MEZCLA means mix, blend or fusion in Spanish and in her first solo cookbook, Ixta Belfrage - loved for her inventive ingredient combinations - shares her favourite mezcla of flavours. There is so much joy to be found in this book, not least from Yuki Sugiura’s photography which is almost as satisfying as eating the actual dishes.

At the same time, there is blatant appropriation when things aren’t referenced properly, when you don’t cite your inspiration, and when you’re just presenting ideas as if it’s your own without note…” She trails off, wrinkling her nose in disapproval. Add the pineapple to the bowl with the remnants of the paste, mix to coat with whatever’s left there, then arrange the pineapple around the chicken. Place the mascarpone, yoghurt, vanilla paste and maple syrup in a large bowl and whisk together until completely smooth. Ixta’s journey—including her well-traveled life, her family experiences, and her writing and recipe-creating universe—is artfully represented in this book with lovely and interesting stories and absolutely terrific food.This book feels like an old friend who shows up to the party with the eggs you’ve run out of—plus a perfect carrot cake. Put the first 10 ingredients (everything except the water and tomato paste) into a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and fry, stirring often, for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down and the onions are soft and golden-brown. She describes the lasagne as the “purest representation of me; a tribute to the countries that have shaped me as a person and a cook. Each year, our staff and contributors round up their best gift ideas for cooks, eaters, and the kitchen curious.

Reading Mezcla, which is not a mezcal book, gave me a jolt of energy, probably helped by the neon design scheme. Here are a few recipes as preview: Clams With Crispy Ham and Butter Beans, Kuku Kadoo, Buttered Potatoes With Salted Lemon, Smoky and Crunchy Peas With Creamy Nuoc Cham, and Shawarma Roast Chicken With Shallots and Lemon. Luckily for those of us less competent with creative combinations, Belfrage’s Mezcla has done most of the gut thinking already—and all we have to do is open our minds and our appetites to her fresh, compelling new take on fusion cooking. We at Penguin Random House Australia acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the Traditional Custodians and the first storytellers of the lands on which we live and work. There's a fair bit of overlap between ingredients and flavour combos (she likes fruit in a savoury dish -- I think that's a fair assessment).They are, however, inspired by chiles rellenos (one of my favorite dishes of all time) and they are also, quite literally, chiles rellenos—stuffed (chile) peppers.

Finally, we asked our testers to give us a final impression of the book: How likely were they to recommend it to a friend or family member?And I love the way it’s organized by meaningful ingredients in Southern cuisine: whole chapters on okra and peanuts! Im Spanischen bedeutet "Mezcla" Mix oder Mischung, und das ist im gleichnamigen Buch von Ixta Belfrage gleich in mehrfacher Hinsicht das Motto: Die Autorin, die zum Team des bekannten Kochs Yotam Ottolenghi gehört, stellt mit ihren Rezepten Fusionsküche vor.

But for me, I don’t see what role it would fill in my cookbook library as I already have quite a few Ottolenghi tomes and both Ottolenghi Test Kitchen books.

I made the fish poached in charred tomato sauce and the noodles with roasted oyster mushrooms and caramelized caraway onions, and both were really good. Find recipes from Jamie Oliver’s 2023 Channel 4 cookery TV series 5 Ingredient Meals and accompanying cookbook 5 Ingredients Mediterranean. The recipes are easy to follow and work beautifully; the tahini cheesecake, a bittersweet dessert topped with crumbled halvah and date syrup, is a revelation.