The Food Junkie

Taste, texture & tales. Inside the mind of a chef.

Personal blog of The Food Junkie, Rebecca Clark. Discover stories of taste, texture and tales inside the mind of a chef that's travelled the globe in search of her next food hit. Bec sports a private cook book collection to rival the British Library and Harvard and shares her cooking wisdom with practical tips and humour. She's co-owner of Fish D'vine and The Rum Bar in Airlie Beach, Australia. An iconic award winning restaurant in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.

Bec Clark - self confessed food junkie!

Why do I love food? Why am I a junkie? Well because it’s a never ending journey of taste, experience and travels. It never stops giving and never stops exciting me, you never stop learning. - It is just what gets my HAPPY going.

When I was really young I knew I wanted to travel... my mum said to me if you become a  chef you can travel the world, it was her words that inspired me to embrace my food obsession. From there I worked hard, completed my apprenticeship and left at the age of 22 to the other side of the world.

Travel totally encouraged my food obsession to grow and grow. Days on end I would wonder around food markets, food supermarkets, cafes and restaurants to see what was on offer, what I could learn. I felt like a sponge soaking in every moment I could. 

Every country has its own food experiences. There’s something unique in every culture and their spiritual relationship to the food. The ceremonies, the ingredient cross over and how they use them, well to me it’s just damn amazing. Look at flour and water. What the hell!

I can’t look at anything food related without something going on, I don’t know what it is… but something happens to me. Hot and cold flushes, tingling sensation, mouthwatering, stomach getting excited. I get the feeling when I look at my cook book collection, produce, TV, displays, markets, it’s everywhere.  When I read a recipe I need to put it down for a little while and stop… my mind races, recipes conjure, I have a bit of a flutter before I can read another one. It’s just what happens to me… 

It’s like the other day reading a review on a Peruvian restaurant, a dish as follows was mentioned. Swordfish and beef heart brochette, grilled on coals, a red brick sauce of mirasol and aji Amarillo chilies sitting on a bed of brunoises of vegetables.

AND I just can’t stop thinking about these little skewers, because I know it’s going to be absolutely amazing... surf n turf to the max. 

So why blog? I feel I need to share my passion, thoughts and stories. What goes on in the mind of an obsessive chef? Will I ramble, more than likely, will I miss spell, absolutely, grammar, I will try Ha, will I tantalize your taste buds, I reckon so.

I wish to share recipes, tricks of the trade, why’s and why not, passion, tales and experiences. Oh yes and the odd rant, it’s what we chefs do.  

If you're a fellow foodie, have any questions or want to connect with me - contact me via email below!