Right before the pandemic, Jordan Rondel moved to America to expand The Caker, her cakery and cake-kit business.
"It was a big challenge to pivot quickly and intelligently," she says, of the curveball Covid presented. "It was extra hard not being able to go home to New Zealand on top of that, but I'm thrilled to say my New Zealand business has come out the other end really well, and while I'm still finding my footing with my US business, it's going from strength to strength."
She's currently excited about a new cake-kit flavour in the works and while visiting New Zealand took time out to talk about her kitchen at home.
My kitchen at home is . . . spacious and well laid out for cooking.
The changes I'd make to turn it into a dream kitchen are . . . I would love more natural light and more flow through to the living area to make entertaining more seamless.
Some things you'd always find in my fridge are . . . cucumber and pickles.
Some of my household's pantry staples are . . . almond butter because I put it on everything, tinned sardines because sometimes I just absolutely crave them, an excessive amount of spices so that I can always add flavour to what I'm cooking, and obviously extra virgin olive oil and good unfiltered vinegar for my dressings and sauces.
My favourite ingredient to cook with is . . . If I had to choose one, I would say tofu because it's so easy to make delicious and can be used in so many different dishes
The dishes I love to make . . . I mostly love to make Mediterranean cuisine. I love simple, fresh dishes, which let the ingredients shine. I barely ever cook meat at home so I love to let vegetables be the star of my dishes.
My go-to meal in a hurry is . . . I'll make a quick pasta with olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper, chilli, freshly grated parmesan or ricotta and herbs from the garden.
Click here to see Jordan's recipe for apple maple crumble cake.
And if friends stop by unexpectedly . . . probably a decadent cheese board, which I usually have all the components for, and a big crunchy green salad.
My drink of choice is . . . red wine because it calms my nerves instantly and makes food taste more delicious.
I cook at home . . . four nights a week usually and I try to make enough for lunch the next day too.
My favourite place to eat right now is . . . Pici in St Kevins Arcade. I just can't get enough of it.
The kitchen gadget everyone should own is . . . When it comes to baking, I have always been a big believer in investing in the right equipment; from day one, I have used Kenwood mixers for my cakes. Then, of course, a microplane, because it can be used for citrus zest, garlic, cheese and more.
My food philosophy is . . . Source fresh in-season ingredients and let them sing.
The Caker, 446 Karangahape Rd, Auckland. Website: thecaker.co.nz