Teacups and Sauces

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” 

― Virginia Woolf

Growing up in Sydney, food has always been a constant in my household, and always in abundance. However, it wasn't until my eyes (and stomach!) were opened up to the world from travelling that I started to become rather obsessed with food. Of course, there are a number of factors that have helped fuel this obsession... 

1. Moving from Sydney to London. Leaving home, the first thing I came to miss, like all the other expats here, was the home-cooking. Vietnamese and Chinese food, whilst readily available, just did not hit the spot the way a home-cooked meal did. So over time, after numerous phone calls to my parents and stocking up of various ingredients on each return trip to Australia, I began cooking some of the homely dishes I craved the most. From that point on, I came to enjoy and love cooking and the satisfaction that came from creating a beloved Asian dish from scratch.

2. My passion for travelling. Having had Europe on my doorstep for quite awhile now, I have taken the opportunity to do MANY weekend trips. Over this time, I’ve lost count of the numerous Ryanair and Easyjet flights I’ve boarded, the lengthy queues through customs, and of course, the ungodly times that we had to arrive at the airport. I can, however, recall some of the best meals, dishes and snacks I have had on my journeys and the places I would love to revisit, be it, for a specific restaurant, a dish or some other tasty morsel. Over the years, I have also started cooking more European and Western dishes. I count Jamie Oliver as one of my BFFs (Best Foodie Friend). My first risotto was from one of his recipes and, since then, I’ve continued to try numerous dishes from his tv shows and cookbooks. Italy and Italian food is a firm favourite - it still beguiles me just how many variations of pasta dishes there are and how I never tire of trying them! It goes without saying that my travels, eating and cooking extend to the rest of Europe also.

3. My love of all things sweet, pretty and rustic. All of the aforementioned can usually be found in a cute little deli, patisserie or bakery. In particular, French Patisseries and Boulangeries spring to mind immediately. A few years back, I deliberated long and hard and then finally decided it was time for a break. So I quit my job, packed my bags and flew to the South of France to undertake a short French patisserie and cooking course. It was great fun and opened my eyes to the wonderful world of cakes and baking and the technicality of some of these French creations. At the time I went around sampling French cakes and macarons like there was no tomorrow! I left France with a renewed enthusiasm for all the sweeter things in life. 

With so many cookbooks, tv shows, new restaurant openings, and most importantly the friends and family who share this common obsession, my passion for all things food related continues. Catch-ups provide the opportunity to sample a new menu; holidays are centred around a region, restaurant or even a dish; and downtime is for trying out new and tasty recipes. For me, sauces are the condiments to dishes just as loved ones are the accompaniments to meals. Without them, eating would be rather bland. I hope you enjoy my blog ‘Teacups & Sauces’ just as much I enjoy writing it. X