The best thing about cooking is that it is a necessary part of our daily lives, but it's easy to turn it into something we love.

I've been cooking for as long as I remember. When I was little I would help my mum with dinner, or help my childcarer make cakes. I still love licking the beaters!

I'm pretty lucky in a lot of ways. Firstly, I don't have any major food aversions. There are certain things I'm not fond of, including coffee and pumpkin, but I'll try anything once. I ate sashimi for the first time when I was six, before it was even trendy.

Secondly, I grew up with a fantastic cook. A lot of what I know about cooking I learnt from watching my mother. She taught me that cooking can be both easy and fun. And watching her get compliments from people who come to eat at our house is another inspiration!

Thirdly, I've grown up in a fairly multicultural society, where all different forms of cooking are embraced. I'm glad that I can buy the ingredients for a Japanese banquet almost as easily as for a good old barbecue. If I decide to go out for dinner, I can choose from Chinese, Japanese, Indian, South African, Korean, Italian, Mexican, modOz and more, all within 20 minutes of home.

Fourthly, cooking is experiencing a real resurgence at the moment, thanks to people like Jamie Oliver. It means there's a spread in the cookbooks, utensils and ingredients that are available, and its considered cool to be a cook.

And last but not least, there's a real push on fresh ingredients. Gone are the days of lamb chops with instant mashed potato and rehydrated peas. Now it's so easy to buy good-quality fresh fruit and vegetables, which makes cooking great food easier than ever.

So welcome to my blog. I'd love to hear your feedback on my recipes, and what you'd like to see more of.