Index Chef's Recipes

Da Noi's fish soup is full of flavour and freshness. Owner Pietro Porcu is from near Cagliari in Sardinia and his chef,Stan, is from Pescara on the Adriatic coast. Both areas rely a lot on seafood in their cooking. The exact ingredients vary according to what is available at the market, indeed all the cooking at Da Noi depends on the day, and the whim of the chef. Go there in good faith and with appetite.

diningroom 211's (now closed) Gippsland Rabbit stood out for the juicy texture of the rabbit along with the clever flavour balance of the accompanying bean salad. The two elements heightened by the reduced rabbit stock. This restaurant opened in September and quickly earnt lots of acclaim for the well crafted food and for the very reasonable prices.

Donovans grilled pork cooked over mallee roots reflects very much Robert Castellani's own background with its Italian influences and the relaxed home style of the restaurant's menu. A simple dish that requiries excellent quality meat and careful cooking.

est est est's (now closed) Minestrone of Summer Fruits with Basil Icecream is all about getting the most from fruit flavours. The best of summer stone fruits on a red berry base with green icecream looks beautiful too. A product of dessert chef Phillipa Sibley Cooke's skill and knowledge. She describes it as "a fruit version of pistou soup, one of my favourites."

Hanabishi's Shabu Shabu provides the perfect centrepoint in the context of a Japanese banquet. It is not difficult to prepare at home if you have good meat and the correct Japanese ingredients. It is an example of how simple refined cooking can be.

I Carusi's pizza alla moda di Giuseppe is satisfying and casual - just like the place. This pizzeria is like no other in Melbourne with its white cloths brightening the moody darkness of the room. Jazz plays because that's what owner chef Pietro Barbagallo likes to listen to and he is the boss, sole man in charge of the oven. The name for this pizza comes from a local Sicilian, Giuseppe, who used to bring in his own potatoes, rosemary and caramelized onion and ask Pietro to put together the pizza for him. He did it so often that Pietro decided to put it on the menu for everyone to enjoy and its now one of the favourites.

Ivana Dela Maria, Zucchini Soup & Potato Gnocchi, prepared Italian dishes for Mietta's siter Patricia at the Queenscliff Hotel. Here are two of them.

Jonathan Gianfreda: Cotechino with Cabbage, the cotechino comes from Jonathan's range of smallgoods.