Galetti - Monicas Kitchen

To this day, dark chocolate is still my weakness, but the only person
that tells me off for it is Michel, when I eat his stash in the kitchen office. I have worked for
Michel for almost ten years now, and Le Gavroche is like a home for me. Its my playground.
Since arriving on the doorstep back in January 2000, my gastronomic journey has taken
a path that I could never have imagined, especially as a barefooted little girl running wild
in the plantations in the Pacific Islands. Working in such a revered kitchen has taught me so much about ingredients, the seasons
and appreciating food from its simplest of forms to the most intricate of recipes. From the
beginning, Michel encouraged me to dine out and experience what other chefs are doing.
I took his advice and have learnt so much from these amazing experiences. But eating well
isnt all about restaurant food.

To me, it is just as important to cook exciting, great-tasting
food for my family and friends, and I bring everything I have learnt to my home kitchen. In writing this book, I wanted to show you that it really is possible to serve fantastic food
at home, if you use great ingredients and keep cooking techniques simple. Its just a case of
thinking ahead a bit, so you have everything you need to hand. From Work to Table is the
chapter that most reflects my current lifestyle, as Im often looking to get a meal on the table
straight after work. I hope it provides some quick and easy meals for you. Inevitably, time
with my husband, David, and daughter, Anais, is limited, so we really try to make the most of
it.

At the weekend I enjoy cooking with Anais baking cakes and making gnocchi and pasta,
for example while easy, slow-cooked casseroles and braises give us time to enjoy ourselves
away from the kitchen. It is our Leisurely Weekend, relaxed and comfortable, that Im sharing
with you. Whenever the opportunity arises, I also love to indulge and entertain at home. The
recipes in A Time for Friends are fun to prepare and a feast for the eye as well as the palate, so
I hope you will find plenty of inspiration here when you are entertaining. Finally, I wanted to bring you a taste of my Samoan background. Our style of food is based
on family gatherings and the freshest of produce: vegetables grown on family plantations,
meat from the family herds, fish fresh from the Pacific.

There are also significant Chinese and
South-east Asian influences. I have altered the traditional dishes to suit my style of cooking
and modern tastes, so I hope I wont off end my forebears. Turn to Something Different when