First, if we were meeting at a coffee shop I’d be drinking a Latte 🙂
What would you order? These days I am keeping to my Italian roots and having an Espresso most of the time… however I still get the odd piccolo or Long black every now and then 😉
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions. In between reading and blogging I try to balance eating right and staying physically fit. When I saw your YouTube video I was hooked. How often can we expect to see those fabulous videos? No problem at all mate… I am here to make a positive impact on this world, so I am honored you want to hear my tasty thoughts :). Haha Love that the channel is keeping you intrigued. At this stage we are releasing one new episode of tasty awesomeness a week. But, coming soon we have a heap of content, particularly from the US to be getting through. Soooo, you may be seeing my head pop up on your lap top a little more often… quite frankly I feel sorry for my editor :).
As a book reviewer and blogger It’s great to read about sexy alpha males. But having a sexy guy have the “tools” to cook in the kitchen, is even better! I’m sure this book will be a welcome addition in many homes soon! I love how pure and simple your recipes are to prepare and make, they are fabulous! I LOVE the idea of creating a resourceful book to help those “dudes” out there figure out their way around in the kitchen.
What inspires you to create these fabulous recipes? Haha thanks mate that’s just it… I wanted to create a book that was not intimidating and more so inspiring and realistic for any person to pick it up and be like “that looks kick arse!! And I reckon I could do it!” I get so much happiness seeing the response of people’s tweets and Instagram posts stating how happy they or their stomachs are… and at the end of the day that is a big motivator for me to keep me doing what I am doing. I am trying to make people realize the simplicity of cooking, and the benefits of making a meal for your loved ones. I am not here to be known as a profile or be famous… I just want to make people happy and food is my tool to achieving that.
Is there an ingredient that’s a must? Asking me what a must ingredient is, is like asking me to pick my favorite family member. They are all so awesome and have so much color and epic presence and all have their own purpose in life. Yeah I went there. What I will say is right now I am cooking with plenty of sweet potato and that I always season with lemon juice. In fact for the sake of it lets go with a lemon… these days everyone gets caught up in salt, which is very appropriate, however they neglect the presence of acidity and there is nothing than the super sexy lemon :).
Is there something you’ve yet to include in a recipe that you’re too afraid to use? I don’t think I ever avoid ingredients. I am more so intrigued by ones I am unaware of or are unfamiliar with using. If I walk past a stall at a market with something I have never seen before, I do research on it to find out where it’s from, moisture content etc.
Congrats on your upcoming release of DUDE FOOD: A Guy’s Guide to Cooking Kick-Ass Food in the US this past Tuesday, April 21st!
Thanks again for hanging out! My absolute pleasure mate… thanks for all the love, and looking forward to cooking my way through the homes of America :).
Dan is touring across America – check him out if you’re in the following cities:
New Brunswick / Rutgers 4/23
Boston / Northeastern 4/27
Chicago / De Paul 4/29
Cleveland / Case Western 4/30
8 Tantalizing Tidbits:
1. What is a must read book and why? Should I be saying Dudefood, because it will bring forth an excitement and wicked tastiness like nothing you have ever experienced??? Hahah Na, I would have to say “The Art of Stillness” by Pico Lyer. It helps people look at the big picture… Its actually part of the TED talk book range by Simon & Schuster. I was able to read it on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne and it provided an amazing outlook on life.
2. What is one place that I should see if I visit your hometown? I can’t go passed saying Narrabeen Beach… particularly in the morning. Watching those waves come in as the sun rises is one of the most amazing things I will ever see. I recently did a YouTube video making a pretty bad ass Chai porridge (stay tuned) and it was one of the most amazing things I have seen… cooking there was epic.. plus you can grab a coffee a great place around the corner and it is the aspect of Australia everyone knows and loves without the aspect of a known tourist attraction :).
