Amanda Niehaus

WHO: AMANDA NIEHAUS
WHAT: ECOLOGIST, PHOTOGRAPHER & WRITER
WHERE: BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
VISIT: www.easypeasyorganic.com

FFF LOVES…  well, we just love Amanda. Strong, passionate and gorgeous, she is our No 1 Organic-FFF!

What are your staples?
I like experimenting with different flavours, but my basics are: extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, flour (every kind you can imagine!), sea salt, cumin, lime, Barambah Organics milk, veggies and herbs from the garden, coconut milk, beans (of all sorts), passata and butter. Real, organic butter.

What are your indulgences?
I wish I could say I didn’t indulge every day … but life’s short, right? I love homemade mayo, sour cream, coffee, Green & Blacks chocolate, red wine, and Ivyhome Dairy organic ‘mud cream’ (FFF notes: Mud cream is cream so thick, it’s just one step away from butter!).

What can’t you live without?
Robbie. Wait, you mean food? Then, dairy. Specifically, sour cream. And I discovered in eastern Europe this year that there are whole cultures based around sour cream. Love it.

What is past its use-by-date?
I just found two wilty kale leaves this morning … poor little guys. Actually, I’m pretty good at using things up – I hate wasting food. A lot of my recipes use up those sad, lonely little ingredients.

What is your pantry craving?
Space. We live in a townhouse so I look at all those spacious country kitchens in magazines and drool. Sometimes I wonder … do we actually need a second bedroom? Nelle could sleep in a pantry, couldn’t she?

About Amanda (in her own words):
I’m an American ex-pat, living in Brisbane with my two favourite people in the world – Robbie (my partner) and Nelle (our 3 year old). And a really cute Jack Russell. And now, a garden. And I suppose you could say I live with my laptop, too – I’m on it so much.

After having breast cancer at age 32, I decided to eliminate as many chemical contaminants in my family’s life as possible – you know, the pesticides and herbicides and BPAs and funny unpronounceables … and Easy Peasy Organic was born.

My philosophy is that having a healthy, sustainable lifestyle can be easy, cheap, and practical. So my recipes are based around stuff you’re likely to have in your pantry (or, ahem, should have), and things you can create with a 3 year old pulling on your skirt.

My background is actually in ecology (I even have a PhD!), but cancer and motherhood have taken me down another path. Now I write about food, and living, and even science. I take lots of photos and spend a lot of time with my friends … and of course, my two favourite people.

Luke Mangan

WHO: LUKE MANGAN
WHAT: AUSTRALIAN CHEF AND RESTAURANTEUR
WHERE: SYDNEY, AUS
VISIT: www.lukemangan.com

FFF LOVES… Luke’s new book The Making Of A Chef, a fascinating account of Lukes career and life as one of Australia’s most popular and internationally renowned chefs.

What are your staples?
Green tea, olive oil, sea salt, ginger, garlic and wasabi.

What are your indulgences?
Expensive wine — French Montrachet is a favourite. Great Australian cheese and Haigh’s chocolate.

What can’t you live without?
My Volvo and my Blackberry — I’d die without it.

What is past its use-by-date?
My wardrobe! Could do with a good shopping expedition…

What is your pantry craving?
At the moment some basic ingredients. I tend to shop as I need it. I also have a love for Wagon Wheels and ran out last week!

About Luke Mangan:
Luke Mangan is a multi-award winning and internationally recognised Australian chef and restaurateur, media personality and an active participant in food and industry events both within Australia and internationally. Luke’s career began at  15 under the tutelage of the great Herman Schneider at the famed Two Faces restaurant in Melbourne. After completing his apprenticeship, Luke moved to London to work under the guidance of the chef and owner of The Waterside Inn, a three star Michelin restaurant in Berkshire, England. It was here that his love affair with top quality produce and cuisine as well as a distinct soft spot for French classics began. Luke has owned and operated a number of award winning restaurants and bars. His current portfolio of restaurants includes Glass Brasserie at the Hilton Sydney, Salt Tokyo in Japan, and South Food + Wine in San Francisco, with more planned in the near future. Luke is also a consultant for Virgin Group, a role secured after Virgin’s owner Richard Branson invited him to be a celebrity guest chef on his private island. In 2004, Luke was invited by the Australian Embassy in Copenhagen to showcase a number of Australian menus during the week of the royal wedding of Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson. More recently he was invited by the Red Cross and Danish Embassy to cook for the royal couple at several events on their Royal Australian Tour in March 2007. Appearing on a number of food programs both in Australia and overseas, Luke is Channel Nine’s Today Show chef and has featured on NBC’s Today Show many times. Recently Luke filmed his first TV program in Asia, Appetising Adventures with Luke Mangan, which recently aired in the US and Australia. Luke is the author of three cookbooks, including BLD, co-authored by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Lisa Hudson, Luke Mangan Food, and more recently Luke Mangan Classics. He has also worked as a food editor, penning popular columns in the Good Living section of The Sydney Morning Herald and Epicure in The Age in Melbourne.

Natasha Lester

WHO: NATASHA LESTER
WHAT: AUTHOR - What is Left Over, After
WHERE: PERTH
VISIT: www.natashalester.com.au

FFF loves… this gorgeously written first novel. A must-read for all women.

