Radio host Kate Langbroek, of NovaFM's Hughesy & Kate breakfast show, has a dream job when it comes to cooking for her family of six (husband Peter, and children Lewis, 9, Sunday, 8, Artie, 6, and Jan, 3). As she knocks off by 11am, ''I have the bulk of my day free, so I can cook when I come home''. Due to her penchant for entertaining - and the need to cook for a crowd - birthdays will find her doing things such as ''making six sponge cakes for dad's birthday'', courtesy of her mother-in-law's family recipe. ''She was away in Spain, so I called her at 2 o'clock in the morning to say, 'How can you go away and leave me to make all these sponges?' ''
In my pantry: The greengrocer at the Prahran Market gave us a box of tomatoes, which was a curse. I was like, ''I can't do anything with them, Johnny,'' and he said, ''Make sauce!'' We made three bottles (of pasta sauce). By the time we bought all the stuff, this sauce cost $80 a bottle. We've always got crackers, Milo, and we've always got - shamefully - chippies. Peter loves chips every night. We've always got fortune cookies. When they were younger, I'd open their fortunes and make up inside what it said: ''Oh, you are a little boy called Jan and you must not hit your sister, that's very bad. Have a biscuit, anyway.''
In my fridge: Jam. Lewis and Sunday did these jam labels for Christmas jam we made on Boxing Day. Sunday's says ''Christmas Jam - Raspberry and Karakaberry''. Sunday is seven and was defeated by karakaberry.
The staples in my fridge would, to other people, be secret vices. Cream. Butter. Sour cream. I'm a very dairyish person. I don't believe fat is a vice, but I do believe sugar is a vice. And I also like sugar as well. It's very hard to have vices with the kids because they're so much vice-ier.
It would be the night that Peter proposed at France-Soir (South Yarra, Victoria) 10 years ago. The waiter obviously got wind of it and he came over and said, ''May I see ze ring?'' So I showed him the ring, and I could tell that he was shocked by its lack of ostentation, so then he went to the default position which was, ''You must be verrry special''. I ate langoustines, which I always eat there, and they're delicious. When I say ''always'', the four times I've been there, I've eaten langoustines.
The microplane is my favourite utensil. Zesting, ginger, parmesan. It's so fantastic. We needed a few rolling pins for when the kids are cooking; you know how political it is: everyone wants to have their own. I got the stone one from an op shop. I've got no microwave now, so the little saucepan is fantastic. The handle undoes so you can put it in the oven. I'm always looking for little things to reheat in.
Peter sent me a hopeful text message - ''Dinner?'' - on Sunday, and he attached a rogan josh recipe. I reckon if you were more into Indian cooking, you might think it was a bit basic, but it was really yummy.
Cookbooks. Stephanie Alexander's The Cook's Companion: whatever you want to do, it's in this. Gwyneth Paltrow's My Father's Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness: I just read it and laugh. I am quite fond of her, because she's unapologetically herself, even though she's also so deluded. I've not cooked one thing from here. ''Oh how my heart swells to see my children eating kale, the green goodness. My children call it green rice!'' I know what my children would say … Shane Delia's Maha: this is where I learnt to make good hummus.
My favourite knife is one that Peter bought in Vietnam from a little man on the street. It's so light. It was $1.50, or something. That was on a holiday we were both on, but before we got together. At the time I remember thinking, ''I wish I'd gotten one of those knives''. And then I got the guy! It was a circuitous route to get the knife. [My] copper lights are from Dedece - I love my big shiny balls. Peter gave me a teapot for Christmas. Anything made with leaf tea is better than a tea bag. The blue dish is my favourite gnocchi server; it was a wedding present. When I'm op shopping, I always buy small dishes when I see them, because when I'm making something, I might make an extra one for a friend. And then it doesn't matter if it comes back or not.
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