EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Skye McAlpine

Skye McAlpine has a superb, mouth-watering cooking website, where she posts delicious recipes of gorgeously styled food. She also writes romantic inspirational paragraphs of everything that inspires her... Being a master chef, in my mind, and a foodie, in my belly, I have fallen head over heels for Skye's visual delights.

Here's my exclusive with Skye:

F:First of all, I adore your website... I can literally feel the passion you have for food! Were you always interested in cooking, or was it an infatuation that sneaked its way into your life? 
S:Thank you, Felwa. That is so sweet of you. I have always loved food and so many of my childhood memories, in some way or another, seem to revolve around food. Be it cooking on Christmas eve, or licking the bowl after baking a cake. I guess that, as I grew older I learned the pleasure of cooking for others, of creating memories. So yes, I love cooking.  

F:You are living "in a crumbling Victorian house just south of the Thames", this is such a romantic take on your place, has your home ever "talked" to you, have you cooked an old fashioned Victorian meal? 

S:When I first walked into our home, I knew that it was somewhere that I would be very happy - even though the building was kind of falling to bits and in a hideous state. I have never cooked a strictly Victorian meal, but I tend to be quite traditional in my cooking. I love make a feast of lunch or dinner. I decorate the table with piles of fruit and jugs full of overblown flowers and fresh herbs - even when there is no special occasion, but just because it looks beautiful. So, I would definitely say that there is something quite nostalgic about my style of cooking, and about how we gather with friends and family to eat.

F:Being of Italian origin, What's your favorite pasta dish to cook? 

S:I adore pasta. I could happily eat it at every meal. In fact, sometimes I do. I never tire of it. One of my favorite pasta dishes is this spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and lobster. Round this time of year, I also adore tagliatelle cooked in a little butter and with shavings of white truffles. So decadent. But so incredibly delicious.

And in the summer, I make my own pesto sauce with basil from our garden - so light and delicate. I like to eat it with wholemeal penne or fusilli - they have a kind of nutty flavor that goes beautifully with the basil.

F:What ingredients do you see as 'the essentials'? 
S:Goodness- our pantry is always well stocked, as I never know when I'm going to feel like cooking. I keep a steady supply of flour, butter, eggs and so forth- so that I can whip up a cake or a tart at the last minute. We always have big bowls of fruit sitting on our kitchen top - at this time of year lots of apples, pears and pomegranates. I think that they look beautiful - and they're great for pulling together a meal at the last minute. Something like slices of pear with a really good Gorgonzola is delicious and almost a meal in itself.

F:I'm a health freak and actually love to eat super foods, such as quinoa, berries, kale... Do you give your body a break, a juicing day or eating healthy once a week or even a month? And how do you balance eating as a luxury and maintaining an ideal weight? 

S:Gosh, I wish I knew the answer to that one. Finding the ideal weight is such a tricky business. But broadly, I try to be healthily most of the time, and be balanced in everything that I do. Italian food is actually quite healthy- lots of fresh vegetables, fish and seafood. And it's also pretty light on butter and cream and sugar, which really pile on the pounds. I find that if I stick to three meals a day, stay away from snacking and exercise regularly, everything mostly slots into place.

F:What are your favorite cities? (list your favorite restaurants and shopping spots in each city) 
S:I love Paris. Brunch at Hotel Costes is always a must. As is tea at Ladurée. And I just love perusing the shops. Colette, of course - to get a sense of what is in vogue. Astier de Villatte is one of my all time favorite shops- it's a magical place and their ceramics are so beautiful. And Didier Ludot for stunningly chic vintage frocks. 

I love going to New York for a long weekend. Brunch at Buvette is one of my favorite things to do - their croque madame is to die for, they just add a little sage to the filling and it tastes so good. I also adore ABC kitchen - their biscuits compare to none, and it's fun to linger in the homeward store after. Then Estella for dinner. I've found some great vintage piece at Devorado. And I love the jewellery at Catbird in Brooklyn- it's a gorgeous little shop.

F:Do you see yourself as the next hot chef, having your own TV show, a book as well? 
S:I never really think of myself as a chef, as I have no formal training in the kitchen. I'm a home cook in the truest sense of the word. But I would love to write a book one day- and collect all my favorite recipes together in one place.

F:Who cooks in your home, you or your husband? 

S:It's mostly me who cooks at home. I enjoy doing it- especially when friends and family join us and we end up being a large numbers for dinner- which is pretty much most of the time. That said, sometimes when it's just the two of us, after our little boy has gone to bed, my husband sometimes will cook for me, which is very spoiling. He makes an amazingly good roast chicken. I don't know how he does it, but he always seems to manage to get the skin super salty and crisp.

F:Can you give us 3 tips for cooking a healthy balanced meal? 
S:I would say: cook with seasonal produce- everything tastes fresher when in season; serve lots of colorful vegetables - lightly grilled with olive oil and perhaps a few shavings of Parmesan; and try to go for a light dessert- something with fresh fruit is always a healthy option that still tastes delicious.

For more information visit: www.frommydiningtable.com