Today is Australia Day. To celebrate: I’ve created this amazing dish that’s synonymous with Australia as kangaroos, koala bears, the great outback and our amazing beaches are.

Paul Hogan made famous the slogan “throw a shrimp on the barbie” back in the 80’s. When people find out I’m Australian this line is always quoted which is hilarious since most Australians never dream of saying it. Today, most families are celebrating with a bbq.

Here I’ve made a simple mint sauce as a marinade to compliment the juicy giant size prawns/shrimp. These prawns are from the waters of Australia, taste soft, slightly salty, and so fresh. The mint sauce is delicate, vibrant, and balanced perfectly with the apple cider vinegar.

The outcome is a tender, lightly-minted, char-grilled shrimp. It’s a recipe worth remembering for July 4th weekend celebrations.

Happy Australia day to all my Aussie friends! View recipe

Surprisingly, salt and pepper calamari is a much loved appetizer here in Australia. Adults and kids alike order the golden brown calamari. It’s a featured item on most menus in Australia. To me, its a classic melting pot dish. East meets West.

I made this recipe as part of our seafood Christmas lunch extravaganza. My three nephews love this dish, even though its on the spicy side. Here I combine fish sauce, with lemon juice, and three different spices: crushed coriander seeds, white peppercorns, and chilli flakes. The coriander adds an earthiness and fragrance to the calamari, while the white pepper adds a warm peppery taste. The outcome is a lightly crunchy golden brown calamari. Deep frying when done properly really brings out the best in seafood, to the point where my nephews were waiting by the frying pan to gobble up the calamari hot! View recipe

Last night was our annual crab fest gathering with a few of my special friends. We plan our crab dinner within the first week of crab season in San Francisco. I love crab, and crab to me is a big deal.

But last night, it was this sweet potato soup that stole the show. We forgot about the crab, and instead couldn’t stop singing the virtues of this simple sweet potato soup.

Sweet potato is the key ingredient in this soup recipe, and is enriched with the addition of cashews and tomato sauce. The soup is soft, silky, lightly sweet, and heart warming. A touch of garam masala spice – which is an Indian spice blend works perfectly here. It gives the soup the depth of flavor and warmth. We topped each bowl with creme fraiche and cilantro for an added flavor kick.

This is a knockout soup, and I can’t wait to make it again. View recipe