I love the expression "use your noodle". There's something about the assonant sound of the world noodle that makes me want to say it repeatedly, and also to cook and eat noodles. Our contributing cook Elizabeth Hewson this week offers two great noodle recipes that are perfect for midweek dinners at home. Economical, tasty and fast to prepare, noodles should be a staple in any busy kitchen and Elizabeth's prawn and snap pea noodles and chicken noodle salad can be prepared quickly and with maximum results, an ideal combination.

If you have more time on your hands try Natalie Paull's exquisite lemon cream tart. This dessert is a masterclass in baking excellence. Click on the link to see her brilliant tart base. I am terrible at baking tart bases but even I could master this one under her step-by-step instructions. And if you are after a quick sugar hit, we have a bonus recipe this week: flawless brownies, a recipe from the taste.com.au kitchen. They are foolproof, so give them a go.

And if these colder winter nights are inspiring your cooking, our contributing chef Lennox Hastie offers a guide to perfecting pork crackling in his recipe below. It's worth giving it a crack. Happy cooking.

Wine

Looking for the deal of the week? This week's wine selections from The Australian's Cellar Director, John Lehmann include a Jim Barry Clare Valley Assyrtiko for an outstanding price and a great "super six" deal. Details here.

Baking for next week

P.S.

The never-ending expansion of Justin Hemmes's Merivale hospitality empire continues, with his latest venue opened in Sydney next week. The Good Luck Restaurant Lounge will be located near Hemmes' smash-hit Chinese restaurant Mr Wong. Good Luck will also be Asian-inspired but the menu of chef Mike Eggert (of Totti's fame) remains a closely guarded secret. The only clues are that the restaurant is inspired by the "1970s underground Tokyo scene". “It’s going to be a fun vibe, maybe a bit wild but not stuffy or elitist. It’s got that feel where you know you’ll lose track of time…it’s just great food with a side of party,” Eggert says. Read more here.