As far as I’m concerned, Danielle Alvarez should have rose petals strewn in her path where’er she walks! Her food has brought so much joy to my life, and to many, many lives. Her Spaghetti alla Nerano recipe alone would be enough to earn my undying gratitude, and the book it comes from, the accurately titled ‘Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Eating’, is a kitchen essential. Shamefully, it is not on CookbookCorner, but you can read a little more about her there in my review of ‘Always Add Lemon’, another brilliant title and wonderful book!
‘Made Simple’ is the essence of Alvarez: breathtakingly accomplished chef she may be, but her food is never fancily overworked. There’s not world enough or time to list all the recipes I want to tell you about from this book, but let me just shout out some titles to you so that you can get the gist: Tomato & Cannellini Bean Soup; Coconut, Chicken & Thai Basil Soup; Cabbage, Pomegranate, Pistachio & Mint Slaw; Beetroot & Cherry Salad with Goat’s Cheese, Mint & Pine Nuts; Jammy Leek, Onion & Cheddar Tart; Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tamarind, Peanut & Lime; Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli, Chilli & Anchovy; Clam Risotto; Spicy Tuna Melts; Sesame Prawn Burgers with Wasabi Slaw and Sriracha Mayonnaise; Harissa Lamb with Bulgur, and Mint & Tahini Dressing; Lemongrass Chicken Meatballs with Vermicelli Salad; Grilled Double Pork Chop with Creamy Dijon & Parmesan Lentils; Fennel-Spiced Chicken & Potato Tray Bake; and, the sole sweet recipe in the book, her Tahini, Miso & Brown Butter Choc-Chip Cookies. I don’t know how you feel about reading this list, but just writing it out has made me unbearably hungry. Don’t sleep on this one: it’s a treasure of inestimable worth. And the recipe I’m sharing with you today is the Italian Wedding Soup, a gorgeous marriage of flavours and the bowlfood we all need right now.
Images and text from Made Simple by Danielle Alvarez, photography by Lean Timms. Murdoch Books RRP $45.00.
https://geni.us/MadeSimple
