is not complete without basil, making this heat-loving herb a highlight of summer.

What can you suggest that’s low maintenance and high impact for parties?

Nuts are a must on the festive menu, not least almonds, the most versatile of the bunch.

Sweetcorn can thrive in the home patch if it’s in good company. Follow a few simple tips and say cheers to big ears.

Leftover flatbread is smartly turned into a meal or snack when you want a quick party trick.

When it comes to pumpkins, big is beautiful, and they can flourish even if you’re short on space.

When it comes to cheese, writes Will Studd, it’s one time when it pays to judge something by its cover.

It’s salad season; how do you dress yours?

When you’re talking the tiny refined French variety of lentil, you’ve got a legume ready for prompt deployment.

Whether they’re climbing or bush, Windsor Long Pod or Scarlet Runner, beans benefit a lot from just a little care.

The hero of the classic Middle-Eastern tabbouleh, this grain gives true grit to soups and pilafs.

Why does fish in restaurants so often taste better than what I cook at home?

Despite their name, spring onions are great growers year round but they’re ideal for this tricky time in the garden.

This freakishly shaped fruit, aka fingered citron, hails from the citrus family.

This handy Chinese condiment is a sure-fire speedy way of adding a flavour boost to a raft of dishes.

What’s the key to nailing a really good classic Sunday roast?

This garden stalwart takes root at the mere spill of a seed packet no matter what the season...

Curry might not seem like the most Japanese of foods but this introduced dish has been embraced by Japan as its own.

I’ve got a serious salad habit, but I’m concerned that winter is going to cramp my style. Can you help?

Legions of northern Italians can’t be wrong – this versatile cornmeal makes the ideal mainstay for so many meals.

Silverbeet is ideal for boosting a gardener’s confidence: it’s the leafy green that keeps on giving.

Tonkatsu sauce is Japan’s answer to barbecue sauce, and Bull-Dog is one of the most popular bottled brands...

The nutty flavour and texture of these little grains of goodness perform well beyond porridge.

Low-maintenance with a speedy turnaround, the radish is this season’s hero for “instant” crop gratification.

I’ve been noticing restaurant-grade wagyu in good butcher’s shops lately. How can I cook it at home?

From curries to soups, salads and sweets, coconut milk is a can of can-do goodness.

Plant broad beans now, when the weather is cool, and they’ll be in for the long haul, writes Mat Pember.

I’m keen to get in on this pickling thing. Where’s a good place to start?

If you’ve got an egg in the house, you’ve got a meal in the house, Elizabeth David once said...

Broccoli is the most prolific member of the brassica family and the easiest to grow.

Meatballs – how do you strike the right balance of flavour and juiciness?

It’s hard to think of a better cupboard standby than dried pasta, a staple swiftly turned into bowls of goodness.

Garlic has a long growing time, but low maintenance and freshness reward your patience.