Kate Liquorish is “Undomestikated” during lockdown, offering insight into her food blog and plans to start a podcast soon
FANS have been loving Kate Liquorish, who plays Ekaterina Gromova in Netflix’s Queen Sono as well as Abi in M-Net’s Still Breathing.
It seems her stellar performance in both isn’t the only surprise she has up her sleeve. I recently learnt of her prowess in the kitchen, which has proved beneficial during the lockdown.
Her food blog, Undomestikated, has been a well-kept secret … until now.
“I started my food blog ages ago, must be about 10 years now. I haven’t posted a blog in forever as I just haven’t had the time. It all started because friends kept asking me for my recipes and so, instead of e-mailing them, I started the blog,” Liquorish says.
“It got me into food styling and food photography. It has been a wonderful creative outlet for me over the years. I do a lot of food writing and recipe creation, but I need to get back to my blog. Perhaps this is exactly the incentive I need.
“I’ve always loved cooking. I find cooking so cathartic, I just love spending hours in the kitchen pouring love and creativity into making something. My family were always big into cooking: dinner time and Sundays were spent in the kitchen helping my parents with all the prep and sharing stories from each of our days.”
As for her signature dishes, she says: “I love cooking beautiful casseroles and making really vibrant salads with handfuls of fresh herbs, fennel, toasted nuts and pomegranate seeds.”
The lockdown has given her more time to spend in the kitchen – and she is loving it.
“I don’t feel rushed when it comes to making lunch and dinner, which is a lovely change. I’m cooking pretty much the same things I always do: lots of salads, steak with chimichurri, Asian-spiced chicken breasts with bok choy.
“What I have noticed is that I’ve come to respect single ingredients more, and come to celebrate how delicious simple things can be.
“A tomato salad, for example, made with fresh tomatoes, parsley, red onion, a little wholegrain mustard dressing. So simple and so delicious.”
What are the must-haves in her pantry?
“Sunflower seeds – they’re the perfect snack and they take any salad from zero to hero in a second. Lemons – I love adding lemon zest to most things, and a squeeze of fresh lemon brightens up any dish.
“Bulgar wheat and brown lentils – I love cooking them with a bit of veggie/chicken stock and serving them instead of rice, or using them in a salad with lots of fresh herbs, red onion and cucumber.
“Smoked paprika – it’s the business! It creates such a beautiful richness and adds depth of flavour. Butter beans – throw them in a pan with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, cook them and mash them, and you have the most unbelievable mash!”
Reflecting on her first cooking memory, she says: “Sitting on the counter and helping my mum make meringues, I must have been about 3 or 4 years old and I could not believe what I was seeing!
And all just using egg whites and sugar. It blew my mind. Plus, licking the bowl and the spatula was the best!”
How is she coping with the lockdown?
“I’m very lucky as we have come out to my husband’s family farm, so we have some space to walk outdoors. While we have family here, we’re self-isolating in a little cottage until next week. My husband and I wake up early and exercise for half an hour.
“Then I split my days into hourly chunks to make sure I not only stay sane, but also productive and positive. I write for an hour, listen to podcasts (Dolly Parton’s America, The Catch and Kill Podcast, The Awards Chatter, Serial, Desert Island Disks to name a few) for an hour while I clean and do the washing. I schedule Skype and Zoom sessions with friends and family every day. I also make sure that I put my phone away for 1 hour every 2 hours as I find that social media is becoming even more addictive.
“My husband and I love playing cards and board games. I try not to watch too much TV but set aside a few hours to watch something really good so it feels like a treat. I spend a lot more time making lunch and dinner, and I make sure I don’t pour myself any wine before 7pm.”
Her binge-watching list includes The Deuce, Ugly Delicious, Chef’s Table and The Tiger King, which she describes as “ridiculous and wonderfully escapist”.
Liquorish has also started learning isiZulu again. And she’s reconnecting with friends who live overseas and far away.
“It’s times like these that you realise how important friends and family are.”
She’s also going to be launching her new food-centric podcast, Smack Your Lips, soon.
“It’s all about food and booze, cool people and places. It’s going to be really fun and informative, so you can look out for that in the coming months!”
