“The Dekton Strato benchtop and splashback in my new kitchen not only looks stylish with a matt finish that adds depth and texture, but it’s also highly indestructible — plus heat and stain resistant. Its stain-free qualities are truly incredible. I have spilt red wine, turmeric, food dye and chocolate on the benchtop, and all of them wiped off, which also means the bench is easy to clean as well as hygienic. It’s perfect for busy people like me. It’s an incredibly hard surface too. I have dropped a heavy pan onto it and the benchtop just stayed the same — beautiful, clean and blemish free. After a busy day cooking, prepping and shooting my web series at home, it comes up better than new. You can also cook with kids without having to worry one single second. It’s a pretty special product that can change my benches from a prep surface into a studio surface!”
— Emma Dean, on Dekton from Cosentino Australia

What do you love about your new kitchen?
The beautiful clean lines and how easy it is to keep clean. I had a party recently and red wine was spilt on the benchtop. It wiped up easily with no stain left. It’s nice to have friends around and have them up on the stools, sitting around while I cook and chat. It’s really social now, rather than before when it was dark and there wasn’t anywhere for my friends to hang out. When I’m cooking, the neutral colour scheme allows my ingredients, produce and finished results to sing. I love the soft-close doors too. I just love how it’s a really quiet space — there is no slamming of doors and drawers. I love it!

What are some special design features of your kitchen?
My kitchen is just beautiful, functional and spacious, with wide Dekton benches from Cosentino Australia, lots of storage, soft-close drawers and cupboards, hideaway bins, a slide-out pantry and Smeg appliances. I love the Scavolini cabinetry with contrasting finishes — timber grain and gloss white.

How has your kitchen changed since your old one?
My previous kitchen was an impractical ‘50s kitchen with no charm to compensate and a few flat-pack retrofits. The colour scheme was orange and light green. The benches were so narrow that I could not fit my chopping board on it, and the drawers were so small my large chopping knife didn’t fit. I had nowhere to store my stand mixer, so I left it on the kitchen table. Now, I have more bench space and much more storage. I can put things away and the kitchen looks really tidy. My old kitchen was quirky, but it was time for it to go. I cooked my whole cookbook in there — it was a big effort!

Did you face any challenges while renovating?
Not really. It was a great, fun project. I trusted Scavolini and I trusted Cosentino Australia because it was within their expertise. I trusted them for a lot of the finishes. Scavolini actually matched the cabinetry handles to the Smeg appliances — I didn’t even realise until it was all in, and it was lovely for that reason. You can make renovations hard if you want, but sometimes you’ve just got to let things go and trust people — and that’s what I did.

I just love that Smeg fridge. Is there a story behind it?
I chose it to pay homage to my old kitchen. I liked that I could have a beautiful, functional and modern kitchen and still honour my old, single-fronted, Edwardian weatherboard cottage. It’s nice to reflect on that, and I like the colour. It’s really beautiful.

What are some of your other must-have appliances in your kitchen?
I love my Smeg steam oven: it’s incredible! It’s a 700mm-wide oven, but it still has the capacity of a 900mm. You can even fit commercial trays in it. It also takes less time to heat and takes up less space. My built-in dishwasher is pretty awesome. Of course, you can’t see it because it’s behind the cabinetry, but if I put it on the professional setting, my dishes are done in half an hour! I also love my Smeg Linear cooktop. It cleans beautifully and doesn’t smudge — I don’t know what they have done to it. It wipes down to perfectly new every single time. I have the cute Smeg Retro kettle and toaster as well.

Is that a reference to your old kitchen too?
Yes, it’s nice. It’s really lovely to be able to combine the new and the old. I have some old jars and things in my kitchen, so it doesn’t look out of place.

What do you like to cook in your new kitchen?
I love baking lots and lots of biscuits and cakes because I’ve got the bench space now and you can really spread out to do beautiful things. I also have big parties and I can now cook a slow roast or a lamb roast.

Does your new kitchen play a role in what you are doing now post-MasterChef?
Yes, because my job now is cooking and trying out new things. Last night, I was up until midnight baking a cake for Denis Walter at 3AW radio just because I promised him the next time I came in I would bake him a cake. It’s really simple now and easier to clean up.

