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Sydney Morning Herald
24-06-2025
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
The secret kitchen wisdom that top chefs and cooks swear by (and you should too)
It's often the tiny differences that improve your cooking. Here's the advice from the experts including Poh Ling Yeow, Donna Hay and Maggie Beer. The best ideas are often the simplest. The same goes for cooking. In our popular column The Dish, we ask some of Australia's most influential people what cooking wisdom they live by – among many other burning questions. Here are the golden nuggets from some of our top cooking talent that you can apply in your kitchen, too. Lennox Hastie, owner-chef, Firedoor, Sydney I always say cook the food you want to eat – it sounds stupidly obvious but it's everything. You have to make yourself happy first. You have to choose the ingredients you want and there's nothing worse than cooking something you don't love. Silvia Colloca, Italian-Australian TV personality and cookbook author It's imperative the pasta is not overcooked. The concept of al dente [resistance to the tooth] matters to Italians, and it matters to me. It's more important than you think and not as snobby as it might sound. It mostly applies to dry pasta. As a rule of thumb, if the packet says 11 minutes, take it out after nine or 10 minutes because it continues to cook with the residual heat. Andrew McConnell, chef and restaurateur Less is more. I wish I had learnt this earlier as a chef, but it's something you learn on the job as your palate matures. It has a lot to do with you as a person and what you like, and not so much the technical aspect of cooking. In the southern countries of the Mediterranean, they do this so well. Brigitte Hafner, owner-chef Tedesca Osteria, Victoria I learned very early on from [Sydney chef] Kylie Kwong about when to season. It's essential, and many people put the salt at the end, but for me, salt is there to extract flavour, not to add anything. I would say you must always season carefully and purposefully. And, of course, taste as you go. Poh Ling Yeow, TV presenter and recipe writer I learnt about balance from my mum – salty, sweet and sour. At the end of cooking a meal, it's all about these three things. Clare Smyth, chef, Oncore It's about buying the best-quality produce you can afford. That rule never gets old. Buy what's in season and keep it simple when you cook. Eat more vegetables is another one – it's better for us and better for the planet. Sarah Wilson, Australian author and podcaster My mum had six kids and was so good with food. The wisdom I got from her is 'do not peel vegetables or fruit'. A lot of the nutrients are in the skin, and that's the same with meats. I use the last little bit of everything. I reuse lemon peels, the skin on chickens and the fat on meat. I also live by this mantra: If in doubt, eat as your grandmother or great-grandmother used to eat. Diana Chan, TV host and writer As simple as it sounds, it has to be 'taste as you go'. Many cooks forget to taste their food, but I am always checking the flavour as I cook. It's important that when the dish hits the table, it should have the perfect amount of seasoning. Donna Hay, tastemaker and recipe writing legend For me, it's about combining simple ingredients that punch above their weight, rather than adding more when you're working on a dish. 'Less is more' is always the key. Maggie Beer, Australian cooking legend Produce is the key, as is simplicity. Make produce shine by using the right cooking technique, and have the confidence to keep it simple. Shannon Martinez, owner-chef, Smith & Daughters, Melbourne Observing my paternal grandmother, Rosa Martinez, in her commission house kitchen is where I learnt a lot about cooking. I would plant myself with her in the kitchen whenever she was by the stove. It's where she spent most of her time. We would talk, and I would observe her gentle style of cooking. As a young chef, you see a lot of aggression in the kitchen, but I liked her passion with a gentle approach. Marion Grasby, TV presenter, food writer and entrepreneur Never wash someone else's wok. A well-seasoned wok's patina is a work of art and a labour of love. Scrub too hard or use harsh detergents and all that love gets washed away. Do the dishes but leave the wok, please. Guillaume Brahimi, French-born chef and restaurateur The best advice I heard as a chef is that seasonal ingredients are everything. It doesn't mean they have to be expensive, but in season is a must when cooking. I don't try to cook with produce that isn't available. I learnt that as a young boy growing up in France with my family – we always shopped from markets as we needed items. I do that with my work as well. Shopping in season is the most cost-effective. Hugh Allen, chef at Vue de Monde, Melbourne It's a common piece of advice, but starting with incredible produce really makes all the difference. If the base ingredient is exceptional, you don't need to do much to make it shine. Helly Raichura, owner-chef of Enter via Laundry, Melbourne My cooking style is instinctive, and I continue to approach the kitchen in the same way. I hold on to the basics I learnt growing up in an Indian household – like how to cook rice, chapati and vegetables. And in Australia, I go with what is fresh and in season. Stephanie Alexander, Australian cooking royalty
