If you use apple in one dish think of using citrus or something more neutral like vanilla in another. You constantly need to be challenging the tastebuds but not assaulting them.
My mum was the most wonderful cook and our house was always full of delicious food and interesting people. I remember dad entertaining the likes of Des O'Connor and Bruce Forsyth. But what really shaped my childhood were the amazing Jamaican dishes that mum produced so effortlessly.
To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is also important. A dish doesn't necessarily need to be hot, but spice is important to the flavour.
It's quite true to say that if you work with marvellous fresh ingredients, the simplest dish is taken to another level.
Think about your first kiss - if you did it and it was bloody awful, you might not do it again. It's the same with cooking - you start off gradually, you get your confidence, and you build on that. Don't be too adventurous to start with - learn how to cook one dish well.
I like introducing people to new dishes and new flavors.
One of the nicest things about taking your kids to a restaurant - Thai or Chinese for example - is having all the dishes in the middle of the table so that you can try a little bit of everything.
I love Alain de Botton and listen to his little 'School of Life' YouTube vids as I do the dishes.
These songs are old friends I have entertained myself with when I'm washing the dishes, driving to the store and walking down the aisles. The ones that you sing when you're driving in the car and as a singer you always go back to them.
I concentrate in my work on preserving and displaying the original flavor from each ingredient in a dish.