What else have you been doing since your winning days on MasterChef?
I’ve been doing lots of cooking demos, including at the Living Smart Festival at Lake Macquarie, the Royal Melbourne Show and I’m also cooking for 120 at an annual fundraiser. The following week, I’m at a vegetarian festival. So I’ve been doing lots of festivals and demos — it’s really fun. I’ve also been filming a little web series that’s still in post-production. It’s just for fun on YouTube — a bit of creativity.

What’s next for you after that?
There are a few projects in the planning stage, but I can’t say anything yet.

You’re keeping us in suspense!
There are a few things going on, but I just really want to get my web series up and going, and set up an online cooking school. It’s really nice to have a new kitchen so I can do an online cooking school. I’ll have trial classes at the end of this year and continue next year, depending on how it goes. You never know anything until it’s final!

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ABOUT DARREN SIMPSON

An Irish lad named UK’s Young Chef of the Year at 21

Worked in countless Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe

Head chef at Sir Terence Conran’s Sartoria in Savile Row, London, and Sydney’s Aqua Luna Bar and Restaurant

Created the award-winning Italian restaurant, La Sala

Celebs it up on Sunrise, My Restaurant Rules, and the Best in Australia TV series

Hidden high and away in the hills of Sydney’s northern beaches, overlooking sparkling Pittwater, is a modern two-storey beach “shack” and the unassuming kitchen Darren calls home. “I like the basics, nothing that’s too overindulgent. It’s not like I’m going to the moon if I’m making a risotto,” says Darren. Truffle risotto that is, or cheese on toast, albeit with the best gruyere Darren can get his hands on and a freshly baked baguette. His approach to this cheesy classic captures the Darren we love and a TV chef who likes to keep it simple.

“I’m big on functionality,” says Darren, “I’ve got stunning water views from my kitchen, so all I need is the perfect kit of appliances, a decent gas cooker, double sink, storage, and bench space. “I like an efficient work space and appliances that are powerful and easy to clean, or self-cleaning. That’s my idea of a dream kitchen,” says Darren.

“The tools that get the most use in my kitchen at home are my KitchenAid, which takes a real beating; mortar and pestle; and my nan’s old-fashioned beater. Now that’s an appliance that was built to last. “I also love cooking with the kids. I was lying in bed one morning and thought I could smell the gas on, so I went running upstairs to the kitchen expecting a fire and there was my son, frying up an egg for his breakfast.”

It’s clear that Darren’s home with his young family is about relaxation, the great Aussie outdoors, and fresh cooking. In fact, take a snap poll and you’ll likely find Darren…

–          Whipping up a dinner for Irish friends of boiled bacon, champ (mashed potato with scallions), parsley sauce, and roasted parsnips with honey and rosemary

–          Spear fishing with his two boys and being chased by Wobbegongs (“I don’t care what they say, a wobbegong is still a shark.”)

–          Grilling just-caught snapper with an Asian salad and lemon zest

–          Kicking the wind on his windsurfer

–          Barbecuing over a pit he dug out himself in the backyard “…because if you’re going to barbecue, you should use wood and fire for flavour, otherwise you may as well be in a kitchen.”

So what’s up next for this award-winning chef?  “I get off on the hospitality side of being a chef. A lot of good chefs have lost what hospitality is all about,” explains Darren. “For me, it’s all about the customer, not what’s on the plate or your ego.” A telling sign perhaps of Darren’s next big project, which is totally on the hush for now, however, this cheeky Irish chef has promised to reveal all soon.

Photography by Sue Stubbs 
Styling by Jane Frosh
From Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly magazine Vol. 19 No. 4

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Jamie Oliver, one of the world’s most engaging, entertaining and passionate chefs, chats about his must-have kitchen appliances and his checklist for a dream kitchen.

Tell us about your new appliance range with Philips.

Jamie: I choose my partners very carefully, but what’s always important to me is to work with people who get what I do and share my passion for making the very best kitchen kit. The guys at Philips totally got this from the start, and have been happy to listen, take my thoughts on board and help me create amazing products. When you’re a chef or a home cook, you want appliances that look good on your work surface, make your life easier, and work brilliantly to help you rattle out great food every time.

