Danielle Alvarez is a Miami-born, Sydney-based chef and author. After training at the famed Chez Panisse in California, she came to Sydney to head up Fred’s – Merivale’s two-hat restaurant in Paddington. Driven by the ethos of sustainable, local, seasonal and simple, Danielle is the new culinary director of event venues at the Sydney Opera House.
Danielle wears the LM Poplin SS Shirt & Gigi Skirt.
What are your first memories of food or cooking?
Being side by side with my mother in the kitchen, barely able to see over the bench top. Everyone used to call me her sous chef. She made everything look so effortless and I thought it was magic. I remember getting so excited when people were coming over because it meant there were things to do in the kitchen.
In your early cooking career, you worked at the renowned French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley and then under Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. What did those experiences teach you?
Different things. The French Laundry was my first job in a restaurant, which was terrifying, but the focus on fresh produce meant I learned about seeing and tasting different heirloom varieties of things like tomatoes and melons. I grew up in Miami and the produce available at the time was pretty basic so moving to California was like seeing new colours for the first time! I also learned about being tidy and working with discipline and a sense of urgency. At Chez Panisse, the cooking was more romantic. I learned to cook over an open fire, to really taste food and make adjustments. The menu changed every day, so I learned about the intricacies of seasonal cooking and the farmer/restaurant relationship and how it can work at its best. I also learned about the social responsibility of cooking.
Danielle wears the Lou Lou Shirred Dress.
You’re originally from Miami; what brought you to Sydney?
The opportunity to open Fred’s with Merivale. It was a very serendipitous encounter and at the time, I was free enough to seize the opportunity and see where it took me. I didn’t think I’d be here as long as I have been, which is almost ten years, but I am so grateful to this country because it’s been the most personally and professionally rewarding time of my life. I really miss my family though, so the distance is the only downside.
Danielle wears the Lila Shirt & Lila Pant.
What are the most striking differences between American and Australian kitchens and produce?
The variety of incredible, sustainably caught seafood options in Australia is much greater than in the US, but on the flipside, I think the availability of farmer grown fruits and vegetables was better in the US. I think the high cost of land and labour here prevents farmers from scaling up, growing more and making it more available to restaurants and customers. It’s a complex issue and one I've tried to understand since I arrived. That being said, there are people here that do this really well, so supporting them is important to me.
Danielle wears the LM Poplin SS Shirt & Gigi Skirt.
You recently became the culinary director for the event spaces of the Sydney Opera House. What did this feel like and what do you hope to bring to the role?
It has felt like a big responsibility and I’m really encouraged by the opportunity to be able to bring my food to the Opera House. Event food has to perform certain functions with lots of interesting constraints that restaurants don’t have, so it’s a real challenge to bring what I know, love and do with food and fit it into that model. I'm excited by the challenge and I want people who have functions at the Opera House to have food that’s worthy of this incredible historical landmark. I also want to bring a greater focus on Australian produce and all the amazing things this country has to offer.
Danielle wears the Lila Shirt & Lila Pant.
What does an average day look like for you?
There is no average day these days which I LOVE! Every day is different. My non-negotiables are walking my dog in the morning, exercise and my morning smoothie. From there, anything could happen.
How would you describe your approach to cooking?
My cooking is always driven by flavour and seasonality. Cooking foods in season just tastes better. I love the in-between season at the tail end of summer when you get excellent figs, plums, peppers, tomatoes and eggplants, as well as the early autumn produce like pumpkins, apples and pears. It happens in Feb, March and April in Australia and I just love it. I also value the “perfectly imperfect” – I don’t like things to look too precise, I want them to look like you can't wait to eat them.
You’ve recently written your second cookbook, Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking. What’s the process?
Firstly, decide the focus of the book. For me, this was about accessibility and affordability of cooking at home. It feels especially timely now, but we started this process years ago. Then I write a simple list of recipes, which keeps changing as I test and cook and re-test the recipes at home. Sometimes, a recipe comes to me more organically just based on life circumstances. For example, during the pandemic when everyone was baking bread and there was no yeast in the shops, I developed a recipe for a flatbread made with yoghurt and baking powder. It went viral but it was purely out of necessity! Those recipes are the best, so that’s in the book.
I co-wrote this book with my best friend Libby Travers which was so fun. While writing all the recipes, we discussed the major themes of the book, how we should group them and what we wanted readers to know without overwhelming them. We had many discussions about the intricacies of cooking at home! Once we were happy with it, we submitted it as a manuscript to our publishers, Murdoch Books. Then we did the photoshoots to make everything look beautiful, then it’s off to the designers. After several rounds of edits, it goes to print which takes a long time too. The reason I’m so excited for this book to come out is because I’ve been thinking about it for literally years!
Danielle wears the Lou Lou Shirred Dress.
As a chef, what are your top three must-have items in your kitchen?
Ingredients: olive oil, salt, lemons.
Equipment: microplane, a sharp knife (chefs and pairing) and a good cast iron skillet. A few more would be wooden spoons, mixing bowls and sheet trays.
And top cooking tips?
Season big cuts of meat like whole chickens, lamb shoulders and beef roasts 24 hours in advance. For crispy brown skin, dry out whatever it is you’re cooking whether it be chicken, duck, pork, fish in the fridge, uncovered, skin side up for a day or two, this makes such a difference. And taste as you go! Don’t wait to season something until the end.
And finally, why have you chosen this recipe for us?
My smoked trout rillettes is my go-to recipe. I often whip it up for holiday gatherings as it's really simple, no cooking required, a total crowd pleaser and great for snacking for more stand up type functions, as well as part of a sit down meal.
