Garlic bread is on a roll

"Garlic bread, it's the future. I've tasted it," declared a British comedian a few years ago. It was his punchline to a joke, but truer words have never been spoken.

There is nothing like it - crisp and hot from the oven - with deliciously creamy butter, the sharp zing of garlic and a hint of herbs.

It is no wonder this savoury delight has been experiencing a burst of popularity in recent years, and local supermarket chain FairPrice wants in on the trend.

The FairPrice housebrand Garlic Bread ($4.95 for two rolls) is made in Australia with the highest-quality ingredients and promises to satisfy the most picky eater.

Each roll packs a punch - soft bread slathered with rich butter.

When baked, the roll becomes beautifully bronzed with a crisp crust that gives a satisfying crunch with every bite, and a moist, flavourful, buttery centre.

The product is halal, making it enjoyable for all.

Just pop it in the microwave for two minutes, conventional oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or toaster oven for 14 to 16 minutes, and it is ready to go.

Not only is it the perfect convenient shortcut for our busy modern lifestyles, a first-rate frozen garlic bread can also be as versatile as olive oil.

Use it as a side dish for any of your favourite pasta meals, especially any with a marinara base.

The rich tomato flavour enhances the crispy texture and piquant tang of garlic bread.

The crispy texture also makes it the classic accompaniment to just about any kind of stew or soup.

Although it is generally paired with a tomato-based soup, it pairs well with seafood, vegetable or chicken stews and other soups too. It also makes a perfect garnish for black bean soups.

For a potluck or a night in, try your hand at making some garlic bread nachos - so mouth-watering that even the threat of garlic breath will not hold you back.

Simply layer the garlic bread with tortilla chips, spring onions, and a variety of cheeses before baking it till it reaches golden-brown perfection.

Serve it with guacamole and watch it disappear in minutes.

Another option is to bring out your inner bourgeois with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or any dry Italian white wine with crisp citrus flavours that will pair beautifully with the sharp tang of garlic bread.

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Hearty Seafood Stew

It is possible to throw a festive dinner party without working yourself into a tizzy.

This seafood stew can carry its own weight and is not too difficult to cook. All you need is one sturdy pot for cooking, which means less washing up.

You do need to factor in preparation time though.

Keep the shellfish alive and remove the grit by soaking them in slightly chilled salt water for an hour, changing the salt water at least twice.

Serve up this stew with garlic bread, and that should suffice as a hearty main course.

(Recipe courtesy of Hed Chef Hedy Khoo)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 onions (350g), chopped
• 1 red bell pepper (150g), diced
• 3 stalks of celery (180g), diced
• 1 stalk of leek, (80g), sliced
• 4 garlic cloves (30g), chopped
• 30g fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 30g Chinese celery, chopped
• 3 flower crabs (450g), halved
• 200ml red wine
• 1 ear of fresh corn (200g), 2.5cm slices
• 2 chorizo sausages (180g), 3cm pieces
• 1 level tbsp of paprika
• 450ml vegetable stock
• 2 cans of diced tomato (800g)
• 300g flower clams
• 800g white clams
• 230g green mussels
• 8 prawns (300g)
• 1 can of tomato paste (170g)
• 2 tsp salt

METHOD

1. Fry onion and red bell pepper for two minutes over medium heat.

2. Add chopped celery, fry for two minutes.

3. Add leek, garlic, half of the basil and half of the Chinese celery, fry for 2 minutes.

4. Add flower crabs, fry for five minutes.

5. Pour in the red wine and stir.

6. Add corn and chorizo. Fry for one minute.

7. Add paprika and diced tomato and stir.

8. Add vegetable stock, flower clams, white clams and mussels. Cover for 2 minutes.

9. Add prawns and tomato paste. Stir through and cook for 2 minutes.

10. Season with salt.

11. Discard clams that remain closed.

12. Garnish with remaining chopped basil and Chinese celery. Serve hot.