A few years ago, I visited an upcoming chef in her home in Tasmania to interview her for a British magazine. The idea was simple: over lunch, she would discuss her food and life.
I had travelled from Sydney for the meeting. Despite the journey, the experience was awkward. The food was too rich and salty. The chef was tetchy and difficult. As we sat down to eat in her garden, she wandered off to feed her goats rather than stay and chat. Later, when I tried to do a radio interview at the restaurant itself – after my partner and I spent $400 to sample her cuisine – she snapped at me.
Yet, within days, she
