An interesting young man found his way back into our lives this past week after 7 years and a post about him is appropriate because of his passions in life and his enthusiasm for all that is wonderful about food.  Jason was a school friend of Teigh’s up until grade 4 when he left for Adelaide.  I have fond memories of him and Teigh traipsing across the Trinity school field nearly every other day claiming an urgent need to spend the afternoon together and enthusing about how little homework they had been given on those particular days.  His mom Nicole and I remember these 2 young friends spending countless hours together and it was a sad loss for Teigh when Jason moved to Oz with his family, leaving behind a stubborn cat to remember him by.  Jason was given a trip to South Africa for his 18th birthday and he visited us for a week during his amazing trip.  He made us these delectable meringues one evening when I mentioned that pavlova was Teigh’s favourite dessert.  Not sure if you can claim to have met an 18 year old who travels from Oz to Africa with a full size version of the chef’s bible, Larousse Gastronimique but I certainly can now!  Imagine my surprise and delight when out came this beautiful book and Jason produced a recipe for these gorgeous meringues.  I added some caramel vodka to the strawberries and raspberries and we had a desert to remember that night.

I got to spend some time with Jason while the kids were at school and it was a different experience shopping with an 18 year old with a passion for Wusthof knives and culinary delights.  Where Jason was dashing into different shops I had been used to the normal ‘do we have to come in with you’ or ‘how long are you going to be in here’?  It was refreshing to see a young person with so much enthusiasm for where he was going in his life with his career and I am sure he is going to make a brilliant chef in the next few years.  Have a squiz at his blog for beautiful food photography http://itscookery.tumblr.com/

Jason has an amazing sense of adventure, I am sure that is what makes these 2 boys so compatible and Teigh took him for a days riding at Dirt Bronco where the 2 of them spent time riding their KTMs and doing what boys do best, being really noisy, boisterous and getting dirty!

Of course no one ventures through our home without being bombarded by cupcake stories, flavours and a cupcake or 2 to taste.  Jason even practised working with sugar paste while I was making cupcakes for a 21st and tried his hand at making a sugar paste rose. He has a yearning to learn and experiment and experience new things in life and this will take him extremely far on his culinary journey.  He tried both the Pink Pepper and Citrus chocolate cupcake here and also the Passionfruit and White Chocolate cupcake.

Teigh is going to miss you madly as a friend and biking buddy and I will miss having you around as I love your enthusiasm and passion for life and the way you bring out the best in those around you.  Wishing you all the best for the training that lies ahead of you!