5 Minute Food Fix

The change in weather has made Simon crave flavours of home... He is particularly inspired by a memoir by food writer Nigel Slater.It's a nostalgic one as it gets cold, the palate craves comfort. Not unlike Yumi's foster dog, who craves ATTENTION and tries to get it during the recording of today's episode! LOL.TREACLE TARTBlind bake some pre-bought shortcrust pastry that you've rolled out in a 23cm tart tin until golden.Allow to cool.Meanwhile loosen 400g golden syrup by warming it gently. Then add in 100g fresh breadcrumbs and 2tbs lemon juice and zest of a lemon. Mix then pour it into the pastry shell.Bake until set - around 25 - 35 mins on 180C.Serve warm in modest slices with some beautiful stone fruit on the side. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yumi had a delightful dinner party experience over the weekend and urgently needs to talk about it!And as a consequence, urgently needs to talk about this way to do potatoes with capers!It's from a book called EASY WINS by Anna Jones which Simon has recommended many times over...ANNA JONES'S BROWN BUTTER POTATOES WITH LIME TARTARE SAUCEAdd 1kg small potatoes to a large pot of boiling, salted water.Bring it back to the boil then simmer for around 15 mins.Drain well and allow to steam dry in the collander.Pre-heat the oven to 200C.Warm up 100g salted butter in a pan until it turns nutty brown.Tumble the potatoes into a roasting pan, pour over the browned butter, season generously with salt and pepper then roast for 25 mins.Use a potato masher to squash the potatoes slightly.Add 4tbs of drained capers to the pan, toss, then bake for another 25 mins until golden and crisp.SAUCEMeanwhile whisk 1 egg yolk with 2tbs Dijon mustard and then very gradually mix in 150ml good olive oil. Loosen with 2tbs caper brine and 100g sour cream. Add in finely chopped 2tbs capers and the juice and zest of 1 lemon. Serve the hot potatoes with the sauce.DELIGHTFUL! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's HOT CROSS BUNS SEASON and everyone has an opinion on What To Do (and what NOT to do) with this most raisiny of buns.What are your thoughts on Simon's advice?Send us an email FoodFixEmail@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon is BACK! And what a welcome return. Yumi and Simon discuss what it was like to have comedian Jennifer Wong onboard as guest host, and Yumi has some tips about what to order - and what NOT to order - when going out for Yum Cha.And if you want to make Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) at home? Here's Nagi's recipe. And to do it at home?1 Bunch of Gai Lan. If you can't get this vegetable, try it with broccolini, it's very good!Trim the woody ends off the green vegetable. Wash well. If any of the stems are especially thick, slice down their length.Place the gai lan in a steamer basket or plunge into a big pot of boiling water. Cook for about 5 minutes but test to make sure it's to your liking. You want it not too chewy and raw, but you definitely don't want to overcook it either. In this case I would get sexy with a timer to really make sure.Meanwhile, gently heat 4tbs oyster sauce with 2-3tbs water. Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil IF YOU CAN BE BOTHERED. Toss the cooked vegetable through the sauce but try not to make it a messy jumble: at yum cha it's all neatly laid out facing the same way and halved. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Special Guest Host Jennifer Wong shares a couple of great ways to make instant ramen LESS GRIM.And if you love Jen and want to see her in person, a good link to upcoming shows is here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Both Jennifer Wong and Yumi have had experience with going viral on social media - which they've decided is low-key pointless - but it doesn't mean they're not both dead keen on trying a great hack when other food influencers recommend one...It might be as simple as using a fish weight when frying a good quality piece of fish...Or it could be this little hack as tested by Nat's What I Reckon in this video which, at time of publishing this podcast episode, has 11 million views!BTW if you wanna see Jennifer Wong in person, she has a VERY FOOD RELATED SHOW coming up at Vivid Sydney 2026. More info and a link to the Great Debate that both Yumi and Jen will be on here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the dumbest gadget you ever bought?(you can email if you like: foodfixemail@gmail.com )Yumi and guest-host Jennifer Wong share their thoughtsPLUS - Yumi has a gadget to help your fish fillets turn out AMAZING - that you probably can use tonight at home! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In these terrible times Yumi is self-soothing by re-watching her favourite TV show and Jennifer Wong is re-reading a tried, tested and quite wonderful food book called Sapphires and Garlic by New York Times critic Ruth Reichl (which you can read for free in pdf form here; the chapter on Betty is page 205.)In it is a fantastic and fantastically simple and humble recipe that the world-famous foodie created - for a frugal, whole roasted chicken.A FRUGAL REPAST FOR BETTY - WHOLE ROASTED CHICKENPreheat the oven to 200C.Wash and dry the whole raw chicken. Pat dry. Snip off the fatty flap of skin with scissors. Gently lift the skin on top of the breast meat, being careful not to puncture the skin, and spread out the fatty piece of skin between the skin and the breast. Prick a whole lemon 8-15 times with a fork and place it inside the chicken's cavity.Season the whole beast well with salt, pepper and olive oil.Place the chicken on a small rack and place that inside a roasting tray.Cut 4 x potatoes into 8 pieces each, 1 onion into 6 pieces, add 4 cloves of garlic to this then toss the lot in olive oil then tumble into the roasting tray with the chicken. Roast for 1 hour.Serve elegantly! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

