Introduction

Someone recently asked me how my food has changed over the years. I’d have to answer that as my shopping list of potential ingredients has increased the more I’ve travelled, so has the potential for mixing ingredients in harmony. However, the one thing that has remained constant in my cooking is a desire that flavour and texture be the pivotal characteristics. I have stages when I realise I’ve been on a bit of a Turkish bent (I consult for a restaurant in Istanbul called ‘changa’ and go there frequently) or stuck on a Japanese theme for a while, then decide I should head back to the ‘mixing grounds’. Where an ingredient is grown isn’t important to me. That I marinate New Zealand lamb in a mix of Thai chilli and Japanese mirin, then serve it on grilled Spanish artichokes and Jersey Royals doesn’t bother me in the slightest. There are many chefs cooking beautiful, authentic regional food, but I’m not interested in such a pursuit – I love to eat it but I don’t want to cook it. I cook what excites me and the world as a whole excites me more than a region defined by political boundaries.