I have successfully made rotis from Justin’s latest recipe book and I am sure that this new round of The Ultimate Braai Master will inspire another great book. Here is my interview with Justin Bonello.
Who has been the most influential person in your life?
To narrow it down to one person would be really unfair, so I’ll go with the obvious – my folks, my wife, my family and my friends.
What started you on the path of cooking?
My journey with food was born out of the necessity to know what I had to do with the crayfish that I dived, the mussels that I harvested and the fish that I caught, and that necessity that came out of respecting nature sparked my love for food and cooking.
Which three ingredients could you not live without?
Beer, butter and garlic.
Which of your kitchen tools would you take with you anywhere and everywhere?
I’m a bush cook so I don’t really have any kitchen tools other than my digits that I take along with me wherever I go, but the one thing that I would take from my kitchen would be my set of Global Knives.
Do you have any pet peeves in the kitchen?
Yes – cleanliness is next to godliness. I hate a dirty kitchen – I don’t want to eat food from one or be in one!
Which meal is your all-time favourite?
I love a clam bianco vongole, which is a clam pasta.
Which restaurant would you visit over and over again?
It would have to be my mates Franco and Ezzio’s restaurant, Magica Roma in Pinelands.
If you could only have one recipe book, which one would it be?
It would have to be the Silver Spoon – it’s huge book and has about 2000 recipes from all around Italy – a must have in your kitchen!
If you could work alongside one chef for a day who would that be?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with lots of chefs for a day – and sometimes longer, but if I had to choose one that would stand out would have to be the late Keith Floyd.
Which ingredient will you not eat or cook with?
I won’t touch anything that’s been processed into an unrecognisable form where I can’t understand the ingredients that are in it anymore.
What is on top of your bucket list?
I live my bucket list every single day in the places that I travel to and the things that I am fortunate enough to experience, so no particular list, although I do have a very big bucket list book that I’ve been steadily working my way through for years.
What is your food philosophy?
Grow your own vegetables, eat your own vegetables and if you’re going to eat meat, make sure that it’s ethically farmed and harvested – and definitely no fast food!
Disclosure: This interview with Justin Bonello was facilitated by Liané van Zyl from Soapbox Communications & Events. This post is in line with my blogging policy.
What I blogged November 11:
- two years ago – Pizza Sauce
- three years ago – Interview With Massimo Bottura
- four years ago – Presto Pasta Nights
- five years ago – Chicken Casserole
Great post, Tandy! I enjoyed reading it!
PS. In case you wouldn’t know: Tortadellafiglia has moved to a new address http://tastefolio.com! Hope you’d like to stop by!
Have a lovely day!
Marcela
I have stopped by, and have been watching while you load your posts!
I have never heard of Jutin Bonello. I really like his approach to the bucket list! He lives his life to the fullest!! 🙂
He does indeed 🙂
I love his philosophy on growing your own veggies. I’ve been wanting to do so, in my apartment, for such a long time. Wonderful interview.
It would be amazing to grow even just tomatoes in your kitchen Kia 🙂
Beer, butter and garlic. Good things.
For sure!
I love his food philosophy. Great interview Tandy.
Thanks Pam 🙂
How wonderful that Justin lives his bucket list. There really is something in approaching life like that. Also really appreciate his food ethics, we are really getting into our home garden, a little expensive to set up, but now it is in full swing, we are saving a lot each week.
A home garden is so worth the initial expense 🙂
Such a great interview. Love his philosophy on life. Now I need to get that Silver Spoon recipe book. 🙂
I am sure that Amazon will have it!