Great family recipes
How to make a Bloody Mary
Q1. Friends unexpectedly drop by and you ask them to stay for dinner. What do you cook on unplanned entertaining occasions like this?
A1. I have a master stock in the freezer which I have had for 8 years. If unexpected friends drop in you can easily whip up a simple chicken dish by placing a whole chicken in a pot of master stock, bringing it to the boil and then taking it off the heat and leaving to seep for 1 ½ hours… then you will have a perfectly poached chicken.
Q2. What dishes are in your repertoire?
A2. As I have been cooking for 23 years, there are too many dishes to list. I love cooking all kinds of dishes. At home I cook simple, easy to prepare dishes and ARIA offers a fine dining menu.
Q3. What's your favourite Friday night meal and where will you eat it – home or out?
A3. Most Fridays I am at work so I eat whatever is cooked for staff meals.
Q4. For a romantic night in or out, what's on the menu?
A4. Seafood is always perfect for romantic meals. Either scampi or oysters would be perfect and King George whiting is lovely at the moment.
Q5. What's your secret indulgence food?
A5. Chocolate
Q6. What food couldn't you live without?
A6. Protein. I was raised eating meat and I could not live without it!
Q7. What's your favourite health food?
A7. Fresh fruit… I live on it!
Q8. What's your favourite aisle at the supermarket?
A8. The check out aisle… I'm always glad when the weekly shop is done.
Q9. If you could have five foods on a dessert island, what would they be?
A9. Sourdough, French butter, jamon, lobster and a tin of caviar
Q10. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A10. The pork belly at ARIA… I would be enormous if I ate it every day… but it's hard to go past.
Q11. What's your favourite restaurant?
A11. It is so hard to say, there are just too many!
Q12. Have you ever eaten with anyone famous?
A12. Just last week I met Raphael Nadal out in Melbourne.
Q13. What dish do you wish you could cook really well?
A13. My Nan's date scones. No matter what I try, I just can't make them the same!
Q14. What sort of food do you eat when you're stressed with a deadline?
A14. I don't normally eat when I am stressed as the most stressful part of my day is normally during a busy lunch or dinner service.
Q15. Does being creative in the workplace mean creative in the kitchen?
A15. Yes.. my workplace is my kitchen.
Q16. Ever put on a dud dinner party?
A16. No – I think I would be unemployed if I did!
Q17. Do you think food and wine matching is over-rated?
A17. Not at all, I think it is very important and a great challenge.
Q18. What's the most memorable meal you've eaten overseas?
A18. I think it would have to be at Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas. We had 5 dinners in 4 nights (yes, 2 dinners on one night)
Q19. What food would you quite happily never eat again?
A19. Baby turtle soup that I tried in Japan.. terrible.
Q20. What's one ingredient you always have in your pantry?
A20. Extra virgin olive oil.
Q21. If you could invite three famous people to a dinner party, who would they be?
A20. Cate Blanchett (amazing) Vladimir Putin (scary) Roger Federer (freak)
And I have cooked for them all in the past but would love to have dinner with them all at once.
