By Danielle Alvarez with Libby Travers

Miami-born Danielle Alvarez has called Sydney home for the past 10 years or so and is recognised as one of the city’s best chefs. Her food draws on a number of influences; her Cuban roots, a love of French and Italian food, years of working in incredible kitchens such The French Laundry and Chez Panisse in California, and the Asian threads that run through Australian cooking. When her first book called Always Add Lemon came out, it was all anyone could talk about and this one has been no different. Admittedly the buzz has died down by now as it’s not a super-recent release (it was published at the end of 2023), but if you don’t know Alvarez’s delicious and accessible style, we heartily recommend her latest recipe collection.

Although a restaurant chef, Alvarrez’s recipes are very much written with the home cook in mind, and are all pretty achievable. Some are even down to earth – One-Pot Pasta with Lentil Sugo, Chicken Noodle Soup with Star Anise, Fish Sauce and Herbs, and Turkish Lamb Meatballs with Rice Pilaf and Yoghurt, for example, are not at all fancy. Hers isn’t short-cut cooking however; the making of a dish from scratch is pretty much the point. And recipes with names like Burrito with Better Tomatoes let you know that a dish might be simple, but it falls over if you don’t use sparkling produce and good ingredients. 

The book’s divided into chapters called Aperitivo, Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Cold, The Great Extenders, The Main Event, The Supporting Acts, and Pastry and Pudding. Throughout are bits of text written around subjects like cooking the perfect egg, how to ‘salt to taste’, Alvarez’s love of fresh herbs and how she uses them, and some running-style recipes for her fave crostini. There are quotes from a few cooking and food-writing greats (Carol Field, Fuchsia Dunlop, Sean Moran) and at the book’s start she talks us through her pantry staples. As for the recipes, we’re busy earmarking the Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Neck Roast, the Whole Roasted Flounder with Curry Leaf Brown Butter, and the Smoky Eggplant with Garlic, Harissa, Mint and Feta with Yoghurt Flatbreads. And we really love the look of some of the side-type dishes, notably Fennel and Pumpkin Caponata with Mozzarella and the super pretty Crisp Leaves with Pecans and Buttermilk Dressing. We’re also drawn to the homier-style cake recipes in the pastry and pudding chapter too… Cherry and Walnut, Apple and Nut Crumble and Pineapple and Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Yum. We hope there’s not a lifetime of beautiful cooking in here because we want whatever Alvarez pens next. Total cookbook nerds might like knowing that the gorgeous photography is by Alan Benson and the peerless food styling is by Emma Knowles; these two are amongst Australia’s top food industry talent.

Recipes from Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking…