Cooking Up a Storm: Sarah Todd

For chef Sarah Todd, it was love at first byte with Indian food. She is now ready to open doors to her restaurant in Mumbai.

Sarah Todd first rose to fame when she won hearts (many Indian ones too) even when she missed making the Masterchef Australia title her own in the year XXXX. For her, life has never been the same. Her love for Indian food and sharp business acumen brought her to India. We had a conversation with this model-turned-chef as she curated a menu for The Wine Company, Gurgaon. Excerpts from the interview.

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Professional kitchens have been dominated by men. You take?

Yes, there are very few women in the industry across the world. The problem is that they start their career in a testosterone-driven workplace, which makes it difficult to be comfortable, and eventually confident. Until there is a huge push in the number of women joining the industry, balancing the kitchens, it’s going to be hard to break that barrier. In Antares, I was the only woman in a staff of 70, but it is balanced today. We have been bringing more women into our kitchens. I feel the situation is set to change. I have been lucky to be in India, where my ideas were heard. I was clear that I would not just be a face and a name on the door. I demanded that the restaurants have my vision.

How is it working in India different from Australia?

India feels like home as everyone have given me a warm welcome. While we get each other mostly, there are times when the staff is stumped by my accent. I love to get along with my staff. I need to be firm at times, but we have a very good relationship with all of them. I want them to have a good time at work and encourage them to experiment. It takes time to communicate but we have learnt now.

Australians love Indian food. What fascinates them?

Australia has not been exposed enough to Indian food to be able to really understand its nuances. When I present Indian dishes in Australia, people realise they have never experienced Indian food like this before. As for me, I fell in love with Indian food from the very first time I tasted it. It was different from what we get in Australia. It will take time for the authentic Indian food to get to the Australian palate.

How did life change after MasterChef Australia?

It has been a whirlwind of experiences, hard to describe. Five years ago, I would not have imagined working so closely with restaurants, curating menus for them. For the last few years it feels like I haven’t stopped running, just evolving and learning as a chef.

What drives you as a culinary artist?

There are days when I feel a lot more creative than other days. You cannot overtly force creativity. I have started to look for inspiration in different directions while travelling and finding new ingredients to cook with. Above all, I am looking for memories to write stories into my menu. When I am creating a dish, I talk to people and ask them what they like, what are their memories as a child. I want people to relate to my food, connect with it.

In your book, The Healthy Model Cookbook, your philosophy seems to present food in the most balanced way.

Modelling is a challenging career with long working hours and a lot of travel. One needs lot of energy. The idea behind the recipes in the book is about balancing a dish in terms of nutrients and flavours. There is a need to have the right portions of carbs, protein, micronutrients, even fat to balance a meal. India is the best place to create a wholesome, nutritious meal because of the varied flavours and a variety of available ingredients. For example, one of the dishes on our menu is the Kashmiri Kalari Cheese, where we pair lemon butter sauce, flambé it using some rum and top it with peppers to cut through the fat. A balanced, nutritious dish with burst of flavours.

You are a mother, a chef, a television show host, an author and now a restaurateur. You surely keep busy. How do you let your hair down?

A good glass of wine! Apart from that, I like to play tennis or go hiking. I play soccer with my son, Phoenix in our backyard. Whatever I do, it has my 100 per cent attention. It drives me to move on to the next thing life has planned for me.

From the October 2018 issue of FHM India.