Happy New Year lovely readers! Another year and more wonderful memories made. Every year I try and concoct an original cocktail based on what I feel like drinking at the time. This year, particularly the latter half of the year, was one where I felt like I had overindulged in the worst way. I needed to detox and I needed it soon. The problem was that I had virtually no hope of doing it for a prolonged period with Christmas coming up.
Although I know a cocktail is really no place for antioxidants I thought that perhaps sneaking in some antioxidant rich ingredients into a cocktail wouldn’t hurt and show the gods that I was somewhat serious about detoxing and headed in the right direction. I also loved the idea of teapot cocktails which we had at The Loft so hence this tea cocktail was borne. It has blueberries and white tea in it which are good for you although it also has some alcohol by way of Pimms in it. The lemonade adds sweetness and a refreshing quality which you may need if 2009 has been at a fast and furious pace for you. And the little jewelled cocktail sticks are from my wonderful friend Angela from Creating a Stir who is herself such a gem!
So tell me Dear Reader, what are you up to this evening on this New Year’s Eve? Mr NQN and I will be attending a masquerade party (hence the props in the picture). What plans do you have? Snuggling up at home watching the fireworks? Braving the crowds and soaking up the atmosphere in the city? Or having a quiet BBQ with friends?
Hedonista’s Revenge
- 4 parts lemonade
- 2-3 parts Pimms
- 3 parts iced tea (I used Turkish apple tea and white tea)
- Pureed blueberries and raspberries (with 1 tablespoon of iced tea to help it blend)
- Ice
- Blueberries and sprig of mint for garnish
1. Place all except for lemonade in a shaker and shake until combined. Pour into glass and top with lemonade and stir. Serve with some extra blueberries and a sprig of mint.
Interview with Valli Little
I first met Delicious magazine’s Food Editor Valli Little briefly during the Carnation Soy cooking challenge. It was an experience meeting her although on rather unusual terms – judging someone whose recipes you’ve used many times over is strange at best. When I met her at the Delicious offices a couple of months later I took a quick peek into the workings of one of the world’s most popular food magazines and talked with her about her new book as well as other foodie things. So read on to hear all about catering for Kensington Palace, sunshine out of a bad situation, coming up with loads of recipes a month and her new book.
Valli Little
Valli, you’re the Food Editor here at Delicious. Tell me what your job involves.
I have control of the food content of the magazine so I would commission all of the features from the celebrity chefs that come in. I knock all of their recipes into shape because most of their recipes are in a bit of a shambles – a lot of them are used to cooking for 50. They’re not used to creating a recipe for 4 so I put them through quite a rigorous testing process. I sent a lot of them out to freelance testers and we might retest again until we’re happy with them.
How many times is a recipe tested?
Generally twice and then we cook it for photography. We shoot a lot of the magazine at my house because I like to do that and I like to get prepped up early. I’ve got a good garden and a lot of natural light for outdoor shots which works quite well.
Violets from Valli’s garden
Because you brought the violets for that Carnation Soy dish…
Yes, yes exactly. And what else… then if I have any story ideas I might pitch them to the team. I travel quite a lot. I go overseas maybe 2-3 times a year.
Do you choose your destination?
Oh yes if I get an idea for a story. This year I gave a cooking class in France and I did some stories on France while I was over there. I’m going to India with Christine Manfield in February so if it’s a good idea for a story I’ll try and follow it through so just looking for new ideas and basically making sure that the recipes work in the magazine.
Valli’s recipe for Jam Donut Cupcakes
Do you still do recipe writing?
Oh yes I still write at least 40% of the magazine every month!
How do you come with the ideas? You’ve got the book and magazines…
Oh you know what it’s like when you’re passionate about food. I read a lot, I research a lot and I’m out talking to chefs and eating out at restaurants. When I stop enjoying it and thinking about food then I have to give it away.
So you don’t tend to find that you run dry?
At this time of year there’s probably not another recipe left in me this year (laughs). I need to have a 3 week break and recharge my batteries. I’ve got a pile of books this big I’ve got to read.
Your new book is “Quick Smart Cook”. Why did you decide on this topic?