The Age
24-06-2025
- General
- The Age
The secret kitchen wisdom that top chefs and cooks swear by (and you should too)
It's often the tiny differences that improve your cooking. Here's the advice from the experts including Poh Ling Yeow, Donna Hay and Maggie Beer. The best ideas are often the simplest. The same goes for cooking. In our popular column The Dish, we ask some of Australia's most influential people what cooking wisdom they live by – among many other burning questions. Here are the golden nuggets from some of our top cooking talent that you can apply in your kitchen, too. Lennox Hastie, owner-chef, Firedoor, Sydney I always say cook the food you want to eat – it sounds stupidly obvious but it's everything. You have to make yourself happy first. You have to choose the ingredients you want and there's nothing worse than cooking something you don't love. Silvia Colloca, Italian-Australian TV personality and cookbook author It's imperative the pasta is not overcooked. The concept of al dente [resistance to the tooth] matters to Italians, and it matters to me. It's more important than you think and not as snobby as it might sound. It mostly applies to dry pasta. As a rule of thumb, if the packet says 11 minutes, take it out after nine or 10 minutes because it continues to cook with the residual heat. Andrew McConnell, chef and restaurateur Less is more. I wish I had learnt this earlier as a chef, but it's something you learn on the job as your palate matures. It has a lot to do with you as a person and what you like, and not so much the technical aspect of cooking. In the southern countries of the Mediterranean, they do this so well. Brigitte Hafner, owner-chef Tedesca Osteria, Victoria I learned very early on from [Sydney chef] Kylie Kwong about when to season. It's essential, and many people put the salt at the end, but for me, salt is there to extract flavour, not to add anything. I would say you must always season carefully and purposefully. And, of course, taste as you go. Poh Ling Yeow, TV presenter and recipe writer I learnt about balance from my mum – salty, sweet and sour. At the end of cooking a meal, it's all about these three things. Clare Smyth, chef, Oncore It's about buying the best-quality produce you can afford. That rule never gets old. Buy what's in season and keep it simple when you cook. Eat more vegetables is another one – it's better for us and better for the planet. Sarah Wilson, Australian author and podcaster My mum had six kids and was so good with food. The wisdom I got from her is 'do not peel vegetables or fruit'. A lot of the nutrients are in the skin, and that's the same with meats. I use the last little bit of everything. I reuse lemon peels, the skin on chickens and the fat on meat. I also live by this mantra: If in doubt, eat as your grandmother or great-grandmother used to eat. Diana Chan, TV host and writer As simple as it sounds, it has to be 'taste as you go'. Many cooks forget to taste their food, but I am always checking the flavour as I cook. It's important that when the dish hits the table, it should have the perfect amount of seasoning. Donna Hay, tastemaker and recipe writing legend For me, it's about combining simple ingredients that punch above their weight, rather than adding more when you're working on a dish. 'Less is more' is always the key. Maggie Beer, Australian cooking legend Produce is the key, as is simplicity. Make produce shine by using the right cooking technique, and have the confidence to keep it simple. Shannon Martinez, owner-chef, Smith & Daughters, Melbourne Observing my paternal grandmother, Rosa Martinez, in her commission house kitchen is where I learnt a lot about cooking. I would plant myself with her in the kitchen whenever she was by the stove. It's where she spent most of her time. We would talk, and I would observe her gentle style of cooking. As a young chef, you see a lot of aggression in the kitchen, but I liked her passion with a gentle approach. Marion Grasby, TV presenter, food writer and entrepreneur Never wash someone else's wok. A well-seasoned wok's patina is a work of art and a labour of love. Scrub too hard or use harsh detergents and all that love gets washed away. Do the dishes but leave the wok, please. Guillaume Brahimi, French-born chef and restaurateur The best advice I heard as a chef is that seasonal ingredients are everything. It doesn't mean they have to be expensive, but in season is a must when cooking. I don't try to cook with produce that isn't available. I learnt that as a young boy growing up in France with my family – we always shopped from markets as we needed items. I do that with my work as well. Shopping in season is the most cost-effective. Hugh Allen, chef at Vue de Monde, Melbourne It's a common piece of advice, but starting with incredible produce really makes all the difference. If the base ingredient is exceptional, you don't need to do much to make it shine. Helly Raichura, owner-chef of Enter via Laundry, Melbourne My cooking style is instinctive, and I continue to approach the kitchen in the same way. I hold on to the basics I learnt growing up in an Indian household – like how to cook rice, chapati and vegetables. And in Australia, I go with what is fresh and in season. Stephanie Alexander, Australian cooking royalty
The Age
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Where Firedoor chef Lennox Hastie likes to eat in Sydney, Melbourne and San Sebastian
