Hi Annie ! Where did your love of food originate?
“I come from a family of feeders! There was always an abundance of truly wholesome food growing up. I guess my passion for cooking, baking etc. first stems from this. I think it’s amazing that such simple ingredients - particularly those that can be picked straight from our own soil - can be transformed in so many ways. Even just the fact that we are receptive of all this variance. Wow. That is truly life’s biggest treat of all”
What inspires you and inspires Lecker Things?
“Some of my happiest memories are surrounding food. My grandparents each migrated to Australia from different regions of Eastern Europe, bringing their wonderful cuisines with them and into our family. Growing up I spent a lot of time helping my Nana and Grandma either assemble borek, or pit cherries to fold into piroshki for Christmas. Often also using produce grown in their meticulously maintained gardens. As much fun as we had in process, there was nothing more rewarding than finally sitting down to eat and appreciate our hard work.
I always think how fortunate I am to be surrounded by such inspiring cooks; both my Grandmothers, my Mum. I’d even include my Dad, who’s a pretty damn good fisherman. They’ve all taught me so much
I started @leckerthings during the pandemic of course. Just for fun - I’m really no chef! I wanted a space where I could share my proud creations with family and friends, as well as immerse myself in the creativity and skill of the many other home-cooks and chefs out there both locally and around the world. Rather than a showcase of only my best work, @leckerthings is more a reflection on the humble and wholesome. It is often ugly and even occasionally a bit shit. But I’m learning! And I hope sharing both my triumphs and troubleshooting are somewhat inspiring, or at least remotely entertaining.
“Lecker” is German for tasty (and Dutch, but instead spelt “lekker”). It is probably one of my favourite words to exist. I just love it. ”
What do you consider to be your greatest creation to date?
“All of the birthday cakes I have made! While there have been some questionable ones (I am borderline too experimental), little else is more fulfilling than having people close to you enjoy and appreciate your food.
Technically though, my greatest achievement in the kitchen was when I first made a loaf of olive and rosemary sourdough. It was my second loaf of bread ever and quite miraculously turned out perfect. That was made just pre-leckerthings and did not last long enough to take any photos unfortunately. I swear it existed, but you’ll just have to take my word for it”
How has your practice and skills changed over time?
“I go through food phases depending on what’s in season and how much time I have between work and studying. Currently I am transitioning into a fully-fledged pasta phase, or so I hope. I think these “phases” help me focus on really nailing a couple of cooking principles at a time. I am far from a perfectionist, but I am as persistent as they come and so will make the same thing over, and over again until I get it just right!
Every day I learn something new. We are so fortunate to be immersed in such a thriving food scene here in Naarm and to have access to so much amazing fresh produce and food products. This has definitely led to me becoming more exploratory in the kitchen since moving out of home”
What do you hope your audience gains from your work?
“To be completely honest, I take my feed far from serious hah! It’s a bit random. It’s also very unrefined, but I think this makes it feel warm and comforting. I hope that @leckerthings helps people see that cooking good food is really more accessible than many believe. Not everything is going to be great at first, in which case just add some more salt and butter - a squish of lemon can do wonders too.
While food is our primary source of nourishment fundamentally, it is also something to be appreciated as a multidimensional art-form. It is wonderful! And has a place on many spectrums other than simply edible or not”
What is next for you?
“This year I’ll be graduating from my undergraduate degree in neuroscience and hope to begin postgraduate studies in the near future. In between work and my studies, I aim to further refine my ~culinary skills~; travel and appreciate the diverse food scenes across different regions and countries, perhaps take a couple of specific skill-focused cooking classes. I love working with pastry and bread dough, so would like to practice with these mediums more!
I care greatly about conservation and try to live as sustainably as my circumstances allow. A big goal for me this year is to better familiarise myself with native foods and flavours. We are deeply privileged to reside on such an ecologically diverse land and I feel it is the biggest shame that more native ingredients and Indigenous Australian dishes aren’t better recognised. First Nations owned restaurants such as Mabu Mabu are making inspiring steps to change this and encourage better appreciation for this rich food culture”