We talk to Gemma Plunkett about her world of food as a Sydney based recipe creator and food writer.
Please tell us about yourself, what do you do and what led you to cooking?
I’m a Sydney-based content strategist, writer, recipe developer and creator. I’ve always loved food and cooking, for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a small town in country NSW and there wasn’t much else to do really. My friends and I all loved cooking, baking and hosting each other. We were all curious about what was in our lunchboxes and became pretty capable of hosting a dinner party before we hit double digits. I have Lebanese heritage and grew up in a family where mealtime is really important. We grew a lot of fruit and herbs, cured our own olives each year, and talked about recipes, cooking, and food a lot. Food was always there and was always really important.
How would you describe your cooking style?
It’s definitely a mix. I love the creativity that comes when you’ve just got a few things in the fridge and something needs to be whipped up. I guess I’m more of a generalist. I’ll become obsessed with certain processes or cuisines every now and then and that becomes my focus for a while (at the moment I’m fixated on making really good, thick, pot-set yoghurt with cream on top). I’m really fascinated by the intricacies of different cuisines, which comes from travel experiences or wanting to visit somewhere new and being curious about their food culture. I love the flavour of Sichuanese food as much as I’m curious about Italian simplicity, Korean fermentation techniques and French sauces. I’m not really into mixing cuisines; I guess I’m a very culturally curious generalist—is that a thing?
It’s a Saturday night and you’re cooking for a group of foodie friends, what do you make? What ingredients are on the list...
I like to stick to something safe, simple, but still impressive when people come over (I leave the experimentation for my solo nights). I also like to serve fewer dishes in impressive quantities—it feels so generous and festive. I’d probably start with a big hunk of cheese from Penny’s Cheese Shop, most likely an alpine-style hard cheese like Chällerhocker or a slightly funky but smooth soft cheese like L'Artisan's Extravagant. I’d pop this on a plate with some crackers and something sweet like a piece of fruit or Mount Zero’s olive jam.
For the main show, I’d get my hands on a big, impressive steak from my butcher, Emilio’s in Rozelle. I’d salt and dry it in the fridge overnight and then cook it really simply, really hot and, if all goes to plan, perfectly (to rare-medium rare). I’d let it rest for ages before serving it up with a bunch of different mustards, a bowl of crushed, boiled potatoes dressed with olive oil, chives, and heaps of cracked pepper, lots of fresh bread and salted butter, and a big, well-dressed pile of salad leaves. I might even make a pan sauce if I’m not too distracted. Dessert is usually something like a rough-puff fruit galette with crème fraîche, but recently, when I was short on time, I just roasted some rhubarb, macerated strawberries, and served it with crème fraîche and a crumbled Scotch Finger on top.
What is your favourite Mount Zero extra virgin olive oil and why?
I’ve been a long-time fan of the Frantoio olive oil. Every year I buy myself a 15L box and with the amount of cooking I do, I use it up in a year. It’s got brilliant flavour but it’s not too much of anything (soft, strong, peppery). It’s my ultimate all-rounder. Life is good when you can use olive oil as liberally as you want with no fear of running out. I can confit, marinate, and just drizzle so freely, and for me, there’s no greater luxury in the kitchen.
Your top 3 other Mount Zero products to cook with...
Early Harvest Picual EVOO. This is special and a really luxe way to dress up already brilliant fresh produce. A ripe tomato, this and a crack of pepper. Heaven.
Chardonnay verjus. Softer than vinegar and without the alcohol of wine, I’ve been really enjoying sloshing this into sweet and savoury recipes to bring a little brightness and acidity.
The Cerignola olives. I grew up eating big, punchy olives from my family’s tree. These are more subtle in flavour but have the generosity I remember from growing up. They are addictive and perfect to snack on while cooking dinner, pop in a bowl for hungry guests, garnish a martini or cook slowly with chicken in the oven.
What are you finding inspiration at the moment?
I’m really enjoying buying old cookbooks for inspiration at the moment. I picked up a copy of Maggie Beer’s Harvest from a second-hand shop recently, and I love how she cooks so simply, but liberally, with olive oil and verjuice. I’ve never been interested in online food trends, so I really enjoy looking back at how we cooked just 20 years ago and feeling inspired to cook simply and seasonally.
Ultimate simple Sunday breakfast at home looks like…
I’m a breakfast person and I don’t wait for Sunday, but the perfect situation looks a little like this. Two boiled eggs cooked for six-and-a-half minutes on olive oil pan-cooked toast. Heaps of cracked black pepper, flaky salt and maybe a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Cold orange juice, hot black filter coffee and no plans for the rest of the day. Perfect.
Tell us about your recipe newsletter, what can people expect if they sign up?
I’ve been writing my newsletter Ding! for five years now and for me it’s a place where I can just let loose a little. There’s always a bit of stream-of-consciousness, plus things I’ve been loving cooking, eating, or thinking about that week. As I do a lot of writing and marketing copy for my work, it’s really nice to have a space that I can design myself, write without rules, a client brief, or strict concerns about perfect grammar (because sometimes it’s more fun without it). It’s a creative outlet and a place where I can have a bit of fun, talk about food and build a community of people who love it too. That’s part of why it’s free (now and forever): more and more, every creative idea becomes monetised (which I understand), but for me, I wanted to create a space for people to enjoy and be entertained without obligation or financial commitment. Everyone can just be there for the love of food, silliness and a bit of fun.