What I’ve tried to do is not reinvent the wheel but just have a bit of fun and just try to do things a bit differently. All the readers tell me that’s what they want. They want inspirational recipes that look great but don’t take too long to put together. Not a huge list of ingredients. They want a recipe there and a picture there so that they can refer to both so we find that format works. The idea of splitting it up into chapters e.g. a lamb chapter, a beef chapter has proved really popular. Readers say “I feel like salmon tonight” so they open it up and see there are salmon recipes and all very different. The format is tried and tested and works well. It’s very different from the last book Faking It. That was quite dark and moody, this is all very light and fresh.
Tell me about your history and growing up. Was a career in food always on the cards?
I grew up in the UK and my parents had a restaurant over there and I have always grown up with good food and my father was always an avid vegetable gardener. When I left school I went to Cordon Bleu in London and studied there and it was just at the start of when boutique gourmet food shops were opening up places like Justin De Blanc. Then I decided to come to Australia on a working holiday in ‘76 and from the minute I arrived I absolutely fell in love with Australia. But it was a very different place food wise than what I’d anticipated… actually I don’t know know what I anticipated (laughs) but it was a complete wasteland really. For a caterer I thought I’d cater in Sydney but there was really nothing.
We were behind London?
Terribly. You could only get cheese in a tin. It was a Camembert and Brie it was horrible. So I soldiered on and I worked as a banqueting manager in Centrepoint for about 7 years. By that stage I’d met and married an Australian and we had a little boy, who is now 25. We decided to go back to England for a year. I hadn’t decided where I wanted to live at that stage and so we packed everything up and sold everything and we worked as a cook and butler for a year and had the most amazing time. It was financially disastrous but the best food experience. We cooked in beautiful English country houses, we cooked for shooting parties in Yorkshire, we catered for a cocktail party at Kensington Palace. I wanted to come back – there was such a food revolution happening in Australia in the early 80s and I really felt like I wanted to be a part of it. We opened up a gourmet food shop in the North Shore called “Gastronomes”. It was 7 days a week and I was my own worst enemy when it comes to food, people would come in and ask for a lemon tart so I’d make them a lemon tart but you don’t make money cooking like that – a lot of friends but not much money (laughs).
Then I had a series of back operations so I was stuck lying on a surfboard for a number of weeks recuperating and I’d met a girl that was the food director of Murdoch Books and she said if you ever want to get into recipe writing give me a ring and so I rang her and said “Look I can’t move, I’m interested” so I literally started writing recipes lying in bed and then when I got better she said come and work in the test kitchens. They called me in one day and said “Look we’ve got this really secret project and we want you to work on it with the author of this book, help sort the recipes out and cook all the food for photography”. It was Bill Granger’s Sydney Food. So I worked very closely with Bill and we ended up shooting it all at my house. That was my big break into magazines and publishing. I did a lot of fantastic books for Murdoch and a few other publishers.
I had heard that the ABC were starting up a new magazine so I rang a few contacts and the ABC were hopeless, they wouldn’t sign the contract and it went on for months and months and all of the sudden I got a phone call from Neal Whittaker saying to me “You’d better come in next week, they’ve signed a contract and we’ve got to start Delicious”. Literally it was Neal and I staring at each other across a desk one week saying “What are we going to do now (laughs)? I said I know Matt Moran, shall I ring him?” And he’d say “Yes, yes ring Matt Moran” and that was our first story that we shot for the magazine.
When you look at the magazine now we really haven’t changed, we reinvent ourselves but the overall magazine and features are still the same.
Consistency
Yes. Absolutely. Being true to yourself.
I agree with that as a reader and a blogger that if you start to change to try and suit what you think people want, you’ll lose your core…
Absolutely, that’s right you have to continue to reinvent and excite people but particularly with the ABC connection, people like to know what they’re getting. So here we are 8 years later and I’m still here.
Lobster Curry
So what are your top tips for the person that doesn’t quite know where to start but wants to cook more at home that may feel a bit lost?
For me, recipes are there to inspire people and I don’t think you should be completely blinkered that that’s how it should be. I think you’ve got to adapt to what you’ve got in your cupboard but you need to be quite confident to be able to do that but the recipes aren’t rocket science in there.
The most important thing is that’s chef’s phrase mise en place. Choose the recipe you want to do and get all your ingredients together and prepared and that’s really for me when I step outside my comfort zone with Asian dishes, it’s so important to have everything organised and prepped up. It’s just a simple thing and I watch people sometimes in the kitchen and they’re all over the place and then *gestures disaster*.
