ABOUT ME
I always enjoyed cooking as a kid but didn’t think that was what I wanted to do as a career. It was always my fall back if other things didn’t work out. I ended up going to polytech and studying other things there but always found myself ending up in kitchens. The advice I was given (and that I now give to others) is if you don’t have a passion for cooking, don’t become a chef. Being a chef is hard work; the hours are long and antisocial, and the pay is crap. Also, if you don’t like where you are working, leave. Life is too short and if you are a good chef it is easy to find a job.
Getting into my later years and having worked in hospitality now over 20 years, I’m realising that cooking to order in a busy cafe or restaurant is a young person’s game. There are days when I ask myself, ‘why am I still doing this?’ But then I remember how much I still really enjoy it, and it helps working with great people. I am getting into that part of my life where I still want to be cooking but maybe in catering, teaching, menu development, or even food photography.
MY CULINARY JOURNEY
I started out in the kitchen when I was around 17, working weekends as a kitchen hand at a busy restaurant. Gradually I transitioned into full time work and became a commis chef, eventually working all the way up to head chef. I’ve been lucky enough to work with top chefs in cafes and restaurants in Christchurch and Auckland. I’ve learned a lot and enjoyed (almost) every moment of it.
Thanks to the rise of cooking shows, celebrity chefs, and social media, I’ve encountered a lot of new chefs thinking they know everything and wanting a lot of money, but lacking any of the knowledge, skill, or experience to back any of it up. Not wanting to wash dishes or to do any of the shit jobs that help build your skill set and understanding of how kitchens run really shows that you aren’t willing to do the hard yards. You can always tell the people that have washed dishes from those that haven’t. If you are starting in a kitchen bring a great attitude; skill can be taught, attitude can’t. The right mindset will take you far.
With this website I aim to add as many recipes as I can that I have come up with, worked on, evolved or tested in my time.
TTCP
Taste
Texture
Colour
Presentation