MEET
the chefs In this year’s Eat.Drink we thought you might like to meet some of the chefs behind the Mornington Peninsula’s great food venues. Read on for a glimpse into their lives and discover what makes them tick. Diego Cossio from Lancemore Lindenderry Red Hill Did your childhood involve a lot of food or family cooking? I was always interested in cooking – I like to eat, I guess. I started making popcorn on Fridays when I was six years old. And I would always look forward to baking with my dad. On weekends he would bake banana bread or carrot cake, and he loved making pizza. So as kids we loved building the pizzas, putting the toppings on. My grandma was a great cook too but she would cook very random things, like lungs, so we got some exposure to that kind of food too. What do you enjoy most about working at Lancemore Lindenderry? I love the area; it's got a sense of refinement. The team that I'm building is amazing. I'm very pleased with the team. We’ve got some great guys working for us – all of them are great, so I consider myself lucky. They were hard to come by, but the ones we've come across have turned out to be excellent people and great chefs.
I make a lot of pasta for my kids. They enjoy pasta. We make a lot of lentils and beans. That's something I grew up eating so I got them into that. Do you use any local ingredients in your meals here, and what stands out to you as something from the region that's really amazing and unique? From the Peninsula at the moment we're getting some beautiful edible flowers that are grown locally at Norwood Farm. I don't necessarily limit myself to the Peninsula; I get a lot of things from across Victoria, like the asparagus at the moment – it’s amazing.
What is your favourite meal to cook at Lancemore Lindenderry? I quite enjoy the duck that we've got on the menu. I get ducks and baste them for about 10 days. That's the process – you wipe it, clean it, bone it, turn it around so it dries evenly. And then the end result is great.
When you're not working, what do you enjoy doing on the Peninsula? I love foraging. I go to a blowhole at Flinders; I enjoy foraging there for sea herbs and things like that. And obviously going for long walks on the beach.
What do you cook for yourself when you're at home?
www.lancemore.com.au/lindenderry-red-hill
Dipen Patel from Moonah Links Having been a chef for 17 years, Dipen Patel has plenty of experience in some of the world’s top kitchens, including Melbourne’s Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Dipen has spent the past two years at Moonah Links as executive chef, where the a la carte menu is renowned for its relaxed, modern Australian options. His favourite aspect of the job is witnessing the delighted expression on people’s faces when they taste his food. “I have many dishes that I like cooking, but my favourite is seafood,” he says. “There are a lot of varieties, and many species require different techniques, so you need to give maximum attention, love and care while cooking seafood.” www.moonahlinks.com.au
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