There is a simplicity and resourcefulness in the food here that has definitely influenced my cooking. After living in New York with every possible ingredient at my fingertips, I have had to adapt to a more limited (and realistic) pantry. Only cooking with that is in season and is readily available. There’s a certain type of creativity that comes from these limitations.
The produce here is incredible — most of it is grown locally or from neighbouring Spain, and as the summer season is so long you get peak summer produce for the majority of the year! I am grateful to be able to make the most of this.
Another big highlight for me is the seafood — coming from New Zealand I have high expectations of the kai moana, and whilst I still agree that our seafood is the best in the world, the cooking techniques here are seriously delicious. In particular, a dish called arroz de marisco, or seafood rice. Somewhere between a paella, a risotto, and a bouillabaisse — this rich brothy dish is so unbelievably good.
It was a whirlwind! It’s always a treat to be home, and after two years away it felt overdue. I managed to spend some time in Melbourne on my way through which made the trip a little longer too.
I feel so lucky that I can retreat to this patch of paradise. Living in nature as my parents do, you’re immediately dropped into the landscape, which is so energising and refreshing. Waking up and seeing the lake every day, walking through the garden and picking vegetables for dinner, enjoying my outdoor showers, spending some time out on the water, and breathing in the sweet mountain air — these little rituals anchor me and recharge me, ready to head back out into the world.
I would love to! It’s been such a fun project and I feel like we’ve found the perfect way to work together despite living on opposite sides of the globe.
After a lot of research, conversations, and thinking, it seems a hurdle we all face is the daily “what’s for dinner” dilemma. At the end of the day, we all just want to eat something easy, delicious, and inexpensive to make. So we created What to Cook Tonight — a weekly newsletter with three seasonal recipes, plus a shopping list. We’ve designed the recipes to complement one another — reducing waste and saving you time and money. There are ideas for substitutions and additions, how to make things gluten-free or vegan, scale up or down, etc.
Mum and I have such a great working relationship, we each bring different skills to the table and complement each other very well. I’m really good at creative concepts, ideas, and art direction, and Annabel is truly the best at figuring out a recipe and making sure it is foolproof, as well as flagging when we could do something in one step rather than three.
Together, we have one foot grounded in NZ, and one out in the world — which I think is the perfect balance! An endless source of ideas and inspiration that always relates back to where the majority of our audience lives. It also means that we communicate a lot — and continue to nourish our wonderful relationship. I am sooo grateful for that. It’s been a year of the newsletter, and we have big plans for the future! I am excited.
There are so many! Japan has been on the list for a long time, as well as South Korea. We recently got a taste of South America — there is still so much to see there. I would love to visit Columbia, Peru, and Bolivia. After traveling so much last year, we’re trying to travel less this year, but will see how that goes… I’d love to take a train across to Madrid, and then up to San Sebastian and Biarritz, and just eat everything. I went as a kid but I need to refresh my memory!
Of course! I love cooking on the open fire — there is something so primal about it, and it delivers such a wonderfully smoky flavour. Again, there is a sense of resourcefulness that I love about it. You have to adapt to the environment and learn a new skill. I find that empowering — you can’t always control the conditions but if you can adapt and learn, then you will grow and expand as a person. A good metaphor for life, perhaps.
The biggest lesson I have learned about cooking with fire is time. It takes time to build up a good fire, and you want to be cooking over coals rather than an open flame. If I’m cooking something substantial like a leg of lamb or a chicken, I will often build a little fire with wood and then start to feed it charcoal. Once the charcoal is covered in a layer of white ash, it is ready to cook on. The best way to keep your fire going is to make sure the flame has a way to draw air — oxygen is critical. If you build a fire in a deep hole, it won’t be able to breathe.
Lastly, always ensure the area you are cooking in is not too windy, and nothing nearby could easily catch alight. Keep a bucket of water at hand should any emergencies arise, and follow local guidelines to ensure you practice fire safety.
These easy flatbreads work well with all kinds of filings but this savoury antipasto mix is my current favourite. They are delicious cooked over the barbecue or a hot pan at home, and can be easily transported for picnics and adventures — little pockets of deliciousness!
- 2 cups self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 cup plain runny yoghurt (not Greek)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 each large red and yellow bell peppers, white membranes and seeds removed, thinly sliced
- 2 fat cloves garlic, finely chopped
- finely grated zest of ½ a lemon
- a pinch of chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp capers
- ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or ½ tsp dried rosemary)
- ½ tsp salt and several grinds of black pepper
- 90g/3oz feta, crumbled
To make the dough, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the yoghurt and the oil and mix until dough comes together in a soft ball. Put to one side while you make the filling.
For the filling, Heat the oil in a frypan. Add the sliced peppers and ¼ cup of water and cook over a medium heat, stirring now and then until the liquid has evaporated and peppers are softened without browning (15 minutes). Add garlic, lemon zest, and chilli flakes and stir over heat another minute. Take off the heat and add capers, olives, and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You should have about 2 cups of filling.
If not cooking flatbreads at once, transfer the filling to a lidded jar and chill, it will keep for up to 3 days.
Use floured hands to shape the dough into a rough log and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into 18cm/7in rounds, using a little flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Repeat this process with the remaining dough until you have 6 flattened breads.
Spoon ⅙th of the antipasto filling (around ⅓ cup) onto the middle of each piece of flattened dough. Crumble the cheese and divide evenly over the top of the filling, then fold up the edges of your dough in 5 or 6 pleats to join in the middle, covering the filling and forming a round parcel. (You want the filling to be surrounded by the dough). Turn the flatbread over and use a rolling pin or the palm of your hand to gently flatten it into about a 10cm/4in round. Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling until you have 6 filled rounds.
When you’re ready to cook the flatbreads, preheat a barbecue or heavy-based frying pan to medium heat and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden, puffed, and cooked through. Serve warm or at room temperature.
The flatbreads can also be stored in the fridge and reheated in a frying pan or a 180ºC/350ºF oven for 5–8 minutes.
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