Author(s): Shane Delia

COOKING

Shane Delia, owner of Melbourne's award-winning Maha Bar and Grill, brings us his first cookbook, a superb collection of recipes that showcases his distinctive fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, with a strong focus on the full-flavoured dishes prepared by Shane's large Australian-Maltese family. Based on the freshest ingredients and cooked from the heart, Shane's recipes are designed to be served at a shared table. They include classic meze dishes, new takes on old favourites, and recipes that have been handed down through the generations, such as Shane's grandfather's spicy rabbit stew, and his mother-in-law's duck and apricot sambusek. He has also included some of his restaurant's signature dishes, such as the irresistible Turkish delight doughnuts with rosemary honey. More than just a cookbook, Maha is a tribute to family life, and to the role of food in sustaining the ties that bind.