Just George

Book excerpt: George Calombaris, Australia's favourite celebrity chef, is back with the ultimate book for delicious home cooking and impressive entertaining, full of his very best recipes, stories and a whole lot of love. Just George takes readers through the recipes that have shaped George's life and career, from growing up in the Melbourne suburbs with his Cypriot mother and Sicilian-Greek-Egyptian father, to his decade working on MasterChef and more than two decades running successful restaurants across Australia. With the perfect edit of mid-week meals, dishes to impress, restaurant favourites and must-know meals for every home cook, Just George is full of the sort of food that George is known for: fun, inspirational and full of goodness. Of course there are plenty of the delicious Greek dishes with a twist (tarama chicken sandwich or slow cooked lamb with chickpeas and tomato, anyone?) alongside favourites from his restaurants (including a new take on that ancient grain salad). And then there's the food he cooks at home with his family (like the osso buco he made for Nigella, or health-focused vegetable-forward meals that don't skimp on taste), and recipes passed on from some of George's fellow foodies. Just George is for every cook, and recipes are graded for difficulty and time. Says George: 'Some recipes are SUPER EASY, so go there if you're not feeling really energetic but just want to eat something delicious. I'm not kidding around with you: this stuff really is easy. Others require a little bit of EXTRA LOVE, meaning maybe there's a few more steps, ingredients or time involved, but nothing crazy. And trust me, it's always worth it. And then there are the recipes that I DARE YOU to try. These might incorporate equipment or techniques that we use in the restaurants. Often there are alternative instructions in case you don't want to go the whole way, but I know - from our restaurant regulars and from everyone I've met through MasterChef - that there are so many of you out there who are looking for the challenge. And I think you're up to it'. It's about good food, yes, but more than that, Just George celebrates the unparalleled joys of being in the moment and cooking for people you love.