Samantha Taylor Interview

Every now and then you meet someone who teaches you a life lesson! Samantha Taylor is one of those people. I ‘met’ Sam when we were taking part in Freshly Blogged – which she won – and after chatting virtually for some time, we met up in real life for coffee. This is a friend I know I will have for life – thank you Sam for your grace! If you want to read Sam’s blog, take a look here.

Who has been the most influential person in your life?

I adored my Matric English Teacher.  She was incredibly well educated and she spoke so beautifully.  Miss Mendonides used only the very best grammar and pronunciation and because of her I fell in love with words, how they sounded and all the ways you could use them.  She was meticulous and disciplined and gracious, I wanted to be just like her.  I often wonder if she would red pen my work or if she would simply enjoy reading it.  If I had not been drawn to food first, I think I may have been an English teacher just like her.

What started you on the path to cooking?

I have always loved to bake and cook for as long back as I can remember.  The first thing I ever made was chocolate cake.  When I was at school I used to bake chocolate cakes to sell whenever we needed to raise funds to go on basketball tour.  I loved making an enormous cake that made people half want to tuck in and half want to faint. I knew early on that I wanted a life around food, I never thought I would be an actual chef though!

Which three ingredients could you not live without

Olive oil, butter and garlic

Which kitchen tool would you take anywhere and everywhere?

I adore my Kitchen Aid mixer.  I use it every other day, not exactly the most mobile kitchen tool, but I would struggle to live without it.

Do you have any pet peeves in the kitchen?

When the cheese is not properly wrapped in the refrigerator and it goes hard on the outside something that seems to happen a lot around here.  The second would be people who don’t like to share recipes – urgh! what is that about?

Which meal is your all time favourite?

Lemon roast chicken with crispy roasted potatoes.  Best comfort food ever.

Which restaurant could you visit over and over again?

Its hard to pick a favourite, we are so spoilt for choice where we live. I will drive to Franschhoek to eat Sacred Ground’s pain au chocolate, I would visit Bread and Wine every other week for Neil’s risotto and I still dream about the night we ate at Heston’s Dinner in London.

If you could only have one recipe book which would it be?

Only one?  I would have to choose my Larousse Gastronomique, every classic dish is in there, its my most prized kitchen possession after my kitchen aid.

If you could work alongside one chef for a day which would it be?

My absolute food crush is Bill Granger, so definitely him!

Which ingredient will you not eat or cook with?

Okra.  Simply awful stuff.

What is on the top of your bucket list?

On my kitchen bucket list is to perfect macaroons.  On my travel bucket list is to explore Venice with my love.  On my family adventures bucket list is to take my kiddos to Disneyland. And finally on my to do bucket list is to learn piano.

What is your food philosophy?

Life is complicated, food is simple.  Don’t confuse the two.

Any parting words?

Food is not a competition.  {Even blogging is not a competition.}  Food is something to share, something to pass down, pass over, pass across to another human being.  Food, well cooked and well intended is love, respect and longevity in motion.  Do not allow anyone to intimidate you out of the kitchen, get in there, put on a pretty apron, whip up something and have fun doing it.

Just reading these answers you can see so many similarities between Sam and I! And the parting words – so true! 

What I blogged:

• three years ago – Wholewheat Chilli Pancakes

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