Conversations
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Jo Corrigan and Matt Donnelly at Mushrooms Anonymous
Yesterday I drove north to chat to Jo Corrigan and Matt Donnelly out on the five acres they farm at Romsey. Romsey is 60 kilometres north of Melbourne and near Mt Macedon. The earth is a rich chocolate colour as a result of basaltic and volcanic lava flows and was the perfect place for Jo…
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Aidan Robinson at Chic de Partie
What an absolute pleasure to talk to Aidan Robinson from Chic de Partie. Aidan got in touch with me through Instagram and I am so happy he did. He is one of those chefs who so love what they do that it almost shines out of them. Aidan always knew he wanted to be a…
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Paula Delapenna at En Casa Cooking Space
What started as a blog and a way to connect to her family, friends and home country, Argentina, has become a thriving business for Paula Delapenna. Paula makes the famous Argentinian sweet treat, alfajores, and sells them online through her site, En Casa Cooking Space, and in markets around Melbourne. She also makes beautiful, rustic…
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Esca Khoo at Miss Mi, Mvenpick Hotel
Esca Khoo is a rising star, although he doesn't really know what to do with such accolades and the press coverage he has been receiving since he stepped into the head chef role at Miss Mi in the Movenpick Hotel. Esca is humble and self-aware and never imagined that he would be where he is…
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Ha Nguyen at Otao Kitchen
Funny story. I actually met Ha in the spa pool in my apartment building. He was talking to some other neighbours in the pool about restaurants and about his cooking school, Otao Kitchen, which obviously piqued my interest. I told him about Conversation with a Chef and very happily for me, he agreed to talk…
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Tony Twitchett at Taxi Kitchen
When I went to Taxi Kitchen to speak to Tony Twitchett, there was a lot going on in Federation Square. There were people ziplining across the Yarra, Harry Potter fans dressed as wizards, primed for the 20th anniversary free outdoor screening of Harry Potter, The Philosopher's Stone, children running towards the 16-metre-tall Christmas tree in…
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Vincent Uso at Canele Alain
Vincent Uso is the French guy behind Canele Alain, a pastry business in Richmond making the unique little cake from Bordeaux, the canele. Vincent does a great job describing what these special little treats are in the conversation, so I'll leave that to him. If you have never tried a canele, you absolutely must. They…
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Jose Lorenzo Morales at Pacific regional winner of the S. Pellegrino Young Chef 2019
My food is an expression of myself, my character and what I believe in. Thats what I tried to put on my plate for the competition. Every lesson I learned and connected with, I integrated into my dish. Thats why I called it Analogy, because having all these overwhelming elements and practices and traditions, flavours…
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Telina Menzies at Australian Venue Co.
Telina Menzies came to my attention through her Instagram stories and posts. She posts photos and stories about food and the great people who surround her and her two French bulldogs. You can tell from her posts that she loves what she does and has a heart for the hospitality industry and the mental health…
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Alan Chong at Tian 38
Ultimately, I love serving food. I think it is one of the most intimate acts you can do; to cook a meal and present it to someone, whether you know them or you don’t know them. I think it is a very intimate gesture. You are giving another person something that you have spent God…