Forget about her most requested recipes, or handy hacks to save time and money while feeding a family, or whipping up an unforgettable spread for special occasions. All I want to know is how to master some simple steps for a smokin' red lip.

For MacCarthy, television presenter, social media sensation and now cookbook author, it's all about confidence.

"We throw that word 'confidence' around a bit," she says, "but for me it's all about those little courageous acts that make us feel better about ourselves.

"Courage can be putting on your bold red lip, or trying a new recipe for the first time, or inviting people over for dinner party. That can be quite confronting for a lot of people, but I'm here to help people realise it doesn't have to be that scary."

MacCarthy has built her reputation on empowering women and encouraging body positivity through her social media. She has more than 107,000 followers on Instagram (@emmylou_loves) and her television series Emmylou Loves can be seen on 10play.com.au. She also publishes an eponymous magazine which has sold out every edition.

Food has always been a part of her life. Her mother is a Vietnamese immigrant who found connection with her new community through food. MacCarthy remembers growing up in a home where food played an integral part of everyday life, from backyard barbecues, to more formal occasions; food has always been a way to bring people together.

She admits she led a "colourful life" and when she left home at 14, she soon realised she could get cheap rent if she offered to do the cooking for the share house. Her confidence grew as she fed people her own food and it was well received.

She wants to help people regain confidence in the kitchen as well, sharing ideas and recipes that work, and that are suitable for the everyday or for something special.

"Cooking is all about fun - we've forgotten about that a little this year," she says, from lockdown in Melbourne.

"It's about not overthinking things, and remembering why we're cooking in the first place - to feed people we love.

"If you've seen any of my Insta stories, you know it's not about making sure everything is just so ... nothing is plated up, I'm using KMart platters, I'm 41 and I've only just bought my first matching dinner set and I still don't have matching knives and forks.

"It doesn't matter, it's the food that matters, that evokes memories and brings people together.

"I want you to walk into that barbecue with your head (and cob loaf) held high. Be proud, be confident. Cooking should be fun but it should come from the heart."

Everyone thinks bao buns are super fancy and mysterious and that you either have to make them from scratch or order them from a restaurant. Not true!

They're readily available in the freezer section of most Asian supermarkets. Just chuck them in your steamer for five to 10 minutes and they're ready!

This recipe is all about achieving authentic flavours using store-bought ingredients. You can cook the duck legs yourself, but pre-cooked confit duck legs are readily available these days and they make this dish even easier.

1. Preheat the oven to 220C.

2. First, get the pork crackle out of the way. Pat the pork skin dry with paper towel, then score it in a criss-cross pattern and place it on a shallow baking tray with a lip. (You don't want the sides of the tray to be too high but you also don't want it to be without a lip, otherwise the oil from the crackle will drip all over your oven.)

3. Pour a motherload of salt on the skin (don't worry - you will dust it off when it's done) and put it in the oven. It should take 20-30 minutes to get it up to full crackle. When it's ready, dust off the salt and chop the crackle into rough, bite-sized pieces.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 200C.

5. Smear the char siu sauce over the duck legs and place them on a baking tray. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until the duck legs are heated through and the skin is looking shiny and plump.

6. Remove and let them cool slightly, then shred the meat off the bone.

7. Meanwhile, steam the bao buns according to the packet instructions.

8. Mix all the Asian slaw ingredients in a bowl and you are ready to go!

9. Open up the bao buns and assemble in this order: Asian slaw, shredded duck and finally a piece of crackle. Yum!

Makes 6.

My kids don't dig this creamy pasta, which is weird and frankly annoying. Adults love it, so I save this for big dinner parties where it goes brilliantly with a few glasses of wine.

I always serve this pasta with a little salad made up of bitter leaves (radicchio is good) and balsamic vinegar to cut through the heaviness of the gorgonzola.

Try to find bowtie pasta (farfalle) if you can. The little creases soak up the sauce and I love that you can stab your fork in and get a bit of everything at the same time.

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Throw in the pasta, along with a splash of olive oil and a good pinch of salt, then cook according to the packet instructions until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, heat a good glug of olive oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat, add the speck and cook until it starts to get a little crispy. Whack in the peas and add the garlic (if using).

3. Pour in 125ml of cream and give it a good stir, then add the rest of the cream if you want lots of sauce. Crumble in the gorgonzola and simmer for a couple of minutes or until the gorgonzola melts into the sauce. Stir in a really heavy-handed grating of parmesan and turn off the heat.

4. Drain the bowties and toss them through the sauce.

5. Divide the pasta among shallow bowls and finish off with salt, pepper and a bit more parmesan. Serve alongside a gorgeous salad of bitter leaves tossed with a balsamic dressing, if you like.

Serves 4-6.

I tried to think of a fancy name for this dish, but it's impossible. This is brown chicken. Always has been, always will be. It's my mum's recipe and she's been cooking it for as long as I can remember.

When I was born she hardly spoke any English so she would have started calling it brown chicken because it's the logical choice. It's the sort of recipe you will cook forever.

It has authentic Vietnamese flavours and the kids absolutely love it. I have four brothers and sisters and, without fail, it's the first thing we ask for whenever any of us visit our mum.

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over high heat, add the onion and cook for two minutes or until softened and lightly golden.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel, then add to the pan, along with the garlic, and cook for three minutes on each side or until browned. Drizzle the cooking caramel over the chicken, then add the fish sauce, sugar and 150ml of water and mix well.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and put the lid on, leaving a little gap for the steam to escape. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn the chicken over and cook for another 15 minutes.

4. Serve with steamed rice, your favourite greens and sliced cucumber.

Tip: Karamel masakan (cooking caramel) can be found in Asian supermarkets and has recently started to appear on regular supermarket shelves, too.

Serves 4.

This is a recipe from my brother Kim-Lee. I guarantee the kids will be happy to help you make this one!

There is no right or wrong here so you can change the quantities if you want more of a chocolate texture or marshmallow taste.

1. Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper.

2. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water). Stir it regularly to make sure it doesn't overheat. When the chocolate is smooth with no lumps remaining, remove the bowl from the heat and set aside.

3. Combine the raspberry lollies, biscuits, marshmallows, macadamias and three tablespoons of the desiccated coconut in a large bowl. Pour the melted chocolate over the top and fold gently until all the dry ingredients are coated.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Sprinkle over the remaining coconut, then pop it in the fridge for two hours to set. Cut into 18 bars to serve. Any leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.

Tip: The recipe says to cut the rocky road into bars, but you could also break it into uneven pieces for a more rustic look.

Dollop the mixture into sexy paper cases for parties.

You can swap the white chocolate for dark or milk chocolate if you want a more traditional rocky road flavour.

Makes 18 pieces.