JENNIFER WONG joins me as guest host again (don't worry Simon, we miss you!) - and we talk about her amazing book 'Chopsticks or Fork?' - discovering where the name comes from! (It's pretty funny.)I have an opinion on where some of the truly buried treasures might be found in cookbooks and we unearth one from Belinda Jefferey's 'MIX AND BAKE'. (I said I'd post a link to buy it but unfortunately it's out of stock everywhere! My local library has it - good luck.)BELINDA JEFFEREY'S SUNDRIED TOMATO NO-KNEAD FOCACCIA THE DAY BEFORE:Mix the flours: 250g plain flour and 250g spelt flour, 1tsp salt, 1/4tsp dried yeast1tbs honeyStir through 500ml water and 3tbs olive oil. It will be a wet, shaggy dough. Do your best to mix well.Put it into a clean, oiled bowl, and leave in a calm spot for 12 hours.Knock it down by kneading and folding it a couple of times and then stretch out the dough to fit a baking tray. Set it aside for 2 hours.When ready, pre-heat the oven until it's properly hot 200C.Dimple the top of the dough with your fingertips, drizzle it with good oil and flaked salt, rosemary and olives (or sundried tomatoes).Bake for 30 - 35 mins.Eat on the day! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon takes a break from Food Fixing and so I rope in Jennifer Wong, host of 'Chopsticks or Fork?' on ABC, a show about food, that is also a book.Jen is funny and literate about food, especially Chinese food, so I thought: Great! Let's absolutely drag this online trend of making dumplings without actually bothering to wrap the filling in the wonton skin. You can see what I'm talking about here.It's not all ridiculous, though. From Tony Tan, we have a fantastic vegan mushroom dumplings recipe here, which also has the Curry Oil Jen was talking about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon's Creamy Bean GratinMETHOD:2 tins of white beans, drained well, or 300g flageolet beans soaked overnight then cooked for 30-40 mins the drained and dried out wellIn a bowl, mix together these things:8 anchovy fillets4 tbs garlic oil (from last episode)1 head of garlic (from last episode)300ml creamsalt, pepper and a light grind of nutmegsplash of milkIn a gratin dish (smallish, around 25cm), lay out the beans then top with the creamy mixture and some sprigs of rosemary.Optional: Top with gruyere cheese.Bake for 15 mins and use the broiler if the top isn't going all bubbly and brown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon has taken the news that Yumi started introducing a tiny bit of her digestive nemesis - GARLIC - into her diet, and he's run with it.Inspired by the recipe from Gizzi Erskine's seminal cookbook, SLOW, Simon has a way to do garlic that is pretty magical and also, supremely easy.Tumble 4-5 whole bulbs of garlic with the tops sliced off into a tiny saucepan. Cover it with good quality olive oil.Add herbs like rosemary, thyme to the oil IF YOU WANT.Gently and slowly cook until bubbles are forming around the bulbs - for 20-30 mins. Strictly DO NOT BOIL.Remove the garlic cloves. They are available to be used as a condiment, smooshed onto toast, blended through a salad dressing or part of a bean gratin.The oil, once cooled, can be used to flavour anything at all ...with fewer digestive complaints! And NO, Simon did *not* provide the show notes he said he would. However, we will do a whole episode on the Bean Gratin he mentions. Next! On your 5 Minute Food Fix. xxx Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do Ottolenghi and Hetty McKinnon have in common?(Besides best-selling cookbooks?)They both embrace fancying up seeds and nuts to devastatingly good effect in a salad. How can we replicate it?And what hack does Yumi have on days when you just haven't got the energy?(PS. This is not a sponsored episode, just a really good hack that you can get from the shops!