From a 'killer' sandwich at a Sydney wine bar to Victoria's long lunch destination of dreams, Firedoor's Lennox Hastie shares his favourite food and drink finds. , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. It's been 10 years since UK-born chef Lennox Hastie opened his two-hatted Sydney restaurant Firedoor, the 2023 SMH Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year. Now he brings his earth, water and fire charm to Tasting Australia, curating the menu for the Elemental Dining Series — making this his third appearance at South Australia's popular culinary festival, which is happening now until May 11. Chef Lennox Hastie in the kitchen of his restaurant, Firedoor. Edwina Pickles A five-year stint at current World's 50 Best number two restaurant Asador Etxebarri in Spain led to him opening the Basque-inspired Surry Hills wine bar, Gildas, in 2022. Recently, he bought out his business partner to become sole owner of Firedoor. Hastie took some time out to share his eating in and eating out favourites at home and in San Sebastian, the Spanish city he says inspired his famously flame-licked style of cooking at Firedoor. Chef Lennox Hastie cooking over flames at Firedoor. Edwina Pickles My signature dish and go-to at home It's grilled fish — barramundi with oil, lemon and a simple salad. Guilty pleasure I am sucker for cold custard. I will consume it straight from the fridge with a spoon. The kitchen wisdom I cling to I always say cook the food you want to eat — it sounds stupidly obvious but it's everything. You have to make yourself happy first. You have to choose the ingredients you want and there's nothing worse than cooking something you don't love. I am also definitely guilty of being the chef who uses every pot and pan in the kitchen at home, but I'd say clean as you go. That said, if I cook, my wife cleans up. My favourite hometown restaurant I look for places that are individual owner operated. In Surry Hills, Sang by Mabasa is a beautiful small restaurant run by a mum and dad duo, while their son and daughter work the floor. I can't go past their kimchi or shallot pancake. My favourite local cafe, bar and takeaway I love AP Bakery — it's just up the road from us, and because you can go to the rooftop, it makes the perfect escape in the city. I can't go past their Aleppo pepper and Asiago cheese scroll. When it comes to a local bar, it's Bar Copains. It's got a killer whiting sandwich on the menu. I also love a martini, I'm a straight shooter in that department, but also love a good wine by the glass if I want to try something I haven't before. Hastie loves the whiting sandwich at Bar Copains. Edwina Pickles There's a hole-in-the-wall Chinese dumpling spot in Cremorne called Fang Dumpling House. It's where we go for a quick takeaway. Favourite restaurant experience in Australia A long lunch at Tedesca Osteria in Red Hill in Victoria. It's the whole package — the fire, the garden, the rhythm of the kitchen, it's relaxed warm and welcoming. Chef Brigitte Hafner has an incredible love of ingredients that she wants to share. We ate the grilled duck, and she made the legs into a cassoulet with green beans. We dined there last year and are still talking about it. Anchovy on toast at Napier Quarter cafe and wine bar in Fitzroy. Eddie Jim When in Melbourne I love to eat at Fitzroy wine bar Napier Quarter. It's a firm favourite — incredible, understated and delicious. The anchovy on toast is great any time of the day. I always love Embla – it's not the new kid on the block but it gently hums to its own tune and Dave Verheul is an understated brilliant chef. His cooking is super sharp, seasonal and on point — it's a great bar and restaurant. Any of the raw beef or raw vegetable dishes with fermented pepper or chilli wins me over every time. I've been to Caretaker's Cottage bar a few times. It's a cracker — the atmosphere, the size, the welcome and its accomplished list of cocktails. I love coffee and tea and hit them hard. When in Melbourne, it's Market Lane for a double espresso. Caretaker's Cottage bar: 'It's a cracker'. Supplied ON THE ROAD Favourite food city My heart always goes back to San Sebastian in Spain. I went there as a young chef in 2004 to check it out and find some work, and spent five years there. I was hooked, it's an incredible traditional culinary place, where they respect food culture and the ingredients but also a place where there is a huge amount of creativity. You can eat well on every single level from the bars to high-end dining. Elkano is a traditional seaside grill where the food is incredibly done. Order a whole grilled turbot, baby squid and hake 'throats' so beautifully done with so much flavour. Bar Nestor is a classic spot to visit. They make tortillas twice a day and make a beautiful tomato salad and a great beef chop – think steak, fire and salt and nothing else. At Casa Camara live seafood is kept in the basement, which floods twice a day with the tide. Supplied Casa Camara it's a house that drops into the sea, it's spectacular. The dining room has a hole that runs directly into the sea and they pull up massive lobster pots and you choose your own lobster and they cook it for you there and then. If you're looking for somewhere to stay, I recommend the Lasala Plaza Hotel in the old town, or the classic Maria Cristina – a luxury hotel with a good bar.
