Australian

When the temperature takes a permanent nosedive and fall is starting to look a lot more like winter, shepherd’s pie is one of the first things that I crave. One enormous square of this casserole, with its blanket of mashed potatoes and that savory meat-and-vegetable filling, sends a sigh of contentment through my whole body. One casserole makes more than enough for my household of two, so I can look forward to comfort meals all week long.

Meringue-lovers, this one is for you.

I think we can all agree that marmite and vegemite can be considered an acquired taste. Personally, I love a thin smear of marmite on a piece of buttered toast, so pungent that it makes my tongue tingle. But love it or hate it, there are still plenty of ways to use this sticky paste in the kitchen.• Dark Sticky Lamb Stew from Jamie Oliver – A generous spoonful of marmite gives this stew some heft.

We asked some of our favorite food bloggers to share a holiday treat with us over our holiday break. Here’s a special treat for our readers from New Zealand and Australia from Jules Clancy of stonesoup. She writes about how it feels to always have Christmas in the summer! She also shares a lovely recipe for baked salmon — a festive yet summer-friendly dish for those of you celebrating the holidays in warmer climes. Growing up in Australia, Christmas was always a slightly odd holiday.