Emma Evans is a Newport-based chef and contestant on Sky Living's competitive cooking show, My Kitchen Rules, which is judged by celebrity chefs Lorraine Pascale and Jason Atherton. Emma is co-founder of The Secret Supper Clwb, founder of the Welsh Mums in Business Network and mum to Alex, 13, Rohan, 11, and Jacob, 5.
Emma talks to us about her cooking style, her guilty foodie pleasures and what's on her eating wish list for our At My Table series.
Describe your cooking in 3 words...
Rustic, comfort, fresh.
Weirdest thing ever eaten is...
Dried fish in Ghana, it wasn't the best tasting thing.
In my cupboards you will always find...
The very basic cake baking ingredients plus eggs, pasta, chocolate, chopped tomatoes and basil. My fridge is also always stocked with strong cheddar cheese. This enables a last minute kids' friends for tea scenario!
What would you cook for the Queen?
My grandmas recipe for Welsh Cakes.
I would tell the parents of fussy eaters...
Don't give in, make food bright and interesting and eat together, sharing platters always good for these situations.
My guilty food pleasure is...
American peanut butter, on white thick cut toast already smothered in real butter. So bad, but so comforting!
My most memorable food experience...
Eating fresh BBQ lobster from a beach hut in West Africa.
For my last meal I would eat...
Wagyu Ribeye steak, medium/rare, béarnaise Sauce, triple cooked chips and green salad, finished off with my late dad's creme brûlée, with a crunchy caramel topping. I would drink chilled Sauvignon Blanc with ice
I would never eat...
Trotters, testicles, eyeballs or insects. I don't care how they are prepared, I would just not be able to do it!
When I am home alone I make...
One of my mums favourites: I grill smokey bacon, cheese and tomato together on a glass plate. The bacon must be well done and the cheese bubbling and golden. I then sprinkle with thyme and serve it with doorstops of granary buttered bread. Very unhealthy but very, very good!
If I had to eat one thing for the rest of my life it would be...
Cheese. I adore it. It runs in our family, I think - we all love it! The strongest most jaw-aching cheddar the better.
My kitchen is always...
Full of children, noise, food on the go, welcoming and clean.
Number one on my foodies bucket list is...
To do a Diners, Drive-in & Dives tour around America. I would love to learn about different hand me down recipes from across the States. I haven't travelled enough and am desperate to get out there to learn more.
My must have kitchen gadget is...
Is my very old Kenwood food processor. I use it for everything - sweet and savoury, baking, chopping, blending. It was given to me years ago and it is showing obvious signs of overuse, time for a new one I think.
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