I’m a total geek when it comes to all of my products — whether it’s books, pans or kitchen kit — so I have a say in everything, right down to the noise that the button makes. The guys from Philips have been brilliant at working with my suggestions, but it’s very much been a two-way street — they’ve had ideas that have really impressed me too.

Why cornflower blue in the packaging?

Jamie: The inspiration behind the range, which includes the Philips Jamie Oliver Hand Blender, Blender, Steamer and Food Processor, was really simple: I wanted them to be beautiful, elegant and slick. Often, kitchen appliances have so many different options and functions that they become confusing to use. With this range, I wanted to strip it right back to simplicity and real power: really good engines, really good gearing, really nice motions — and be beautiful to look at.

Every tool has a splash of lovely cornflower blue, the colour I chose to match the clean retro shapes we’ve used — this stuff is meant to be shown off, not hidden away in cupboards. They’re really easy to use and I can’t wait for people to try them as I truly believe they’ll help busy families get fresh food on the table every day.

What’s the top appliance you recommend home cooks invest in?

Jamie: The Philips Jamie Oliver HomeCooker is a great piece of kitchen kit — it makes life much easier and time in the kitchen less stressful, particularly if you’re a busy working person or a parent. Simply rack it up then leave it to tick away while you get on with other things — the whole point is that it stirs things for you.

I use it in lots of ways — mostly on weekends when I’m at home with my family. And in the week, my wife really enjoys using it. She loves steaming food, so the HomeCooker is great as you can use the top to cook meat, fish or vegetables, while stirring a delicious sauce, stew or risotto at the bottom. It means you can cook the whole meal in one go.

What’s your idea of a dream kitchen?

Jamie: One with plenty of room so that you can move about easily and have all your kit out and ready to go. I suppose my dream kitchen is the same as most foodies — somewhere you can cook great food in a relaxed way because you feel comfortable and the space really works for you.

What do you love to cook for your wife Jools?

Jamie: At the moment, we’re cooking a lot of slow-roasts because it’s cold outside and it makes the house smell amazing. In the summer, it’s a question of seeing what’s looking good in the garden and creating beautiful little salads and pastas.

Why do you love educating people about food? Where does that passion come from?

Jamie: It comes from being a father, and it comes from caring about what people eat — I would like to think that anyone with an interest in food, and especially people that run restaurants, would have some sort of interest in what food does to people. For me, food should be a joy and make you feel good — if you’re eating rubbish all the time, where’s the joy in that? It’s not going to make you feel good. So I think it’s really just a passion for making food better for everyone.

You’ve taught the public so much about food; what is the most important message you hope they take away?

Jamie: That eating good food doesn’t have to be more expensive or difficult, and it doesn’t have to take a long time — the main excuses I get are: “I haven’t got the time” or “I can’t afford those ingredients”. It’s all about knowledge — if you’ve got the know-how, you can rattle out a delicious, inexpensive meal in next to no time.

Can you give us an example of a day in the life of “Jamie Oliver”?

Jamie: There’s never a day that’s anything like the day before. Sometimes I’m filming; sometimes I’m writing and editing recipes for a new book — which is what I’m doing at the moment — and sometimes I’m doing interviews or having meetings or testing new recipes for the Jamie’s Italian restaurants. Every day is different and that’s how I like it.

Jamie’s Tools by Philips (picture above) are beautifully crafted and offer great value for money and less stress in the kitchen. The Tools were featured in Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals TV series and book, and include a Hand Blender $79.95, Food Processor $179.95, Blender $89.95, and Steamer $69.95. Available from David Jones and Target stores.

From Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly magazine Vol. 20 No. 2

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We take five to chat to acclaimed Spanish-Australian chef Miguel Maestre about Spanish cuisine and his participation in upcoming event, MasterChef Live.

With an infectious smile and passion for food, Miguel Maestre has mastered his talent of applying Spanish ingredients and cooking styles to modern Australian cuisine. Miguel is the author of two best-selling Spanish cookbooks “Miguel’s Tapas” and “Spanish Cooking” and has several cooking shows including Miguel’s Tropical Kitchen and Boys Weekend. Miguel is also a regular on Channel 10’s The Living Room.

