>> Read all Stella's reviews.

A Year of Simple Family Food by Julia Busuttil Nishimura     {Reviewed by STELLA} Lockdown sees you reaching for the tried and true recipes — the Edmonds Cookbook is the go-to for biscuits, and your favourite chefs are on call for inspiration as you look to see what you have left in the fridge and what clever recipes will require the least ingredients. And being in the winter season for vegetables, it’s always interesting to see which of your cookbooks is best at creating dishes from these sometimes seemingly uninspiring staples. Like last year, when Ostro became a favourite inspiration for home cooking, Jula Busuttil Nishimura's recipes are being made and consumed in our household, and her second collection, A Year of Simple Family Food, is making it onto the kitchen table on a regular basis. Firm favourites are anything pie! I never imagined that I would be a great fan of pies, but her pastries are perfect every time (ditto her focaccia bread recipes) — just the right proportions and clear instructions for getting the right texture for your dough. In Ostro, the Leek and Potato Pie is now a regular dish (and it doesn’t matter what cheese you have — I have used cheddar, feta, a combo of parmesan and other, and it’s always been delicious). In A Year of Simple Family Food, the pumpkin pie  (there is plenty of pumpkin right now!) was surprisingly light — that great pastry again —  and tasty (herbs and spices, as well as filling). And it looked excellent — that wonderful orange glow. Arranged around the seasons, the cookbook is easy to navigate, allowing us to match recipes to ingredient availability across savoury to sweet. While rhubarb was missing from our stash, that didn’t hold us back from consuming the Spiced Rhubarb Crumble Cake. Substituting frozen berries (thank you freezer!) for the rhubarb worked a treat, and the orange zest in the cake base lifted this out of ordinary crumble shortcake style territory. With recipes from her Maltese heritage making an appearance and the influence of her Japanese partner coming through, there is a wonderful variety, from pies, crumbles, and pasta (both lighter spaghetti-and-sauce style and hearty baked dishes) to noodles and Japanese breakfast. There are also hearty meat dishes with Mediterranean, as well as Asian influences. And a good smattering of fish and seafood. What stands out about her cookbooks is the sheer pleasure Busuttil Nishimura has for food, both its preparation and its eating.