What is it about the market experience that you love?
The market ticks so many boxes of my favourite things. I am a big routine girl, so I love the ritual and the familiarity of going to the market each week. Grocery shopping and planning what to cook is a passion of mine. Being outside and getting up early are two things I love. Chatting to people who aren’t necessarily my friends is something I missed desperately in lockdown, and everyone at the market is down for a chat – especially about food! And then there is the visual element – admiring all the gleaming fresh fruit and veg; noting subtle changes each week of things coming into peak season; admiring people’s outfits and their dogs. And last but not least, there’s always an opportunity for a snack and a coffee. I think the idea of ‘chores’ and meal prepping can be a real drainer, so reframing the weekly shop as a pleasant experience feels really important to me, and sets me up for a good week if I can have a full fridge to start off with!
You are known for your vibrant interpretations of food. What is it about fruit and veg and food generally that inspires you?
The passion for drawing food for me is twofold. Firstly, the beauty of a lot of fresh produce, or plated up dishes is always quite striking, even if I’ve seen something a hundred times before! But I think the reason for that—and this is equally as important I think—is the emotional reaction I have to ingredients and dishes. It’s nostalgia, it’s recognition of something familiar and it’s connection - to other people and other cultures and other times in my life. Food is really colourful and naturally full of patterns and textures as well, so it has all the makings of a good composition for an artist to make magic with!
What’s your philosophy in the kitchen?
I am not a very good baker, and that is because my philosophy in the kitchen revolves around having fun and being creative. In most savoury contexts, this goes well. I feel like if you take mental notes throughout your life of good flavour pairings, then file those away and learn some basic techniques: caramelisation, cooking low and slow, seasoning etc. If you have these things up your sleeve, you can have a lot of fun playing in the kitchen, and cooking can be less of a performance for others or a process of following steps of a recipe, and more of a playful and rewarding experience.
What essential items do you always keep in the cupboard?
As I mentioned, grocery shopping is one of my favourite hobbies, so I like to keep a fairly *impressive* pantry at all times. I find I can eat pretty well just from the pantry/freezer if I keep on top of it and can’t face the supermarket for a while. I always keep: chickpeas, lentils, pasta, rice, good tuna, sardines, olive oil, peanut butter (crunchy!), dark chocolate. And then in the freezer: bread for toast, frozen peas, frozen spinach, frozen raspberries, Rana ricotta and spinach tortellini, some chicken, and homemade bolognese. I could probably live from my own supplies for at least a couple of weeks!
Your most nostalgic dish?
I think so many Australians would say this, but Spaghetti Bolognese. I love every version of it – my mum’s version, my aunties’ versions, a bougie ragù version in a restaurant, my friends’ versions. Everyone uses different types or mixes of mince, different veggies and different methods to make it. It’s incredibly nostalgic and always delicious, even when it’s kind of, objectively speaking, bad!