Danielle Alvarez is a Miami-born, Sydney-based chef and author. After training at the famed Chez Panisse in California, she came to Sydney to head up Fred’s – Merivale’s two-hat restaurant in Paddington. Driven by the ethos of sustainable, local, seasonal and simple, Danielle is the new culinary director of event venues at the Sydney Opera House.
Danielle wears the LM Poplin SS Shirt & Gigi Skirt.
What are your first memories of food or cooking?
Being side by side with my mother in the kitchen, barely able to see over the bench top. Everyone used to call me her sous chef. She made everything look so effortless and I thought it was magic. I remember getting so excited when people were coming over because it meant there were things to do in the kitchen.
In your early cooking career, you worked at the renowned French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley and then under Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. What did those experiences teach you?
Different things. The French Laundry was my first job in a restaurant, which was terrifying, but the focus on fresh produce meant I learned about seeing and tasting different heirloom varieties of things like tomatoes and melons. I grew up in Miami and the produce available at the time was pretty basic so moving to California was like seeing new colours for the first time! I also learned about being tidy and working with discipline and a sense of urgency. At Chez Panisse, the cooking was more romantic. I learned to cook over an open fire, to really taste food and make adjustments. The menu changed every day, so I learned about the intricacies of seasonal cooking and the farmer/restaurant relationship and how it can work at its best. I also learned about the social responsibility of cooking.
Danielle wears the Lou Lou Shirred Dress.
You’re originally from Miami; what brought you to Sydney?
The opportunity to open Fred’s with Merivale. It was a very serendipitous encounter and at the time, I was free enough to seize the opportunity and see where it took me. I didn’t think I’d be here as long as I have been, which is almost ten years, but I am so grateful to this country because it’s been the most personally and professionally rewarding time of my life. I really miss my family though, so the distance is the only downside.
Danielle wears the Lila Shirt & Lila Pant.
What are the most striking differences between American and Australian kitchens and produce?
The variety of incredible, sustainably caught seafood options in Australia is much greater than in the US, but on the flipside, I think the availability of farmer grown fruits and vegetables was better in the US. I think the high cost of land and labour here prevents farmers from scaling up, growing more and making it more available to restaurants and customers. It’s a complex issue and one I've tried to understand since I arrived. That being said, there are people here that do this really well, so supporting them is important to me.
Danielle wears the LM Poplin SS Shirt & Gigi Skirt.
You recently became the culinary director for the event spaces of the Sydney Opera House. What did this feel like and what do you hope to bring to the role?
It has felt like a big responsibility and I’m really encouraged by the opportunity to be able to bring my food to the Opera House. Event food has to perform certain functions with lots of interesting constraints that restaurants don’t have, so it’s a real challenge to bring what I know, love and do with food and fit it into that model. I'm excited by the challenge and I want people who have functions at the Opera House to have food that’s worthy of this incredible historical landmark. I also want to bring a greater focus on Australian produce and all the amazing things this country has to offer.
Danielle wears the Lila Shirt & Lila Pant.
What does an average day look like for you?
There is no average day these days which I LOVE! Every day is different. My non-negotiables are walking my dog in the morning, exercise and my morning smoothie. From there, anything could happen.
How would you describe your approach to cooking?
My cooking is always driven by flavour and seasonality. Cooking foods in season just tastes better. I love the in-between season at the tail end of summer when you get excellent figs, plums, peppers, tomatoes and eggplants, as well as the early autumn produce like pumpkins, apples and pears. It happens in Feb, March and April in Australia and I just love it. I also value the “perfectly imperfect” – I don’t like things to look too precise, I want them to look like you can't wait to eat them.
You’ve recently written your second cookbook, Recipes for a Lifetime of Beautiful Cooking. What’s the process?
Firstly, decide the focus of the book. For me, this was about accessibility and affordability of cooking at home. It feels especially timely now, but we started this process years ago. Then I write a simple list of recipes, which keeps changing as I test and cook and re-test the recipes at home. Sometimes, a recipe comes to me more organically just based on life circumstances. For example, during the pandemic when everyone was baking bread and there was no yeast in the shops, I developed a recipe for a flatbread made with yoghurt and baking powder. It went viral but it was purely out of necessity! Those recipes are the best, so that’s in the book.
I co-wrote this book with my best friend Libby Travers which was so fun. While writing all the recipes, we discussed the major themes of the book, how we should group them and what we wanted readers to know without overwhelming them. We had many discussions about the intricacies of cooking at home! Once we were happy with it, we submitted it as a manuscript to our publishers, Murdoch Books. Then we did the photoshoots to make everything look beautiful, then it’s off to the designers. After several rounds of edits, it goes to print which takes a long time too. The reason I’m so excited for this book to come out is because I’ve been thinking about it for literally years!
Danielle wears the Lou Lou Shirred Dress.
As a chef, what are your top three must-have items in your kitchen?
Ingredients: olive oil, salt, lemons.
Equipment: microplane, a sharp knife (chefs and pairing) and a good cast iron skillet. A few more would be wooden spoons, mixing bowls and sheet trays.
And top cooking tips?
Season big cuts of meat like whole chickens, lamb shoulders and beef roasts 24 hours in advance. For crispy brown skin, dry out whatever it is you’re cooking whether it be chicken, duck, pork, fish in the fridge, uncovered, skin side up for a day or two, this makes such a difference. And taste as you go! Don’t wait to season something until the end.
And finally, why have you chosen this recipe for us?
My smoked trout rillettes is my go-to recipe. I often whip it up for holiday gatherings as it's really simple, no cooking required, a total crowd pleaser and great for snacking for more stand up type functions, as well as part of a sit down meal.