One rule about cooking I learnt from my mother/grandmother is... always make sure there is enough food to feed everyone.

The ingredient I can't live without is... good Australian olive oil. It's just as good, if not better, than the overseas versions as it's a lot fresher.

I often Google... restaurants looking for somewhere nice to eat.

The cookbook I treasure the most is... the first cookbook I ever bought, which was by the Roux brothers (pioneers of modern cuisine in the UK), and the first one I ever wrote.

The last time someone cooked for me was... really, really good and people should do it more often. I don't expect fine dining when I eat at someone else's house, I enjoy having a home-cooked meal.

At home, I... Generally do most of the cooking. Anyone else can cook for me if they want but it's what I do and what I love.

My secret way of getting my kids to eat vegetables is... to try things. We're really lucky and blessed that our kids love food so we've never had a problem with them eating their vegetables. We have one rule in our house — always try something once.

My late-night guilty pleasure on the way home from work is... a bit of chocolate.

I love my home kitchen because... I designed it.

My favourite way to start the day is... with a coffee, paper, then a swim followed by a good, hearty breakfast.

The thing I miss most about home when I travel overseas is... my family.

My favourite ingredient I'll be cooking at Taste of Sydney is... Moran's lamb direct from the family farm. It will be slow cooked so that it will melt in your mouth.