What are your staples?
Every herbal tea you can imagine, tins of tomatoes and tins of tuna, dried fruit, pizza flour for homemade pizzas and baker’s flour for homemade bread, Vegemite and Bellamy’s organic apple snacks, rice cakes and porridge for the kids

What are your indulgences?
I love to drink tea — so delicious and exotic teas are a favourite indulgence.

What can’t you live without?
Books! In the case of my pantry, it’s recipe books. I have far too many of them especially considering that, being so busy at the moment, I basically have only a dozen or so recipes on high rotation. Of course, being creative, I just change the vegetable, give the dish a different name and no one in my family is any the wiser!

What is past its use-by-date?
Funny you should ask. I’ve just cleaned out my spice rack which contained jars of spice that had a use-by date of at least 5 years ago. Must remember not to buy a large jar of turmeric ever again.

What is your pantry craving?
My pantry is craving our move into our newly built house which has, not just a pantry, but a boudoir for food. Spacious, clean, comfortable, well-lit — in fact I might move myself in there instead of the food!

About Natasha Lester:
A few years ago Natasha Lester threw in her job as Marketing Manager for Maybelline cosmetics to go back to uni and study creative writing. Since then, she’s been lucky enough to win the 2008 TAG Hungerford Award for Fiction for her first novel, What is Left Over, After, which has just been published by Fremantle Press. She is currently writing a second book as well as teaching creative writing at Curtin University and being a mum to three children.

Skye Craig

WHO: SKYE CRAIG
WHAT: MASTERCHEF & WILD SUGAR
WHERE: BRISBANE, AUS
VISIT: wildsugar.com.au

FFF LOVES… Skye’s clever and imaginative use of the Australian native flavours and seriously good for you ingredients that make up her Wild Sugar range.

What are your staples?
Quinoa, rice in it’s many forms, Sol Breads pumpkin and rice bread, sage, oregano, chilli, basil, cumin, coriander, lemon myrtle, wattleseed, French green lentils, red lentils, extra virgin olive oil, rose water, honey, cashews, macadamias and coconut oil.

What are your indulgences?
70% dark Lindt chocolate and desserts galore that live in the fridge and freezer for my Wild Sugar dessert business – my Lime Tart with coconut cream and fresh finger lime and my Lemon Myrtle and raspberry semifreddo.

What can’t you live without?
Quinoa.

What is past its use-by-date?
Bay leaves – I have a Bay ree now.

What is your pantry craving?
More chocolate … always more chocolate required!

About Skye Craig
Skye Craig loves to make sweet treats that quite simply, make you smile.

Hailed for her unorthodox methods and decadent desserts on the second series of the ratings juggernaut MasterChef, Skye Craig fast became known in lounge rooms across Australia as the dessert queen. Her years working as a graphic designer paid off as Australia watched her create stunning sweets made with creativity and flair.

Her insatiable passion for desserts has propelled her into her new business Wild Sugar where she continues to inspire and delight Brisbane shoppers with her unique and decadent sweets.

From sumptuous chocolate dairy desserts to Lemon Myrtle and Raspberry semifreddo made on all organic, raw and healthy ingredients, you’ll find a sweet treat in the Wild Sugar range to put a smile on your face.

“I love to give people options when it comes to desserts.” I have a huge passion for dairy desserts as well as raw desserts. “The reason why you would lean towards using raw food in a dish is that the ingredients are alive – all of the nutritional content is retained and it hasn’t been cooked out. There’s a real vitality and freshness about that kind of food.”

Every time Skye creates one of her dishes, she feels closer to her sister Erin, who tragically died in 2002. Erin was devoted to the world of sustainable, organic and raw food movement, and her death inspired Skye to learn more about the style of cooking.

Skye has come along way since she learnt to make pikelets as a seven-year-old from a child’s cookbook that her mum gave her. Her six months of hard work in the MasterChef kitchen, her warmth, effervescence, infectious smile and desserts to die for have seen Skye become a much loved household name. The dessert queen is currently developing an incredible national line of Wild Sugar desserts, attending personal appearances, magazine shoots and considering writing her own Wild Sugar dessert book.

Jen Altman

WHO: JEN ALTMAN
WHAT: PHOTOGRAPHER
WHERE: BROOKLYN, NY
VISIT: www.jeniferaltman.com 
www.lovebyjen.com
www.thepolaroidportrait.com

FFF LOVES… Jen’s deliciously fabulous food photos.

What are your staples?
Sea salt, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, almonds, espresso, Demerara sugar, Nutella - and there is always at least five kinds of cheeses in the fridge.

What are your indulgences?
Chocolate gelato and my soul is from the South, so anything deep fried.

What can’t you live without?
JIF Peanut Butter and Hellman’s Mayonnaise - yes, seriously. And goat cheese.

What is past its use-by-date?
We just moved into our new apartment, so gladly nothing quite yet.

What is your pantry craving?
I crave double stuffed Oreos with a vengeance. So I only buy them a few times a year - they are wicked dangerous.

About Jen Altman:
Jen Altman is a Brooklyn, New York based Photographer specializing in food, travel, and children. She has spent time living as a salty sailor and has seen approximately half of the world; give or take a country or two. She loves italy, chocolate gelato, the south, pretty much anything that has been deep fried, french pop, old school heavy metal and thinks science is almost as fascinating as art. Her fine art photography is held in private collections across the globe & her photography can be seen in publications by Chronicle Books - most recently the hugely successful Super-Charged Smoothies book, Somerset Studio and Small Magazine. She is currently writing her first book, a Polaroid “how-to”, for Chronicle Books to be published in Spring 2012.

