Ten Minutes with Jen

Jen spends a lot of time asking probing questions of other staff members at Lochiel, so I thought it was time she had her moment in the sun. Here's a few questions I asked her:

What's your favourite home-cooked meal?

It's probably my Mum's spinach and fetta pie with filo pastry crust. I'm sure the recipe would have originated from an issue of Women's Weekly circa 1982, but it's beautiful! She didn't make it that often when I was growing up because it involves quite a lengthy process to make, but it was so worth it!

What's your favourite thing that we eat for staff lunch?

It has to be one of Monique's AMAZING pizzas. There are no rules and anything goes when it comes to toppings - broccoli, chickpeas, salami, asparagus, pumpkin, blue cheese... And the pastry is always stunning.

Are you reading/watching anything interesting at the moment?

I've almost finished reading a book called Cleaving which is the follow-up to Julie Powell's now famous novel Julie & Julia which was made into a movie starring Meryl Streep. Although her previous book was really lighthearted and self-indulgent, Cleaving is way more serious and even a bit dark. It's a true story about her undertaking an apprenticeship at a butcher's outside of New York. There is a lot of detailed description in there about cutting apart animals and I must admit I had to skip the part where she explained how a cow is slaughtered!

On TV I've discovered an excellent show on SBS called Supersizers Go... which is hosted by a British food critic and a comedienne. Each episode is based on a different period in British food history and the pair have to live, dress and eat as Victorians or Edwardians, for example. So fascinating and also funny at the same time!

What did you do on the weekend?

I decided it was time to crack open the bottle of Perrier Jouet champagne that I was given for my birthday which my partner and I enjoyed with roast chicken and veges. We also went to my parent's house and had some amazing Mauri Artavaggio cheese which is a bit like tallegio which they had brought back from Simon Johnsons in Pyrmont.

See! I told you my whole life was food!

What do you have planned for the Christmas break?

Hopefully I will be able to spend as much time as I can with my sister who will be visiting from Edinburgh for a few weeks. We'll probably go and have lunch somewhere in the Rocks and hang out in the Blue Mountains. I also hope I'll get a chance to go to the South Coast to enjoy the beach and take my dog for some decent walks!