We recently sat down with Miguel to discuss his love of all things Spanish and his upcoming event, MasterChef live. Here’s what he had to say:

Q: As a Spaniard and advocate of Spanish ingredients, what is it you love most about Spanish cooking?

A: Spanish cooking is all about sharing so make sure you have all your family or friends over to get involved in the cooking and the eating.

Q: Where do you recommend Complete Home readers who have not experienced Spanish food before, start?

A: Keep it simple, use very fresh products with the best ingredients and make sure you enjoy with lots of sangria.

Q: With several successful cooking shows and appearances, you must cooked in countless kitchens; which one stands out in your mind and why?

A: EL Bulli in Roses, Spain because it was a dream come true cooking next to my idle and the best chef in the world. – Ferran Adria. The best culinary experience of my life. Words could not describe.

Q: What 5 ingredients can always be found in your kitchen?

A: Garlic, rice, saffron, spanish paprika, lemon. The basic ingredients of the Mediterranean diet. And of course lots of bread and extra virgin olive oil.

Q: Which kitchen appliance can you simply not live without?

A: My Thermochef and my Kitchenaid.

Q: What are your tips for throwing together a last-minute meal, for when unexpected guests drop by?

A: Spontaneity, imagination and always have jamon (Spanish ham) and queso (Spanish cheese) in your fridge to keep them entertained while you cook up a storm.

Q: You’ll be participating in the Mystery Box Challenge at this year’s MasterChef LIVE; are there any ingredient you’re hoping won’t come out of the mystery box?

A: I love every single ingredient in the world – all are very welcome.  I can’t wait to take part in the Mystery Box Challenge alongside fellow chefs and contestants. I’ll be taking part on Friday 5th October and am really excited about the challenge!

Q: Which Chef or former MasterChef contestant are you excited to see in action during this year’s MasterChef LIVE?

A: That really cool Spanish guy who is really handsome, a fab cook and a family man….

Catch Miguel Maestre at MasterChef LIVE in October 2012!

MasterChef LIVE will offer everything from celebrity chefs, to cooking classes, demonstrations, luxury food shopping and even activities for the kids!

MasterChef LIVE will be held at the Hordern Pavilion and Royal Hall of Industries, Sydney. The event will run for three days from Friday 5th October, to Sunday 7th October, 2012.

Book your tickets at www.ticketek.com.au and for more information about the event visit www.mastercheflive.com.au

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Moving beyond the magazine, cookbooks, recipes and kitchenware, Donna Hay opens up to Karen Miles about what inspired her love for cooking, classic design, and why her cupcakes are just so delicious.

By Karen Miles, Editor of Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly magazine

Photography by William Meppem

ABOUT DONNA HAY

Donna Hay has been cooking since the age of eight.

She’s an 18-times award-winning author.

Her working life began as a food writer and stylist, then food editor of Marie Claire.

Living in Sydney, Donna is a mother of two boys and wife to husband, Bill.

Visit her vintage-inspired General Store at 40 Holdsworth Street, Woollahra NSW

Karen: I recently visited your General Store and completely fell in love. It reminded me of baking days at my Nan’s home when I was little. What was your inspiration?

Donna: As a little girl, I loved playing shop. I’d beg my sisters to be my customers or let me be the customer. So when the opportunity arose to “play shop” as a grown-up, I couldn’t resist. The store actually came about on the back of our readers constantly asking where they could find some of the items used in our photo shoots. So rather than list everything as “stylist’s own”, I decided to give people access to some of the great finds they see in the magazine. Overall, the interior design of the store is about presenting every item in a chic and desirable way. It includes elements like little curio box shelves to display product. It’s a beautiful old sandstone building with a white and chocolate colour palette. I put a kitchen in the store so we could bake some of the products from the food range — and who can resist walking into a store that smells of baked treats?

Karen: Without doubt, your salted caramel cupcake is the best I’ve ever tasted — what’s your secret?

Donna: My grandmother taught me very early on that baking is as much a science as a passion. So make sure you follow the recipe, don’t improvise, and adhere to cooking times and temperatures! My other tip is bake with love – cakes don’t work if you bake angry!

