Food Gays Launch Their First Cookbook And It’s Gorgeous

I’ve known the Food Gays, Adrian Harris and Jeremy Inglett for a few years now and I feel proud to see them accomplish so much and have so enjoyed watching their journey. Their food  styling and photography is so well done and also well documented on Instagram (@foodgays), and once I was lucky enough that Adrian gave me my own private lesson. Over the last year or so they’ve been dedicating much of their time to creating a cookbook, Cooking In Color, and it’s finally arrived and it’s stunning. I know how hard they worked and it certainly was worth the huge effort and attention to detail that they put into it.

The book is full of tasty, but not over-complicated recipes and begins with a a section on photo tips including lighting, props, composition, props, editing and hardware so you can record your own food journey better. The recipes will make your meals sing with colour and they are presented so beautifully, and almost all of them are also super-healthy, while still be packed full of flavour. Thankfully there’s a few sweets and treats though, and I can’t wait to make their No-Bake Boozy Blueberry Cheesecake and Lemon Tart.

You don’t need a culinary diploma to cook from this book, as it’s very easy to read, and follow the cooking instructions and they entertain you with tips and stories along the way; it feels like they are talking right to you.  There’s lots of familiar ingredients, but they’ve done a great job combining them in unique ways to elevate their recipes. Scones are not just scones, they are blue cheese scones and eggs benny is fancied up with smoked salmon and caper berries and a dash of turmeric in the sauce.

These are recipes you can make for your family, what kid wouldn’t like a Moroccan pulled pork sandwich,or the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl but they’re perfect for company too. There’s even a section on cocktails and I’m salivating over the Whisky Tea Cocktails. This book is all about it’s name, Cooking in Color, use it as your guide and you’ll never serve a boring dish again. Here’s a few dishes to try.

Zucchini “Meatball” Sub

Serves 4
We’re usually not fans of vegetarian dishes bearing the names of their meat-driven counterparts, but this sandwich is satisfying enough to break
all those rules.

“Meatballs”:
1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
4 cups grated zucchini
2 tbsp chopped green onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ tsp sweet paprika
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Sauce:
1 cup passata
½ tsp brown sugar
½ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp dried porcini mushroom powder (Tip: To make porcini mushroom powder, simply place dried porcini mushrooms in a blender or food processor and blend to a fine powder. Add to everything from rice to soup to sauces for an extra boost of flavor. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.)

For Serving:
4 hoagie rolls, toasted
½ cup fresh basil leaves
Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with nonstick foil and set aside.

Make “meatballs”: Heat oil in a medium frying pan or skillet on
medium heat. Add zucchini, green onion and minced garlic. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring
frequently, until vegetables are tender. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve,
and place in the sink to drain for 5 to 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmigiano-Reggiano, beaten egg and the drained zucchini mixture. Shape into even-size balls, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer meatballs to a wire rack and let cool for a few minutes while you make the sauce.

Make sauce: In a small saucepan on medium heat, combine the passata, brown sugar, oregano and porcini mushroom powder and bring to a
simmer. Add meatballs to sauce and gently toss until well coated.

Serve on toasted rolls, with fresh basil and shredded mozzarella.

Broiled Feta with Chili Salt, Tomatoes and Basil

Serves 4

Super simple yet decidedly elegant, this is the ultimate last-minute appetizer. Use Macedonian feta if you can; with its soft, creamy texture enhanced by the heat, it spreads beautifully on a crispy cracker or toasted baguette. Just don’t pick feta that is too fresh — it will crumble under the heat, leaving you with a tasty but messy dish.

8 oz feta cheese, cubed
½ tsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp Chili Salt (page 24)
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 sprigs thyme, leaves only
½ tsp neutral cooking oil
½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh basil leaves, to serve
Toasted baguette slices, to serve

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place feta in a medium baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with chili salt, black pepper and thyme leaves. Toss gently to coat. Bake on top rack in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Switch to broil for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until feta is golden brown and a little bubbly (keep a very close eye on it and adjust time as needed; our timing is merely an estimate and it can vary from oven to oven).

Meanwhile, heat cooking oil in a small frying pan or skillet on medium heat. Sauté halved tomatoes, along with salt and pepper, for 1 to 2 minutes, or just until softened.

Arrange feta on a serving dish and top with cooked tomatoes and basil. Serve immediately with toasted baguette slices.

BBQ Chimichurri Chicken

Serves 4

As you might have guessed already, we like our greens, especially herbs. Here we thought we’d showcase one of our most frequently used: cilantro. If you’re not a fan, just give this a try and tell us you don’t love it. Its strong flavor is balanced perfectly by the addition of basil, parsley and a nice kick of jalapeño.
1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)
½ cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 jalapeño pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup olive oil
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 whole chicken legs (or 4 drumsticks + 4 thighs)

In a blender, combine cilantro, basil, parsley, jalapeño, minced garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Blend until smooth. Transfer half of the chimichurri to a resealable bag; reserve the other half in an airtight container and refrigerate until needed.

Add chicken to bag with chimichurri, seal and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours (and up to 24 hours).

Heat barbecue or grill pan to medium-high. Cook marinated chicken, basting with the reserved chimichurri and turning occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F when tested with a meat thermometer. Serve immediately.

Tip: The longer you let the chicken marinate, the more rewarding the outcome.

Chocolate Cherry Skillet Brownies

Serves 8 to 12

This is such a fun dessert to share straight from the skillet. It freezes well, too, which means you can always keep the leftovers (if there are any) for another time. Swap out the fresh cherries for whatever fruit you’d like and make it your own.

Brownies:
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1½ cups chopped dark chocolate
¹/3 cup whipping (35%) cream
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup black cocoa powder (see Tip, page 240)
½ tsp salt
1¼ cups cherries, pitted
Ice cream, to serve

Cherry sauce:
1 cup cherries, pitted and halved
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Make brownies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch skillet with butter and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar and eggs. Set aside.

In a small saucepan on medium heat, combine chocolate, cream and butter. Heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour and black cocoa, pushing any clumps through with the back of a spoon. Add the chocolate mixture, egg mixture and salt, and stir well. Fold in 1¼ cups cherries.

Pour batter into the prepared skillet and bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Make sauce: In a small saucepan on medium heat, stir together 1 cup cherries, sugar and lemon juice until well combined. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cherries are soft and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat. If desired, blend using an immersion blender until extra smooth.

Serve brownies topped with scoops of ice cream and a good drizzle of cherry sauce.

Tips: Black cocoa powder is a very dark, super-rich alkalized cocoa. It can be found online or at many gourmet retailers.

Be careful when serving the skillet to guests, as it can be extremely hot to the touch.