Lunch with Curtis

By Sarah Cavalier

It was funny chatting to Curtis Stone on the phone. His voice is so familiar that it feels like I’m talking to an old friend, but really, it’s just familiar because we hear him on our TV screens so often telling us all about the best fresh food available at Coles! After two years away, being stuck in LA due to the pandemic, where he lives with his wife Lindsey and their two boys Emerson and Hudson, Curtis is finally back in Australia for Summer, sharing the Coles love, and doing what he loves best, cooking. This Mama was lucky enough to have a chat with him too...

You’re back in Australia for the first time in over 2 years. What’s it been like reconnecting with your family after so long?

Well mum shed several tears. It’s been so great catching up with everyone. Nieces and nephews to hug. My brother has three kids and my sister has a daughter. The whole tribe is here.

What Aussie food do you miss most when you’re in LA?

Sausage rolls! So I make my own! Luckily I own a pie shop in LA. The biggest thing I miss is Australian bread. How does the whole of America have such bad bread? There are certain fish you can’t get there either fish. Dory, flounder, flathead. Imagine no flathead! Coffee is terrible too, so I import Australian roasted coffee to my restaurants, and I have good coffee at home. I never order coffee when I’m out and about.

What’s your advice for family meals with young kids?

Don’t ever cook them anything different. Whatever you’re having for dinner, give it to them, whatever you are eating, except maybe a hot curry! If you need to blend or mush it, do. That’s exactly what we did, and both my boys have been pretty adventurous with food since.

What would we find in Hudson and Emerson’s school lunchboxes?

Variety is king and I’ve got to constantly give them something different to keep them interested. They expect and embrace it now. But if you narrow down what kids eat, new things can become a challenge, so don’t reinvent the wheel. Swap similar things up. My boys like sandwiches, so we work with that as a base but get creative. I use one of about 20 different fillings, swap between six different types of bread, use wraps etc. Simple changes are the way to do it. We change fruit every day too and then let them tell us what doest work.

What are your top tips to parents for creating a healthy-yet-tasty lunchbox?

Start with colours. Make it fun and appealing. A few different fruit and veg. Celery, carrot, dips, home-made or not. Spread dip on a sandwich. How you cut it can matter too. Mix up the presentation. Sandwich fingers, triangles, get a shape cutter or don’t even cut it at all.

What you put in there depends on how adventurous they are. Frittata (or eggy squares as we call them) are cool. Little tarts that are like mini quiches are great. I make a muesli bars or a lemon bar once a week. Homemade things are nice once in a while, but don’t feel you have to do it all the time.

What can we do if kids are coming home with uneaten food?

It’s tricky. It can be a time thing, too busy playing with their mates, but a straight question won’t always give you the right answer. Understand why they didn’t like it. Make them feel a part of it. Get them to help you put together the lunchbox so they feel involved. Ask “how can I do a better job?” “show me how”.

Tommy Hood and Riley Sinclair, both aged 10, with their lunchbox creations they made with Curtis, supported by Redkite, one of Coles’ main charity partners.

You’ve worked with Coles for over 10 years. What’s that been like?

It’s amazing because as a chef you don’t expect to get this kind of influence. I’m not just a face of Coles. I actually help them decide where to source food from. It’s an amazing influence to have on not only the company but the Australian public. I get to share my ideas and influence the way food is produced in this country by being a part of such a huge player in the food industry. One meeting we were discussing beef growth hormones and we sat around the table and worked through it and in the end, we got rid of it from all Coles beef products. This has helped revolutionise the beef industry in this country. What chef gets to have that kind of input and opportunity? It makes me incredibly proud to have that influence over the food and diets of Australian people and families.

How has it been coming back to Australia on your own without your family?

I miss them like crazy but I’m here for work, so it is nice to have a break after a busy day. But I call them multiple times a day. I can’t help it!

Do you ever think you’ll come back to live here?

I’d love to but I don’t think Lindsey ever would. Her work and family are in the States and at the end of the day my family life dictates what will happen. But hopefully we can start visiting more often now that the borders are open.

Do you think Emerson or Hudson are a chance to follow in your culinary footsteps?

They love food, but honestly, they probably see me work way too hard to want to do it themselves!

And finally, what is your funniest parenting story.

I’m pretty young at heart and get wrapped up in what the kids want to do. Recently they wanted to put gumboots on and go to the creek and cross it, but me being so carefree, we all ended up completely saturated and drove home soaking wet. I’ve had so many dad fails because I’m just a big kid and can’t say no. My poor wife, she’s really has got three children!