Marion is a little bit Thai (courtesy of her Mum) and a little bit Australian (courtesy of her Dad). Her love of food and travel became ingrained at an early age as her globe-trotting parents lived and travelled in Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Australia.
Marion is the owner and creator of Marion’s Kitchen and counts her successful food company as her biggest achievement and dream come true. After splitting her time between Sydney and Bangkok over the last few years, Marion has recently moved to Thailand to develop her product line further. She is constantly working on new and exciting products to introduce to her range, which Australians are hungry to taste.
Did you enjoy writing a cookbook?
Writing my cookbook was such a joyful experience. It had been such a big dream of mine to publish a book, so I was excited about it from the start. I particularly loved going back to my Mum’s village in Thailand to take some of the photos in the book. The photographer and I spent the night in my grandma’s traditional Thai wooden house, sleeping on the floor under a mosquito net!
What do you love about curries?
Growing up with a Thai mum meant curries were such a big part of our everyday family meals. Just the smell of a Thai green curry simmering on the stove is so comforting for me. I also love that curries are such an easy yet impressive entertaining option. All the work can be done hours before with just some reheating to be done before serving.
How often do you cook a curry in your house? Which curry is your favourite to make and to eat?
We have a curry at least once a week. In fact my fiancé Tim almost demands it! He loves curry too! It’s hard for me to pick a favourite because I love them all. But I’m cooking a lot of my new Marion’s Kitchen Malaysian curry at the moment. I’ve also been trying out a whole lot of different Indian curries.
What’s the biggest mistake people make when making a curry?
I think the cut of meat you choose for a curry is so important. Thai curries are very quick to cook so you can get away with chicken breasts as long as you don’t simmer for too long. But I always prefer to use chicken thigh (particularly for curries that need a long simmer) because the pieces stay juicy and moist.
Best piece of cooking advice
Never fear! There are far worse things going on in the world than a failed sponge or a burnt curry paste.
What’s your favourite cooking product?
Fish sauce! I use it in just about everything…even some desserts!
Do you have a favourite cookbook?
I love flipping through any of Christine Manfield’s books. Her “Tasting India” book is amazing. But for general reference, I always turn to Charmaine Solomon’s Complete Asian Cookbook.
Marion’s Kitchen Malaysian Curry is available now in supermarkets nationally for under AUD$10 (including Woolworths, Coles and selected independent stores).
For more information, visit the Marion’s Kitchen website.
Thank you, Marion Grasby from Marion’s Kitchen for taking the time to talk to us.
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