Shooting “Homemade” took ten days at Anna’s joint in Freo. We road tested 97 recipes and can testify to their bold and glorious goodness. Along the way we had to contend with high winds blowing our set over as well as an occasional sense of, well, impending weight gain. Food stylist Ursula Nairn and assistant Michael Ziebarth were apparently subjected to more country music than is allowed under UN conventions on torture. Ursula in return introduced us to swear words we didn’t know existed and created a few on the spot when her existing collection of international curses was found wanting.

Anna’s giant puppy, Leroy, takes the cake (well, pasta) for audacity though; while we were all indoors congratulating ourselves on the Summer Cherry Tomato Pasta test shot an odd little chiming sound floated by on a breeze, turned out to be a resonant pasta bowl clinking as Leroy licked up the last of the sauce!

Anna’s genius is in evidence in the all the obvious places in her book; the dishes are as delicious as they look. Even though she loves a bold flavour there always seems to room on the palate for the delicate, crisp and piquant.