basic kitchen magic

Not so long ago, I hated cooking. It was because I wasn’t good at it. My parents cooked for me, my boyfriend cooked for me, a whole host of chefs at cafes and restaurants cooked for me. I enjoyed food but to me the making of it was a mystery, magical even.

I was familiar with the world of food shown on TV - the Masterchefs, Iron Chefs and Michelin stars. The glitz and glam of food as entertainment. For all my enjoyment of these shows though, they did something really damaging too; they made cooking intimidating. It seemed complicated and time-consuming; something to be left to the professionals.

A good few years into my food journey though, I’ve discovered a lot about food that the entertainment shows rarely touch. They tout the glamour and drama around food, but rarely investigate the food itself. The more I’ve submerged myself in the world of wholefoods, the more I’ve discovered that the key to mastering cooking is really very straightforward – let food be food.

It sounds obvious, but it’s a completely liberating theory. Imagine if your food got better the less you did to it. Imagine if it was better for you. Well, it is. There’s only one catch – you need to start with good food.

That’s not necessarily as simple as it sounds. With all kinds of industrially processed concoctions sitting in our supermarkets disguised as food, it can be tricky spotting the real deal. The easiest way around this is to cook for yourself with the raw, real thing - foods that don’t have ingredients lists.  Here are a few staples that got me going:

Veggies. Buy organic and local. Farmer’s markets are a great place to start. They’ll be fresher, more flavorsome, and maybe even a bit cheaper.

Bread. Switch sliced-supermarket blocks for traditionally baked Sourdough. Made with just flour, sourdough starter, water and salt, it is created through a lengthy fermentation process that means it is easier to digest and contains more nutrients.

Meat. Choose pasture-raised, grass-fed. Sure, it costs more, but not only will the animal have been treated right, it’s better for you and tastes amazing.

Dairy. Try alternatives to cows milk such as goat or sheep. The taste may be a bit different, but after a while they just taste like, well, milk – and they are kinder on the stomach. Other options are nut milks, which you can make yourself at home with some nuts, water and a strainer.

Salt. Avoid table salt, which has very little nutritional value. Instead opt for sea salt, which makes your food sing (and makes you a little bit posh).

All the top chefs agree that the best way to cook is to source the very best ingredients and then let them speak for themselves. This rule applies to amateurs playing at home too, and it makes it a lot harder to mess up.  So avoid the drama, less truly is more. Abracadabra.


This article was written for my weekly column in The Australian Times, The Whole Meal. 

the new convenience store

I realise halfway home after a long day at work that I don't have any food in the fridge. I stop off at the local supermarket on the way; it could be a Tesco, it could be a Sainsburys, or if I'm lucky it could be a Waitrose. I'm hungry and dazzled by the abundance and apparent variety on offer. So many different cuisines from around the world, so many brands and colours and identical vegetables lined up, illuminated by the fluorescent lighting. 

There are no windows, so I quickly forget how long I've been perusing the ready-made meals aisle or debating over whether to buy organic carrots or not. Before I know it I'm in a mile-long queue with a heavy basket full of things I don't need. I thought I was stopping off to pick up a few quick bits for dinner, but have left burdened, nearly an hour later, with a couple of back-breakingly heavy bags. 

I ask myself, how did this happen? And yet it is a ritual I've repeated many times when I've been too lazy to plan ahead.

Most of the time I avoid last-minute food shopping, particularly at supermarkets. It can only ever lead to impulse purchases and frustration. I'm pretty good at food planning and cooking ahead on the weekends, making sure I have my ingredients lined up and ready to go. But like anyone, sometimes life gets the better of me and I'm left staring into a fridge that just contains some old cheese and rotting, forgotten about veggies.

Luckily, there are now alternatives for people who want to support local business and are conscious of eating organic, healthy produce. Small, start-up businesses are opening up around the world, revolutionising the way we buy food. Companies that deliver to your door, either at home or work, offer access to difficult-to-source, quality, artisan ingredients, and do it all with a smile.

Images from top left: The Local Harvest Collective featured on Broadsheet, Tiffany Lung with her bicycle via Tifamade,  sandwhich by Tifamade, fruit via The Local Harvest Collective, cakes ready for delivery via Tifamade, E5 bakehouse via Hubbub, vegetables and the team behind The Local Harvest Collective, La Fromagerie via Hubbub.


In London, Hubbub is my go-to for online food shopping. It allows those lucky enough to live in its delivery catchment area to order from local food suppliers - from Ginger Pig's incredible pasture-raised meats to E5 Bakehouse's sourdough. It means I can arrive home from work, and be greeted by a lovely driver who has collected my selection of goods from around the neighbourhood for me, ready to be cooked and enjoyed.

In Sydney, The Local Harvest Collective are a new business operating a vegetable box scheme with a twist. These boxes are filled with more than just fruit and veg, including artisan bread, eggs and other essentials, as well as a bunch of seasonal flowers. Boxes can be delivered or collected from their charming rooftop garden.

In Paris, Tifamade delivers delicious sandwiches home-made from farmer's market ingredients to your office or event by bicycle. Started by keen cook, cyclist and American-in-Paris Tiffany Jung, you can also be inspired by her tumblr where she features a heap of mouth-watering sandwich combinations.

These are just three examples that have caught my eye, but there are countless others. If you too want to avoid supermarkets, which let's be honest have their profit margins not our health as a priority, then find out what businesses and schemes are operating in your local area. Community gardens, backyard brewers and bakers, farmers markets and more are popping up everywhere.

Ok so they might not be open 24 hours a day, but they also don't make you stand in long queues, fight with the automatic cashier over whether you have placed the item in your basket or not or sell you two for one when really, you just want one. Give me food lovingly prepared and delivered on a bicycle over that any day.