DINE&WINE
Your recipes are always simple, but contain a lot of soul. Is that the secret of your popularity? - Food shouldn’t be complicated. Good food is honest, warm and connects peo- ple. When I was just getting started, I didn’t want cooking to come across as an elite artform. I wanted to show view- ers that anyone can make magic in the kitchen, if only they dare to try. And, yes, it isn’t the end of the world if you burn something! What’s important is that you’re together at the table. How does your festive family feast look at home? – Very picturesque (laughs)! There are lots of us – five children, friends, rel- atives etc. It’s turmoil, songs, piles of plates, the smell of roast meat, cinna- mon and wine. I love that chaos, because it means the home is full of life. My fa- vourite moment is when everything goes quiet for five minutes. Everyone has full bellies; they’re tired and smiling, and someone puts an old Frank Sinatra vi- nyl on the record player. It’s then that I think: “There you go, that’s Christmas”. The holidays are a special time of remembrance for many. Is there some special dish that transports you back to your childhood? - Yes, my mother made an incredi- ble Christmas pudding, the old English style, with dry fruit and rum. I hated it when I was a kid. It seemed “too serious” to me. And now I adore it because every bite takes me back to that kitchen in Es- sex, to the smell of warm butter and can- dles. That’s actually the beauty of food. It doesn’t only nourish the body, but also the memory. Looking back over your career, it seems as though you’ve always remained loyal to the idea of family cooking and togetherness. - Absolutely! I think the world is moving too fast, and that the kitchen remains one of the few places where people really talk. While you mix a sauce or chop vege- tables, you’re fully present - in both body and soul. That’s therapy, that’s together- ness. That’s also why I still try to inspire people to cook and share meals, and not to forget the importance of those small moments.
Many people associate you with Italy and the Mediterranean. Are they your greatest sources of inspiration? - Yes, the Mediterranean is in my heart. Its cuisine celebrates simplicity – olive oil, bread, tomatoes, wine, fish etc., everything is honest and clean. It was in Italy that I learned that food has a rhythm, like music. And the Amalfi Coast, Sicily and Apulia – these are places where even bread has a soul. I return there whenever I can, because it reminds me why I fell in love with this job. Are you the type of person who always seeks out the local market when you travel privately? - Of course! (laughs) When I arrive somewhere, I don’t go to a souve- nir shop, but straight to the market. The true spirit of a country is visible there - colours, aromas, spices, people. Those are my museums. That’s how I discovered the most amazing spice for lamb in Turkey, the best yoghurt in Greece and olive oil that knocked me off my feet in Croatia.
Which destination has a special place in your memories? - Japan. That precision, respect for food, attention to every detail. It’s a total- ly different world. And everything is so quiet and calm. I learned there that si- lence is also part of the flavour. The holiday period is also a time of reflection. What are your little life philosophies? - To be grateful. And to slow down. We run constantly, chasing work, plans, perfection, and we forget that the best moments are those that are unplanned. That’s why I try not to do anything “big” for Christmas each year. Just to be pres- ent. To listen how the children laugh, to toast with friends and remember how fortunate I am that I have a home that’s full of love and food. And, finally, what would you wish for Elevate readers on the eve of 2026? - For them to relax! And not to view this holiday period through a list of tasks, but through the people they love. For them to light a candle, play some music and enjoy the aroma of cake.
68 | Božić » Christmas
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