Stuart Membery

WHO: STUART MEMBERY
WHAT: INTERIOR & FURNITURE DESIGNER
AND ARTIST
WHERE: BALI
VISIT:www.stuartmemberyhome.com

FFF LOVES… his unique style and ability to merge the vintage, classic, quirky and modern in one item, be it a shirt, a sunchair or painting.

What are your staples?
Bali is the home of “sunset drinks” I survive on Melba toast and nibbly-bits.

What are your indulgences?
I could live on crumbed chicken schnitzel, mashed potato and mushroom sauce.

What can’t you live without?
Carb’s sadly!!!

What is past its use-by-date?
My cook.

What is your pantry craving?
More space!

About Stuart Membery:
Stuart Membery is one of the world’s celebrated designers. His work spans architecture, interior, fashion, fine art and product design.

The Stuart’s progression from fashion to interior and finally architecture is all but unique. There have been many architects that have gravitated towards fashion but few who have convincingly moved in the opposite direction.

For Membery, branching out into furniture was a natural progression from his internationally successful Bed and Bath Collections.

The STUART MEMBERY HOME COLLECTION comprises of furniture, accessories, floor coverings and Lighting and the soon to be launched Membery brand extensions of textiles and top of table.

Membery mostly works with mahogany and rattan and his signature style echo the atmosphere of bygone eras. Colonial and plantation are popular themes that run through the STUART MEMBERY HOME COLLECTION.

Celebrating the beauty of traditional style while breaking some of its rules, you can take a page out of Membery’s book, and add your own sense of relaxed whimsy to create spaces that are versatile, original and truly livable. It’s all about blending a classic sensibility with a dose of irreverence and a dollop of humor to achieve an interior that is tasteful, eclectic and always welcoming.

Born in Perth WA Stuart now lives in Bali with his family.

Meeta K

WHO: MEETA K
WHAT: FOOD BLOGGER
WHERE: GERMANY
VISIT: WWW.WHATSFORLUNCHHONEY.NET

FFF LOVES… Meeta’s discerning eye for the delicious things in life.

What are your staples?
Pistachios, saffron, couscous, bulgur, pasta, “good” olive oil, a variety of different flours like buckwheat, spelt and of course all-purpose, beans and lentils & canned tomatoes, lots of (too many) spices.

What are your indulgences?
Oh I have so many! But I’d have to say chocolate and cheese, not really together though. My perfect meal would be a lovely wooden cheese board spread out with cheeses from around the world, good bread, crackers and chutneys, chilled white wine and a good girlfriend to share it with while we giggle about the 80s and a lot of girltalk. As dessert it’ll have to be something decadently chocolatey!

What can’t you live without?
I think it’ll have to be my morning coffee. I drink two cups a day and the morning one gets me rolling for the day.

What is past its use-by-date?
It’s mostly yogurt. Living in Germany, where there is a huge variety of delicious fruit yogurts to choose from, I usually get very carried away and buy too much.

What is your pantry craving?
Fresh, luscious and sweet Norwegian strawberries tossed in quark and a drizzle of maple syrup.

About Meeta K:
Meeta’s award winning blog, What’s For Lunch, Honey? is inspired by her childhood as a hotelier’s daughter and a lifestyle which enabled her to travel the world, learn several languages and discover a multitude of different cultures.

Born in India, Meeta was brought up in and went on to train in some of the world’s finest hotels where food was always a huge part of her life. Meeta’s love for food photography stems from her obsession with food itself and she combines her two greatest passions on her multi-faceted, globally-oriented blog ‘What’s For Lunch, Honey?’ reflects her life and lifestyle and is a mix of research, discoveries and elaborate cooking experiments gone sometimes right and sometimes wrong. She documents her recipes with her powerful yet refreshing food photography and styling whilst sharing anecdotal stories about being a citizen of the world and raising a multi-cultural family.

As a freelance food photographer and writer, she currently lives in the culturally rich city of Weimar in Germany with her German husband and their 7-year-old son, where she enjoys cooking multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. When she is not styling, photographing or writing about food Meeta loves traveling around the world, exploring new cultures and capturing it all on camera.

Kelly & Kristin at dinner du jour

WHO: KELLY & KRISTIN
WHAT: FOOD BLOGGERS
WHERE: US & IRELAND
VISIT: www.dinnerdujour.org

FFF LOVES… their life saving recipes with chic twist. Be sure to check out their 30 minute meals - we swear by the Linguine with Chilli, Crab and Watercress, and Eton Mess.

What are your staples?
We both keep a well-stocked pantry so that we always have the basics on hand if we need to whip up a quick pasta dinner or a cake, but some things you’ll never find us without are chickpeas, quinoa, coconut milk, pickles and extra-dry vermouth (a great substitute for white wine in most recipes).

What are your indulgences?
Truffle oil, artisan cheeses, Nutella and good-quality chocolate.

What can’t you live without?
Espresso (we each have a Baby Gaggia espresso machine) and Maldon sea salt.

What is past its use-by-date?
Some jam from Kelly’s grandma, herbal tea, a jar of curry paste and a dusty bottle of malt vinegar.

