When did you start cooking and how did you get into cooking?
I've always loved food and cooking but didn't seriously make the effort until I came to New Zealand nine years ago and there has been no turning back since. I eat, breathe and sleep food.
How much of an avid MasterChef follower were before you auditioned for this series of MasterChef New Zealand?
Total Masterchef follower. I love them all for different reasons. I watched and pretended it was me in the challenge and played the game too. If you think it's a piece of cake it's not - it's never as easy as it seems. You think you can do better but you have no idea until you are actually in it.
Which MasterChef winner do you most admire?
They are all great cooks in their own right.
Who is your favourite chef?
I love Nigella Lawson. I'd like to think that I cook just like her.
What is your favourite dish to eat and cook?
Fresh pasta. I just got myself an Italian pasta maker and I love that I don't buy packet pasta anymore and it tastes so much better. The kids and I have fun making pasta and they enjoy eating it too. Always use "00" flour.
What is food do you most dislike and why?
More like style of cooking I dislike is the science of cooking (molecular gastronomy).
Name three of the most important tips you have learnt since you began cooking?
1. Always rest your steak after you have cooked it to your liking before eating it.
2. Clean as you cook. Never leave your dishes to pile up when you cooking. Try to multi-task and clean as you go. A clean bench top means clear headspace. A happy cook gets you a yummy meal.
3. Teach husband tip 2.
Tell us three things about yourself that most people probably wouldn't know.
No comment.
