‘I like African cuisine, it’s spicy’

There are some people whom you meet just once in a lifetime but that short encounter is enough to change the trajectory of your thought processes and approach to life.
These are the people you wouldn’t bother to be confined to within the same room for the rest of your life because their presence is not stifling but rather enriching.
One of such person is the affable Edward ‘Ed’ Baines, the famous chef best known for the show, “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is” which is beamed on BBC Lifestyle One.

Ed trained in The River Café in London. It is said that he began his catering career with a two-year apprenticeship with Anton Mosimann at The Dorchester in London as he spent a few years cooking on an exclusive yacht and at hotels in Juan-les-Pins in France and Queensland in Australia, before returning to London.

At the age of 25, Ed was asked to open Daphne’s restaurant in London’s South Kensington; he remained head chef there for three years.

Saturday Herald Lifestyle reporter Tafadzwa Zimoyo hooked up with Ed in Mauritius recently, and the multi-talented presenter spoke at length about his programme, his passion for writing books, his culinary and other skills.

Below are excerpts of the interview:

Tafadzwa Zimoyo (TZ): Tell us about your books and cooking?
Ed Baines (ED): When I write books the inspiration is always there since I am always experiencing and experimenting with new things and recipes everyday. I like African cuisine, it’s spicy. I like Nigerian dishes mainly, they blow my head as they are delicious.  As a cook I prefer quality of products more than quantity. Africa is rich when it comes to products because they have flavour rather than in Europe where you have to add flavour.

TZ: What makes you tick as a cook?
ED: I take things rather simple, but simple doesn’t mean compromising on quality. I start with the simplest things. It is always about keeping an eye on detail that makes things grow bigger and better. To me, cooking especially baking is a hidden art where you really have to trust the oven. Cooking takes your personality and good people always make good cooks.

TZ: What kind of environment do you prefer working or cooking in and does music play a pivotal role when cooking?
ED: I love music, so I always make it a habit to play music as I go about my cooking. I play my favourite song while cooking. I love music, it is about mood. However, I can’t cope on house music or a big bass line. Soul music is good for cooking and with that tune your dishes and pace can work well.

TZ:  What are your favourite gadgets for cooking?
ED: I always find metal tongs handy because they keep things under control. Always try to steer away from plastic. Then there is the potato peeler compared to the knife, and I would go for the knife, while one also needs pots and pans which are made of aluminium. I can say the kitchen knife is a must.

TZ: What are the five ingredients you can’t do away with?
ED: There are some ingredients that you can manage or work with as substitute but olive oil, salt, onions, tomatoes and chicken are a must in every kitchen.

TZ: Tells us about your family?
ED: Yes, I have a family, which I always juggle with. It’s tough but I know how to make time for them, with business, being a chef and television work. I find cooking at home being selective. I love cooking at home because you can actually go about choosing what suits your palate and you have all the time in the world. I love cooking with the family involved in the whole process, especially on Sundays when the children are around. However, I am not in charge of what they eat. I only cook for them three times a week.

TZ: What does the smell of good cooking do to you?
ED: The sense of smell surprises your hunger and you are spurred to want to eat. What you need to do is to cook easily and walk away for about 20 minutes, get some fresh air and then you are hungry. But most people are turned off with what they have cooked because they then want to eat soon after cooking which is a NO!

TZ: What dishes do you prefer when you are at home?
ED: On a really bad or gloomy day, I prefer rice and beef. Good beef that is tasty is very comforting to eat.

TZ: As a renowned chef, what one dish can’t you cook?
ED: I would say Japanese and Thai food, but I always try since I am self-taught, I am a Westerner so their style of ancient cooking and their whole history is different from mine.

TZ: Tell us about one meal a man can cook for a woman?
ED: It’s a big task. But always make sure that there are no carbohydrates, have chocolate too. Keep it simple, as I always say. Women love colours so play with colours, decorate your food with gold leaf. Throw in some oysters, it shows your intentions. You can also cook fish in a banana leaf.

TZ: If you were to die today, which meal would you take?
ED: My last supper would be roast chicken at my grandmother’s place. Roast chicken and a glass of wine.

TZ: What made you choose the cooking profession?
ED: I love food. It was by default. As a teenager, I was told to get out of the house and get a job. Since I loved cakes, my first job was in a Swiss shop. I was always watching what the person was doing and one day he gave me an opportunity to cook and play around with food and the result was something else. I have never looked back ever since then. Cooking has given me so many opportunities. It has seen me travelling a lot, experiencing different cultures and cuisine, which is a wonderful thing in life.

TZ: One challenge or disaster you have encountered in your line of work?
ED: While making a television show, we cooked in a ceramic pot that exploded at the crew. Then there was this time when I was working for a catering company and after about 40 minutes we received a call from the people complaining about the weird taste of the food. When I tasted the returned food, I discovered that someone had sprayed the trays with sanitizer. So I always tell people to wash their trays.

TZ: Should you encourage your kids to cook?
ED: Yes, I do. It is a wonderful career. As long as you get knowledge, patience and courage. There are a lot of people who love to eat. Though it is a little bit demanding, it eventually pays off.

TZ: What else do you do apart from cooking?
ED: I love playing tennis and swimming is also one of my passions together with vintage cars.

TZ: How much do you earn?
ED: You earn as much as you work. I earn 14 percent of my restaurant turnover. When it comes to the media, all I can say is that it is a long journey. I can’t rely  on it but it really gives one a lot of exposure.