What is your pantry craving?
Kelly wants vanilla beans and Kristin hankers after canned chipotles in adobo sauce.

About Kelly & Kristin:
Kelly and Kristin write the blog dinnerdujour from their bases in the US and Ireland. Both are self-taught home cooks who believe in feeding their families well with fresh, seasonal and wholesome ingredients. They are both working moms, so even though they love to cook and bake, they also know what it’s like to have to get a tasty, nutritious dinner on the table in a hurry at the end of a long day.

Kelly is an attorney, practising in the areas of immigration and employment law. Her son (3) and daughter (1) keep her busy, balanced and constantly amused. Kristin is a freelance editor specialising in cookbooks and educational textbooks. She has a daughter (5) and son (2) who love to help out in the kitchen and garden.

Sommer Collier

WHO: SOMMER COLLIER
WHAT: BLOGGER & UNDERCOVER
COOKERY QUEEN
WHERE: ASHEVILLE, NC, US
VISIT: aspicyperspective.blogspot.com

FFF LOVES… Sommer’s deliciously addictive perspective on food.

What are your staples?
Olives, anchovy paste, honey, quinoa, dried fruit, almonds, olive oil and a wide array of vinegars.

What are your indulgences?
Good quality chocolate and ice cream.

What can’t you live without?
These don’t actually come out of my pantry… but I can’t live without creamy goat cheese, basil leaves and bacon. I’m always sneaking one of these in my dishes!

What is past its use-by-date?
Let’s see… I have a can of baby corn that has been in the pantry for who knows how long!

What is your pantry craving?
Someone told me of chocolate-balsamic vinegar… my pantry would REALLY enjoy that!

About Sommer (in her own words):
Wife, mommy, teacher, closet-writer, artist, constant volunteer, master of eBay…undercover cookery queen.

I have always loved to cook. My older brother tells stories about me, as a little girl, taking boxed cake mixes and whisking them with water.  Then I would pour the “batter” into mugs and zap them in the microwave! (No easy-bake oven in our house.) Apparently, my mom would make him eat my cakes and compliment my efforts. I’m not quite sure he ever fully recovered. Nowadays, I think he would say I’ve redeemed myself. As a family-taught, then self-taught cook, I have been exploring the culinary arts for many years. Through experimentation, I’ve not only learned a lot of useful techniques; I’ve learned a lot about myself.  

I’m often asked if I have a particular cooking style or an out-right culinary perspective. I love cooking things that brings back happy memories and foods from placed I’ve traveled. That covers a lot of ground! “All Things In Moderation” is my mantra. I care greatly about health, but also believe that life is short and we should enjoy the little pleasure, guilt free. I’d rather cook food that tastes amazing—and eat smaller portions—than stuff myself with “healthy” dishes void of flavor and appeal. In the RECIPE BOX you will find a mix of light, health-conscious dishes, global fare, and good ol’ American comfort food! 

Over the last 3 years I have been teaching a local cooking class called Confidence In The Kitchen. The class focuses on helping individuals get healthful, delicious meals on the table several nights a week, and to be at home in their kitchens. My goal is to provide easy-to-prepare recipes—with a little flair—and to teach the students to trust their instincts!

Anna Spiro

WHO: ANNA SPIRO
WHAT: INTERIOR DESIGNER & BLOGGER
WHERE: BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
VISIT: absolutelybeautifulthings.blogspot.com

FFF LOVES… Anna’s innate knack of combining vintage with modern and her utter passion for anything truly beautiful.

What are your staples?
We seem to have lots of boxes of cereal! My seven year old loves cereal for breakfast so our pantry is always filled with an array of cereals for him to select from. We also seem to have lots of packets of noodles — great for those crazy nights when my husband and I get home from work and are too exhausted to even think about cooking dinner!

What are your indulgences?
Lollies! I love chicos. However, we can’t keep them in our pantry as I would just eat them all day long!

What can’t you live without?
Chicos!

What is past its use-by-date?
Lots of things. I am so disorganised when it comes to food in the house. My mother is an amazing cook.  Every time she comes to our house and looks in our pantry she just shakes her head! I wish I had her passion for cooking!

What is your pantry craving?
Our pantry is definitely craving ORGANISATION! I would love to have some of those gorgeous organised vintage-looking bottles which we could put our sugar, flour, coffee, biscuits, cereal, pasta etc in. I just can’t seem to find the time to get to the pantry to get it sorted!!

About Anna Spiro:
Anna Spiro is arguably Brisbane’s best interior designer and is the owner of New Farm interior design store Black and Spiro. Anna’s store has become an institution for lovers of the eclectic and has received international acclaim with clients spanning the globe.

Her new store features fully decorated rooms and nooks, allowing customers to see the latest trends and Anna’s colourful style in context.

People can expect to see a juxtaposition of 80s geometric shapes, big blowsy florals and eastern embroidered textiles mixed with European antiques and other vintage finds.

Robin Flanagan

WHO: ROBIN FLANAGAN
WHAT: GLOBAL MAKEUP ARTIST FOR
SMASHBOX COSMETICS
WHERE: LOS ANGELES, USA
VISIT: www.kitcosmetics.com.au

FFF LOVES… Robin’s practical approach to the glamourous world of macquilage. It is one thing to own a million great cosmetics, but it is another to know how to use them.  

