Breaking Bread with: Kirsten Jenkins

Some people have a knack for seeing the beauty in everything. Where others see an ordinary bowl of soup, these types see a canvas on which they can create some of the most striking styled food photos worthy of magazine covers. Food stylist extraordinaire, recipe writer and cookbook author Kirsten Jenkins is exactly this kind of person. Spaghetti Head asked Kirsten to pull up a pew and share what’s on the menu at home.

Your go-to snack:

I love all the snacks! But if I narrowed it down, I would say I do eat buckets of hummus.

Your ultimate comfort dish(es):

Carbonara. It’s so rich and silky (of course, if it’s done right). I remember when I ate it for the first time as a kid when a family friend’s Italian mother came to stay and cooked it – and I thought, ‘this is life-changing!’

Your least favourite food-related word:

Moist. I hate when it’s used to describe a cake!

Your favourite food-related word:

Blancmange.

The cook(s) who inspires you most:

Nigel Slater and Skye Gyngell.

Something you’ll never eat:

I don’t think I can ever eat uni (sea urchin) again. I’ve really tried to be on board but it’s just not my jam.

What’s for dinner tonight?

Well, being the weekend, I’m taking a bit more time and making a very slow-cooked chicken congee with all the condiments: chilli oil, green onions, crispy shallots, soy sauce, sesame oil and seeds.