Delicious Simply the Best

delicious. Simply the Best

Simply the Best is a celebration of what delicious. does best - inspiring yet accessible recipes that are perfect for novice cooks as well as experienced foodies looking for new ideas. In the 10 years since delicious magazine was first published, food editor Valli Little has travelled Australia and the world seeking out great culinary destinations and eating some incredible dishes along the way. In Simply the Best, each of the 12 exciting themed chapters opens with a collage of images shot by delicious. photographers over the past 10 years.

Featuring more than 120 all-new recipes, each beautifully photographed by Brett Stevens, you are sure to find dishes for every occasion - from Chinese pork buns, Spice-rubbed lamb cutlets or a French-inspired Apple and goat's cheese salad to a Little black dress chocolate cake, Sweet mango risotto or an indulgent Lemon meringue ice-cream pie.

For more information, please see: www.Girl.com.au/delicious-more-please.

Valli Little is the food editor for delicious. magazine. She is dedicated to inspiring the home cook.

delicious. Simply the Best
Harper Collins Australia
Author: Valli Little
ISBN: 9780733330261
Price: $39.99

Interview with Valli Little

Question: The latest book is delicious. Simply the Best - why did you decide on the title Simply the Best?

Valli Little: Two of the earlier delicious books were titled 'Five of the Best' and 'More of the Best' and we decided for our tenth birthday that we would celebrate with 'Simply the Best'.


Question: What types of recipes can we expect in delicious. Simply the Best?

Valli Little: Simply the Best is a little bit different to the other books were I tended to divide the chapters seasonally or in ingredients; with Simply the Best we have decided to use interesting chapter titles such as East Meets West which is my take on Asian food, Almost French which is French influenced recipes, Pop Up Dinner Party and more including Italian! Simply the Best contains a really great eclectic mix of recipes to suit any occasion.

Question: How many times were the 120 recipes in Simply the Best tried and tested?

Valli Little: Some recipes work the first time you try them and others may require three of four attempts to get the recipe right. It is never easy, in my mind I always have a vision of what I want a recipe to look and taste like but sometimes you need to work on them longer.

For the book I will test a recipe at least twice before I actually go to the photography stage.


Question: Can you talk about how you come up with all new recipe ideas all the time?

Valli Little: I think you have to be a little bit obsessive about food (laughing), which I am! I am very inspired by produce and often on weekends I'll go to the Farmers Markets to look at the produce and then come home and spend the weekend experimenting. I also read and research a lot as to what people are doing overseas and what's new and interesting in the food world. I am continually inspired by everything and everyone who is around me.


Question: What is your earliest memory of you in the kitchen?

Valli Little: I grew up in England in a family of Foodies, my parents had a restaurant and we were always surrounded by food. I think my earliest memory was with my father, he had a wonderful vegetable garden where everything was seasonal and I always remember being very excited when the first strawberries arrived. My earliest memories would be going down to the vegetable garden with my father and picking all this wonderful produce and then taking it back to watch my mother cook it.


Interview by Brooke Hunter