‘Recipes for a Good Time’
by Elvis Abrahanowicz and Ben Milgate
Murdoch Books
When chefs and best mates Elvis and Ben opened Bodega restaurant in Sydney in 2006, they were sick of working in fine dining establishments. They wanted the patrons who visited their Spanish/Argentinean tapis eatery to feel like friends who had dropped in for a snack and something to drink. Winning the 2013 Good Food Guide hottest chefs of the year as well as a heap of Australian gourmet awards, they decided to put their signature dishes in a book to share. The first recipe in the book, their famous Fish Fingers, uses the theme of fresh raw fish on charred garlic toast. These recipes are not for the faint-hearted – their Banana Split has 9 separate components to assemble and their boozy Banana Cake has bananas soaked in Jack Daniels for 3 days!
When the pair opened their second restaurant Porteno in 2010, their emphasis was on making as many in-house products as they could, so the book has recipes for their bread, feta cheese, chorizo, bacon and pate, as well as how to barbeque a whole beast on a wood fire. These guys obviously enjoy partying. There are recipes for pickles, sauces, tapis and cocktails and a whole spread for a 1950s retro picnic. This cookbook is for people who want that extra something when entertaining and spoiling their friends with glorious food.
Lezly Herbert