Men take everything out of the cupboard…
Yes that’s right! And things are boiling away madly (laughs) and to me it shouldn’t be like that. It should be a pleasant experience cooking a dish and if you’re stressed out trying to find things at the last minute it’s never going to be pleasurable and then it goes into your food that you cook. Doing things that are achievable. There’s a good balance of things in the book. Things like Pedro Ximinez sherry that people may not have heard of before but its used in such a simple way that I think it’s great that people think “I could make that” because it doesn’t look to difficult and have an experience of trying something new.
How do you like to eat in your downtime?
(laughs) What downtime? My youngest son is a great sportsman. He’s at Sydney Uni I’ve got two boys and I’m either standing on the sidelines watching him play rugby or watching him row so that’s a nice way of relaxing and getting away from the computer and not really thinking about food at all. The only thing you get at sporting events is a sausage sizzle (laughs).
Are you ever asked to put together anything once they know what you do?
Oh absolutely. I’ve been the boat shed mother and I cook for the rowers over the weekend and fund raising for all sorts of events but that’s pleasurable. I read and research a lot.
You’re still working?
Ah yes I know but it’s really quite enjoyable. When you find something new or an interesting book it’s fantastic.
Cindy Crawford’s Strawberry Pie
It’s the same with me, its 7 days a week but it doesn’t feel like work.
Exactly, well you see I was reading your blog the other day and I thought I have to try that Strawberry Pie, the Cindy Crawford Strawberry Pie and when I read something like that I think “I have to do it” and I’ll be seeing strawberries and thinking I must get some. I think that’s the exciting part of it.
I know and sometimes you can’t get it out of your head
I know I know!
Your blog has a great name, it’s like Delicious, you couldn’t get a better name for a food magazine.
Thankyou. So what are the upcoming trends in food?
I think growing your own is so good now. Everyone even if it’s just a pot on your veranda it’s growing something so garden to plate is a big thing for next year and it’s fantastic. There’s a fabulous community garden in Kirribilli this group started. The council let them have a block. They’ve built this beautiful vegetable garden that is eco friendly and ticks all the right boxes and it’s open to everyone and you can just go in and pick vegetables. I like all that and farmers markets and just the awareness and consciousness that people have towards food. For a long time food wasn’t food and it was all science and I think we’re really going back to basics a lot. What we’re going to be doing is simple, fresh, easy as far as trends go look who knows. Maybe some of the South American countries… what’s happening over there I think that’s an area we haven’t explored, Venezuela and all that amazing cacao are maybe destinations we’ll look at for food. These areas have such beautiful complex dishes that aren’t readily available and as people strive more and more to find interesting things.
Valli’s recipe for Tomato Jam
And don’t forget Dear Reader, you have until the 16th of January to win 1 of 4 signed copies of Quick Smart Cook! 
And Happy New Year to you and I hope that you have a wonderful night! 
xxx
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43 Comments | Add your own
Such an interesting interview! You kept me reading until the very end
That’s a great interview. I do stories on restaurants all the time for work–it’s nice to see the magazine side of it.
Fantastic interview, Valli basically has my dream job!
That an absolutely stunning cocktail, Lorraine!
Happy New Year!
Lorraine, great interview with Valli. I truly admire her work. I love Delicious magazine and her recipes are faultless.
What an amazing background she has had. All those years in the food industry, with all those experiences. Unbelieveable….How amazing!
Speaking of delicious, love the cocktail. Too funny you create one each year. Mr Mélanger and I are off to C’est Bon (little French restaurant) here in Brisbane for dinner. Just an intimate dining experience, for two.
Happy new year, Lorraine to you and Mr NQN!
Your cocktail looks delicious! (hahaha geddit???) Seriously, it does sound fabulous. My wife and I were drinking Pimms only last night, so we’ll definately give one a go.
I’ve enjoyed your tremendous blog in 2009 and I look for to reading it throughout 2010.
May I wish you an Mr NQN a very happy and safe New Year!
Cheers!
I love getting a look at Australia’s food superstars through your blog. Another lovely interview!
Happy New Year! We have just come back from holidays and have a big wedding on Saturday so I haven’t given NYE any thought at all. I was given Valli’s book for Christmas as well as a renewal of my Delicious subscription so maybe I’ll be sticking in post-its
Great interview and I love your tea cocktail! Turkish apple tea is a great one to use in a cocktail. Happy New Year!
that’s a bit of an intimidating name for a beverage, but dang, it sounds great! lovely interview, too. now…how about a slice of strawberry pie?
