Parliament’s cooking connoisseur
In the latest of a series on MPs’ hidden talents, Sam Sachdeva speaks to National’s Paul Foster-Bell about his love of culinary experimentation.
When it comes to food, politicians rarely have the luxury of being picky. National list MP Paul Foster-Bell says the combination of being ‘‘locked in Parliament’’ and endless functions means fine dining is not at the top of most politicians’ lists.
‘‘You pretty much eat whatever is put in front of you ... and you have to be polite about it.’’
That’s why the Wellingtonbased cooking enthusiast tries to make the most of what time he does get to spend in the kitchen.
Foster-Bell picked up an appreciation of cooking as a child, with his grandmother and mother providing him with a mixture of old and new techniques.
‘‘My grandmother was a lady of Scottish origin, so she was a great baker of things like scones and all the traditional cakes.
‘‘My mum was ... for the 80s, when I was growing up, reasonably experimental, so she started cooking Chinese and Indian food, Thai a little bit before other people were doing that, so I picked some of that interest up from her.’’
His time as a diplomat, including several years in Iran, also helped to change his tastes towards the more exotic.
‘‘Living in the Middle East, you kind of learn to just basically adapt to the local environment ... you really change your tastes and you make do with what’s available locally.’’
His go-to dishes include Thai and Moroccan chicken, while the wide range of produce available throughout Wellington gives him plenty to work with.
‘‘These days, I really enjoy the more experimental stuff ... things like curries where you can throw in whatever you like and
"We don't get a lot of time to cook with the parliamentary sitting calendar. You're often there until 10 o'clock, even midnight, so cooking is a bit of a treat – it's a bit of time to spend in reflection." National MP Paul Foster-Bell
experiment a bit.’’
The demands of being an MP mean cooking is an occasional rather than regular pastime – something Foster-Bell says increases the joy he gets from being in his kitchen.
‘‘We don’t get a lot of time to cook with the parliamentary sitting calendar. You’re often there until 10 o’clock, even midnight, so cooking is a bit of a treat – it’s a bit of time to spend in reflection.’’
He tries to cook a couple of times a week, and has learned to make the most of such opportunities.
‘‘Slow-cooked meals are great but the best things, I think, are those things that you throw together quickly and you can eat.’’
So could a MasterChef appearance be Foster-Bell’s pathway to a new career if politics doesn’t pan out?
‘‘Those guys are at a slightly different level – I’d say I’m more of an amateur than a professional but I’m an enthusiastic amateur.’’