About Matthew Evans
This website is the virtual home of recipe writer, cook, stirrer and passionate foodster Matthew Evans. Originally a chef by trade Matthew has since become a tastejunkie by desire. In a move akin to Darth Vader’s he crossed from the dark heart of restaurant kitchens to the even darker side, to become a restaurant reviewer for most of the last decade. Originally trained in Canberra, Australia, Matthew has also worked in Sydney and Melbourne and written about restaurants and producers from across the country.
In years gone by Matthew has been the café reviewer for The Age’s Epicure section, worked for local and international food magazines, and was The Sydney Morning Herald’s Chief Restaurant Reviewer for five years. He was also the co-editor of the much talked about Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide from 2002-2006. Since 1997 he has been writing a weekly recipe column for Good Weekend magazine, which also appeared in The West Australian each Saturday for five years. Matthew also shares his love of tucker as the food editor of the weekly magazine, Grazia.
Matthew has written, edited and contributed to numerous publications, including recipe books and travel guides. He is in the process of writing his seventh book about food, to be published in 2010 by Murdoch Books.
Photography credit: Courtesy of Steve Baccon, first published in The Sydney Morning Herald 14th December 2005.
My philosophy
Every time you buy, eat and drink you make a conscious choice. It doesn’t matter whether it’s mineral water, salmon or caviar, we all own our actions and can influence others.
This site aims to be governed by a few things:
Taste – good flavours, good textures, surprising or interesting dishes, these are what binds those who care about what they eat. I’ll try to share some of the good things I taste through the site.
Humanity – the sharing of food is one of the greatest human attributes, and one of the greatest pleasures. Hospitality has, at its core, the well being not only of those we love, but also of strangers. Eating is one of the most basic human pleasures and I aim to convey some of that on the site.
Ethics – humane and sustainable rearing, propagating, harvesting and butchering are everybody’s responsibility. A farmer rears a pig, a chicken, corn or rice on our behalf. They are caretakers of the land for the next generation and what they do is done in our name. It’s up to all of us to care enough about the land and the ocean, about the animals and about the environment to expect the best of our brethren on the land. And they have the right to expect us to pay an amount that reflects the true costs of sustainable agriculture.
What This Site Isn’t
This site is not about health. I believe that no food is intrinsically evil, and none is intrinsically good. Most natural foods (by definition) are good for you in the right quantity - it’s up to each of us to use that small grey thing that keeps our ears apart when we decide on the quantities. You know in your heart a bag of chips isn’t as good as an apple, even a supermarket apple that’s been in storage for ten months.
If you want information on butter substitutes or the harmful effects of everyday food, then sadly this isn’t the site for you.