FRAGRANT sweets

These delicious treats taste every bit as good as they smell!

One of the nation’s favourite chefs for his addictive enthusiasm, and a presenter on Ten’s The Living Room, Miguel Maestre has joined forces with Australian Mushrooms to inspire a little bit of mushroom magic. Here he shares some of his home-cooking tips…

Describe your home kitchen...

Little, quick, clean, white and simple. My kitchen has to be super clean! I hate complicated things. I like a quick clean-up, so when I finish cooking, everything is already washed up. I clean as I go, so when I sit down to eat, there’s only space in the dishwasher for two plates. If I cook 10 million things, when I sit down my kitchen is impeccable and I can enjoy my food.

What would we find in your fridge?

Jamon [ham], queso [cheese]. Lots of Spanish serrano ham, lots of chorizo – so much it’s ridiculous! Lots of manchego cheese, cava – a really nice Spanish bubbly wine – or French Champagne, a lot of mushrooms, because you can add them to anything, really nice saffron, tons of cheese, a lot of vegies. I do shopping quite often – what I have in the fridge, I use.

What do you love cooking at home?

Anything! I love cooking fresh fish, because I was a seafood chef. I love using rice, cooking anything with rice. I love rice, even in dessert! I make rice puddings. I love making big, oversized salads, I always make too much. Of course, I love mushrooms. They act like a natural seasoning – which means you don’t have to add loads of salt.

What do you whip up when time is tight?

I always have time for cooking! I never see it that way. I’ll do this amazing quesadilla, where I mash the avocado inside the shell, with manchego cheese, [sauteed] brussels sprouts chopped really thin, I put a little bit of [sauteed] spinach and then I close [the tortilla and heat it in a pan], and the kids love it.