Your hosts have a LOT of thoughts when it comes to ordering food at a restaurant.

What are the common mistakes?

How can you absolutely nail it?

On what topics should you consult with your waiter?

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Is there anything more inspiring for a keen cook than being asked to make something for a party at short notice?

Yumi is BACK and feeling good in her kitchen and was delighted to have a couple of cracks at making this cake by Nigella Lawson.

*After recording, she made it again for the party - here's what she said about the changes:

"Instead of Olive Oil, I used coconut oil!

(I know the whole name is Nigella's Olive Oil Chocolate Cake but I just felt the olive oil flavour was a bit intense and overpowering, whereas coconut oil is more mellow and went well.)

I also increased the cooking time by 5 minutes, to 50 mins, and in my oven, it cooked better at 160C fan -- instead of the recommended 150C.

Finally, I couldn't find good strawberries so I used raspberries instead. Looked amazing and tasted amazing!"

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We NEVER get tired of finding new ways to make potatoes exciting and delicious.

REAL QUICK:

To make Yumi's ALL KILLER, NO FILLER POTATO CRISP

Pre-heat the oven to 200C.

Have some finely chopped rosemary needles ready to go and have 1/4 cup of olive oil in a small pot, not heated yet.

Slice 4-5 decent-sized spuds into 2mm discs. Dump the lot into a big pot of salted, boiling water. Once the water returns to the boil (this will take a couple of minutes) allow the spuds to boil for 2-3 minutes then drain really well.

(I USE RUBBER GLOVES to handle the still-hot potatoes here -)

Arrange the potatoes in layered rows to achieve maximum surface area for every piece. This will take a few minutes. Put the oil on to heat. You want it to get Very Hot but not smoking.

Scatter the finely chopped rosemary over the potatoes.

Pour the hot oil evenly over the potatoes.

Place in the oven and set a timer for 45 minutes but keep an eye on them!

Serve hot. SO GOOD.

Jamie Oliver's BALSAMIC POTATOES RECIPE can be found here.

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Corn ribs had a bit of a "moment" in restaurants around the country and around the world - - but what do you think?

(email us any time [email protected])

Your food-mad hosts discuss.

Yumi also has to share about these olives she'd never tried before...

...And gives you one more thing to add to your camp cooking repertoire, particularly if you love to cook on a fire!

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This episode, your hosts Yumi and Simon go wildly off script and talk about:

The perils of buying wine as a sober person

A gumbooted and verdant field fantasy

...and there's a bunch of ridiculous lolling in there that a normal person might've edited out! WOOT!

Plus, Adam Liaw's Chicken and Mushroom Field Pie recipe is here.

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Yumi has some (actually real) ideas about what kinds of gifts mothers want this Mother's Day.

(Clue: it's not chocolate, it's not a soft toy, it's no kind of inflatable silver balloon EVER, and it's definitely not a cleaning/housework appliance.)

And Simon wants to free listeners to make the soup they CAN - not the "perfect" soup!

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It's not every day that recipe copyright and cookbook authoring is national news, so naturally Yumi and Simon have some thoughts!

From their two unique perspectives from the world of cookbooks and recipe authoring, they cautiously weigh in with diplomacy AND personal experience.

They also have a recipe to share! It's a 15 years old from Gizzi Erskine and Simon is SURE you're gonna love it!

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If you've ever been to Japan (which more and more of you have been lucky enough to do!) - you may have visited an "Onsen" - hot spring bath.

Imagine notionally teaming that idea up with the idea of poaching eggs! What?! I can just picture the eggs luxuriating in the hot spring with a teeny tiny towel balanced on their foreheads...

One of my favourite resources for Japanese cooking is Just One Cookbook and they have a great way of doing eggs that is SO EASY! (And if you're interested, the author, Namiko, also has the old-fashioned version here if perhaps you don't have a microwave.)

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In this episode our two hosts try to make each other laugh and dig a little into the culture of the Farmer's Market, what people get wrong when cooking with Haloumi - - - and what exactly this new thing is that we keep seeing on cafe menus: The HLT.

*tip: has nothing to do with Hormone Lighten-Up Therapy!

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Burrata was a bit of a fad food for a while there. Which didn't make it any less wonderful... but how do we imagine best serving this magical, pendulous bell of lactose now that we have had some experience with it?

Yumi tells us her favourite way to serve the cheese and Simon openly grieves missing out on travelling to the HOME of burrata for a burrata cookbook shoot.

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