74 HOMETOWN HEIRLOOMS

A home cook since he was eight, Peter Birks, executive chef of Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza recreates his favourite family recipes for Priyanka Elhence.

Peter Birks of Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza

Like many chefs, Peter Birk’s passion for food and cooking started from a young age. His parents owned a franchise of The

Cheesecake Shop, a popular

Australian bakery. “I grew up in Redcliffe, a small beachside suburb outside of Brisbane, and my earliest memories revolve around my parents’ strong work ethics and their attention to detail,” says the executive chef of Osteria Mozza. An early exposure to quality products at

The Cheesecake Shop sparked

Birk’s interest in creating good food. “My mother still recounts the story of me baking my first carrot cake at eight. I measured and mixed everything on my own, refusing help from adults or my older brother. I think they were pleasantly surprised at how delicious and moist the cake turned out,” he smiles.

Birthdays were a big highlight at home, where Birk and his older brother got to choose their celebration meal. While his brother always opted for the biggest T-bone their mother could get her hands on, Birk’s choice would be dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants in town. From the age of 10, Birk started to host dinner parties on his own for his friends and family. From this early experience, he learnt that a successful restaurant depended on location, consistency, quality produce, and the need to offer a compelling value-for-money deal to its customers.

With his parents regularly inviting their friends over for dinners, young Birk was often his mother’s sous chef. “Her recipes were simple, like her legendary lemon cheesecake. It’s a dish I grew up with and something I always request her to make when I return home. There are no secret ingredients or difficult methods. It’s a musttry especially since there’s no gelatine in the recipe,” he says. Another truly Australian classic close to Birk’s heart is lamingtons, which consists of sponge cake dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut. “Lamingtons are ubiquitous in Australia and are such a fixture in every farmer’s market, bake sale or children’s birthday party. They always remind me of my youth.”

And finally, one of his cherished hometown favourites is the Sand Crab Lasagne, considered to be Brisbane’s most iconic dish. “This dish was made famous by Il Centro, the restaurant where I started my career and apprenticeship in over 20 years ago,” says Birk.