Thursday 5th June 2025

Last Sunday morning, when I was knee deep (arm deep?) in a heap of cooking, Dave asked me, “apart from it being physically hard, do you miss being a Chef?”

It was an interesting question.

I really, really loved working for TAFE, not least because of the reward and satisfaction I got from being involved in changing people’s lives.

When I was a teenager, I worked in pharmacies, which I quite liked too. I got to hang out with my Dad; have way more responsibility than a teen should (which I loved); and earning my own money for the first time taught me a lot!

But being a Chef, well that’s what my soul loved the most. I love cooking. Not just a little bit, but a lot. I like every part of the process from shopping to preparation, to cooking and of course eating… but nothing makes my heart sing as much as the cooking part. Feeding other people and having them appreciate it, well there’s not much else makes me so happy.

So, while I don’t actually miss being a Chef, because being on your feet for 8 or 10 hours a day (or more) is not something I’d probably manage anymore, I do miss the cooking part.

While the recognition and reward of cooking for customers, family or friends is probably the big motivator, I like cooking for other reasons too. Seeing something through from beginning to end is satisfying, and given science subjects were my favourite at school, it’s no surprise that I also like the chemistry elements of cooking. Yeast is a fascination of mine… the way you need to provide perfect conditions for its growth, and how it magically transforms flour and water into bread. I may have become a baker, except those very early morning starts, and low pay was never that appealing!

Luckily, I still get lots of opportunities to cook. It’s been 20 years (this year) since I worked as a paid Chef, but from time to time I cater for the odd function or two, and very occasionally I donate a dinner party as a fundraiser for charity. Obviously most days I’m cooking for Dave and me, and once every week or so Will and Emma or other friends join us for a meal. My friends generally let me do the cooking if we go away together and sometimes, I randomly cook a big batch of something for no other reason then to give it away.

This past weekend, I did heaps of cooking.

My sister had given me a couple of dozen limes from her prolific tree, which inspired me to make some marmalade as gifts, but things got away a bit from there.

Over the weekend I ended up making a Thai lime and chilli dressing for an Asian-style salad; lime cordial; lime and ginger marmalade (all with Bek’s limes); plus, a dark fruit cake; a large batch of granola; and the best Focaccia I’ve ever had. What a fabulous cooking weekend!

Spending a whole weekend doing little else bar cooking is my idea of fun, but I realise for others it isn’t. I did also watch Will play footy in Ganmain on Saturday afternoon, and Dave and I went for a walk both days (yay!) but apart from that, I was mostly in my kitchen. Sure, not as intellectually rewarding as some tasks that have kept me busy in the past, but none-the-less I find it extremely satisfying to see lots of home-made food items ready to give away.

Before I finish this post, a little more about the Focaccia, which was so delicious I can’t stop thinking about it.

It was from Recipe-Tin-Eats and I agree with Nagi’s comment on her website that it is “incredible”. She describes it as, “how a timeless and traditional Italian Focaccia recipe should be – ridiculously soft and fluffy inside, just-crispy on the outside and with a signature ​chew​ from the secret ingredient – potato.”

I’m not sure why the addition of potato makes it extra special, but it definitely does. It went perfectly with our Chicken Parmi dinner on Sunday night, and we may have also eaten quite a bit of it, still warm from the oven, while watching a movie. Better than the potato crisps or popcorn we sometimes have while watching TV!

I’ve had a couple of days in Sydney this week working on the final touches in our small studio apartment to prepare it to launch on Airbnb in a month or so. I also squeezed in some lovely catch-ups while there with four different friends, plus my beautiful sister. Having time to spend with peeps is definitely a wonderful benefit of not working!

On Monday evening Katrina and I walked all over Barangaroo and Darling Harbour seeing the Vivid Festival lights and we ate at the iconic Golden Century which has recently re-opened inside the Crown Casino. While the dinner was somewhat underwhelming (too high an expectation on my behalf possibly), the lights along the waterside were amazing. Get there if you can before they finish on the 14th of June!

OK, it’s time to get some jobs done and pack my bag for a long weekend away with my three siblings. I’m sure I’ll have plenty to share next week after a fun weekend in Brisvegas with my faves! How lucky I am to have a brother and two sisters who I adore 😍

In the meantime, stay warm everyone, and Happy King’s Birthday to you all!

Sara xx