What are your staples?
Soy Milk, “Be Natural” Bars and green grapes (in the freezer).

What are your indulgences?
Pizza, Gouda Cheese, Wine (not in that order).

What can’t you live without?
Jasmine, Green Tea & Honey.

What is past its use-by-date?
Cottage Cheese.

What is your pantry craving?
Organisation.

About Robin:
Robin Flanagan began her career on the cosmetic floors of Saks 5^th Avenue, Henri Bendel and Barney’s in New York City.  After two years as a freelance artist working for several major brands, she secured a position as a MAC makeup artist at Marshall Field’s on State Street in Chicago.  Robin held this position for five years and compares this time in her career  to attending beauty school.

 “In that downtown city environment you really get the opportunity to work on all different  skin  types and colors,  then of course the fashion shows and photo shoots.“

The bitter cold of Chicago led Robin to San Francisco where she became the assistant manager of Benefit Cosmetics flagship store on Fillmore Street. She was then approached by Benefit to open the Los Angeles boutique as the store manager and trainer.  In Los Angeles Robin discovered Smashbox Cosmetics while doing makeup for television networks, E! and NBC. 

In 2008 Robin became the Smashbox Training Manager and makeup artist for the Asia-Pacific  region . Robin has spent the last two years traveling throughout Asia, teaching workshops,  leading in store events, photo shoots and live appearances and makeovers.  Through travel and experience Robin has a good handle on what women are looking for when they walk through a cosmetics store;

“Woman want advice and a lesson when they enter a beauty store,” Robin says.

“If we as makeup artists take the time to show our clients what’s out there, and how to get the look, we give them the keys to be their own artists. Our knowledge your beauty.“

Robin resides in West Hollywood, California and continues to service her personal clientele in Los Angeles and New York City.

Baukjen de Swaan Arons

WHO: BAUKJEN DE SWAAN ARONS
WHAT: CO-FOUNDER, ISABELLA OLIVER
WHERE: HAMPSTEAD, LONDON
VISIT: www.isabellaoliver.com

FFF LOVES… her clever mix of practical, flattering cut with luxe detail. Pregnancy never looked so chic.

What are your staples?
Garlic, olives, peppercorns, eggs.

What are your indulgences?
Pesto, smelly cheeses with crackers and red wine, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.

What can’t you live without?
Eggs. My kids are the same and so Saturday mornings we make eggs with tomatoes on fresh bread.

What is past its use-by-date?
Probably nuts, seeds and a few things like that.

What is your pantry craving?
Red wine.

About Baukjen de Swaan Arons…
Baukjen de Swaan Arons is Co-Founder and Creative and Marketing Director at Isabella Oliver, an award winning international e-commerce and mail order business for designer maternity wear. The company launched in 2003, has been double digit profitable from year one and with current sales in excess of $15 million Isabella Oliver is now the fastest growing and largest specialist maternity wear company in the UK and growing fast in the US. Isabella Oliver has a large celebrity following including Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba and Heidi Klum.

Baukjen gained brand and product management skills at blue chip companies including Procter and Gamble and Orange. Baukjen’s passion for clean, modern, strong brands is reflected in the Isabella Oliver identity both online as well as offline. Baukjen loves going out, entertaining, surfing the web and holidays in warm places with the kids and friends. She lives in Hampstead with her husband Geoff (who is the third co-founder of Isabella Oliver) and their children Oliver, Sebastian and Pippa.

David Pugh

WHO: DAVID PUGH
WHAT: CHEF
WHERE: BRISBANE
VISIT: www.restaurant2.com.au

FFF LOVES… David’s delicious, fresh take on modern Australian cuisine.

What are your staples?
Italian dried pasta, sea salt and very good olive oil.

What are your indulgences?
Saffron, dried Porcini mushrooms, roast peanuts.

What can’t you live without?
Weetbix, Dilmah Tea and olive oil.

What is past it’s use-by date?
Some spices and olive oil.

What is your pantry craving?
A very good tidy-up!

About David Pugh:
Chef David Pugh’s continual search for the best available fresh produce provides his inspiration and the basis of the menu at Restaurant Two. David is acclaimed for working rare and premium produce from carefully sourced suppliers. His use of classic technique combined with these fine ingredients and thoroughly modern flair are what place Restaurant Two at the forefront of contemporary Australian cuisine.

David is known for his down to earth attitude and approach to food. His love of cooking emerged at age eight when he would treat his parents to Sunday breakfast. Since then, David has worked with some of the world’s finest chefs, including a two year stint at London’s Connaught Hotel, drawing inspiration and skill from each and every encounter.

David has been appointed Queensland’s Ambassador Chef, confirming his commitment to Queensland produce and suppliers.

Faux Fuchsia

WHO: FAUX FUCHSIA
WHAT: BLOGGER (& SOLICITOR)
WHERE: BRISBANE
VISIT: fauxfuchsiastyle.blogspot.com

FFF LOVES… Faux Fuchsia’s witty repartee as she actions her life while reporting on what she’s wearing, eating, cooking and doing.

What are your staples?
Tinned tomatoes, flour, sugar, sachets of yeast, almond meal.

What are your indulgences?
A supply of vanilla bean pods and Lindt 70% cocoa solids chocolate.

What can’t you live without?
Olive oil and Maldon sea salt.

What is past its use-by-date?
Condensed milk that I bought for a long forgotten baking project and never used.

