Everyday I receive emails from school students, apprentice chefs and foodies from right around the world asking me questions on a variety of topics. So here are some the most people quick questions, be sure to check my Frequently Asked Questions section as well.
1. Favourite Dish?
Shrimp on the Barbie sprinkled with Alpine Pepper and a Lemon Myrtle mayonnaise
2. Favourite Ingredient?
Moreton Bay Bugs or Balmain Bugs which are similar to slipper lobsters. They both have a succulent sweet flesh and are great either on the BBQ or in a pasta dish.
3. Favourite native Australian ingredient?
I really enjoying using paperbark to smoke all types of meats, poultry, seafood and vegetables.
4. Favourite white wine?
Riesling from Margaret River in Western Australia
5. Favourite red wine?
Pinot noir from the Yarra Valley in Victoria
6. Most essential kitchen item?
My Ice-cream machine, as the ideas for flavours are endless for ice creams or sorbets.
7. Outback or beach?
Beach - love the Great Barrier Reef.
8. Myspace or Facebook?
Facebook – visit my profile. It's rather addicitive sometimes.
9. Must have travel gadget?
My Bose Noise Cancelling headset. Helps get a perfect sleep on the plane.
10. Favourite city for food?
Las Vegas – Amazing electric city at anytime of the day and fast becoming one of the greatest cities in the world for food
11. Favourite takeaway?
Chipolte, I enjoy the burrito with grilled chicken, cilantro-lime rice, tomato salsa and guacamole.
12. Whats the perfect weekend?
Spending time with my partner Jen
13. What’s on your iPod?
A real mix - Esikmo Joe, John Butler Trio, Barenaked Ladies, Dixie Chicks, Sneaky Sound System and Missy Higgins. Add to this a stack of podcasts from Bill Maher, CBS 60 Minutes and 2GB Radio.
14. What won't you eat?
I remember in Thailand being offered deep-fried cockroaches. Just couldn’t bring myself to do that.
15. What do you think is the best part of being a chef?
It’s creating something that that people enjoy with flavours they have never tried before. Being a chef provides endless boundaries.
16. Favorite type of restaurant?
I enjoy having Yum Cha for lunch on the weekends with friends family. For dinner I like a seafood restaurant which offers does a simple grilled fish or prawns.
17. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten?
Nato in Japan. It’s soybeans which have been fermented and are a highly nutritious food which is typically served for breakfast in Japan. The smell was really bad and I just couldn’t stomach it.
18.What are your weaknesses as a chef?
I always have to have the best ingredients which are usually the most expensive.
19. Is it easy to cook for you or are you critical?
I’ve had people paranoid about cooking for me because I am a chef, but it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. Never critical.
20. If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing?
I’d be a pilot. It’s always been a passion since I was young.
