Family food is generous, unfussy and demonstrates love and care. No matter what busyness the day brings, the act of setting the table and enjoying a simple meal together is comforting and ever-reassuring.
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Eating simply and seasonally is at the core of Julia Busuttil Nishimura's recipes. The Melbourne-based cook, author and teacher, is the creator of Ostro - a beloved online space where she shares her food, photographs and stories.
"Simple cooking is what I've always known and loved," she says. "It is the sort of food I grew up eating - thoughtful, considered and uncomplicated, in the best possible way.
"If we had good ingredients to begin with, little was needed to make a beautiful meal.
"This idea was reawakened by my time in the Italian countryside, a place which profoundly impacted the way I cook.
"I was reminded years later, this time in Japan, where even the most basic ingredients are cherished, seasons are auspicious and uncomplicated cooking is celebrated."
Here she shares a little more of her story with Food & Wine.
Can you tell us a little about your upbringing and life now, such a mix of cultures and influences? There seems to be plenty of love there for family.
I grew up in Adelaide to Maltese parents. Cooking and food was always a central part of our family life. Family gatherings were always opportunities to spend time together in the kitchen.
I loved being in the kitchen, especially with my mum. I would stand on a stool and watch her cook and help her mix, stir and chop. From an early age she let me cook family dinners, bake cakes and plan menus for special occasions. It felt incredibly creative and satisfying.
Growing up, my mum continued to nurture my love for cooking and would buy me cookbooks and take me to food writer festivals and we would go to the market together.
This was the most wonderful beginning which gave me such a great understanding of food which has been furthered by my connection with Italy and Japan.
Living in Italy solidified what I had experienced as a child and teenager and taught me a lot.
Now being married to Nori, who is Japanese, and living in multicultural Melbourne, my food and outlook is this rich tapestry influenced by these elements as well as my upbringing and life in Italy.
When and how did food become your career?
Food as a career has evolved slowly over time. I was still an Italian primary school teacher up until a few years ago. It was something I have always been able to fit in around my teaching and family life.
When Ostro was released in 2017, the gears shifted a little though, and I began to focus more of my time into cooking and writing. Now it's all I do and it is so fulfilling. I absolutely love being able to share my love of food with people.
Do you enjoy teaching cooking? Can anyone learn to cook?
Having a teaching background, sharing knowledge and skills is something that not only comes rather naturally to me, but is something I thoroughly enjoy.
The pasta classes I teach are incredibly satisfying and I think learning something new brings people a lot of joy.
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I believe that anyone can definitely learn to cook. Cooking at its most basic is about understanding a few simple principles and knowing some solid flavour combinations.
The more you cook, the better you understand how things work and you begin to adapt and change. Having a few recipes you can lean on is a great place to start and build from there.
When do you think you first started noticing the seasons when it came to cooking?
Definitely when I lived in Italy. It was the first time that I truly understood what seasonal cooking really was. Shopping at local markets meant only what was seasonal, and usually local too, was available.
We grew a lot of vegetables on property where I lived in Tuscany and even pressed our own olive oil. It gave the days a real rhythm and nuance.
Even within one month you would see the comings and goings of particular ingredients which would make way for new ones.
It was the first time I really learnt to enjoy and cherish the fleeting nature of the seasons.
What's there to love about cooking in winter?
I love winter cooking. As soon as the weather begins to turn cold, I automatically begin to fall into cooking comforting recipes.
Vegetables like carrots and pumpkin are incredibly sweet, cabbages and cauliflower are abundant and citrus perfumes cakes and brightens up dishes.
Towards the end of winter, new spring produce begins to creep into the shops and late winter sees a crossover of the most wonderful ingredients - broccoli, tangelos and leeks intertwine with the first broad beans, peas and berries.
Food in winter is hearty and generous and the joy of winter cooking is what carries me toward spring.
What are some dishes we should be turning to in winter?
Winter is a perfect time to really settle in to comfort cooking. The winter chapter of A Year of Simple Family Food is all about finding warmth from the kitchen and also from people gathering inside.
Simple food that perhaps can bubble away on the stove for an afternoon, but also quick satisfying food which provides relief from the cold.
Dishes like the winter barley soup, cavatelli with sausage and cavolo nero, braised short ribs, and apple and walnut cake are all winter favourites of mine.
What are some easy ways to start cooking and eating seasonally?
The best way to see what you should be turning to in different seasons is a visit to your local farmers' market, where there won't be a thing out of season. It's a fantastic marker for what is good eating at the moment.
I also have a little guide on my fridge, it helps to remind me what is at its best right now. In the middle of winter, I often crave a little brightness like tomatoes, but reminding myself that they simply won't taste as good as they do in summer helps me to steer clear of them.
I love being able to indulge in something for a few months of a year, it is always worth the wait.
Why do you think "family food" often gets a bad rap? Surely the whole point of cooking is to get family (and friends) around a table?
I personally think "family food" is incredibly exciting. It is far from boring or mundane, but rather an opportunity to make whatever you please, depending on your mood or the occasion.
I find cooking at home, for friends or family, incredibly relaxing and a real pleasure. Cooking simply, using seasonal produce is what good food is all about.
Who do you love to cook for?
I love to cook for my family - my husband Nori and son Haruki and also my mum. Creating rituals around mealtimes is very important to me and I really enjoy being able to cook for them but also cook together.
Haruki is such a great helper at meal times and loves being involved in the kitchen.
Having friends over for meals is also a real pleasure. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but the joy of sharing a meal with friends is priceless.
Does your own family have a favourite meal, one both adults and children enjoy? Has motherhood changed how you approach food?
Lasagne is a real family favourite at our house for both us and Haruki. I usually make double the amount and freeze some more future meals.
Also the bucatini all'amatriciana is probably my husband's favourite meals, and one of the first things I ever made him. Haruki loves it too but I just leave out the chilli for him.
Becoming a mother has only strengthened my values around food - teaching my little ones how to shop for seasonal produce and the joy of cooking and sharing a meal is so important to me and the way they grow up to enjoy cooking and eating.
Of course I have become a little more prepared too, especially now with two, my time is often more limited.
Do you have any other tips for the home cook?
Having a well-stocked pantry is essential. The fresh and non-perishable items come together in harmony and the idea for a new recipe or a well-loved one will emerge.
My time living in Italy taught me that the shopping part is just as important as the cooking.
There, no-one expects to see the same exact same ingredients at the market week to week, so when a particular ingredients is around, it is enjoyed and celebrated because it might not be available next time.
- A Year of Simple Family Food: Delicious recipes to feed your family through the seasons, by Julia Busuttil Nishimura. Plum, $39.99.