What drew you to cooking as a profession?
I like to cook in the same way as I like to breathe. I’ve just got to do it, no choice. It gives me life.
How did you go about writing Chefs Wanted?
I came up with the recipes in this book purely with young, adventurous chefs who love cooking in mind. Recipes that are not only fun, and sometimes a bit challenging, but result in world-class, crowd-pleasing, restaurant-standard dishes, like ramen, profiteroles, BBQ ribs, sushi.
Why did you write a recipe book specifically for children?
Most kids naturally like spending time in the kitchen – I’ve yet to meet a child who doesn’t enjoy cooking. Most like it, others LOVE it, but pretty much everyone is up for a good play in the kitchen. Young chefs love the creativity, mess, and physicality of chopping, beating, and rolling. There’s all the toys you get to play with too, from slotted spoons to springform tins, funnels to food processors.
Why should someone become a chef?
Part of the joy of being a chef is bringing pleasure to other people – whether customers in a restaurant or your friends and family. It’s vital it makes you happy too, of course, but seeing the faces of those you care about light up as they sit down to a proper meal you’ve made from scratch – now that really is a proud moment.
What sets Chefs Wanted! apart from other recipe books?
Being a chef is part artist, part scientist, and 100% magician. Chefs take everyday ingredients and magic them into scrummy munchables. In Chefs Wanted!, my aim is not to teach how to make great kids’ food, but to make great food – full stop! It’s not always going to be easy, but many of the best things in life need a bit more effort to win the big prize.
This is not a baking book, nor is it a cookbook for kids who want to make the same recipes you see on kid’s menus. Kids are going to learn to think like a chef, serving up food that no-one would believe a kid could make.
Do you have any parting words for our readers?
Calling all young chefs!
Wash your hands, aprons on – your chef training starts NOW!