My story

I'm a French chef. I trained in France, with a BTS in Hôtellerie-Restauration specialising in culinary arts and the art of the table, including an internship in a Michelin-starred kitchen. Then, straight after my studies, I packed my knives and moved to Australia, where my French diploma and kitchen experience were recognised with an Australian Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery.

Here I kept cooking and kept learning: from cook to head chef of a traditional Mexican restaurant, then FIFO, feeding hundreds of people a day in mining camp kitchens. Fine-dining training and bulk cooking are two different worlds, with the same rule in both: never waste good food.

Cooking runs in the family. My Mamie, my grandmother, was a wonderful home cook. I only found out a few years ago that her dream was to be a chef: different times for women. She showed her love through her cooking, and that's what I do too, for the people I love. My dad cooked with love as well. My mum never thought she was a good cook, but her food is still the food I crave.

I'm also endlessly curious about the world's cuisines: right now, I'm in love with Persian food.

A knee injury took me out of the professional kitchen, but not out of cooking. I still had all these tips and tricks to share, so I wrote them down for you.