When did you first get in to cooking and do you remember the first recipe you tried?
I always loved helping out Mum cook chinese dishes, from filling dumpling pastries to making handmade noodles and dropping them in a boiling pot of hot water. But the first recipe I ever tried on my own was a gingerbread one...where I thought "ground ginger" meant to cut up pieces of fresh ginger root and grind it down by hand.
What's your kitchen like and how do you keep organized when cooking?
We currently rent, and have very limited bench space, but would say it's got what we need, 4-gas hob stove, oven, slate grey tile black splash, and an ikea kitchen trolley. My pantry(s) is a current nightmare and I'm definitely on task to make it more organised. I tend to keep all herbs in one area, pastas & carbs in one basket, baking ingredients on one shelf, and sauces and syrups all grouped too. My ideal kitchen would have a big galley pantry so I can see everything and walk by it like picking a book out of a library!
When I cook, I like to try clean empty bowls and used utensils as I go.
What tips would you give to someone wanting to become a better cook?
Practise is key and if something feels off mid cooking, then you're most likely right!
If you're baking, always weigh everything if you can, otherwise measure precisely. If you're cooking, taste as you go..and clean as you go!
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party and what would you cook for them?
Nigella, I would start with scallops in shells on a bed of pea puree with some sort of fruity cocktail, with a main of prawns & black rice stir-fry, and then finished off with a good wedge of peanut butter cheesecake from her recipe book with a side of salted caramel ice cream
Do you do any other crafts and what are your hobbies?
I also do a spot of makeup and hair on the side, but hoping to make that a full time venture!