H&C_00_Prelims SI M SI.indd 86/06/2017 3:49 PM9Introduction INTRODUCTIONAS A COUPLE, food runs through everything we do together. It’s not unusual for us to plan that night’s dinner while we are eating breakfast; our holidays revolve around restaurant bookings and we’ve been known to read cookbooks in bed. Being able to share this enthusiasm for food in our second book is a wonderful privilege.MR: Both of us grew up in families where mealtime was very important. For me, growing up in Tel Aviv, my mother would prepare the main meal and serve it late in the afternoon when we came home from school. She’d cook a variety of things, but there was always hummus, some chopped vegetables, at least one or two meat or fish dishes and plenty of salads. Vegetables weren’t punishment, they were a reward. Nothing was individually portioned—everyone helped themselves and it was very social and relaxed. This was normal for me. Family dinners for Kristy in Sydney were a little different.KF: Mum always cooked our meals in the kitchen then plated up there too. She’d serve us at the table and a salad—usually a simple lettuce, tomato, cucumber and mushroom number—would be the only sharing element on the table. The first time Michael ate dinner at my parents’ house he found the whole idea of individually portioned meals at a family table surprising. These days, my family love eating with us because they enjoy the sharing table. MR: Although the food we ate growing up was very different, we both have memories of sitting around the table with our families and discussing our day. On the nights we are able to eat together at home, we usually make a few simple salads, a protein dish and one or two other interesting flavours. Hummus can usually be found on our table—it’s a classic that’s so versatile.Our first book, Falafel for Breakfast, focused on the signature dishes we served at the restaurant, and how to recreate those at home. The recipes in this book reflect the things Kristy and I make together at home. These are the dishes we love to eat and share with our friends and family—they are simple, tasty and easy to incorporate into all sorts of occasions and meals. KF: Most of the recipes here are very quick and easy to prepare, but a few take a little more time—we guarantee they are well worth the effort. Don’t be put off if an ingredients lists looks long, because once you build up your Mediterranean/Middle Eastern pantry, you only need a few fresh ingredients to throw together a pretty impressive meal. MR: When I first arrived in Sydney, I found people’s perception of Middle Eastern food was either limited or quite far away from the reality. Knowledge of Middle Eastern cuisine didn’t extend much further than late-night kebabs or dry falafels, hummus and pita bread. But now there is much more interest so the true nature of this food—the fresh salads, the dips, the spice rubs and the distinctive flavour combinations—is more widely embraced. The availability of Middle Eastern ingredients has also improved to the point that dishes I grew up eating are now easy for people on this side of the world to make in their homes. KF: Most, if not all, of these spice blends and ingredients can be found in supermarkets, or at least specialty grocers. Best of all, they aren’t expensive and they last a very long time. And if you don’t like a particular ingredient or a spice is not to your taste, these recipes can easily be adapted. MR: Because this book is much more about cooking in the home, versatility is very important. We often swap ingredients depending on what we have in the cupboard or fridge, and that’s easily done with many of the recipes. It’s more about the feeling of the shared table—celebrating good ingredients in a simple way and bringing people together to enjoy them.MICHAEL RANTISSI & KRISTY FRAWLEYH&C_00_Prelims SI M SI.indd 96/06/2017 3:31 PMPreheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a large baking tray with baking paper.Put the peas in a bowl and crush them. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.Put the pastry on the prepared tray and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown, puffed up and very firm. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.Heat a chargrill pan or a barbecue grill plate to high. Drizzle the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until grill marks appear.To assemble the tart, put the pastry on a serving board or chopping board (this will make the tart easier to cut) and top with the crushed pea mixture. Crumble the feta evenly over the tart. Tear the eggs in half and arrange them on the tart. Top with the grilled asparagus and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter over micro herbs, if using.NOTEThe pastry has a long cooking time. Once cut, it needs to be able to hold its shape and soak up the juices.I think a weekend brunch is sometimes the best meal of the week because you have a little more time to prepare and a little more time to enjoy the meal. I don’t get to have brunch that often at the moment because I’m usually cooking for other people at the restaurants, but it’s a great way to entertain friends and family. This tart is easy to assemble and most of the components can be made ahead of time. It looks pretty and tastes delicious and fresh. If you don’t want to use peas you can use another vegetable.H&C_01_Brunch SI.indd 1829/05/2017 11:08 AM19BrunchASPARAGUS, PEA AND FETA TARTSERVES 6350 g (12 oz/2½ cups) frozen peas, thawed overnightgrated zest and juice of 1 lemon4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling1 sheet store-bought all-butter puff pastry, about 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inches)12–14 asparagus spears, peeled and trimmed150 g (5½ oz) feta cheese3 soft-boiled eggs micro herbs, to garnish (optional)Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Line a large baking tray with baking paper.Put the peas in a bowl and crush them. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.Put the pastry on the prepared tray and bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown, puffed up and very firm. