Karen Martini feels overwhelmed. Still. Yet.
Her publishers asked her to compile a list of recipes.
She says, “I was unsure how I would choose what to put in it. But once I started writing a long list, it just kept going on and on. It became a monster.”
“I would go off on tangents. I’d have all my go-to’s. But then I thought, I need a formula for this or that.”
Martini’s food is constantly inspired by flavor, whether it’s on her Melbourne restaurant menus or in her family-friendly recipes from magazines and newspapers.
Her Tunisian-Italian heritage is evident in her dishes, as well as classics and modern twists on many cuisines. How can you narrow down the selection of recipes that best represent you?
She says, “I wanted to unpack and think about how I approach food and why it is important to me.”
“But then, I wanted to include simple recipes that my family makes at home. Initially, I had five bolognese recipes in the book, including one from my father, and childhood favorites like shepherd’s pie, stuffed peppers, and roast chicken.
However, she wants us to see the recipes through our own lenses.
She says, “Throughout the book, I’ve given variations and simplifications as well as lots more pairing advice.”
“I would love to have this book on my kitchen bench with notes in the margins and stains all over.”
The book is 912 pages long and is very encyclopedic. However, she wanted it to be easily accessible for home cooks.
She says, “I think I can straddle the definitions of chef and cook quite well,”
“While I do hope that it will end up in restaurants and cafes, I wanted it to be easy to manage for my home kitchen.
“Nurturing my family and friends with good food at the table is what I hold dearest to my heart. It’s still my favorite thing after all these years.
“This book is about cooking and eating, and anyone can read it.”
Linguine vongole
Combining oil, garlic, chili, and wine with a simple mixture of briny clams, wine, parsley, and oil is enough to be revelatory. However, the addition of anchovies or chicken stock adds weight and intensity without affecting the core flavors.
Ingredients
500g dried Linguine
Extra virgin olive oil 125ml
Four large garlic cloves, finely chopped
Five anchovies
Two red bird’s-eye chilies, finely chopped into rounds
1.5kg clams (or pipis, surf, or similar)
150ml white wine
250ml chicken stock
1/2 bunch of flat-leaf parsley leaves, very finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Method
Boil the pasta in salted boiling water until it reaches al dente.
Meanwhile, heat a large wide saucepan over high heat. Half the oil should be added. To color the garlic, anchovies, and chili, cook for approximately two minutes.
Add the clams to a pan. Cook the clams until they open in about 2 minutes. Be careful not to heat the pan. Let the wine simmer for 2 minutes. Then, take the clams out and place them in a bowl.
Heat the stock and the parsley in a saucepan. Toss the cooked pasta into the pan using a tong. Toss the pasta in the sauce for 2 minutes.
Toss the sauce with the remaining oil until it is shiny and sticks to the pasta. If necessary, add a little pasta water. The sauce should be shiny and slightly wet. Serve immediately