What is your pantry craving?
Frankly I’d like a bigger pantry but I’d settle for a bottle of fancy truffle oil.

About Faux Fuchsia:
Faux Fuchsia is a enigmatic, witty, late 30s solicitor from Brisbane who shares tales of her life through her eponymous blog. Originally inspired to blog as a way of keeping in touch with family overseas, Faux Fuchsia now enjoys a loyal following from around the world. Faux Fuchsia endorses good grooming, glamour, blowdried hair, dresses (aka frocks), Barbie nostalgia, decorating, cooking and entertaining, gardening, decluttering, watching movies, reading and thank you notes. Chipped nail polish revolts her.

Rachel Gilbert

WHO: RACHEL GILBERT
WHAT: FASHION DESIGNER
WHERE: SYDNEY
VISIT: www.rachelgilbertsydney.com

FFF LOVES… to peruse net-a-porter.com for her chic and feminine designs. The perfect dress for the ultimate FFF!

What are your staples?
Sesame seed snacks, fresh veggies and burrito’s, I am a huge fan of Mexican food!

What are your indulgences?
I have been making an amazing apple and pear amoretti crumble for dessert at dinner parties lately. It is a huge success but not the healthiest option…

What can’t you live without?
Double Brie cheese, I am completely addicted!

What is past its use-by-date?
Potatoes. I just started a low carb diet!

What is your pantry craving?
More spices…

About Rachel:
With luxury embellishments as her personal hallmark, five celebrated high-end collections under her belt, and a cluster of A-list stars clamouring to wear her red-carpet creations, Designer Rachel Gilbert on course to become a leading fashion figure in Australia and across the globe.

With an enviable reputation achieved in an incredibly short time, Rachel Gilbert began honing her design skills in 2001 with iconic Australian label Lisa Ho – a role she walked into fresh from training at the Whitehouse Institute of Design. From there she was headhunted as Head Designer at Nicky Hilton’s label Chick, a position which saw Rachel splitting her time between LA and New York to promoting the high profile brand among key buyers in the US fashion industry. After two years with Chick, Rachel headed back to her homeland for the role of Womenswear Designer at Morrissey, with vast experience, industry contacts and a head full of ideas to break into the fashion world with her eponymous label.

Having previously shown her first collection at Mercedes Australia Fashion Week in 2002, Rachel Gilbert Sydney was relaunched at RAFW with her luxury designs evoking critical acclaim and leaving the fashion industry anticipating her next move.

Now based in Surry Hills, Rachel Gilbert Sydney has taken the world by storm – her collections are sold on the biggest online designer store Net-A-Porter alongside legendary labels such as Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen, the designs are stocked in 80 boutiques and e-stores throughout Australia, and Gilbert’s reputation is riding high in the northern hemisphere with stockists in the UK, Greece, France, USA, and Italy to name a few.

And the future is looking even brighter for this self-made fashion maven; US songstress Taylor Swift chose a Rachel Gilbert dress for a recent Sydney film premiere, Aussie TV personality Natalie Bassingthwaighte consistently requests Rachel Gilbert for her glamorous photo shoots and TV appearances, Rachel has branched out from evening wear to include casual daytime pieces such as knitwear and leather, with her forthcoming collection featuring cotton dresses maxi dresses, and leopard print garments, and in September Rachel will be joining the ranks of Comme de Garcons, Roberto Cavalli, and Stella McCartney, collaborating with Sportsgirl to create a diffusion collection for the high street store.

Bianca Daly

WHO: BIANCA DALY
WHAT: DESIGNER FOR BLANC & DELTA
WHERE: GOLD COAST/BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
VISIT: www.blancanddelta.com

FFF LOVES… Bianca’s modern, simplistic and exquisitely constructed pieces. She is one to watch.

What are your staples?
Fresh pasta — fettuccine, tagliatelle and pappardelle are my favourites. Also roast vegetables — potato, golden and purple sweet potato, carrot and Spanish onion roasted with garlic… they go perfectly with the eye fillet from my local butcher and thick creamy homemade mushroom sauce.

What are you indulgences?
Champagne and chocolate pudding (probably not together!) or any dessert really… soufflé, sticky date pudding… the list goes on…

What can’t you live without?
Freshly made Mediterranean dip from my local deli with warm Turkish bread and a nice bottle of red wine, or cheese and red wine, Belgian chocolates and red wine… anything with wine really!

What is past its use-by-date?
Living on the Gold Coast and working in Brisbane means limited time for cooking and a lot of the fresh fruit and vegetables we buy end of needing to be thrown out — such a waste!

What is your pantry craving?
Fresh ingredients to make a Thai or Indian curry and lots of chocolate!

About Bianca:
Bianca Daly is the young Qld designer behind the blanc + delta label, which is quickly becoming known for its mixture of delicate silk garments and fresh directional pieces.

Bianca’s inspiration comes through a collision of themes and experiences which are translated each season in soft intricate detailing with panelled and ruffled components and contrasted with heavy metal finishes and features. Natural fabrications are key, especially silk and are usually featured in a soft, subdued colour palette.

The label’s name loosely translates as “Bianca’s revolution” (Bianca means ‘white’ in Italian, delta is the symbol for change), with the label representing Bianca’s own transformative style each season.

