Meet Our Maker | Gather & Feast
Ashley Alexander - or @gatherandfeast - is a self taught cook from Melbourne, who grew up around cooking and passionate makers. Here, she chats us through her limited-edition Light & Shadow inspired recipes.
Tell us a bit about you! Hi there, I’m Ash! I'm a self-taught cook from Melbourne, Australia and run a website called Gather & Feast where I post simple delicious recipes. I work alongside my husband Mike who looks after all things photo and video for G&F and brings my recipes to life. We make a great team! I spend a lot of my time in the kitchen recipe developing and food styling for various projects and shoots. I get to play with food basically. When we’re not working we’re spending time with our sweet almost two year old daughter Adeline.
What/who inspired your love for cooking? I have always had a love for cooking; learning new recipes, mastering a family favourite, experimenting without structure and form. I grew up obsessed with watching cooking shows. From the beautiful travel cooking shows to the more tacky daytime cooking shows. I loved them all haha. My mum also got us into the kitchen from an early age, baking cakes from memory, and preparing three-course meals for her dinner parties (well played Mum).
Sweet or savoury? Savoury
What's your go-to recipe when entertaining your loved ones this Christmas? My ‘Mega Berry Pavlova with Lemon Curd & Fresh Mint’ always has to make an appearance on Christmas day. I think I would hear about it if it didn’t. That and my Grandma's Christmas pudding with a lush brandy cream sauce and vanilla whipped cream. A handwritten recipe that she gave me a number of years ago, and then passed on the baton for me to make each year. So that's pretty special, and it's also the most delicious thing ever!
What inspired your dish to celebrate the launch of our Light & Shadow? In celebration of the launch of the ‘Light & Shadow’ stand mixer I was actually requested to make my version of a triple chocolate baked cheesecake. The contrasting colours, textures, and tones represented in the three tiers of the chocolate layers actually perfectly mirror the design elements and thought concept behind the new mixer.
What’s your all-time favourite food? Pasta. Oh and gelato but does that count?
Breakfast, lunch or dinner? Lunch.
Tell us 3 reasons why you love the new Light & Shadow? I love the sandy texture and colour of the new mixer. It’s beautiful, and fits and looks perfect in my kitchen. I also love the large matte bowl. Perfect for the volume of ingredients in this cheesecake recipe. The weight and quality of the stainless steel attachments are also impressive.