ghurt and filled with cardamom , sugar and almonds , then fried . So different to anything else I ’ ve made . It felt so gratifying to see all her friends and family at the party enjoying my treats , and this inspired me to research more into Persian baking .
What are your 3 favorite pieces of baking equipment or tools and why ?
Number 1 would have to be my small offset / drop spatula . It is like an extension of my hands when I ’ m in the kitchen , small enough to carry in my back pocket and so useful for smoothing out cake batter in a pan , trimming parchment paper to size , and lifting cookies off a hot sheet pan .
As I love using orange and lemon zests in all sorts of things , a microplane grater is essential . It makes zesting a breeze and so satisfying to see the beautiful zest tumble down as you grate . And no more knuckle blood from those box graters !
Sieves or all different sizes . People are always trying to get away with not sifting their dry ingredients . But it doesn ’ t take long to do , helps to lighten batters and distribute salt , baking powder and spices evenly through flour . I also love the act of sieving fruit purees , and seeing the velvety sauce form underneath .
Who have been your strongest culinary influences and why ?
My mother was someone who took great care to do things properly . When we were little , she had a little take-away Chinese restaurant and we would spend hours after school picking off the straggly ends of beansprouts . I was so surprised to learn in later years that not everybody does this . I have inherited my mother ’ s pedanticism ( pedantry ?)!
Gail and Kevin Donovan , whose restaurant I did my “ apprenticeship ” with , have also been strong influencers . From them I learnt the meaning of hospitality – that food is primarily a vehicle to bring people together and show warmth and conviviality . Their motto was “ do what you have to do to make others feel good when eating here .” I try to remember this when I get too serious about the food itself and need to look at the bigger picture .
From Sami and Yotam , I learnt to be bolder with flavours . If something is going to have spices or herbs , then go for it !
There is something really special that has been happening in the Ottolenghi incubator for years now , that we the grateful public , are happy to benefit from . What is it about the atmosphere there that has promoted this vortex of top notch food and creativity ?
There is a real sense of openness to ideas . Anyone who feels passionate about doing or creating something will always be given the opportunity to show herself . And because of the openness and honest feedback at meetings , ideas are allowed to cross-pollinate and incubate . It is not for everyone — some find this candour a bit brutal and feel discouraged by it , but for those of us who value it , it provides a creative challenge which I think takes us to the next level .
What are your 3 favorite cookbooks and why ?
The Cook ’ s Companion by Stephanie Alexander — it is an A-Z reference book with information on thousands of ingredients , and really good recipes written in an encouraging way .
The Food Lab by J . Kenji López-Alt , because I am also a culinary nerd , and combining science and food is a beautiful thing
Stars Desserts by Emily Luchetti – This was one of the first books I bought when I started baking , and the liberal use of fruit in her cakes and desserts really chimed with me – something to do with my Asian heritage I think , where fresh fruit is considered god ’ s candy .
If you could bake something for anyone liv-