Adam D’Sylva Streamlined Machine

At the time this book went to press, Adam D’Sylva had just moved on after a fourteen-year stint as co-owner and executive chef of Coda, and then Tonka, both in Flinders Lane, Melbourne. Adam continues his run with other projects, currently the gelateria Boca, in Ivanhoe, Melbourne. A chef for more than two-and-a-half decades, his venues capture his mixed heritage. “I’m half Italian and half Indian,” says D’Sylva, who grew up surrounded by food, in particular meat. “My father used to have a butcher’s shop and my mother worked alongside him.” Even before graduating from school, he was working part-time in a pizza store. “I still enjoy making pizzas, particularly for the children,” says D’Sylva, who lives in his house in Thornbury with his wife and their three children.

When the couple purchased the 1960s cream-brick home, it had enough bedrooms, but lacked a great kitchen. “It was more of a galley-style kitchen that was poorly tacked onto the back,” says D’Sylva. There was also a garage at the rear that was too difficult to access, and has been incorporated into a new living wing that now includes the informal living area and an additional bedroom. “We literally doubled the size of this house, including a new dining area, which can accommodate up to twenty-five people with a couple of additional tables,” he adds.

As D’Sylva designed the new kitchen, he was clear on what he wanted and also what he didn’t want. He wanted a long island bench, plenty of storage and a butler’s pantry where he could store many of the kitchen appliances. So unlike other kitchens, where there’s at least a coffee machine or food blender on the benchtop, here one of the few items is a container with a variety of oils, salts and soy sauce. “They’re a permanent fixture, with at least one of these ingredients going into every dish,” says D’Sylva.

Annie Smithers From the Farm to the Table

Babbington Park in Lyonville, Central Victoria, provides a sanctuary for chef Annie Smithers, who runs du Fermier. Three years ago, she purchased the 9-hectare property with her wife Susan and their two daughters, where they live along with their cats, geese and chooks. Situated at the head of the Loddon River, it draws one’s eye immediately into the landscape, with its rolling hills framed by mature hedges. The couple’s early-twentieth-century cottage is flanked by a series of outhouses, including an 1870s shearing shed, currently being restored, and a delightful church, thought to have been moved onto the property seventy years ago. It’s here where Smithers does most of her cooking, along with her cooking classes, booked out for months ahead.

The church, a short walk from the main house, includes two bedrooms, a bathroom, the open-plan kitchen and living area, together with an annex that’s used for students attending classes to sample the fare, as well as for entertaining friends and family. “I was initially thinking of using this building as a B&B, but it’s perfect for cooking and holding classes.” Simply furnished with a French country-style dining table, it only needed a few minor adjustments from Smithers. There was the addition of the Enzo Catalani pendant light in the living area and in the kitchen, an AGA 60 stove, pivotal to Smithers’ way of cooking with ingredients brought from the farm to the table. With just one large hotplate and two deep ovens below, it provides everything she needs. “I can sauté potatoes, while keeping my soup or sauces warm on the side.” The oven has two speeds, and it’s perfect for the preparation of confit duck. After using AGAs for many years, she knows exactly what heat is required for any dish or even pastries. “Using an AGA is intuitive. It’s like a dancing partner,” says Smithers, who regularly braises certain dishes overnight.