Hart of the Kitchen

As the son of famous Australian artist Pro Hart, I grew up with passion all around me. Passion for beauty, for the outback, for doing things the right way every time. As an artist myself I exhibit in my own right nationally and internationally. And I also cook! From the age of seven I took on some of the cooking duties in the family home and learned to love preparing food for others to enjoy. I loved searching out new flavours and I loved creating new tastes using outback ingredients. I grew up in Broken Hill, in the far reaches of NSW. An isolated, outback, hard-working mining town that boasts a clarity of air and light you won't believe. I'm still here and I'm re-discovering my passion - and talent - for cooking. I am a third year apprentice chef at the Royal Exchange Restaurant in Broken Hill and currently studying Certificate 4 in Commercial Cooking. When cooking you learn to make do with what you can get. Ingredients that are taken for granted in the cities are difficult to obtain in the country. Bush tucker is an important part of cooking in the country and as a child we grew up on Kangaroo Tails, Quongdong pies and curried Yabbies. Bush Tucker has become an important part of Australian Cuisine. I love the fusion of classical cooking and Australian indigenous herbs and spices. Today we embrace flavours and techniques from all over the world to produce a distinct cuisine we can call our own. As an artist I see no difference between painting and cooking. Both are a creative process that allow you to bring together different ideas to produce something of beauty.