The Wild Thyme and Sweet Pea project found its roots when it was plucked excitedly from the garden, washed briskly in a basin of water and lovingly left out to dry in a soothing marinade of vision and ambition. Like the foundation of all big ideas, Wild Thyme and Sweet Pea grew from moist and loving soils, which gave lease of life to its sprouts and leaves and defiant ambition to reach the sun above.
My name’s Matt, I’m a city-dweller and apartment hoverer who has incessant dreams about converting urbanscapes into thriving greenscapes. The Wild Thyme and Sweet Pea project is an intensely personal endeavour that came me to me when in the very busy Sydney kitchens and at one stage a keenly faced waitperson, cooking and serving for mass audiences and in reflection of the moments of torment when I would have to return home and cook for another, equally demanding audience.
It is my mission to make writing about food unpretentious, accessible, humourous and easy to understand. After all, I firmly believe that a great cook is born into all of us and we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be discouraged by others who would tell us otherwise. I thoroughly believe that earning a trump card in the kitchen is not accomplished by owning the best equipment or even having the best quality ingredients on hand (though it might help!). As a highly developed race of creative individuals as we are human, I believe our blessing is in the power to synthesise from our environment and to channel innovation and zeal into every dish we create.
Many of us are discouraged from cooking because we believe they lack the skill or the creative ability to create something wholesome, something tasteful and appealing. The truth is that half the battle is already won, as we have already inherited the basic abilities (thanks to our ancestors, Australopithecus and Cro-Magnon Man) to wield a knife, to use a chopping board, to prepare fresh foodstuffs and have the fundamental recognition of what is palatable and what is not. Winning the remainder of the battle is in what demarcates cooking as a chore from cooking as a craving: a pinch of encouragement, a teaspoon of self-trust and a handful of inspiration.
The heart of the problem for many is that it is as though an invisible metric has been placed over their heads that dictates only the works of a chef are worth sitting down to. But again, most of us have spent countless moments in observation or lending a helping hand to the elders of our family (who are clever cooks in disguise) as they are engaged in the cooking practice, and we have unconsciously picked up many of their tricks-of-the-trade or are at least able to identify and learn their signature dishes that we desire.
Over time, I hope for the digest to prosper with visitors into its cyber caverns, each willing to view and comment and leave behind a touch trace of sentiment in this busy and distracting day in age.
My co-pilot Jasmin skillfully arranges the food, chooses the crockery and appropriate frame and lighting for all of the photos you see here on Wild Thyme and Sweet Pea, and her commendable efforts could not go without recognition. Without her tireless application, the project could never have made lift-off and would not be on its ambitious course toward the Moon (which, as we all know, is made of cheese.)
If you share in my vision, I heartily welcome you to partake in all that is on offer here and have many delighted return visits. Please feel free to contact me at your leisure!
Wild Thyme and Sweet Pea is best viewed with a minimum screen resolution of 1680 x 1050 pixels or higher (that’s roughly a 20-inch widescreen monitor), on a standards compliant browser such as Safari or Firefox. Posts are frequently written, reviewed and edited on Windows 7, using a faithful and dependable AMD Phenom II 965 Quad-Core processor. Ideas come about through inspiration from everyday cooking experiences and occasionally from cookbooks, which are always given credit. This digest is powered by the mighty WordPress and is hosted by Media Temple.
The Wild Thyme and Sweet Pea project found its roots when it was plucked excitedly from the garden, washed briskly in a basin of water and lovingly left out to dry in a soothing marinade of vision and ambition ... More »
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