EVERYTHING I LOVE TO COOK

By Cuisine2 Minutes
October 18, 2021By Cuisine

NEIL PERRY, MURDOCH BOOKS, $69.99

Wow, Neil, that’s a title with a big promise. Almost restaurant royalty in Australia, thanks to a career spent at the helm of the likes of Rockpool and Spice Temple, Perry gives us a book that is refreshingly uncheffy. The introductory pages, with advice to always read the recipe and check you have all the ingredients, and which pots and pans and knives to choose, seem aimed at the novice, or nervous, cook, and here is a chef who is not afraid to give recipes for such simple staples as egg sandwiches, green salad and macaroni cheese – and who wouldn’t benefit from a reminder on the basics? I did get off to a shaky start with his introduction, “During the week, dinner will likely be simple and may consist of just one dish…”. It was the ‘may’ that wobbled me. In search of something with a little more pizzazz, I’m reminded that Perry is the master of capturing flavours. Miso- glazed squid, a macadamia tarator alongside scallops, and a spice butter to smear onto prawns – seemingly straightforward dishes are ramped up a notch of delight. Clearly I am not Perry’s ideal cook as I failed to check the recipe and made twice as much of that heavenly spiced butter as I needed. I discovered that even on a dish of simple steamed carrots it made my single-dish midweek dinner a treat. TRACY WHITMEY