Something a little special for you today – preview of the Good Food Australia special Christmas Edition coming out tomorrow featuring exclusive new Christmas recipes!
On the cover of Good Food with JB!
8 years ago when I started this website, never in a million years did I imagine I’d be writing a post like this. I mean, I started my career as an auditor of all things. PricewaterhouseCoopers alumni, right here!
And here I am today, a little embarrassed, a little proud, and very disbelieving that RecipeTin’s Chef JB and I are on the cover of Australia’s Good Food for a special Christmas Edition which will be published tomorrow (Tuesday 5th December 2023)!
The Good Food Christmas Edition
For those of you not in Australia, Good Food is the all-things-restaurants-and-food arm of the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age newspapers (Melbourne), considered to be Australia’s most respected food publication. I describe it as the Australian equivalent of New York Times Cooking.
The Good Food is a lift out in the paper each Tuesday and is also online. I contribute a recipe each week for a series called “SOS” (which, as the name implies, are quick recipes for midweek madness!) and once a month I do a cover story which involves a set of recipes.
And this month, it’s a big Christmas special!! A menu of classic Christmas recipes including a never-before-seen game changing turkey breast recipe created especially for Good Food by JB. My signature glazed ham, classic trifle and a sparkling new Christmas Roast Pumpkin Salad.
Here’s a little preview of the spread!
That turkey recipe is really special. The secret is a brine that not only locks in juices (turkey is notoriously lean) but also infuses the flesh with beautiful Christmassy flavours from edge to edge.
Then it’s roasted with a Christmas glaze that’s perfumed with holiday spices, so it comes out golden and sticky, and just everything you dream your Christmas turkey to be. The smell when it’s roasting is the smell of Christmas!
Behind the Scenes at the Shoot
And here we are on the shoot day. While I do all the photos for my website, the photos of our recipes for Good Food are done by a team of professionals in a food photography studio.
And… a familiar face!! You know I take Dozer everywhere with me….so is it any surprise I snuck him into a Christmas cover shoot? Of course not! 😂
He was an excellent supervisor for the day, ensuring the floor was impeccable at all times. Not a food scrap to be seen.
And though Dozer was not specifically part of the brief, there were were many, many photos taken of him (at my insistence) with a secret hope that there’d be a giant full-page photo of him in the paper……..
….but sadly, it seems a golden fur ball isn’t really on point for a food publication so his photo wasn’t quite full page. Rather, a smaller inset. But he’s still in it!!!
In hindsight now, it was quite wishful thinking that this photo would make the front page of a food publication…😂
I’m so glad I was wearing a white dress that day. Made for sliding around on concrete floors…..
Meet the shoot team!
I want to officially introduce you to the incredible team who’s been shooting our recipes all year for Good Food! Here they are:
We have:
Rob Palmer – One of Australia’s best food photographers, an award winning one actually! Rob also did the important photos (like the cover and Dozer) for my cookbook.
Emma Knowles (right) – Food stylist and recipe developer! I’ve been fan-girling Emma’s work for as long as I can remember, including her days when she was a major presence at Gourmet Traveller. In awe of her work. Makes food look effortlessly beautiful!
Theressa Klein (left) – Photo Chef. Impeccably organised, swans through the cook of enormous table spreads without breaking into a sweat and knows all the tricks of the trade to make food look amazing, naturally.
We love working with this team. I call them the A-Team, because they’re the best of the best at what they do, with the bonus that they’re an absolute hoot to work with!
Big shout-out to JB
And this post wouldn’t be complete without a big, public, splashy thank you to JB. Not only for his fabulous new turkey recipe (really, that brine is everything!), but his commitment and hard work all throughout this year for the contributions we made to Good Food.
In 2023, we produced over 50 recipes especially for Good Food. The schedule is big and complicated, with numerous stakeholders and tight turnaround times (print is hectic!). He’s been the driving force behind all our work with Good Food, managing our work with the editorial and shoot teams, and with everything else going on in our business, I know I could not have done it without him. He’s a gun with the knife, a machine in the kitchen and now he’s a cover-model Chef! It feels like a fitting way to close out our final issue of Good Food for 2023. 🙂
Where to get the Good Food special Christmas Edition
The Good Food Christmas Edition is a lift out that will be in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers tomorrow, Tuesday 5th December 2023. The recipes are also online here on the Good Food website. Though…I love seeing the spread in print!!