I will not be celebrating New Years Eve waiting for the ball to drop in Times Square. New Year’s Eve day is the anniversary of my mother’s passing away. She passed away on Dec 31, 2003 at 1:30 in the afternoon . So it is a sad time for me.
A great interview Lorraine. I love Delicious magazine. All the best for you and your family in 2010.
Lorraine, Loved the interview with Valli – such an interesting career.
Have a great New Year
Hope you have a great time at your masquerade party and all the best for the new year. Your blog has been one of my most fav reads this year and it will continue to be so in the new year =] =]
Delicious magazine got me into cooking in a big, big way. I’ll forever be a fan so thank you for this interview with Valli Little. And a happy new year to you as well!
Happy New Year Lorraine! Hope you enjoy your night and I’m looking forward to all your posts in 2010!
Great interview Lorraine! I’ve got a few well-thumbed Delicious books in my bookcase (who doesn’t) so it was nice to see the person behind them. Wishing you & Mr NQN an awesome new year celebration & looking forward to your adventures in 2010!
I was so interested by Valli’s comment about having to tweak and retweak chefs’ recipes! It makes sense, though – jsut as not everyone is an amazing or creative cook, not everyone can be a concise and accessible writer.
Thanks for these interviews, Lorraine – I do so enjoy reading about food editors’ experiences. I’m still trying to figure out whether I want to aim for such a path in life!
Happy New Year Lorraine and Mr.NQN, wishing you a safe, productive and exciting 2010. Looking forward to many more recipes,interviews,stories and competitions.
You ask all the right questions!!! And you post all the delicious photographs. I wish you a happy 2010!
Great job Lorraine. I love Delicious magazine. I’ve got copies on my shelves from way back..
very interesting!! Vallie is one lucky woman!! hehe.. m sooo loving the cocktail drink!! soo perfect for the new year night
also woww!! tomato jam eh??? greatt!!
Nooice interview L! It’s a great mag and good read before dinner to get the taste buds going.
I’d like to try out that strawberry pie! And not because it’s by Cindy Crawford…LOL
what an awesome interview lorraine i loved reading that
Happy New Year, Lorraine!
Thanks for a year full of enthralling posts.
Love the cocktail recipe.
We are having white wine sangrias and staying in tonight. Weather in Sydney really bleak.
Happy New Year to you and Mr NQN! Great interview and even greater cocktail
When can I start drinking? Maybe I should get ready first… hmm
Happy New Year Lorraine – what a fun way to end the year at a masquerade party. And great interview too, I love Delicious and it’s great to be able to read a bit more about where it all started (I think I may even have the first issue floating around somewhere!) Looking forward to more great stories and recipes in 2010.
ohh! what beautiful magazine covers!! makes me want to create something right now.
happy new year n may it bring all good thing to you n yours!
xxx
zurin
Happy New Year!
Lorraine, very interesting interview! I loved reading every bit of it!
Have a Happy and joyous New Year!
Oh wow. I did not know strawberry pie existed. Wish I could make it to usher in the new year, lol.
I hope you have a very happy new year, and here’s to a fantastic 2010. x
Happy new year! Would have loved to ring it in with one of those cocktails
Great interview! All the best in the new year, my dear!
Great interview! I loved the questions you asked. And I love the idea of a tea-infused cocktail!
Happy, Blessed, Joyful New Year!!
An excellent interview Lorraine. I became a fan of Valli Little when I had a years subscription to Delicious. I think she is our cleverest food writer.
Wow, what a great interview! Valli has been a huge inspiration to me over the last few years I’ve been reading Delicious. She sounds like such a lovely and down to earth person!
PS – Happy New Year! xx
I love DELICIOUS. It is one of my absolutely favourite mags. I still have one of my fave editions ever, the ‘red edition’ from September 2004!!! Have a super blessed 2010!
I enjoyed the interview very much, NQN! Mostly, though, I want to know all about the masquerade party. What fun that had to be!
