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Out of the Frying Pan: A Recipe Blogger's Beachside Kitchen
Nagi Maehashi's sea change resulted in a more relaxed lifestyle and the creation of a food website, RecipeTin Eats
Nagi Maehashi says the creation of her food website, RecipeTin Eats, was spurred on by a mid-life crisis that was a result of her demanding corporate job. On a rare Sunday off, she passed a run-down beach shack for sale on Mona Vale beach headland, with views over Bungan Beach. “I knew instantly I had to have this place,” says Maehashi. Four years later, she still lives there. “It was the single most irrational major decision I have made in my life, to go from a house I own that took me five minutes to drive into the city, to renting a run-down beach shack that took me one and a half hours to drive into the city,” she says. She then went on to create RecipeTin Eats, a website full of her fresh, fast and creative recipes. The kitchen is the heart of the cook’s home – the place in which she creates delicious meals and shoots videos for her website.
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Nagi Maehashi, creator of RecipeTin Eats, and her golden retriever Dozer
Location: Mona Vale, Sydney, NSW
Style: Casual beach
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: Nagi Maehashi, creator of RecipeTin Eats, and her golden retriever Dozer
Location: Mona Vale, Sydney, NSW
Style: Casual beach
Kitchen tools
Maehashi has put a lot of thought into the kitchen tools and appliances she uses. “Quality is important, of course,” she says. She uses a KitchenAid, a Vitamix blender, Global knives and loves cooking in cast-iron skillets and pots. “Yes they are heavy, but you can’t beat the heat retention and distribution,” she says. Maehashi’s philosophy is to spend money where it counts and not where it doesn’t. For example, she’ll spend a small fortune on a leak-proof oil pourer, but $3 on a spatula.
Maehashi has put a lot of thought into the kitchen tools and appliances she uses. “Quality is important, of course,” she says. She uses a KitchenAid, a Vitamix blender, Global knives and loves cooking in cast-iron skillets and pots. “Yes they are heavy, but you can’t beat the heat retention and distribution,” she says. Maehashi’s philosophy is to spend money where it counts and not where it doesn’t. For example, she’ll spend a small fortune on a leak-proof oil pourer, but $3 on a spatula.
Kitchen style
“My kitchen isn’t fancy, but it’s set up so that the things I use the most are within reaching distance from my work area,” says Maehashi. As she works out of home, she chooses to shoot videos in the kitchen where possible. “My set-up revolves around the best light position,” she says. The pictured old wooden hall table is used as a shooting surface.
“My kitchen isn’t fancy, but it’s set up so that the things I use the most are within reaching distance from my work area,” says Maehashi. As she works out of home, she chooses to shoot videos in the kitchen where possible. “My set-up revolves around the best light position,” she says. The pictured old wooden hall table is used as a shooting surface.
A home for entertaining
“When it comes to decorating, I am all about comfort and practicality,” says Maehashi. The ability for furniture and decor to withstand salty air is also very important to her. In terms of decor, she mainly opts for travel-related items.
“When it comes to decorating, I am all about comfort and practicality,” says Maehashi. The ability for furniture and decor to withstand salty air is also very important to her. In terms of decor, she mainly opts for travel-related items.
Moving to the northern beaches changed Maehashi’s outlook on life. She wanted to do something for herself, something she was truly passionate about. “Being able to work from home and be my own boss was the icing on the cake,” she says.
Maehashi has loved cooking since she was young. “Even when I worked 15 hour days in corporate, I’d walk in the house, kick off my heels, pour myself a wine and cook something from scratch. That’s how I wind down. Not in front of the TV,” she says.
Maehashi has loved cooking since she was young. “Even when I worked 15 hour days in corporate, I’d walk in the house, kick off my heels, pour myself a wine and cook something from scratch. That’s how I wind down. Not in front of the TV,” she says.
The cook’s entire home is set up to revolve around her lifestyle – work and leisure. “I’ve managed to cram in a dedicated area for my photography equipment and props, and arrange my living/dining/kitchen area in the open-plan part of the house with the best views,” she says. The kitchen and dining area has been set up in a way that works for cooking videos.
Maehashi’s cultural background has had a strong influence on her cooking. “Coming from a Japanese background, migrating to Australia when I was a child, meant I started out with a more ‘exotic’ food experience that the typical Aussie kid,” she says. “I was sent to school with bento boxes when all I wanted was a Vegemite sandwich. My parents just didn’t get the classic Aussie meat-and-three-veg dinners.”
She loves how food brings family and friends together. Her outdoor dining set can accommodate up to six people.
She loves how food brings family and friends together. Her outdoor dining set can accommodate up to six people.
Reducing food wastage is important to Maehashi. Her biggest cooking tip is to have an arsenal of ‘fridge forage’ recipes up your sleeve. “Whatever you have in the fridge and pantry right now, you can make a really tasty pasta, fritter or frittata,” she says. “One of the best pastas in this world is spaghetti aglio e olio, which is made with just pasta, garlic and olive oil,” she says. “You don’t need tonnes of fancy ingredients to make incredible food – you just need to know how to make it right.”
The oversized outdoor deck is perfect for entertainment or relaxation.
The pictured artwork was purchased from an Aboriginal artist when Maehashi was camping. The picture brings back the memories of camping with her friends: sleeping bags along the creek, fishing and an unidentified animal who tried to eat their catch in the morning.
Maehashi is a fan of all things collectable: miniature cooking pots, three monkey statues, chopping boards and more.
TELL US
How do you set up your kitchen for cooking? Tell us in the Comments.
How do you set up your kitchen for cooking? Tell us in the Comments.
The purpose of RecipeTin Eats is to give Maehashi’s readers confidence to cook delicious dishes that are easy to achieve with the right instructions and tips. “One of my biggest gripes is food that looks pretty in photos but tastes blah in real life. It’s all about taste!” she says.
Maehashi loves cooking dishes that have big punchy flavours. “A big pot of Texas chilli, Mexican, spicy Thai, Indian curries, Chinese stir fries. I hold no bias, I love food from everywhere,” she says. She’s also partial to Asian, Indian, Southern American, classic British, Italian, French, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. “I just realised I pretty much covered most of the world there,” she laughs.