Podcast : Chef Mel Alafaci Of Culinary Quickies

By June Ramli Welcome to another episode of 30 minutes with DailyStraits.com. Our guest today is Chef Mel Alafaci, a Brisbane-based chef and author is taking on the world, transforming unhappy domestic chefs who are frustrated and failing in their kitchens, to confident, happy foodies. Her unique cooking style and culinary lingo has even experienced foodies adapting her shortcuts and hacks in the kitchen transforming everyday local produce into show stopping meals. Best of all she loves upcycling seasonal produce and budget basics into sensational masterpieces, boasting that she can make any ingredient or plate of food look 'then bucks more expensive.’ Alafaci’s love of cooking stems from her African roots. She lived in remote areas of Zimbabwe and South Africa where cooking was her only source of entertainment. If she found a recipe in a book, there were no shopping centres, so she had to improvise. This is where Alafaci learnt to do amazing things with basic ingredients. She loves to make things look more expensive than they really are… With one cookbook  published and another two on the way,  our chat with Mel today is going to revolve around how to cook and save thousands on groceries, plus other cheffy tips. Without further ado, let’s welcome Chef Alafaci to the show. In this podcast, we discuss:  What are some of the top cheffy skills that you can dish out to our listeners to keep things fresh which can inevitably save one thousands of dollars each year.  How does one shop like a chef and grab the bargains and know what to do with them? What is the best way to devise a  meal plan or a list of mix and match recipes that is  quick and easy to make and much more.