Meet Chef Thomas, the brains behind the recipes on our website! We’ve been working closely with Chef Thomas since the beginning of our platform and he’s helped us curate a series of recipes that are simple and convenient yet nutritious and tasty for the whole family. Today, we have a chat with the chef himself so you can get to know him and his cooking philosophies better!
Hello Chef Thomas, can you tell us a little about yourself?
Hello, I’ve been a chef for close to 20 years and I’m currently the owner and head chef at Streets of London. My specialty is incorporating Indian Pale Ale in my cuisine and that has been my signature for over 15 years!
How did you begin your culinary career?
Unlike many chefs, I started out without a mentor. Growing up, I used to enjoy watching cooking shows, especially Jamie Oliver’s ‘Naked Chef’ series. He was a big inspiration for me and drove my aspirations to become a chef. Nevertheless, my journey started out humbly as a dishwasher after my career with the Navy so that I could learn the basics of cooking. Slowly, my passion for food grew and I moved from restaurant to restaurant to expose myself to a variety of cuisines and learn new skills and techniques.
That’s really inspiring! After all these years, what is your favourite cuisine to cook?
I enjoy Western cuisine, particularly Italian food! Pasta and pizza can be really simple yet flavourful and wholesome at the same time. Also, I like to experiment with new things and lately I enjoy creating dishes with Indian Pale Ale (IPA) beer, from seafood to white or red meats!
If you could choose your favourite cooking spice, what would it be?
That would be Cajun! It’s a very well-rounded spice with herb aromatics, savoury and tangy flavour notes and a good kick of spice. It goes well with almost anything and you can never go wrong with it.
Sounds yummy! Would you use that to prepare meals for young children?
I don’t see why not! Cajun spice is great for seasoning meats or for roasting vegetables but perhaps you could make your own spice blend and reduce the amount of chilli so it’s more kid-friendly.
How has your experience been curating recipes for Kidslovr?
It’s been an interesting experience, rather different from what I normally do as I have to take into consideration the dietary requirements of different age groups and also create recipes that are convenient for parents. I try to aim for simple recipes that don’t take more than 45 mins of cooking time so that it’s suitable for everyday home cooking. Most importantly, the recipes must be tasty and healthy for the whole family!
Do you have any words of advice for parents cooking at home?
I would say be creative and toy around! Children love novelty and bright colours so you could play around with the presentation of food. For example, the Japanese have a great tradition of creating lunchbox Bentos with creative food shapes or cut-outs and that is something you could try if you have the time. Also if you have a picky eater, there are always ways to hide the veggies so that your child still gets all their nutrients and vitamins. But most importantly, cooking should always be about fun and involving your kids in the process will make the process more meaningful and enjoyable :)
Thank you Chef Thomas for your culinary advice and chatting with us! We look forward to more tasty recipes from you! For more of Chef Thomas’ recipes, click here.