As well as the boutique in Brisbane City blanc + delta is stocked in a handful of selected boutiques throughout Australia.

Kate Morris

WHO: KATE MORRIS
WHAT: MANAGING DIRECTOR ADOREBEAUTY.COM
WHERE: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
VISIT: www.adorebeauty.com

FFF LOVES… her life!  A world brimming with beauty products is exactly where we would love to be!

What are your staples?
Olive oil; Murray River Salt; Vegemite; muesli. I’m a baking nut so I always have flour (plain, SR and Italian 00), sugar (caster, brown and icing), baking powder, bicarb, almond meal, and vanilla. And there’s always unsalted butter and a carton of eggs in the fridge.

What are you indulgences?
Fancy baking supplies - Tahitian vanilla extracts, Tasmanian raspberry jam, and imported Billingtons sugars (muscovado and golden icing), French cheese, and pinot noir.

What can’t you live without?
Cheese - all kinds, except that awful stuff with fruit in it. Dench wholegrain bread.

What is past its use-by-date?
A box of shortbread that someone gave me two Christmases ago. Or was it three Christmases? And a bag of lentils. I hate lentils.

What is your pantry craving?
My pantry needs a big clean-out; I’m quite sure the condiments are multiplying in there. How many half-full bottles of balsamic vinegar or fish sauce does a girl really need?

About Kate Morris:
In 2000 Monash university business graduate Kate Morris was inspired to create Adorebeauty.com.au Australia’s first online beauty boutique.

A true ‘beauty addict,’ it was the culmination of a part-time job on a cosmetic counter and memories of wanting - but never being able to get - the latest beauty products in her home town of Launceston, Tasmania, that drove Morris to create an online store where women would be able to get the products that they loved when they wanted, no matter where they lived.

Kate launched Adorebeauty.com.au with the help of business partner James Height. Originally operating from a garage, the business grew from one order a week, to 50 000 customers in 2007, to where it currently sits with over 110 000 visits each month and an annual turnover of $3 000 000+. 2010 marks 10 years in business for Kate Morris’ Adorebeauty.com.au

Mary-Kyri

WHO: MARY-KYRI PALLARAS
WHAT: SHOE DESIGNER
WHERE: ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
VISIT: www.mary-kyri.com

FFF LOVES… that she has turned an obsession into a living. Long live shoes!

What are your staples?
Garlic, cracked pepper, olive oil.

What are you indulgences?
Swiss Chocolate.

What can’t you live without?
Tomatoes, cracked pepper, salad ingredients, vegetables, aubergine.

What is past its use-by-date?
Nothing, I always disgard anything past its due date.

What is your pantry craving?
More junk food. All the junk we ate as kids — Quik, Milo, potato chips.

About Mary-Kyri:
The Mary-Kyri story began with her childhood fascination for high-heeled shoes. As a girl she was obsessed with her mother’s collection and often dressed up in oversized heels and way too much make-up to perform for the family. Her teenage passion grew to an addiction for designer label stilettos and an overdrawn monthly credit card! It was during these years, that she set her sights on becoming Australia’s own version of Manolo Blahnik.

Mary-Kyri says, “From the very beginning, stilettos have always been my absolute passion. I love the way a pair of stilettos can change a woman’s demeanour and elongate her physique. My shoes are made for elegant, sophisticated, passionate and flamboyant women who are not afraid to express their individuality. My designs are not about a woman’s age, they are the essence of what characterises a woman.”

Mary-Kyri completed a Diploma in Fashion Design, Clothing and Textiles at the Marleston Design Institute in South Australia in 2003. On completion of the Diploma, she was employed in a number of design roles within the fashion industry, however shoes were her passion.

Late 2005, Mary-Kyri boldly set her sights on creating her first shoe collection. On impulse she sold her car and purchased a return ticket to Italy to fulfil this dream. Once there, she secured a meeting with one of Italy’s most prestigious manufacturers who create footwear for Fendi, Guiseppe Zanotti and Vicini. Mary-Kyri then worked in the factory, learning every aspect of high fashion shoe manufacture and began to design her first collection.

In March 06 Mary-Kyri’s dream was realised and her first collection ‘Virago’ was released in Australia and New Zealand.

Mary-Kyri has developed a reputation for producing beautiful, unique, high fashion stilettos that are also extremely comfortable. In Australia, Ireland, UK, America and Paris, her designs are stocked in prestigious boutiques and department stores alongside Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Versace and Guiseppe Zanotti.

They have featured in International and Australian top fashion magazines including; Vogue UK and Australia, Instyle, Cosmopolitan UK and Australia, Harpers Bazaar Australia, Black and White, Grazia UK and Australia, Ultimate Accessories Guide NY, Collezioni Italia, Italia Bride, OK UK, Monocle Magazine,Curve and Who Weekly. She also has celebrities clamouring for a pair of heels including Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Moss, Jade Jagger, Pink, Fergie, Dannii Minogue, Kylie Minogue, Cheryl Cole, Paris and Nikky Hilton, Megan Gale and Kim Kardashian. Australia’s premier designers Sass & Bide used Mary-Kyri shoes for Melbourne Fashion Festival 2007.

