my toughest critics

So I thought I should introduce you to the people who have helped me in the kitchen, whether that be by inspiring a recipe, giving me advice or constructive criticism, helping me to create my blog, or making my creations disappear!

mum and sis

merlo,holly,gaye,candace,zac

mum is the lady to thank for my passion for food. we have been spoiled with amazing home made food since the day we ditched our baby bottles. my school friends were always so envious, as mum always piled us up with leftovers for lunch, and generally they would be into my lunchbox before i got a look in.  i had to start taking a second one!

the foods of my childhood; things that i still consider to be my absolute favourite; better than any 5 star dining experience, include crumbed chicken (with loads of herbs and parmesan), potato gratin, beef casserole, chicken coq au vin,  beef rissoles (trust me, you haven’t tasted good rissoles until you have tried mum’s… the pistachios and dried apple, along with lashings of shallot gravy are what made these super special), mum’s special chocolate cake, homemade waffles with icecream, strawberries and chocolate sauce, vanilla soufflé with chocolate sauce, the list goes on. these are always the things candy and i pray will be on the table when we visit for dinner.

candy – my sister, is the experimental chef. we have pretty different cooking styles, but it is a good thing. she loves trying asian dishes and things i might not have the patience/guts to try. i love her chicken mee krob… although it has been a while… candy??? her german pastries are the best too.

josh

 

 

josh does pretty much all of the above.  he is the one who helped me to setup my domain name and blog (although i am pretty much on my own there now as he tends to get easily bored 😉 ). josh helps me in the kitchen with prep, cooking, eating and cleaning and also takes alot of the photos. he is a pro at making fresh pizza and pasta.

laurie

laurie & i

laurie, otherwise known as frenchie, has the same passion for food as i do.  we have cooked up some storms in the kitchen together, and laurie has shared some fantastic french recipes with me and my family, some of which now make regular appearances at mum’s deli, or on the dinner table.  laurie and i worked together at the deli, and she is always there to help out in the kitchen at any family events (we call her our french maid hehe).

nicola

nic & i

nicola likes to bake – mainly sweet things – and she is damn good at it too! nic is always there to lend a helping hand in the kitchen.  but most of the time, you can find her standing in her designated kitchen spot, supervising from afar and keeping me entertained. she is a great food critic (often gives me and my food more credit than i/it deserve/s) and is my’bitchin’kitchen’s number 1 fan :) .