Matt Preston

<p>Life is too short to panic. The first thing I want you to do, if you have a severe case of the CBFs (can’t be figgeds), is to make your apologies early. After the past few years where freedom of movement, freedom of association and freedom of expression have all been drastically curtailed or removed, anyone who expects a Martha Stewart-style TV Christmas without taking responsibility for it themselves can go jump.</p> <p>Having said that, I have analysed what essentials really make Christmas…

<p><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>One bite and toast speaks to us, telling us of “warm kitchens, of breakfasts on bright frosty mornings, of cosy parlour firesides on winter evenings… of the purring of contented cats, and the twitter of sleepy canaries”. That’s not me speaking, but my dress-a-like, Toad, from </span><i><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>The Wind In The Willows </span></i><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>rhapsodising on the emotive joys of toast. Taking a bite, it brings a tear to h…

Jelly! Custard! Booze! The trifle is back in fashion and better than ever, and here Matt Preston shares his foolproof tips for this ultimate Christmas centrepiece.

<p><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>When it comes to seafood at Christmas, prawns reign supreme. They pop up in nine of delicious.com.au’s top 10 seafood dishes, as cooks search for other ways to feature them beyond that big platter of orange-shelled beauties with lemon wedges and a cocktail sauce. With this in mind, here are further ways to make the prawn the king of the holidays:</span></p> <h2><strong>PRAWN HELPERS</strong></h2> <p><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>If you’re looking for a cookin…

Grill-seeker Matt Preston gets his hands on the tongs (at last) and ventures beyond the steak and snag to lift the lid on Australia’s barbecue favourites.

<p><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>Sometimes, it seems that the old sayings are unintentionally insightful. Take ‘What’s your poison?’</span></p> <p><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>In the huge selection of alcoholic beverages that confront you at any good bar, there are usually a few you know you should avoid. Here, it’s often the bitter aftertaste of experience that speaks the loudest – perhaps the memory of those two bottles of Passion Pop you consumed in a bus shelter as a teenager.</span></p…

<p><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>Check my phone or my </span><a href=“https://www.instagram.com/mattscravat/?hl=en”><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>Instagram feed</span></a><span style=“font-weight: 400;”> and you’ll find thousands of photos, not of my children, but of all the wonderful things I have eaten around the world.</span></p> <p><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>Catch me in a quiet moment and you’ll even find me sitting in a corner, reminiscing about the bull-blood red roasted quinces o…

It’s the cornerstone of many a midweek meal and a family favourite that’s budget-friendly to boot. As grocery costs climb, is this mince’s time to shine?

<p><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>I’ve been writing about minimising food waste for years, but I only really started to get serious about this when I signed on to help food rescue organisation SecondBite, 10 years ago. The food SecondBite saves is redistributed by 1,200 partners to help feed those in need.</span></p> <p><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>Earlier this year, SecondBite passed the momentous milestone of collecting and redistributing 100 million kilos of good food that otherwise would…

<p><span style=“font-weight: 400;”>I think Aussie jangly guitar maestros The Church said it best: it’s “so hard, finding inspiration”. But strangely, that’s never the situation when it comes to writing about food. Everywhere you look in our restaurants and cafes, and every time we travel somewhere – or even wander the aisles of the supermarket – culinary muses abound. And the greatest inspiration comes with the passing of the months, as new ingredients come into season. This week, I’m not only t…