Aussie Rules
JULY 17TH, 2009
Aussie Rules
We sat down with Curtis Stone, the Aussie chef known for approaching women in the supermarket and helping them make a special meal, to get his top five tips for making the most of summer entertaining.
1. “Start with one ingredient and build on it. If you find great asparagus, get it. If entertaining outside, picture the smell of the grill or the cocktail in your hand and what you want to eat with the asparagus—maybe it's crispy prosciutto, parmesan cheese or scallops.”
2. “Have a glass of wine. Straight away your cooking improves. People drop their guard, and I think what holds people back in the kitchen is a lack of confidence.”
3. “Do a bit of preparation. It might be that you've made the dessert and it's ready to roll. Or it might be that you make the salad, you mix all the stuff together and you mix the dressing and it's right beside it, so it's just ready to pour over.”
4. “Save a job for someone when they arrive. It takes the burden off you too. A drink is a good place to start, because everyone knows how to make a drink. Or even a serious job like grilling. Just have everything they need ready for them.”
5. “Little touches. When people entertain, and do it well, there's a few, really small touches that make it feel as though they've gone to some effort for you. I usually pick a bit of fresh lavender and stick it in the bathroom or put out some finger bowls with rose petals and a slice of lemon.”
Curtis' cookbook Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone and cookware both available at the Bay Downtown, 674 Granville St., Vancouver, 604-681-6211, www.hbc.com
See Joy Pecknold's sit down with Stone on today's Editors' Diary.