5 Minutes With Celebrity Chef Jane Strode

Celebrity 5 Minutes With Celebrity Chef Jane Strode

Celebrity chef and co-owner of Sydney’s beloved Bistrode along with hubbie Jeremy, Jane Strode tells us about spring food, sustainability and spag bol. Jane has contributed a recipe to the brilliant new fundraising cookbook Crown Street Cooks, which celebrates public schooling and local community, and is packed with amazing recipes from parents and celebrity chefs alike.

Crown Street Cooks celebrates local community. What do you find special about where you live?

Surry Hills has a great mix of community and edgy-ness. It feels like you are on the City’s door step and yet are still a walk away from Centennial Park and a short drive to the beach. All walks of life fit into Surry Hills and the restaurant and bar scene has exploded in the last 5 years.

You’re a huge advocate of seasonal, sustainable food. Why is it so important and how can we incorporate ‘fresh and local’ into our everyday lives?

The shorter the distance the food you’re eating has had to travel the fresher it is going to be and the fewer resources needed to deliver that food to you. Sourcing food locally, growing your own herbs, vegetables, fruits and if you’re lucky having a few chickens that lay eggs for you enhances the relationship you have with the food you’re eating, having nurtured and harvested it. Buying food that is not in season means it must have been sourced from another state or country and therefore the quality and freshness is compromised.

What is one recipe that every parent should master?

Spaghetti Bolognese!

What’s a great dish that you can cook with your kids?

Pizza – making dough is fun and satisfying and the kids can choose their own toppings.

What are you looking forward to cooking this spring?

Broad beans, peas, lamb and asparagus.