3. Castles or Beaches? That’s an easy one, Beaches.
4. One thing readers would be surprised to know about you? I have done a 20 minute plank/prone hold.
5. If you had an all expenses paid trip anywhere in the world for research, where would you go? All expenses paid trip… Italy… anywhere. I love the culture, food, architecture and way of life… plus the language is sooo awesome!!
6. What’s your favorite TV show? A toss up between Entourage and anything with Jamie Oliver in it – hahah.
7. What’s one thing you can’t live without? One thing I can’t live without… well I know its a necessity to survive, but I can’t go passed food. I seriously plan my life around it.. to the point that I can get very #Hangry if I miss out… I actually get up excited to eat and as soon as finish my meal I am already planning my next hahah.
8. If you could invite 5 people to dinner (not friends and family – that’s too easy) who would you invite? It could be anyone past or present. Well you said no family and friends so obviously I can’t go passed saying mum, but I get off the hook on that one… I am going to say Jamie Oliver, Tom Brady (who will obviously bring his lovely wife), Barney Stinson (the character for sure), Taylor Swift (She just seems like some serious wicked fun and Ryan Reynolds… I think he is a legend.
Cheers legend.. thanks heaps for sorting this out :).
Author Info:
Dan Churchill is a cook, physical trainer, speaker, and the author of the DudeFood cookbook. In 2013, he appeared on MasterChef Australia, which aired in more than ninety countries. His recipes have been featured in publications worldwide, and he has appeared on several television shows.
To find out more visit:
website: https://www.danielchurchill.com.au/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/churchill_dan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danthehealthycook
Instagram: https://instagram.com/dan_churchill/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaSF0d06nxqCfeuxge5TWxw
Jeanne – Thanks! Anna C. – thank you too! I can’t wait for next week. Don’t want to give too much away 😉
Bwahahahah! We are going to have SO MUCH FUN!! Grins.
Hi Dan – waving from England! Any plans to visit over here? I’m lucky to be married to a whiz in the kitchen. A former chemist, who isn’t afraid to mix things up!
I really enjoyed going through your recipes and figuring out what my NJ Ice Cats (fictional ice hockey team) would choose to make for Rae’s blog event. So do you watch hockey?
Hi Anna!! Thanks for all the Twitter love 🙂
Sure am… pending the schedule of a TV series we should be over there for the first 2 weeks of June for work. That is awesome!!! Whats his go to dish to look after you?
Are you kidding me!!! That is epic!!! I love Hockey… mind you I love all sport! but yeah seriously love it… Watched the Rangers battle the Penguins last night 🙂
What tastiness do you think you are going to pick?
Dan, a fellow Aussie here – and I had fun writing a piece for the big two day blog event Rae has put together so brilliantly for the end of the month. I love your recipes! Love how you use great ingredients in the best way to bring out the real flavours.
Whats going on Anna?!?!? Stoked to hear we are spreading the Aussie love!! You are awesome thanks for doing all that… You, Rae and the team are showing so much support and are on board with influencing the world in a great way to bring us all together 🙂
Thank you!! As you can imagine I am loving all the markets here and learning where all the producers work from. Eg. Vermont and their dairy :))))
Stay in touch as what you guys are doing is seriously Epic!!
xo DC
Dan, my husband has a love-hate relationship with the kitchen. He loves to eat healthy and is a huge fan of all sorts of veggies and fruits, but he lacks imagination. I think your approach to food and cooking is fun enough that he could embrace it. I have noticed that many of the ingredients that are likely very easily found in Australia are rather…exotic here. Like, rice malt syrup? I have no idea what that is, and I cook a lot. A bullseye chili? We have tons of types of chili peppers, but none are called a “bullseye” that I have seen. Maybe any sort would do? Chia seeds? Tamarind paste? Maybe I could find them in an Asian market. Hopefully.
Is the American version of DudeFood any more Yankee-grocery-store-friendly than the amazing – but baffling – recipes on your website? I look forward to trying some out and, hopefully, getting my husband a copy of DudeFood! 😀
Hi Caren! Thats awesome your legend of a man gets down and dirty with the colourful and wonderful nature of healthier cooking. haha thank you thats exactly what I am going for.