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's a cult TV show that half the world knows about and is OBSESSED by, and the other half has no idea whatsoever.That show is Heated Rivalry and Yumi counts herself as completely, 100% indoctrinated into the cult of Shane and Ilya. In today's episode, Yumi discovers that Simon has actually watched it as well !! and nearly implodes in delight. She also has a TUNA MELT recipe (IYKYK) that looks a lot like this one, with a few variations.TUNA SALAD FOR TUNA MELT1 well-drained 425g tin tuna2 celery sticks, dicedfreshly chopped parsley, 1/4 cup3 gherkin pickles, finely chopped, or 10 cornichons1/2 cup of good mayonnaise, to taste (add more or less depending on how you like it)salt, pepper, chilli flakesMETHODAssemble and mix the tuna salad. (This can be made ahead until your "boring" hot boyfriend comes over.)Turn on the grill or sandwich press.Spoon it out onto good quality sourdough bread.Top with 2 slices of American cheese or grated tasty.Pop under the grill until melted.Top with another piece of bread, press it down, then return the whole thing to the grill until toasted. Flip to toast the other side. Serve immediately. With ginger ale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Much to Yumi's jealousy... Simon has discovered that his kids actually quite like soup - and a sophisticated one at that!On this episode you'll also hear about the super-easy stock that Yumi has been making now that she has hardly any freezer space.SOUR LENTIL SOUP - ADAS BIL HAMOD200g brown of green lentilscover with salted water then boil up for 20 mins until cooked but still with a bit of bite and shapedrain them offin a big pot heat 3tbs olive oil, 2 chopped onions and 5 garlic cloves, 1.5tbs cumin seeds and the peel of a lemon.Cook down gently and consistently for at least 15 minutes, stirring until soft and golden.Add in 3 chopped waxy potatoes.Throw in the lentils then the chopped hard stalks of some chard.Add a litre of stock and 800ml water.Bring to a simmer, pop the lid on the pot and simmer for 20 mins.When ready to serve, stir through the leaves of the chard or some baby spinach and the juice of 3 lemons.Finish with a dash of olive oil, coriander and/or chopped washed coriander.Also if you're interested, here is a good online recipe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More genius ideas about how to feed the whole family from the legendary Simon Davis.In this episode Yumi has a story about how her two younger kids nearly got food poisoning... and the fact is, Simon has ACTUAL REAL HELP for parents trying to feed their kids.2-Speed Pilaf (serves 4)You need a good-sized, heavy-pased pan with a lid that fits.Start by in that pan, adding 1tbs butter and 1tbs olive oil, add a finely chopped onion. Fry down until the onion has softened and then add a clove or two of minced garlic. Fry up 1.5cups of basmati rice, 1tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp of turmeric. (Leave these out if your kids are sensitive of spices!)Add in the 2.5 cups stock and water and cook at a low heat with the lid on. Allow to cook for 12 mins.For kids?Stir through a knob of butter and some peas and sweet corn.For the adults?Take some purple seedles grapes and a little olive oil fry them until blistering.To the pan, toss through mint, dill and parsley, some lemon zest and lemon juice.Spoon the rice into bowls, top with the blistered grabs and a fat dollop of labne or crumble over some fetta and sprinkle over some Aleppo pepper.YUMI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an incredible recipe from one of my most treasured cookbooks of the past year!If you love feeling nurtured and nourished by food that is loving and rich in flavours... please try this!Sami's book FALASTIN can be found here.And a version of the recipe (save me typing it out) can be found on this website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SIMON'S SPIN ON THIS SILLY INTERNET FAD!Take 500g of Greek yoghurtMix in 2+tbs of honey, 1/2tsp vanilla, zest of one lemon and a pinch of salt.Mix well and check for sweetness. Mix to make sure the salt is dissolved.Press in some digestive biscuits, cover, and set it back in the fridge and leave it overnight.Serve with a fresh drizzle of honey, a handful of chopped pistachios, and some berries (compote = optional!). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yumi shares a bad experience she had with being married.(It's food-related, trust me.)And Simon brings in the New Year with a perfect, easy, and really, really effective way to nail a good piece of salmon or trout.Bring a small pot of water to the boil. (It needs to fit your pieces of fish.)Add a teaspoon of salt and any aromatics that get you excited, eg., a teaspoon of peppercorns, a bayleaf, some garlic. But none of this is essential.Turn off the heat then gently lower your salmon pieces into the water. Put the lid back on the pot and leave the fish undisturbed for 11 minutes. (A bigger piece might need 13 mins, a smaller piece might need 9. But 11 is pretty spot-on for a standard piece of fish.Carefully scoop the fish out and let it dry on some kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.Serve with Simon's Yoggutty SauceStart with 3-4 spoons of thick Greek yoghurtstir in some tahini or a spoonful of horseradish, with a big squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's nothing Yumi loves more than being set on a food adventure!In this case, it's a friend's new baby that triggers a trip to the butcher and the creation of an iconic roast lamb meal.We also shout out to the legendary Nagi from Recipe Tin Eats, whose lamb creation was incredibly necessary (although adding anchovies is Yumi's idea).Check out Nagi's recipe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.