CLASSIC MARTINI

Even though I was classically trained at a young age and have cooked for more than thirty years professionally, when I am cooking at home I feel my family stretching out before and after me. I feel the hand of my Meme, her deft touch and innate understanding of flavour, and I take great pleasure in cooking with my girls, not just showing them how to make this or that, but also passing on the love of the process just as much as the result.

I grew up cooking with my mother and grandmothers. The first dishes I grappled with were simple – ratatouille, lasagne, crumbed schnitzel, stuffed capsicums – passed down over time, cooked without fuss but with a real understanding of flavour, of detail. It was addictive. Crafting something from raw ingredients, investing in the process, caring every step of the way. And then I got to eat!

Kingfish kibbeh nayyeh

SERVES 4-6