A good one for cool autumn nights. Terrific with mashed potatoes and/or kumara and steamed green beans or peas.

Perfect winter fare for the family.

Luscious and creamy, this classic Italian dish is perfect on a cold night. The mushrooms used are suggestions - try experimenting with other varieties. You'll find the dried porcini in good Italian delis and greengrocers - they are optional but add depth of flavour to the risotto

Good for picnics or served with a green salad as an entrée. Use low-fat ricotta if you are worried about your weight.

A delicate Italian soup which takes just a few minutes to make and requires only four ingredients. You will need a good quality home-made clear chicken stock and real freshly grated Parmesan for best results. As you whisk in the chicken and egg mixture, you will notice it begins to look like a torn rag - "straciatella" means "torn rags".