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If one ingredient is an essential in the kitchen it must be lemon. According to our contributing chef Lennox Hastie : "The freshly grated zest adds fragrance to any dish, while a drop of the juice sharpens everything from grilled fish to a rich hollandaise". But what dishes make a star of this most versatile of fruit? For Lennox, one of those is a lemon curd cake that's heavy on the curd. "The cake itself is simple, its ingredients mixed and baked until golden, but it is the syrup made with lemon juice and sugar that makes it sing, soaking deep into the crumb and pooling in the cracks." He also shows us how to preserve lemons, a useful trick. The food of Eastern Europe doesn't get as many accolades as the food of Mediterranean Europe. Which is not surprising given its heavier nature and meat-forward, potato-forward ingredients. However, these wintry days are perfect for something heavier and stew-based. Ukraine-born, Sydney dwelling Anastasia Zolotarev makes the case for the cooking of her homeland in her new book, Sour Cherries and Sunflowers and we have her take on beef brisket (featuring an unusual sweet ingredient) and chicken stew this week. Happy (winter) cooking. | 
