Zesty and sweet lemon delights

Andre Burgener has been immersed in all things food since she took over the making of the family's lunch box sandwiches aged eight (her mom could make a mean creme brulee and a staggering souffle, but could never butter the bread all the way to the edges.

LEMON-PARMESAN BREAD UNWRAPPED

IF IT'S not broken, don't fix it, right? But don't think of this wondrous take on garlic bread as an uncalled for fix-up; rather as a perfect concoction in its own right.

This comes from gifted lass Nicole Stich, whose site www.deliciousdays.com I have previously gushed over. For one baguette: ½ a green chilli pepper, seeds removed / 1 shallot or onion / 1 clove garlic / ¼ cup chives / 125g soft butter / 2 tbs olive oil / grated rind of 2 lemons /50g grated good parmesan / sea salt and black pepper to taste.

HOW: Chop all vegetable matter finely. Mix all filling ingredients together. Slice baguette as per garlic bread, and spread in the filling thickly and evenly. Wrap in foil or, better still, baking paper, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes at about 180C to 200C. Eat immediately, with black olives, or with grilled meats and salad, traditional braai style.

COOKING THE BOOKS

NOW I find famed Sydney chef Bill Granger as annoying as the next person, but I can't help admitting his latest offering is pretty great. With favourite recipes drawn from his previous six cookbooks, this truly is Best of Bill, as the title boasts. It's made up of no-nonsense, no-ponce dishes; the sort of big-flavour, easy, informal fodder that had us all loving modern Australian cooking in the first place. Perhaps not stuff for challenge-seeking gourmands, but perfect fare for most home cooks, and a great present. Published by Murdoch Books, 2011, R371.

SWEET TALKING

A RECIPE for a cake that's delicious is not hard to find. A recipe for a cake that takes five minutes to beat together, ditto. But warp-speed fast and gobsmackingly toothsome? Such recipes are rare. I love to fall back on this old family favourite, by way of my German cousin Anke. Lemon Syrup Loaf Cake: 200g self-raising flour / 200g soft butter / 200g sugar / 3 large eggs / grated rind of one lemon.

HOW: Preheat oven to 180C. Mix all ingredients together until just combined and smooth. Pour into a lined loaf tin (or small spring-form tin). Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out semi-clean from the centre. Some dampness should remain (indeed this cake is all about dampness, denseness, intensity, rather than spongy lightness, which is why you shouldn't mind its inevitably sunken middle). Topping: Mix 150g icing sugar with the juice of three lemons, prick holes through the cooked cake, and pour topping over. Leave to settle for 20 minutes. It's also fall-down delicious eaten warm as a pudding, with cream.