Exclusive interview

He’s already launched two o cookbooks – Have You Eaten? and d Man Food – and now Billy Law is bringing his third food bible, XXL, to the masses. Filled with all the fried, gooey and buttery treats you can imagine, this one’s for the comfort-food lovers. Here, Malaysian-bred Billy – of Masterchef fame – tells Woman’s Day about his food inspirations, and says it’s perfectly OK to eat the food you love! Who inspired your passion for cooking? My mum is my main inspiration. I used to watch her cook when I was a kid. That’s when I first discovered the joy of cooking. These days, I love watching what other chefs are doing to pick up tips and tricks. What would we always find in your fridge? Eggs, milk and Sriracha hot sauce. I can’t live without my Sriracha. What’s your favourite comfort food? Oh, fried chicken is definitely my guilty pleasure! I would eat it for breakfast, if I could! There are a lot of healthy cookbooks around. Why did you decide to go down this food path instead? For me, food should be enjoyable. This book is full of the delicious food I’ve enjoyed at home, restaurants, dinner parties and even on the streets around the world. Each recipe is a snapshot of my culinary journey. What do you whip up at home if time is tight? Usually I’ll make extra gyoza [dumplings] and keep them in the freezer. Whenever the time is tight or I’m too lazy to cook, I’ll just put a few dumplings in a frying pan, and dinner is ready in 10-15 minutes. Exclusive edited extract from XXL by Billy Law (Simon & Schuster, $39.99). On sale August 1