Holly Bodeker-Smith

More than 7500 food and wine lovers descended on the heart of the Grampians National Park for three days of exceptional drops, standout producers and serious cooking. Here’s what had us reaching for a second pour.

The prolific, self-taught baker dreamed up this dish while planning the menu for his Melbourne bakery, Dua. The base is a classic caramel flan, but the nostalgic banana milk is what makes it distinctly Tan’s.

After one bite of a cookie from New York’s Levain, Melbourne baker Raymond Tan spent weeks trying to crack the recipe. This version, from his debut cookbook, uses cold grated butter and three kinds of sugar for the ultimate thick, crackly and chewy cookie.

In her new cookbook, Martini makes the Neapolitan classic feel new again with a verdant trio of silverbeet, spinach and parsley – blitzed with toasted garlic into a silky sauce.

The Melbourne restaurateur and cookbook author roasts root veggies before adding them to the pot, adding more intense depth of flavour.

Soft, supportive and thoughtfully designed, Bonny’s sheets and doonas handle tossing, kicking and pillow thievery – and it’s just dropped five new colours for winter.

Lean into the cooler months with trail rides bookended by sauna sessions and bushwalks that end with three-course dinners. In partnership with Tourism Tasmania, here are eight tours to book now.

Industry heavyweights like Junda Khoo, Helly Raichura, Jason Staudt, Jung Eun Chae and Stephen Nairn share the blades they actually use, from stainless steel workhorses to handmade heirlooms. Plus, the santoku that one chef loves so much, she got it tattooed on her hand.

“A bowl of this, and voila – the world instantly feels right again,” writes Melbourne chef and restaurateur Jason Jones in his new cookbook, Entrecôte Depuis 2015.

After 30 years in hospitality and 27 venues, the Melbourne restaurateur is bringing his flair and expertise to a gorgeous French cookbook. It stars this crème brûlée, which he calls “the grand finale of any proper French dinner party”.

The Gamilaroi Elder who taught top chefs like Neil Perry and Kylie Kwong is finally sharing her own recipes. Start with this simple roast chicken, seasoned with fragrant native ingredients.

What do the experts actually cook with? We asked Andy Cooks, Emiko Davies and more about the cookware they reach for every day – and how to make them last a lifetime.