Author Archives: Scott Perry

Campari Spritz

Aperol’s older, more bitter, more assertive cousin. Why you are pouring this tonight The Campari

Amaretto Sour

Amaretto carries the sweetness so you don’t need syrup. Why you are pouring this tonight

Maple Sour

Replace the simple syrup with Grade A maple syrup and the sour gets richer, a

New York Sour

A whisky sour with a red-wine float. Why you are pouring this tonight The New

Pink Paloma

Fresh watermelon juice or muddled raspberries push the Paloma into summer-party territory: pinker, slightly sweeter,

Chilli Paloma

A slice of fresh red chilli pressed against the ice, a tajin rim. Why you

Mezcal Paloma

Swap tequila for mezcal and the Paloma picks up a layer of smoke that makes

Pink G&T

Australian shelves love a pink gin. Why you are pouring this tonight The Pink Gin

Mediterranean G&T

Rosemary, green olives, a strip of orange peel. Why you are pouring this tonight The

Spanish-style G&T

The Spanish turned the G&T into an art form. Why you are pouring this tonight

Smoked Old Fashioned

The Smoked Old Fashioned is theatre. Why you are pouring this tonight The Smoked Old

Maple Old Fashioned

Real maple syrup replaces the sugar. Why you are pouring this tonight The Maple Old

Rye Old Fashioned

Swap bourbon for rye whiskey and the Old Fashioned becomes a drier, spicier, more serious

Salted Caramel Espresso Martini

Salted caramel syrup replaces the simple syrup, sea salt flakes rim the coupe. Why you

Tiramisu Espresso Martini

Cocoa-dusted rim, a splash of cream, a hint of marsala. Why you are pouring this

Dirty Espresso Martini

A double shot of espresso, a touch more vodka, half the sugar. Why you are

Negroni Sbagliato

A bartender in Milan in 1972 grabbed the wrong bottle and poured prosecco instead of

White Negroni

The White Negroni swaps Campari for Suze (French gentian liqueur) and sweet vermouth for Lillet

Spicy Margarita

Heat through the lime. Why you are pouring this tonight The Spicy Margarita is the

Mezcal Margarita

Swap half the tequila for mezcal and the Margarita shifts into a different drink: smoky,

Tommy’s Margarita

Invented in the early 1990s at Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, the Tommy’s Margarita

Big Soft Choc Chip Cookies

There are crisp-and-thin choc chip cookies and there are soft-and-chewy ones. Why you are cooking

Rosemary Focaccia

Focaccia is the Italian flatbread that any home baker can make on a Saturday morning

Olive Oil Cake with Orange

The olive oil cake is the Italian cake that stays moist for four days on

The Best Banana Bread

Banana bread is what happens to the three browning bananas in the fruit bowl on

Classic Anzac Biscuits

Anzac biscuits are the most Australian bake there is. Why you are cooking this tonight

No-Knead Sourdough

The no-knead sourdough is the bread that turned every Australian home baker into a serious

Brioche French Toast with Cinnamon Butter

French toast (French name: pain perdu, lost bread) is the dessert-breakfast that was invented to

Smashed Avocado on Sourdough

The smashed avocado is the single most Australian brunch dish there is. Why you are

Ricotta Hotcakes with Honeycomb Butter

Bill Granger put the ricotta hotcake on every brunch menu in Australia in 1993, and

Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict is the dish that tells everyone at the brunch table that you have

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

The buttermilk pancake is the Saturday morning breakfast that the supermarket-packet mix has been trying

Shakshuka

Shakshuka is the one-pan brunch that turned up in every Australian cafe in the mid-2010s

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Sour Cream and Chives

The smashed potato is what happens when you boil a baby potato until fluffy, squash

Burnt Butter Carrots with Honey and Cumin

Every Australian Sunday roast has a tray of watery, beige, boring carrots. Why you are

Charred Broccolini with Chilli Oil

Broccolini is the vegetable that gets hotter and tastier the more you punish it in

Smashed Cucumber Salad

The smashed cucumber salad is a crunchy, salty, sharp, chilli-hot side from Sichuan that every

Whipped Feta with Honey and Thyme

The whipped feta is the dip that stole Australian summer entertaining in the last decade.

Crispy Duck Fat Potatoes

There is the dry packet of supermarket baked potatoes. Why you are cooking this tonight

Dark Chocolate Mousse

The chocolate mousse is the dinner party dessert that makes people think you went to

Burnt Basque Cheesecake

The Basque burnt cheesecake is the laziest dessert that looks the most impressive. Why you

Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

The self-saucing chocolate pudding is magic. Why you are cooking this tonight The self-saucing chocolate

Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

The sticky date pudding is the Australian pub dessert. Why you are cooking this tonight

Lamingtons

The lamington is the small square of vanilla sponge dipped in chocolate and rolled in

The Classic Pavlova

There is no more Australian dessert than the pavlova. Why you are cooking this tonight

What to pour with Australian food

There are three great truths about Australian food and drink right now. First: we finally

Moroccan lamb tagine with apricots and preserved lemon

Lamb tagine is the dish that teaches a home cook to trust slow cooking, to

Proper Vietnamese beef pho you make at home

Pho is Vietnam's gift to the planet and one of the most pleasurable bowls of

Beer-battered fish and chips at home that beats the takeaway

Fish and chips is an Australian birthright. We grew up with it wrapped in newspaper

Wild mushroom risotto without the panic

Risotto has a reputation for being fussy and it does not deserve it. Thirty-five minutes

Beef bourguignon the way Julia actually meant it

Beef bourguignon is the dinner that makes people think you went to cooking school. Deep,