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Annabelle White: ‘Keep cooking casual’

The Weekly food editor believes the key to a good meal is to relax.
Annabelle White, cooking, womens weekly, new zealand women's weekly

Annabelle White is one of New Zealand’s best-known cooks, but as she prepares to tour the country to promote her 11th cookbook, Casual Cooking, the celebrity chef makes a surprise admission. Not only does she never watch any of TV’s favourite reality cooking shows, she also believes that they are deterring people from cooking at home.

“You have to listen to the cooks of New Zealand and so many people have told me they want recipes that are simple and easy. They don’t want complicated steps or ingredients,” says Annabelle. “Yes, people are watching these programmes, but confidence has now become a problem, so they are actually cooking less.

“When I was growing up, you learned cooking from your mother’s apron strings, which you supplemented with cookbooks, magazines and testing things out. “The amount of stress generated by these reality shows is so intense I can’t watch them. They are no good for my blood pressure!”

While it’s quite a surprise that someone so connected with food has removed herself from the shows that bring the drama of a kitchen environment into our homes, Annabelle (53) says she’s always cared more about the fun cooking creates than the end product.

“I’d last about half an hour in a professional restaurant,” she declares. “I want my food to be delicious, but I don’t see it as a forum for me to show off. “Chefs who do show-off books need to have a think about who they are actually doing it all for. For me, it’s about making something yummy and making people feel good.”

Which basically means keeping it simple. “My idea of a lovely Saturday night dinner is at home, guests in front of the fire with a gin and tonic, and me all prepared – I’ll have made soup on the Friday, possibly

something on Saturday morning and everyone will be relaxed.

“I’ve always said, ‘If I give you the recipe for a mousseline or a quinelle, you can take me out and shoot me.’ Cooking should be a joy – having friends for dinner shouldn’t be such a trial that by 5.30pm you’re exhausted and wishing you had never invited anyone around. “By trying desperately to run a five-star restaurant in your own home, you’re killing the joy.”

Annabelle lives alone and has no children, but lives next to her parents whom she adores and sees almost daily. Perenially busy, she is constantly flitting around the country and abroad – especially the US, where she lived for a year when she was younger. But when she is entertaining at home, she prefers to have the kitchen all to herself. Despite this, she is evangelical in her belief that cooking is a social sport to be enjoyed with friends and family alike.

Aside from the test kitchen team she works with as the Weekly’s food editor, the enthusiastic cook – not chef, she’s adamant about that – has several cooking partners in crime, including long-time friend and ex-All Black Frank Bunce, former Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe and TV presenter Paul Henry. Annabelle believes spending time in the kitchen is paramount to keeping a good relationship. “If I had to make a choice between good food and good company, I’d choose company and a burnt sausage any day.”

But while Annabelle is making it her life’s work to “bring the joy” into people’s lives with her cooking, she admits it’s not something she can always deliver personally. “I believe you can tell whether someone’s happy by eating their food. If they aren’t feeling good, you can taste it,” she says. “Not everyone has joy all the time, so if I can provide someone with a recipe for, say, soup, and it makes them feel better, then I’ve achieved my goal.

“But when I’m not in a happy, loving mood myself, I get a takeaway because I simply can’t cook when I’m in that space. “I can’t cook for someone I don’t like either. If I come across someone who’s mean, horrible and nasty, I physically can’t do it. Friends tell me that when the food stops, they get worried!” It rarely happens, though. “Frank [Bunce] told me years ago to always surround myself with positive people, as I’ll never change negative people – I’ll only irritate them,” she laughs.

Annabelle is showing no signs of slowing down. If anything, the resurgence of “impossible” cooking challenges on reality TV shows has made her even more passionate about keeping it simple for home cooks. “Making your loved ones a nutritious meal at night is fundamental to human happiness, as is sitting at the table at night with families or partners,” she insists. “It doesn’t have to be flash. Just a glass of wine and a simple stew is plenty. The important part is that it’s a joy.”

Always relaxed, Annabelle sees cooking as a social sport

Annabelle’s top tips:

  • Never try more than one or two new recipes at a time. If you’re trying a tagine for the first time, serve it with salad or steamed beans – something you can prepare ahead.

  • Keep your environment relaxed. Candles and soft lighting (I use a headlamp) makes the food look good and no-one can see the cobwebs.

  • Find recipes that use ingredients you’re familiar with. Once you’ve learned that recipe, try another one. If something doesn’t work out, don’t stress – just change things. For example, my last batch of biscuits didn’t work, so I crumbled them over vanilla ice cream and liqueur. Delicious!

  • Give yourself the chance to relax. If you’re stressed, you’ll never build confidence.

  • If desserts are lacklustre, sprinkle icing sugar on them – they’ll brighten up instantly. If guests are lacklustre, try the same tactic on them!

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