It Tastes Better: Kylie Kwong

Here’s a slightly belated- or perhaps perfectly timed if you’ve not yet done your Christmas gift shopping – look at Kylie Kwong’s latest book ….

 

It Tastes Better: Over 100 new recipes using my favourite sustainable produce

 

 

Kylie introduces the book as a “celebration of all the growers, farmers, fishermen, artisans and food providores I have met… a tribute to the people behind the food I love” and that it is. Built around profiles of farmers, bakers and winemakers, It Tastes Better is equal parts cookbook and storybook. Every recipe has a narrative behind it, from ‘Billy Kwong’s Duck with Citrus Sauce’ (36-7) in which Kylie introduces the reader to her duck supplier John Meredith, to ‘Mum’s Pavlova’ (390-1), of which Kylie writes “one of my earliest kitchen memories is of helping Mum make this”. These backstories reinforce Kylie’s fundamental belief in the importance of knowing and appreciating where our food comes from.

 

 

The variety of recipes featured in It Tastes Better range from the traditionally Chinese and quintessentially Australian to the most delectable of hybrids, like ‘Stir-fried Chickpeas with Black Bean and Chilli’ (214-5) which marries a typically European ingredient with Chinese salted black beans. By the way, ‘Roast Ocean Trout with Soft-boiled Eggs’ (168-9) is a particular favourite of mine.

The essence of It Tastes Better is not exotic ingredients but simple, fresh produce and vibrant, nourishing dishes. Many of the specialist products featured are available at Wholefoods House, from Nolan’s Road Olive Oil, to Meredith and Barambah Dairy items, to Rob Bauer’s vegetables and Spiral sauces and condiments, and many more. This and the fact that we proudly supply Billy Kwong is why you’ll find Wholefoods House in the buying guide!

Kylie Kwong’s It Tastes Better is a deliciously beautiful book and a credit to Kylie’s inexhaustible and energetic support of the organic, biodynamic and artisanal industries she is truly passionate about.