Who is this Matt Wilkinson and why haven't I had my cookbook-craving hands on any of his books until now? Mr & Mrs Wilkinson's How It Is at Home: A Cookbook for Every Family by Wilkinson and his wife, Sharlee Gibb, was my inauguration into the Wilkinsons' world. 

For those who are in the dark as much as I am, Wilkinson is the chef and owner of the Melbourne eatery, Pope Joan and has authored several cookbooks which I have now ordered based on how much I loved  this collaboration with his wife.

Mr and Mrs Wilkinson's How it is at Home has a comfortable feel about it with lovely photographs and a selection of recipes that are approachable all served up with a side of honesty. Things are wonderfully imperfect at their home just as they are for the rest of us.

The Chicken and miso noodle salad is fantastic and eliminates those cravings I have for ordering bad Asian take out. I made it a few months ago and couldn't take a picture that was suitable for sharing. I'll let you in on a secret - every time I take a photo of a dish I pray to the powers that be to make the result reasonable to look at. The powers weren't in my favor that night however I plan on making it again tomorrow as it was that tasty (and the photo turned out half-way reasonable!). The Wilkinson family favorites are shared from past generations such as Edna's biscuits (from the Mrs' nana) and new favorites such as Chocolate and fennel cookies from the Mrs herself.  I also love the different versions for recipes they provide - for instance Mum's version of porridge versus Dad's version - Mum's has some extra yummy ingredients. 

This title is a great mix of easy throw together weeknight suppers (Double cheese quesadillas) and meals that take a little effort for a weekend (Prawn dumplings with Asian greens). There is something for everyone here. 

Special thanks to Hardie Grant for sharing a comforting Beef & mushroom pie recipe with our members today as well as providing three copies of this title in our contest below. 

Beef & mushroom pie
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MR: This pie is perfect for winter days. I usually cook the filling the day before while getting that night's dinner ready, spooning it into the pie dish and leaving it to cool before transferring it to the fridge. Then the next day it's as simple as popping the pastry on top and putting it in the oven to bake.

Serves 4

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 white onion, sliced
  • 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) stewing beef, roughly diced
  • 200 g (7 oz) Swiss brown mushrooms, quartered
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 x 400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
  • 300 ml (10 fl oz) beef or vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
  • salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 frozen butter puff pastry sheet, thawed
  • 1 free-range egg, beaten

 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes until just starting to soften. Add the beef pieces and brown on all sides, then add the mushrooms and spices and cook, stirring, for a further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, mustard and stock and stir everything together, then bring to a simmer and cook over a medium-low heat for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is nice and tender with a gravy-like consistency.

Mix the cornflour together with 2 tablespoons water in a measuring cup to make a paste, then stir into the pan with the beef. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for five minutes until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).

Pour the beef mixture into a 30 x 22 x 5 cm (12 x 8 3/4 x 2 in) pie dish and nestle a pie bird, if you have one, in the centre. Cut a cross in the middle of the pastry sheet and gently place the pastry over the dish so that the bird pokes out of the hole in the middle. Seal the edges, brush the pastry all over with the beaten egg wash and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the pastry is golden and flaky. Serve with mashed potato, pumpkin or sweet potato.

Recipe excerpted with permission from Mr & Mrs Wilkinson's How It Is At Home by Matt Wilkinson and Sharlee Gibb, published by Hardie Grant Books October 2017, RRP $29.99 hardcover.

The publisher is offering three copies of this book to EYB Members in the US, UK, New Zealand and Australia. One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won't be counted. For more information on this process, please see our step-by-step help post. Be sure to check your spam filters to receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at noon on March 21st, 2018.