We caught up with the Cannataci twins, Jacinta and Monica, who have worked in top restaurants across Australia and are now starting their own cooking consultancy company, Creation by MJ. In this newsletter, they show us how to cook Pan-Fried Salmon with Broccomole, broccoli-based guac - all made from fresh ingredients in the Vegepod garden. A delicious light dinner meal for the last of summertime, check out our interview with them below!
How did you guys get into cooking and what's the main goal you hope to achieve with your recipes?
Monica and Jacinta as little ones, learning from their father's cooking style!
Image courtesy of @cannataci.twin.chefs
Our passion for cooking seeded at a young age. We were inspired by our father’s flair for cooking as he experimented and prepared delicious dishes. We enjoyed watching him in the kitchen and loved it when he invited us to help.
We promised him that we would show his dishes to the world. We still remember the words we said so clearly and the smirk on his face. We always had so much fun in the kitchen at home as kids, we enjoyed presenting the family with cooking shows.
Over the years our learning, inspiration and passion for cooking was further developed by working as chefs for Sydney’s exclusive restaurants which include Quay restaurant, under Executive Chefs Philip Leblanc and later Peter Gilmore, the Bennelong restaurant at the Sydney Opera House, Wildfire, The Ocean Room and Hugo’s Darlinghurst.
For the past few years, we have been working in our chef consultancy company called creation by MJ. We consult for restaurants within Australia and Fiji, recipes writers for cookbooks and online, caterers and work closely with celebrity chefs with functions, filming and photoshoots.
Our vision is to continue to create enjoyable healthy menus with local fresh produce, farm-to-table, sea-to-table and to plant and harvest our own seasonal fruit and vegetables. Our plan is to have our creations published in our own cookbook!
It's lovely to hear your dad inspired you to work with food!
The Vegepod looks like it's thriving from your photos, how did you find using the Pod?
Jacinta picking greens from the Vegepod
We absolutely love the Vegepod!! We’re so surprised how easy it is to maintain and how fast our veggies grow! We don't have much gardening experience, we have tried to grow a few veggies and herbs in the past, with no luck! The wildlife always got to the crop first. The Vegepod is perfect for protecting the crop from insects, possums and birds.
It's a process we have been trying to learn over the last few years, if only we knew about the Vegepod earlier! It is so easy it is to achieve a thriving crop. There is nothing more satisfying than picking seasonal organic greens from your own backyard, and saving money at the same time.
Where can people find you guys online for more delicious recipes?
We are currently working on developing healthy recipes and videos for our new website. In the meantime, you can find us on Instagram @Cannataci.twin.chefs or Facebook. Monica & Jacinta- Twins Kitchen.