Happy New Year NQN! LOL, you made the cocktail healthy – like I needed an excuse to drink?! What a fabulous concoction! And a great interview as well… what a wonderful way to start the New Year! xxx
Hi Krista-Wow thankyou very much! That’s so nice of you to say
Hi Blond Duck-Thankyou! Yes it was fascinating to see that side!
Hi Faith-Hehe doesn’t she just! I think we’d all love that job
Thankyou and Happy New Year Faith! 
Hi Julia-Thankyou so much Julia! Yes it’s so interesting to get to know them a bit better and how they got to where they are. Sounds like a fabulous NYE plan for you two! Happy New Year to you and Mr Melanger!
Hi Highlands Foodie-Haha!
Thankyou 
It’s lovely stuff isn’t it! 
Aww thankyou so much, you are too kind! Happy New Year to you and your loved ones too! 
Hi Brittany -Thankyou so much!
Hi Amy- Happy New Year!
Oh how fabulous! Then you’ll probably be making the same things as me! 
Hi Steph-Thankyou so much! I love Turkish Apple tea, it’s so addictive! Happy New Year Steph!
Hi grace-Hehe really? Thankyou! Of course, for you!
Hi Julia-I’m sorry to hear that! That must bring up some very mixed memories for you
Hi Peter-Thanks very much! Happy New Year to you and your loves ones!
Hi Chris-Thankyou! I hope you have a wonderful 2010 Happy New Year!
Hi K-Thankyou so much! Aww that is so sweet, thanks so much! Happy New Year to you too!
Hi mlle délicieuse-Ahh wonderful! It has that effect doesn’t it! Thankyou so much and a very Happy New Year!
Hi Jacq- Happy New Year!
I hope you had a great NYE! Thankyou so much 
Hi Forager-Thankyou so much Trina!
Haha true true, who doesn’t have a few well loved copies 
I hope you and the copilot have an amazing and Happy New Year! 
Hi Hannah-Yes isn’t that funny! I bet they really have to check and recheck them as I’ve noticed some chef’s cookbooks are really hard to use because of that. You’re welcome, I’m so glad that you’re finding them useful!
Hi matilda- Happy New Year! I hope you and your family have a wonderful 2010 filled with much gorgeous food, fun and fabulousness!
Hi La Pastry Chef-Aww thankyou!
Happy New Year to you too luvvy! 
Hi foodie-central-Thankyou so much! Ahh great stuff!
Hi nora-Thanks so much
So many would love that job I think! Thankyou and Happy New Year! 
Hi Adrian-Thankyou!
I know isn’t it drool inducing! 
Haha you sure about that? 
Hi betty-Thanks so much! You are so sweet
Hi romaverona- Happy New Year to you!
Thankyou so much. Sounds like a fabulous NYE to me 
Hi Conor- Happy New Year to you and your family!
Aww shucks thankyou so much! Hehe you can start any time! 
Hi shaz-Happy New Year Shaz! Thankyou! Hehe does it have a Matt Moran interview?
Thankyou and likewise! 
Hi zurin- Happy New Year to you too! I hope you have a wonderful 2010!
xxx
Hi Blond Duck- Happy New Year!
Hi kamran-thankyou so very much and a very Happy New Year to you too! I hope it’s full of hope and joy
Hi Su-yin-I know, you don’t see it much do you! Happy New Year to you and your loved ones too Su-yin!
x
HI Alex- Happy New Year!
Hehe there’s always the rest of the year! 
Hi Lauren-Thankyou and Happy New Year!
Hi sophia-Aww thanks so much! Yes I’m sure it’s much healthier too!
Happy New Year to you dear Sophia!
Hi Barbara-Thankyou very much! Yes it’s amazing how much stuff she comes up with!
Hi Lisa-Thanks so much! Oh that’s wonderful
Happy New Year! Xxx
Hi Kitchen Butterfly-It’s great isn’t it!
Ooh I must check that issue out! Have a wonderful 2010! 
Hi MaryPoppinsinHeels-Thankyou very much!
It was a lot of fun but I didn’t take any pics hehe 
Lorraine, you score the best interviews ever. You know the most or at least have access to the most interesting people. As always a fascinating and inspiring read. Wishing you all the best for the New Year.
What a great interview! I noticed just the other day that the majority of recipes I make from magazines and off the taste website are actually from her!
Another great interview. I wish I could grow more of my own stuff but am restricted by space. But Mister seem to think we can… let’s see
Great interview – I also read right to the end!
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