It’s Barbecue Weather Here in Australia – and We’ll All Be Experts with Our November Cookbook

It may be cold and chilly in the Northern Hemisphere, but the temperature is rising here in the Antipodes, and that means – barbecue weather!

 

Wow, so we’re at the pointy end of 2026 – it’s already November and it’s definitely barbecue weather.

Our cookbook for November was absolutely written to make the most of barbecue weather, and I’m sure you’re all going to love exploring Weber’s Ultimate Aussie Barbecue by Laura Romeo. It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen a new barbecue cookbook, and this one is exceptional. I suspect that you would be hard pressed to find an Australian backyard without some kind of a Weber barbecue – we have totally embraced them here in Oz, with all models of the brand being one of the most widespread household outdoor cooking names in the country. 

Author Laura Romeo is one of only a handful of people worldwide to be accredited as a Weber Grill Master, a title that requires 4 years of effort to secure, and the very first Australian. She’s compiled over 120 recipes here to suit every meal and every occasion, with recipes made for wherever you are – in the backyard, on the balcony or on the move.

Aussie barbecue differs a little from the way it’s done in the US, and this book addresses that thoroughly. Here you’ll find directions for direct cooking over heat, indirect cooking (in your Weber Kettle), hot and fast cooking, and low and slow. There’s all of the recipes you’d expect to find in a barbecue cookbook, like seared steaks, deeply flavourful smoked meats, low and slow pulled lamb, or succulent moist baked fish, along with plenty that might surprise you – like meatball risoni, or miso noodles with grilled tempeh and mushrooms, and spiced roasted cauliflower with lemony coconut yoghurt. Yep – even the vegans in your life will be joining in on the love for barbecue weather.

Did you see me on Substack?

I’ve decide to branch out a little with my writing, and have launched it on my Substack account right here. It’s a slightly different forum, and I’ll be using it more for issues that I think are important in the food world, and (sometimes) just for issues that are really bugging me. If you’re at all interested in the politics of food, then I’d love you to join me. The link to read and to sign up is here.

 

So – what did October look like?

Well, for me, October looked a lot like Scotland and London, as we were away for 4 weeks catching up with our citizens-of the-world kids, and having adventures. But, once again, you all kept the group humming along with some beautiful cooks from Francesco Mattana’s Eat Like a Sardinian. Check out a few of the fabulous meals here – there’s more on our Facebook group page.

And next month …?

Crikey, it’s December soon, and Christmas time. 

Of course, barbecue weather will be continuing for some months (so maybe we’ll see some throw-back Thursday posts from the Weber cookbook), but as the year winds down, and the holiday season ramps up, I’d love you to share all of your favourite seasonal cooks. Whether you’re making your favourite weeknight holiday dinner and salads, whipping up a seafood feast, sharing your Christmas baking (mmmm – cookies, cakes and biscuits), putting together a platter for a shared meal, or hosting a cast of thousands, I’d love you to take a snap, share it with us and tell us where the dish came from. 

 

IF YOU HAVEN’T JOINED THE LAMBS EARS COOKBOOK CLUB YET, YOU WILL FIND ALL THE DETAILS HERE.

HERE’S HOW 2026 IS SHAPING UP SO FAR

Our whole-year cookbook selection is any of  The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater

November – Weber’s Ultimate Aussie Barbecue by Laura Romeo
October – Eat Like a Sardinian by Francesco Mattana
September – Vegetarian and veggie recipes from your own cookbooks
August – You Had Me at Cake by Emelia Jackson
July – any recipes by Valli Little
June – Tender by Lucy Tweed
May – Home Food by Elizabeth Hewson
April – Any ONE cookbook from your own collection
March – The Actually Delicious One Pot Cookbook by Poppy Cooks
February – Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt by Donna Hay
January – Salata by Michael Mantissas and Kristy Frawley

Please note, this post contains links to online Australian bookseller Booktopia. If you purchase via one of my links you will get a great price, and I will get a very small commission.