Editor's letter

There were Moroccan Army troop carriers parked out front and hungry-looking cats loitering with intent nearby. Whole lamb carcasses hung from hooks over a tiled bench and, as we sat there, the owner butchered cutlets and minced meat to order with fresh parsley and coriander from his display. Standing by were two men and a large charcoal grill – the cutlets went on with just a grind of pepper and the mince was formed into rough kefta (meatballs) and sandwiched in a grill rack. Moments later, we were eating freshly barbecued lamb, dripping with juices and full of flavour. We mopped up with khobz (Moroccan bread) and hot chips sprinkled with cumin salt. It was fantastic.

That’s the mood I’ll be aiming to re-create as I fire up the barbecue this summer, and enjoy the simple yet delicious grilling recipes on page 46. To follow, we’ll have a cool selection of icy desserts (page 78). Ever wanted to try the famed Filipino purple yam ice-cream? Now’s your chance.

Chinese or Lunar New Year is a major celebration for Asian communities, and to welcome the Year of the Snake, we joined the Nguyen family in Melbourne who share their Vietnamese celebration favourites (page 87). Also look out for Luke Nguyen’s Lunar New Year specials on SBS in February – he’ll share a range of dishes including Malay devils’ curry, northern Chinese dumplings and Korean cinnamon punch.

If you’ve enjoyed the first two series of The Killing on SBS, turn to page 110 for our travel feature on Copenhagen, home of the series’ sweater-clad detective Sarah Lund. The city is a food-lover’s paradise with fresh produce and inventive dishes that are worth investigating.

Enjoy your summer days and look out for our April issue, on sale 4 March with some exciting new features.