Former Fred’s head chef and the newly appointed Sydney Opera House food ambassador Danielle Alvarez has pivoted the focus of her second cookbook – Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking. Just released, this time it’s about efficiency, affordability and cookability. And, a paradox for a chef that has mastered the art of cooking from the land, it’s about rejecting the seasons.

It’s a diary of what came out of her kitchen during months locked down, most of which she found in her pantry. Think sweet-and-sour cumin lamb shoulder, tagliatelle bolognese, cavolo nero anchovy risotto and for dessert a plum galette – her speciality.

Going into summer, after she’s hung up her chef whites, Alvarez will be reaching for chilled whites, rosé and light, cold reds to go with these recipes. “We take a non-alcoholic approach during the week and on the weekends [my partner and I] enjoy a nice bottle of wine.” Her spending habits on wine have changed over the years, signaling a maturation to her palate. “In younger years I was drinking what was the most delicious and affordable. These days I’m happy to spend more given it’s a bit more of a luxury.”

Any labels in particular that she has on rotation? “I love rosé! I love [Rameau d’Or rosé]”

And rosé on ice – is it okay?
“La piscine. I’m into it. I don’t want to be too much of a snob. If it’s really hot out, what’s important is that I’m drinking something refreshing. I wouldn’t do it with the most expensive ones but if I’m drinking something at home.

When asked how important glassware was to enhancing the wine experience, Alvarez was firm. 

At home she reaches for [Plumm Three] “It’s a good universal white glass, red glass and I would even serve champagne out of a white glass at home.” 

Another rosé she loves, which has a sentimental place in her heart, is Domaine Tempier. It was loved by her former boss and mentor Alice Water –  the owner of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. It was at Chez Panisse Alvarez honed her skills under Waters, the legendary American chef and food activist also responsible for planting the vegetable garden at the White House for the Obamas. Chez Panisse was the first to bring the back of house into the foreground in the US, with nothing to hide but ingredients that are locally-sourced and alive.

“There was no other more influential place on my identity as a cook than Chez Panisse. That place first taught me about really tasting food. The menu changed daily, it was more than seasonal, it was hyper seasonal. Every day it was like ‘these tomatoes aren’t ripe enough, we need to let them sit, let’s use them on Wednesday. Or ‘the turnips arrived today, they were woody so let’s not roast, let’s puree them. It taught us how to respond to what’s happening in nature vs writing a menu and making the ingredients submissive to it.” 

Alvarez cooks with the South of France in mind  – another trait passed down from Waters.  “I think it’s the most dreamy place. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather drink or eat than there. The food that I love cooking comes from that part of the world.” Two of her favourite restaurants in Nice are Chez Davia and La Merenda; order the pesto pasta, she says you won’t regret it. She will be bringing this flavour to her new position as Sydney Opera House’s culinary director of event venues, too. 

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