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I hope by now that everyone knows about savory English pies. Most world cuisines have a pie of sorts, whether it's a hand pie or a fork-and-knife situation. Many of these pies either originate with the English, or are influenced by them. An Aussie meat pie is no exception, and it's something you're likely to find at most pubs in the country. Can we take the feel of a proper Australian meat pie, but turn that into something a touch lighter and seasonal, something suited as a first course to a complex meal? We sure can, and it's this week's SAVORY GREENS & CHEESE PIE. Savory sauteed greens and salty farmers cheese, packed into my homemade shortcrust pastry and baked up golden brown, then served with a mostly authentic tomato-onion chutney. The combination of veggies and pastry makes this something that's both light and rich at the same time, and the simple chutney ties everything together. This is a great dish on its own, but shines all the brighter as an introduction to the rest of this week's menu.

Southeast Asian influence is readily apparent in Australian cooking, even with the more "classic" preparations. When Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia are right next door, some ingredients from those cultures can't help but make their way over. That means that my MACADAMIA "SLAW" SALAD might look like a standard Asian salad on paper, but it's the details that make it special. Fine-cut napa cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, and red peppers, tossed with fresh mint and toasted macadamia nuts, then finished with a surprisingly complex ginger-cashew dressing. This provides a nice veggie-centric foil to our other dishes this week, and it's refreshingly crisp and bright. I very much dislike wimpy salads, and this one is far from wimpy.

Our main event this week takes some very distinctly "different" cooking styles and flavors and puts them together in the best way. First off, know that I'm not making this stuff up... there's a whole subsection of Australian cooking called "Mod-Oz", which is modern Australian cuisine. It's "modern" as in the last 20 years or so, so there's plenty of history to reference... this isn't newfangled "instagram influencer" food. What is it in practice? Basically, taking flavors and styles from other world cuisines like Mediterranean, Asian, and Middle Eastern, and applying that to Australian sensibility and style. By this style of cuisine's very nature, there aren't really defining dishes, and there aren't strict rules. So I've decided that my MOD-OZ STICKY BRAISED LAMB qualifies. For this dish, we're going to take a great traditional idea (lamb braised in red wine), and make it unique and memorable with some Southeast Asian methods and ingredients. Lamb leg pieces braised in shiraz, along with dark soy for some earthy-sweet umami goodness, and some warm spices and aromatics to make things distinct and unique. Once the lamb is just right, I'll simmer this cooking liquid down to a nice sticky "glaze" of sorts, toss the lamb back into that, and things will be ready to heat and enjoy when it's dinner time at home. If you're a fan of highly-flavored lamb dishes, you'll love this. If lamb usually seems a little too exotic for you, I bet the flavors and textures here might just change your mind.

We need something bold to go with our main focus this week, and SMOKY GARLIC-PARSLEY POTATOES fits the bill just right without overshadowing things. We're taking some Portuguese influence here, but keeping things grounded enough that this dish will pair wonderfully with the rest of the menu. Roasted golden potatoes tossed with toasted garlic, fresh parsley, and a healthy dose of smoked paprika. It's not any more complicated than that, and it doesn't have to be... great potatoes are great potatoes.

There's an old-school classic dessert in Australia called Lamingtons. They're sponge cake squares dipped in chocolate and coated with coconut. Simple and delicious. Those in the know will slice a lamington in half and stuff it with whipped cream or jam or both... slightly less simple, and way more delicious. This week's LAMINGTON TRIFLE takes this delicious idea and makes it even better by translating it into a trifle (which is a scoopable cake "pudding" for lack of a better term.) Vanilla sponge cake layered with strawberry jam, dark belgian chocolate ganache, toasted coconut, and whipped cream. This is surprisingly easy to like, and very Australian. It's quite tasty too.