Ostro

'I love Ostro - real food and life-enhancing'
Nigella Lawson

Since its release in 2017, Ostro has gained a legion of fans who adore Julia Busuttil Nishimura for her generous, uncomplicated, seasonal food. Julia's interpretations of dishes from Italy and the Mediterranean feel both timelessly familiar and altogether fresh and new. This is modern Australian eating with respect for the past.

Julia guides us through the uniquely satisfying experience of making pasta or pizza dough from scratch, with recipes such as ricotta tortelloni with butter, sage and hazelnuts or taleggio and potato pizza. She also shares plenty of flavourful salads and simple meals for days when time is scarce, such as roasted cauliflower and wheat salad or tray-roasted chicken with grapes, olives and walnuts. Baking and desserts, too, needn't be overly complicated. As Julia shows us, some of the best recipes are those that have been passed down for generations and streamlined to perfection along the way, such as her perfect lemon olive oil cake. But we also need the odd show-stopper, such as a chocolate layer cake with espresso frosting, on standby for special occasions!

This is simple food that is comforting and generous in spirit. Slow down, take your time and enjoy it.

'I love it, a truly brilliant first book'
Jamie Oliver AWARDS
Long-listed for ABIA Illustrated Book of the Year 2018Long-listed for ABIA Illustrated Book of the Year 2018.Long-listed for Indie Book Awards Illustrated Non-Fiction 2018Long-listed for Indie Book Awards Illustrated Non-Fiction 2018.

About the Author

Julia Busuttil Nishimura is a Melbourne-based cook, author and teacher. Her work celebrates simple ingredients, seasonal produce and the joys of coming together at the table. Julia's cooking is influenced by her Maltese upbringing and by her time spent living in Tuscany, where she first learned the joys of the Italian kitchen. She is a regular contributor to publications such as Good Food, Country Style magazine, The Design Files and ABC Life. Ostro was short-listed for the 2018 ABIA 'Illustrated Book of the Year' and named in Gourmet Traveller's 'Best Food Books for 2017'. Her much-awaited second book, A Year of Simple Family Food, was published in 2020. Julia lives in Melbourne with her husband, Nori, and two children.