If you’re planning a turkey breast this Christmas, I really hope you have a look at the recipe. It really is special. Turkey breast has never been so succulent!
And with that, we are officially kicking off a series of holiday recipes leading up to Christmas. I hope you love them as much as we do! – Nagi x
Life of Dozer
We had an adorable Christmas onesy for him. Sadly, it was little small for him. 😔 So we had to settle for a boring Santa Hat.
margaret says
I so enjoy seeing all of your recipes but I especially enjoy seeing your beloved Dozier!! Thank you so much for sharing your talents and your pup with us!!
Marylou Marsh says
I’ve followed you since COVID. You are an amazing soul. We are all lucky to have you!! Happy holidays to you and yours from the US!
Kaz says
Thank you so much Nagi I absolutely love reading your emails and I’ve made loads of delicious recipes from your book. Also love the updates on Dozer. Thank you from Scotland
Barry says
Awesome one!
Theresa V. says
Nagi congratulations 🥳 from Ocala, FL
so happy you left the corporate world to share these amazing recipes with us and set Dozer, thank you
Joanne Gabbe says
Congratulations! Nagi, you and your team have rocked the cooking world! Not to mention RTM! Aren’t we all lucky that you left the corporate world!
Shari says
This post made me smile!! I’m so happy for you and your crew. Y’all work so hard to perfect the recipes, and then you share them with us! Thank you!! May you be blessed!!
Dolores says
Nagi, you and JB and of course Dozer are so deserving of this cover page. You have inspired hundreds if not thousands of non-cooks to become cooks and also those who have had many failures to have successful outcomes. Your “happy go lucky” repertoire have been an inspiration to all of us. 🥰
Hettie says
Congratulations! I finally bought your book and love it. Great recipes!
Dale Elizabeth Michaud says
Congratulations to you and your Team. You deserve all the success you have been having.
I love your book and I reference it all the time. Thank you!
Vinny Claridge says
I too now believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients. I just need to follow Nagi’s recipe, thanks Nagi
Marianna Merritt says
Congratulations to you and your team! Your website is my go to spot for recipes, but first, I always have to check out Dozer. He reminds me so much of our Gracie who is no longer with us.
One day I learned one of my sons goes to your website for recipes as does as one of my daughters. Thank you for all you do for those in need in Australia. You are definitely an inspiration to all of us!
Merry Christmas to you and Dozer and your staff.
Harry La Vasseur says
Love your recipes.I live on my own so they come in handy as always turn out so good. Best to you all and of course Doser. Can’t forget him.Hope you all have a great holiday and Im sure the food you make will be downright delicious. Such a busy time for you all. So from Canada Bon appetite
Lorri Layng says
Heartfelt Congratulations! I am so happy to have discovered your recipes. It feels like getting a recipe from a good friend.
You have a kind soul.
Merry Christmas.
Shelley says
I understand your love for your dog, I have a Maine Coon cat “Tashi” whom I adore. what I don’t understand is you allowing your dog around food that others are expected to eat, surely it’s against Health and Regulations? I would never allow any animal near food preparation or tables.
GINA says
Can’t do Christmas without RecipeTin 🦃🍖💗
Jennifer Bladine says
I would love to buy a Dozer calendar–12 photos of your adorable pup in a specific outfit to match each month..
TAZZ says
THE WORLDS BEST COOK NAGI EVERYTHING I COOK FOR MY HOME I AM ALWAYS SEARCHING YOUR WEBSITE CAUSE I KNOW IT WILL TURN OUT PERFECT! WISH YOU YOUR TEAM AND THE CUTE DOZER HAPPY HOLIDAYS LOTS OF LOVE AND HUGGIES – TAZZ
Lee from Beautiful British Columbia says
Congratulations to you and your team on your amazing achievements. You all most certainly deserve the accolades coming your way. I love your posts , recipes and news from Down Under. And especially Dozer !! Give him a big back scratch and of course a treat from me. A Very Merry Christmas to you all and all the best for 2024.
Lisa Cupp says
Nagi and the Recipe Tin team: I am always amazed at how much work goes into your website not to mention everything else you manage to get done. You are all wonderfully dedicated. My life has been improveded by following your inspiration. Thank you for all your hard work. Please give each other a hug from me. Yes, Dozer is an important part of the team. Happy Holidays from Columbus, Georgia, USA.