Miguel shares love of fun and food

Miguel Maestre is known for his sense of fun and exuberance but, for him, cooking is an expression of love, creativity and who he is.

He will be challenging audiences at this year’s Moreton Bay Food + Wine Festival to spend more time in the kitchen, experimenting and growing confidence so they too can discover this unique form of self-expression. Tickets are on sale now. 

Miguel is genuinely delighted to be returning to the festival for the third time. The event is on from August 22-24 at Woody Point's Apex Park.

“I’m excited because they want me back and when people want you back it’s because you’ve done something right,” he says laughing.

“I’m excited because of the weather, the people, the location. There’s no place in the world that has a food show in that kind of set-up, and I do lots of them.

“It’s more relaxed and you feel almost like you can talk to everyone. There’s like 20,000 people in a weekend, but you still feel like you talk to so many people.

“It’s got a nice family vibe. I can’t explain it.”

Miguel will bring his live and interactive cooking demonstrations to The Kitchen stage but will also be involved in special ticketed events.

“This year we’re doing a slightly different thing. I’ve got a little restaurant to the side (The Bayview Pavilion) and we’ll be doing three lunches. I’ll be showcasing some different courses, matched with different wines. I’m excited because that’s going to show people my more chef side of things,” he explains.

Miguel has brought cooking to life on our television screens for more than a decade, but the opportunity to connect with people at events like Moreton Bay Food + Wine Festival brings him the most joy.

“Cooking food is amazing and the reward of people tasting your food is what really motivates a chef. This is real. There’s nothing more spontaneous than being in a live cooking demonstration in front of people,” he explains.

“You don’t know what to expect, who’s going to be there, their reaction … that makes you feel alive.

“I hope they learn a little bit of cooking. That’s the main thing. I hope they have a good time. I think life is so boring already, so stressful.

“For one hour, I can show you how to cook something, make you smile and create some food memories. That’s my aim.”

Have a red-hot go

In an age when you can order a box of ingredients and a recipe, or order complete meals to be delivered to your home, how does Miguel challenge people to have a go at cooking for real?

“We need to eat three times a day. I mean how crazy (is it) that we don’t even have time to invest in ourselves to do the cooking?” he asks.

“Cooking for yourself and the people you love is like spreading a little bit of who you are. You get to share who you are with the people that you love. How do you not want to do that for at least 10 minutes a day?

“I think we’re losing a little bit of the plot in life. We prioritise things that are not so important, but cooking is very important.”

Miguel says making a home-cooked meal does not need to take hours and can be done in as little as 10 minutes.

“I challenge people to spend a little more time on things that make sense for us,” he says.

The key is to set small, achievable goals.

“Don’t buy a lobster that costs $300 and overcook it, but you can still buy a handful of prawns and a little bit of pasta and start testing yourself.

“Maybe one day you’re brave enough to get one egg and a handful of flour and make your own pasta. You don’t need a fancy machine to roll the dough … you can put it together with a rolling pin and a knife.”

Best of all, it’s an activity that can involve the whole family, particularly children.

“When they’re involved, they’ll eat the dinner. They can’t complain because they made it. It’s a win, win,” he says.

Read more about Moreton Bay Food + Wine Festival here.