To compliment the stilettos Mary-Kyri developed a high fashion women’s sneaker line called Mary-Kyri Sportz. The collection of high fashion sneakers interact with the main shoe line being made from the same leathers and display similar design lines, creating the total concept. As an additional feature, the sneakers have a removable 4cm inbuilt insole for added comfort and height. Mary-Kyri has also recently created a diversion line of high quality, unique fashionable women’s shoes made entirely in Brazil. The collection is called MK By Mary-Kyri.

Mary-Kyri is a passionate and dynamic business woman who has been profiled in many long-lead magazines and newspapers, also speaking at a number of business seminars. Mary-Kyri appears as a judge and supplies all shoes to Australia’s Next Top Model, also making many appearances on TV shows such as Mornings with Kerry Ann, Sunrise, The Today Show, A Current Affair, Runway to LA and many more.

An incredible achievement for a business that only began three years ago.

Mary-Kyri now has her sights on expanding throughout the world market, receiving amazing opportunities to display the new Solaz Winter 09/10 Collection of shoes ‘MARY-KYRI’, MK By Mary-Kyri and sneakers ‘MARY-KYRI SPORTZ’ in some of the world’ s most recognised showrooms and exhibitions.

Genevieve Err

WHO: GENEVIEVE ERR
WHAT: DESIGNER AND FOUNDER,
THIS IS GENEVIEVE
WHERE: SYDNEY
VISIT: www.thisisgenevieve.com

FFF LOVES… HER CONTEMPORARY DESIGN PRINCIPES COMBINED WITH A SWEET, WHIMSICAL EDGE. 

What are your staples?
Noodles, baby zucchinis, fetta cheese and Nutella.

What are your indulgences?
Red wine , White wine.

What can’t you live without?
My indulgences!

What is past its use-by-date?
Usually the fruit. I get over excited at the fruit market and it ends up rotting before I get around to eating it.

What is your pantry craving?
Japanese! I don’t think I could ever get sick of it and it would be a miracle if it were on tap in my pantry.

About Genevieve:
Launching her ‘This is Genevieve’ label in 2007, Genevieve Er’s innovative label debut range was picked up by leading boutiques in every major Australian capital city. Ultramodern silhouettes and handcrafted detailing are synonymous with the label. ‘This is Genevieve’ has evolved since inception to now include jewellery, swimwear, shoes, bags and accessories.

Er’s desire to become a fashion designer began when she was young, inspired by her seamstress Aunt’s talent for designing beautiful garments. After years of experience across the fashion industry, Sydney-based Er, launched her debut collection ‘The Tea Party’, which quickly caught the eye of fashion journalists, stylists, models and bloggers. Er’s collection of tea cups was the whimsical inspiration behind the launch collection- described as a garden tea party laced with alcohol and laden with colourful cupcakes.
 
‘This is Genevieve’s follow up collection, ‘Into the Brave New World’ was received with further praise from Sydney’s fashion media.  Drawing inspiration from elements of modern culture -the machine, the internet, avant-garde art and galaxy prints, themes of peace and current events heavily influenced the collection’s mood, delivering a futuristic theme throughout.  
 
Moving away from her signature dark palette, Er’s SS09/10 collection ‘And She Was’  uses pastel colours of lemon, peach and pearl white fused with ethereal silhouettes studded with tough leather elements.  The collection is inspired by the Talking Heads song ‘And She Was’, a psychedelic musing on a dreaming girl whose spirit leaves her body in the ultimate act of freedom – astral projection. Further securing the ‘This is Genevieve’ label as one of Australia’s rising stars, ‘And She Was’ encompasses the label’s signature enchanted aesthetic.

Alexi Freeman

WHO: ALEXI FREEMAN
WHAT: FASHION DESIGNER
WHERE: MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
VISIT: www.alexifreeman.com

FFF LOVES… Alexi’s modern sportswear-inspired style in a strict, modern colour palette. Super-chic and wearable. What a combination!

What are your staples?
In winter, I’m a big fan of porridge for breakfast, but I’m talking gourmet style with cherries and blueberries. Lunch is usually on the go, so I’ll often just do something light like a salad sandwich from the nice girls over the road, and at home we have a ‘whatever’ cooking policy. Always healthy and delicious, but basically made with ‘whatever’ fresh produce we have on hand.

What are your indulgences?
Growing up in Tasmania, I guess I was somewhat spoilt on some of the most incredible fresh produce on earth, so naturally I still have a penchant for Tasmanian Salmon, Moorilla Wine and Bruny Island Cheese, all hailing from my island home.

What can’t you live without?
Do cigarettes count as food?

What is past its use-by-date?
Processed, homogenised, pasturised, genetically modified anything. Ingredients are already perfect the way nature provides them.

What is your pantry craving?
Call me old fashioned/patriotic but Anzac biscuits. I love one with a cup of Dandelion Coffee.

About Alexi Freeman:
Alexi Freeman is a Melbourne-based fashion designer whose collections for women are manufactured locally incorporating elements of hand drawn & printed textiles worked into drape juxtaposed with tailoring. Informed by his grounding in printmaking and sculpture, Freeman’s eponymous label explores urbane elegance for modern women who are enamored by the past, but lust after the future.

Since beginning his odyssey from fine artist to fashion designer late last century, Freeman’s professional experiences have taken him from the Diemen Isle to the Bronx and back again.

It is this bricolage of experiences that planted the seeds of his fascination and seemingly inevitable decision to push all other interests aside to marry himself, irrevocably, to the continuation and indeed innovation of contemporary fashion.