Chinese-Irish model and actress Danielle Peita Graham is also a passionate cook
In her cookbook, On the Table At Home, the model who was born in Kuala Lumpur and grew up in Sydney, stresses the importance of family dinners
Graham, who is of Chinese and Irish heritage, grew up in a food-loving household in Sydney, Australia, and many of her earliest memories are of the dishes her Chinese mother and grandmother prepared, and of helping them in the kitchen. Still, when she started cooking for herself, her experience wasn’t much different from that of many others – she learned by making mistakes.
“Learning to cook involved a lot of trial and error for me. I went to cooking classes, had lessons with chef friends, and kept recipes from newspapers and magazines, all of which expanded my knowledge. I learnt what flavours worked together, how to use particular ingredients, and that texture and fragrance were as important as taste. Ultimately I learnt that cooking is a creative outlet for me. I relax and feel good when I cook.”
A post shared by Danielle Peita Graham (@daniellepeitagraham) on Sep 26, 2017 at 12:57am PDT
“From my mother I also learnt that gathering around a table with family and sharing a meal is the most important part of the day. There was so much happiness achieved when I was growing up through sitting down together and enjoying a wonderful meal. And I came to fully understand my mother’s food philosophy when I had children of my own. She taught me the importance of feeding my children right, of giving them a nutritious and balanced diet for a good start in life.”