Don’t be alarmed a lot of the ingredients I refer to are actually more alternative terms as opposed to differing ingredients… I myself am slowing learning this. Eg. I went to whole foods the other day and came across the thousands of chilli options you referred to. Bullseye is a generic term we refer to as the small spicy chills. So in essence any of the smaller ones would work. We call long chills bull horns haha
For Rice malt syrup it is simply a sweetener… and honey is a perfect substitute, it just contains a little more fructose per serve.
Dudefood is at the moment only americanised hahaha i had to change ingredients such as kangaroo to bison and re word coriander to cilantro… again i am loving the challenge of learning all of this. I actually made a point of highlighting the difference on GMA on Tuesday hahah
Does that help?
Let me know how you get on and make sure you man tags me in the photos of all the awesomeness he cooks you with #Dudefood and #RealMenCook
HI Dan! So looking forward to the fun next week!! Loved the recipes in the book, and was really snorking over the guys on GMA snarfing down those awesome DudeFood Burgers. Grins.
I’m a HUGE american Football fan, though not a big Tom Brady fan (Love Giselle, though. Have you seen the #UnderArmor commercials?). Also love AUS Rules Rugby. Love, love, love me some rugby. Still haven’t figured out Cricket though. My AUS pals @AnnaCampbellOz, @ChrstinaBrooke and @HellenSibbrit keep trying to talk me through it, but…
Still. They’re real men and they love to eat, so they are good candidates for #RealMenCook
Great interview, Rae! Dan, enjoy your travels in the States!
Me too Jeanne!! Thank you! hahahaha Yeah its always good to have a bit of a bro down.. you know add a bit of alpha male to the kitchen. In saying this there are plenty of lovely ladies like yourself who are already killing it in there 🙂
hahah Thats ok I will forgive you 😉 I think Giselle’s awesomeness speaks for herself. I have seen that awesome commercial I was shown it earlier… #unbelievable doesn’t give it enough justice…
That is amazing… not many people know our sports… so I take it you are the American version of me hahah… Ill help you out with the rules, you will be able to enjoy it that much more
Epic!! Get them cooking and #tagging and Ill be able to see for myself!!
Thanks Jeanne!! looking forward to meeting at some point!!
Back atcha, Dan! And if someone can help me understand cricket? Yahoo! Grins.
Hahahaha Natalie I am one of the few Australians who follows your amazing country’s sport… Brady is an absolute legend!! He is a winner and so determined and passionate about what he does. Despite what everyone said being picked 230 something in the draft he has gone on to win 4 Super Bowl rings… he defies why nothing is impossible if you simply work hard.
haha You don’t have to be a guy to enjoy jumping into these delicious wonders!! make sure you tag #Dudefood and #RealMenCook for me to see and possibly repost
xo DC
Will do! Thanks!
Great interview, but you *really* hooked me with Tom Brady. LOL Are you an American football fan, or just a TB12 admirer? (Dude really has it all.)
I can’t wait to try some of these recipes, even if I’m not a guy. 🙂 Thanks, Dan!
Thanks Natalie – it was a lot of fun 😉 The recipes from Dan’s website, YouTube videos and Books are AMAZING! Ok, I’m seriously hungry now – Hmmmm wonder what I should make? Decisions, decisions. That’s what’s so awesome about Dan’s recipes – you can’t go wrong, there is something for EVERYONE! Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks Rae!!
Might have to do a little challenge with a food box 😉
DC
Dan – You are welcome! I’m always up for a food challenge…sounds like fun! In the mean Wait till you see what I’ve “cooked up” for next week
-Rae
#RealMenCook #DudeFood
Natalie, I’m with you! I was LOL abt the guys on Good Morning America snarfing Dan’s burgers!!
Dan, I love me some TED Talks and enjoyed the Pico Lyer book as well. Another one from TED is Simon Sinek, and START WITH WHY. LOVE that book. Grins.