{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/60acd2fcc6d2420012f1c73f/6371e1f3ebfbfa0012bd15c5?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"EP 61: Chef Mel Alafaci of Culinary Quickies","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/60acd2fcc6d2420012f1c73f/show-cover.jpg?height=200","description":"<p>Welcome to another episode of 30 minutes with DailyStraits.com. Our guest today is Chef Mel Alafaci, a Brisbane-based chef and author is taking on the world, transforming unhappy domestic chefs who are frustrated and failing in their kitchens, to confident, happy foodies.</p><p>Her unique cooking style and culinary lingo has even experienced foodies adapting her shortcuts and hacks in the kitchen transforming everyday local produce into show stopping meals. </p><p>Best of all she loves upcycling seasonal produce and budget basics into sensational masterpieces, boasting that she can make any ingredient or plate of food look 'then bucks more expensive.’ </p><p>Alafaci’s love of cooking stems from her African roots. She lived in remote areas of Zimbabwe and South Africa where cooking was her only source of entertainment. If she found a recipe in a book, there were no shopping centres, so she had to improvise.</p><p>This is where Alafaci learnt to do amazing things with basic ingredients. She loves to make things look more expensive than they really are…</p><p>With one cookbook&nbsp; published and another two on the way,&nbsp; our chat with Mel today is going to revolve around how to cook and save thousands on groceries, plus other cheffy tips.</p><p>Without further ado, let’s welcome Chef Alafaci to the show.</p><p>In this podcast, we discuss:&nbsp;</p><p>What are some of the top cheffy skills that you can dish out to our listeners to keep things fresh which can inevitably save one thousands of dollars each year.&nbsp;</p><p>How does one shop like a chef and grab the bargains and know what to do with them?</p><p>What is the best way to devise a&nbsp; meal plan or a list of mix and match recipes that is&nbsp; quick and easy to make and much more.</p>","author_name":"dailystraits.com"}