With the Melbourne Cup upon us and after that (gulp) Christmas, and after that, summer holidays, it is time to start thinking about entertaining. The warmer months are a time when we gather together to celebrate the good life, friends and family and this week our contributing cook Elizabeth Hewson has some easy suggestions to please a crowd. Firstly her chicken thighs with 'green hero' sauce is a winner, with tender chicken brought to life with this zesty salsa. And then she shows how to jazz up your snags with a simple and enjoyable dish.

Tony Tan is a beloved figure in Victorian food and his new cookbook Tony Tan's Asian Cooking Class is a beautiful and straightforward guide to cooking across cultures from Indonesia to Singapore. This week we have three brilliant recipes that offer a cross cultural experience: try Tony's sambal snapper, his eggplant with minced pork and beef rendang, an Indonesian curry with a difference.

Happy cooking.

Cellar director John Lehmann selects three charming roses for a $54 discount in a super six deal. Click the link to see the deal. Details here.

Anyone who has travelled to Italy, France or Spain lately may be well versed in the fact that, by Australian standards, coffee in those countries is quite often terrible (especially in France and Spain). Handy then to read this story which has an excellent tip on where to get great coffee in Capri. As if you needed any other reason to visit that magical Italian coastal town! Read the report here.