Finn O'Connor
Food Editor
Finn O'Connor reveals core principles behind recipes.
Articles by Finn O'Connor
- Butter changes pastizzi dough's handling and flaky bite. Compare it with lard and shortening to choose a fat for Maltese pastry.
- Bake chewy Maltese almond macaroons with fine almond meal, gentle mixing, dry tops, and a short bake that keeps the centres soft.
- Make crisp stracciatella shards by matching chocolate, gelato and pouring temperatures, then streaming finely as the churn turns.
- Naturally pale fruit gelato often tastes best because ripe seasonal produce, not commercial flavor paste, supplies its true character.
- Make authentic Sicilian arancini at home by cooking sticky rice, shaping a savoury centre, breading each ball and frying until golden.
- Heritage recipes can follow Victoria's seasons by preserving a dish's purpose and technique while changing produce with care and taste.
- Bake authentic Maltese bread at home by building a tangy starter, fermenting patiently, shaping boldly, and baking hot for crust.
- Greek, Maltese and Italian comfort foods meet in frugal ingredients, layered pastry, slow sauces, lemon, cheese…
- Cook classic Italian pasta at home by matching shapes to sauces, using simple tomato, pesto, and baked fillings, then…
- The most useful kitchen tools are durable, easy to clean, and tied to real home rituals, from espresso knock boxes…
- Make creamy nut ice cream by grinding nuts medium fine, whisking dairy gently, balancing flavor, and freezing until scoopable at home with care.
- Gelato is usually better for home cooks chasing silky texture without heavy richness; ice cream wins for easy scooping…
- Sicilian flavours suit weeknights when you lean on capers, citrus, anchovies, eggplant, tomatoes and simple pantry-led…
- Overfilled bowls, warm bases, weak churning and poor storage are the main ice cream maker mistakes that turn homemade batches icy or grainy.
- Build a Mediterranean dinner around one good cheese by choosing the right variety, adding seasonal sides, bread, sharp…
- Start with these classic gelato and sorbet recipes for heritage flavor, clear methods, and memorable chocolate, cream, fruit, custard notes.