By Laura Rancie.
2023 was a massive year for Cuban-born American Chef Danielle Alvarez, who now calls Australia home - what more fitting, than Australia’s biggest icon – the Sydney Opera House to call her office. Earlier this year she was appointed as Culinary Director there, however it’s her new cookbook, 'Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking' that we want to talk about today.
Recipes for A Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking is co-authored with Danielle’s best friend, Libby Travers - author, food writer and food commentator, having also worked alongside some great Chefs and producers across both Australia and Europe.
"Beautiful cooking is the simplest way to bring happiness to any home,” says Danielle in the opening paragraph of her book. "Food has always brought out the romantic in me: the smell of tomatoes on the vine, the flavour of the first asparagus, the juicy bite of a perfectly ripe peach.
"I find more joy shopping at farmers' markets and cooking and sharing food with friends and family, than almost anything else. This book is about the joy of cooking at home.”
As you flick through pretty pages of dining tables, steaming pots, plates loaded with comforting sauces and dishes and simple how-to-follow-along recipes, you will get a rather immediate sense of the type of bliss only a true home cook will know. The feeling of complete satisfaction, knowing that in just a few short moments you will be in your kitchen, hands floured and ingredients laid out in front of you – ready to try the recipes.
The book is divided into 7 gorgeous chapters plus some interesting topical subheadings throughout…
Chapter one: Aperitivo and the art of the aperitif.
Danielle explains at the start of this chapter: "Each year, towards the end of Summer holidays, my family would gather at a basic motel in Florida. Days were sunburnt and salty, filled with swimming, shuffleboard and shell hunting on beach walks. It was the place I saw my parents truly exhale”.
It is with the same approach we expect readers to take in this beautiful collection of recipes and this opening chapter on starters.
Chapter two: Some like it hot, with an introduction on How to Season to Taste.
Chapter three: Some like it cold.
Danielle’s opening comments on: "the music in my kitchen is actually less about music, than a harmony and balance of flavours."
Chapter four: The great extenders.
is followed by three fun sections on bread, small tins and salted things and the Nonna ration.
Chapter five: The main event:
Read Danielle’s thoughts on being at home in three restaurants, the chicken and the egg and a really great breakdown on herbs.
Chapter six: The supporting acts.
This chapter is aimed at side dishes loaded with flavours and veggies and a how-to of coaxing flavour from water.
Chapter seven: Pastry and pudding.
This perhaps the largest chapter yet, full of instantly crowd-pleasing favourites like blood orange, rosemary and olive oil cake with citrus compote to polenta chiffon cake with vanilla cream and strawberries.
In selecting just three standout recipes from Danielle’s repertoire these would be the winners:
We hope you enjoy your Christmas break finding lots of great recipes to pull out of Danielle's book this Summer and for a lifetime of beautiful cooking.
