#4 Homemade Infused Oils and Pickled Vegetables - Alexandra Cleanthous

INTRODUCTION TO EPISODE #3 In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Alexandra Cleanthous of Food & Thoughts. Alex is originally from the island of Cyprus- she is a chef living and working in Melbourne, Australia. She is the creator of the blog called Food & Thoughts, which is a space dedicated to simple recipes, food history and some of Alex's random thoughts.  When she is not cooking, Alex enjoys doing yoga to find some stillness outside of the noisy kitchen environment. She can also be found scrolling through Pinterest for interior design inspiration or relaxing and watching Friends. In this episode, we chat a little bit about her experiences becoming a chef and then Alex walks us through her processes for infusing oils and pickling your own vegetables, and then shares one of her own recipes with us, adding a little extra flavor to a simple and delicious meal.  Be sure to follow Alex on Instagram here and check our her blog as well. Let me know what you think of the episode. If you like it and want to leave a review wherever you are listening that would be awesome. I hope you enjoy! SHOW NOTES [02:30] Alex talks about what it was like growing up in Cyprus [05:43] Studying and going to culinary school in Greece and France [09:47] Internships in Paris and at a Michelin star restaurant in Bordeaux [15:51] How to make your own homemade infused oils [21:50] Alex's go to infused oils [25:22] How to pickle your own vegetables [35:18] Spiced Beef Patty with Herb Yogurt Recipe LINKS Alex's Blog - Food and Thoughts Alex on Instagram How to Make Homemade Infused Oils Samin Nosrat Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat Book and Documentary on Netflix A Pickling Guide For Beginners: How To, What To Use, and Other Tips Spiced Beef Patty with Herb Yogurt Recipe