Karen: What is the inspiration for the signature blue in your branding?

Donna: It’s the combination of a blue sky full of ideas and the ocean that I have loved being near every day of my life. And from the technical side, most food has yellow hues, so a blue plate or background actually balances the image.

Karen: Your approach to food and products is not only beautiful but very accessible to the everyday, inspired home chef.

Donna: I have always been very proud to call myself a home cook and my approach has always been that I create products and recipes as much for myself as everyone else. I know how hard it is to find inspiration for school lunches and weeknight dinners and fit a busy work life around it. So making everything beautiful but approachable is top of mind for me. I’m also passionate about shortcuts that give people confidence in the kitchen so they can prepare a meal in less time with pantry staples and fresh supermarket ingredients.

Karen: What would be your dream meal?

Donna: Any meal that is shared with family or friends and ends with ice-cream is a winner for me.

Karen: And your idea of a dream kitchen?

Donna: I love big, wide benches and lots of shelving and cabinets to tuck things away, with custom spots to put all the essentials. I keep my kitchen benches very clear, so it’s like a blank canvas every time I cook.

Karen: What’s the one kitchen appliance you can’t live without?

Donna: I must admit it’s now my iPad, not technically a kitchen appliance, but it has changed the way I cook. The ability to follow recipes and swipe through pages from the screen has changed the way I approach cooking and added a whole new dimension to my kitchen experience.

Karen: How did your collaboration with Royal Doulton come about?

Donna: I had the good fortune of working with David Jones on a self-titled range for their stores. When Royal Doulton were seeking opportunities to work with new food personalities, I was lucky to be introduced to their team based on the success of the earlier range. I then had the experience of working with their design team to develop my ideas and work with them as the product took shape, the colours were confirmed and the range launched across the world.

Karen: What’s next for you in 2013?

Donna: There is always excitement ahead; it keeps us all on our toes. My new book has me sharing a fresh approach to my cooking and I’m excited to say there are some very exciting developments in the digital and online space. Stay tuned!

From Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly magazine Vol. 20 No. 1

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By Karen Miles, Editor of Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly magazine

Karen: You first started making cakes in Year nine at school — what did your teachers think?

Adriano: My school work wasn’t too good but the cakes were a hit. They were nothing fancy, just marble cakes with icing, but back then that was pretty out there. I had an attention problem at school, I couldn’t focus. I was always thinking of stupid, silly things to do and I’m still a bit like that. When I’m in the kitchen I feel quite calm because I’m constantly doing something or playing around with a design to make it work.

Karen: How was it stepping into the MasterChef kitchen for the first time?

Adriano: I was very nervous. I got thrown in there. I was originally just helping them out with a challenge — so I went to get the croquembouche ready, organise the recipe cards, drop it off and go. Two nights before the shoot they called and said they had this crazy idea to put me on camera — it was like, “We don’t know if we’re going to do it yet but bring your chef whites with you when you come in.” At that stage Gary and George hadn’t used any other chefs on the show; they were doing all their own challenges. I went on and it was a success, so they started bringing in more chefs. It was a good thing.

Karen: Does your work ever feel like “hard work”?

Adriano: It’s all hard work! It’s different “hard” work. In the early days of the business I did what I wanted, no one knew about me so there was no pressure. Now, everything that goes into the shop is critiqued by every blogger and food lover in the world. There’s also a lot more staff and consistency issues. I’ve got to think of the next thing to be ahead of everyone else, look for ways to improve on my product, and have a vision for where the business is going.

Karen: I get to look at incredible kitchens every day working on our magazine, but what’s your idea of a dream kitchen?

Adriano: Space. It would be very minimal and sleek, where everything like pots and pans and containers are hidden in cupboards. I like things to have their place. My dream would also be to have my kitchen at home open up into the backyard, to enjoy cooking outside.

Karen: What appliances can’t you live without?

Adriano: My commercial Unox Combi oven — I can steam, extract heat and it even washes itself. I also like my Thermomix and a good freezer — I have a blast freezer and a three-door under-bench freezer. I’ve extended my normal kitchen at home to have a commercial kitchen at one end.

Adriano Zumbo’s Chocolate Fondant Cake

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