Octopus and Orange Salad“There are few animals as visually stunning as a baby octopus when cooked. Purple-tinged arms curl and twist into an eye-catching swirl that looks more like a sculpture in an art museum than a meal on a plate.”– Mark Sisson, ‘Mark’s Daily Apple’More photographs inside.We thought we’d try an ingredient we’d never worked with before for ‘O’ ...

Nham Dtok (Grilled Beef Salad)“The name of this salad comes from the beads of meat juice that form on the side farthest from the heat as the meat grills, which Thai cooks refer to as ‘nahm dtock’ – literally ‘water falling’. This is their cue to turn the meat, which is normally cooked to medium-rare.”– David Thomas, ‘Thai Food’More photographs ...

Braised Spatchcock“If ever a culture was reflected in food, look no further than the Mughals. There is a definite link between their approach to cooking, their approach to textile, their approach to architecture, their very lifestyle. The majesty of their buildings, their dazzling costumes, ther ichness of their culture… all can be found in their amazingly august, bejewelled, rich food.”– ...

Lamb and Pistachio Manti with Shepherd's Salad and Garlic Yoghurt Sauce“Manti are the Turkish equivalent of ravioli, little pasta parcels that originate from Kayseri in central Turkey’s Cappadocia region. I have teamed my adaptation of these with another classic – the widely available shepherd’s salad that has sustained many a rural worker during their travels with their herds.”– Christine Manfield, ...

Kakavia (Aegean Fish Stew)“Greek fishermen make this out at sea, using whatever they’ve hauled into their boat that day, and cooking it in seawater… because their water is ready-salted they don’t need any seasoning at all to achieve a perfectly delicious stew. Genius!”– Jamie Oliver, ‘Jamie Does’More Photographs inside.Things weren’t boding well for ‘K’. We’d had a manic weekd – ...

View from Sugar Loaf - Rio de Janeiro, BrazilI had done a lot of research on our trip before I left and had a number of shots on my list for Rio. One of which was the iconic view of the city taken from the top of Sugar Loaf. We landed in Rio in the middle of a clear night ...

Jambalaya“Creole and Cajun cooking, the food of New Orleans and the surround countryside, is one of the most vibrant and exciting cuisines in the world today. French in its origin and accents, this spicy and sometimes fiery tradition also embodies elements of Native American, Spanish and African cooking… The Creole cooks of New Orleans created a sophisticated and complex cuisine ...

Isso curry“Curries, which are inevitably part of every meal, are not necessarily classified according to the main ingredients, but according to the type of spicing, the method of cooking or the colour, which, to the initiate, conveys a whole lot more than just whether a curry is white, red or black.”– Charmaine Solomon, ‘The Complete Asian Cookbook’More photographs inside.Issa!Call us ...

Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) - Amazon, BrazilDuring our time on the Rio Negro we saw a number of birds of prey perched on trees by the water. Of these birds the Snail Kite was probably the least shy. We saw them on a number of occasions while out on the water and were able to approach without spooking them. The ...

Grilled Haloumi with Asparagus and Honey-Seared Endive“This isn’t really a salad you fling together at the last minute, but rather is carefully composed of sophisticated flavours…”– Greg & Lucy Malouf, ‘Moorish’I vowed to myself at the start of this project that we wouldn’t cook recipes from the same book on consecutive weeks. Alas, it’s only taken us eight weeks to ...

Ice cold Gazpacho“An unusual all-green version of the popular Spanish soup, which uses coriander to add a citrusy zing. Gazpacho is at its most refreshing and best when it is thick and creamy and cold, cold, cold.”– Greg and Lucy Malouf, MoorishMore photographs inside.The IngredientsThis was another dish that I’d had my eye on since the beginning of the Project. ...

Kebabs on the Barbie“There are plenty of unique variations on the chopped salad but one of the most popular is Fattoush… each cook, each family, each community has their own variation. A small bone of contention is the size of the dice. Some advocate the tiniest of pieces, only a few millimeters wide, others like them coarser, up to 2 ...

Son in Law Eggs“There are a few theories as to why these delectable deep fried eggs drizzled with a sticky Thai sauce are indeed called ‘Son in Law Eggs.’ Some suggest a son in law once cooked them to impress his mother in law, a more scandalous speculation (and the one I like more) is that if a mother in ...

Yacare Caiman (Caiman yacare) - Pantanal, BrazilThe Yacare Caiman is one of the most common animals in the Pantanal where around 10 million individuals exist. We visited the Pantanal in the dry season and saw Caiman gathered around every water hole and stream that we came across. I was fortunate to be able to photograph them while they were feeding ...

Duck with Five-Spice and Bok Choy“Technology is a part of cuisine that should be embraced rather than shunned.”– Heston Blumenthal, ‘Heston Blumenthal at Home’I’ve never been a fan of duck. Most people find this a horrifying revelation – duck, for them, is usually a treat, residing in that category of dishes one orders at a fancy restaurant because one doesn’t ...

Ceviche of Kingfish“In 2004, ceviche was officially declared part of Peru’s cultural heritage (through the grand-sounding “Resolución Directoral Nacional N° 241/INC-2004”). In September 2008, Peru’s Ministry of Production further honored the traditional dish by creating Día Nacional del Cebiche (National Ceviche Day), to be held each year on June 28.”– Tony Dunnell, About.com, Peru TravelFollow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RoastSimmerBakeMore ...

Boeuf Bourguignonne“As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavoured, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man…”– Julia Child in ‘Mastering the Art of French CookingFollow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RoastSimmerBakeMore photographs and the rest of the ...

Toco Toucan (Ramphastos toco) - Pantanal, BrazilThe Toco Toucan, or the Common Toucan, is one of the iconic species of South America and photographing it in the Pantanal was one of my highlights of the trip. I first heard it calling soon after we got to the lodge and it didn't take me too long to find the bird. It ...

Aubergine with Chermoula, Bulgar and Yoghurt.“Few ingredients have reached the level of veneration achieved by the humble aubergine or have found their way to almost every table in Jerusalem for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Everybody loves to be associated with the aubergine – it’s like a little local celebrity.”- Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tammimi in ‘Jerusalem’.Follow us on Facebook - ...

My wife, Anisha, has been wanting to get back into writing and I've been thinking of starting another photography project since completing my lighting project a year or so ago. This has resulted in Roast, Simmer and Bake - a project based on food with a written component and lots of food photographs (including lighting setups). We'll be uploading a ...