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.Heat a chargrill pan or a barbecue grill plate to high. Drizzle the asparagus with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until grill marks appear.To assemble the tart, put the pastry on a serving board or chopping board (this will make the tart easier to cut) and top with the crushed pea mixture. Crumble the feta evenly over the tart. Tear the eggs in half and arrange them on the tart. Top with the grilled asparagus and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter over micro herbs, if using.NOTEThe pastry has a long cooking time. Once cut, it needs to be able to hold its shape and soak up the juices.I think a weekend brunch is sometimes the best meal of the week because you have a little more time to prepare and a little more time to enjoy the meal. I don’t get to have brunch that often at the moment because I’m usually cooking for other people at the restaurants, but it’s a great way to entertain friends and family. This tart is easy to assemble and most of the components can be made ahead of time. It looks pretty and tastes delicious and fresh. If you don’t want to use peas you can use another vegetable.H&C_01_Brunch SI.indd 1929/05/2017 11:08 AM80HUMMUS & CO.SOURDOUGH FATTOUSH SALAD SERVES 6–8 AS A SIDE DISH¼ loaf sourdough bread, cut into large cubes100 ml (3½ floz) olive oil2 small Lebanese (short) cucumbers, coarsely chopped2 vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped½ small red onion, cut into thin wedges3 tablespoons oregano leaves 1 handful coriander (cilantro) leaves2 tablespoons pomegranate molassesDRESSING3 tablespoons olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice3 garlic cloves, crushed1 tablespoon sumacPreheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Put the bread cubes on a baking tray, drizzle with the oil and toss to combine. Bake for about 7–8 minutes, until the bread is toasted and golden. Set aside to cool.To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.Put the bread cubes, cucumber, tomato, onion and herbs in a large bowl and mix to combine. Pour the dressing over and lightly toss with your hands. Drizzle the pomegranate molasses over the top.We always struggle to use up stale bread at home, so this recipe is great to make when you don’t manage to eat the whole loaf. Traditionally it’s made with crispy flatbread, but I find we use more sourdough than flatbread so I’ve adjusted the recipe to reflect what most people have at home.H&C_02_Salads SI.indd 8029/05/2017 11:44 AMH&C_02_Salads SI.indd 8129/05/2017 11:44 AMPreheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Spray a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch) cake tin with non-stick oil and line with baking paper.Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites for 2–3 minutes, until soft peaks form. With the machine running, slowly add the caster sugar and then whisk for a further 8–10 minutes, until firm and glossy. Use a metal spoon to fold in the vinegar and rosewater.Spoon the meringue mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for exactly 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Don’t worry if the meringue looks a bit rustic when you take it out of the oven.Put the mascarpone, cream and icing sugar in a large bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. To assemble, cut the meringue in half so there are two 20 x 15 cm (8 x 6 inch) pieces. Put one piece on a serving plate and top with half the mascarpone mixture, half the grapefruit segments and half the Turkish delight. Top with the remaining meringue, then the remaining mascarpone mixture, grapefruit and Turkish delight. Scatter the pistachios and rose petals over the top.I always struggle to find light desserts to serve at the end of a meal as most people tend to like chocolate-based desserts. The pink grapefruit in this pavlova has a lovely bitter flavour that cuts through the sweetness of the meringue and balances a rich meal. If you don’t like the bitterness of the grapefruit it can be substituted with orange or any other citrus but I suggest giving it a try as I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.H&C_06_Sweets SI.indd 1821/06/2017 2:11 PM183SweetsLAYERED TURKISH DELIGHT PAVLOVA SERVES 87 egg whites, at room temperature375 g (13 oz) caster (superfine) sugar2 tablespoons white vinegar1 tablespoon rosewater250 g (9 oz) mascarpone cheese250 ml (9 floz/1 cup) thin (pouring) cream50 g (1¾ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar4–5 pink grapefruit, segmented (see page 245)300 g (10½ oz) good-quality Turkish delight, finely chopped3 tablespoons pistachio nuts, lightly toasted and crushededible dried rose petals, to garnishPreheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Spray a 20 x 30 cm (8 x 12 inch) cake tin with non-stick oil and line with baking paper.Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites for 2–3 minutes, until soft peaks form. With the machine running, slowly add the caster sugar and then whisk for a further 8–10 minutes, until firm and glossy. Use a metal spoon to fold in the vinegar and rosewater.Spoon the meringue mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for exactly 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Don’t worry if the meringue looks a bit rustic when you take it out of the oven.Put the mascarpone, cream and icing sugar in a large bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. To assemble, cut the meringue in half so there are two 20 x 15 cm (8 x 6 inch) pieces. Put one piece on a serving plate and top with half the mascarpone mixture, half the grapefruit segments and half the Turkish delight. Top with the remaining meringue, then the remaining mascarpone mixture, grapefruit and Turkish delight. Scatter the pistachios and rose petals over the top.I always struggle to find light desserts to serve at the end of a meal as most people tend to like chocolate-based desserts. The pink grapefruit in this pavlova has a lovely bitter flavour that cuts through the sweetness of the meringue and balances a rich meal. If you don’t like the bitterness of the grapefruit it can be substituted with orange or any other citrus, but I suggest giving it a try as I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.H&C_06_Sweets SI M SI.indd 1836/06/2017 3:38 PMWe hope youenjoyed this EYB Book PreviewThe complete book is available from all major booksellers. Or use the "Buy Book" button and help support EYB.Next >