It’s not easy being a restauranteur, running a coffee shop, farm stall and preserve shop at the same time as cooking with the best olive oil in the world, but Graham seems to have it pinned down! FILIPPO BERIO’s resident chef, culinary creme de la creme  and owner of Imhoff Farm’s Blue Water Cafe, Graham Isaacson, agreed to sit down and let us pick his brain on the alchemy of cooking, his kitchen pet peeves and some general secrets and musings encountered whilst in the kitchen, doing what he does best: transform food into fantasy.

What made you decide to become a chef?

I have always been fascinated with the alchemy of food, tastes, combinations and the visual aspects that cause reactions from people eating. Coming from an artistic, creative as well as ultra health-conscious background, my mother used the freshest of everything and was well known for her unusual soups, some of her combinations were daring and ground-breaking! So having these foundations, I’ve developed my own style of eating and cooking.

Your food has been referred to as ‘New Cape’, what does that mean?

The “New Cape ” term was used to describe the style of food we developed at the Old Cape Farmstall, which was my first serious food job that I had. I developed products and “ready-to-go” meals for the very busy and revolutionary retail component.

I also combined a Mediterranean slant to traditional Cape food and this was well received; and has proved to be a welcomed style to the establishments I have been involved in.

What is your favourite ingredient and why?

Believe it or not, olive oil is top of my “must-have” list. I even give my dogs a tablespoon each and they are as healthy as ever!

Why do you cook with Filippo Berio olive oil over the others that are available?

I prefer my olive oil to be fruity and non acidic, this complements the ingredients that you are working with and does not override or detract. I am sold on Filippo Berio, having tried others. We use a lot of olive oil in all the restaurants and drizzle Filippo Berio on our pizzas, only to receive positive responses from customers.

What is your favourite recipe?

My best quick meal is a delicious ciabatta sandwich, with roast beef, taleggio, caramelised onion, fresh tomato , basil and olive oil/balsamic dressing. I love rare fillet with truffle infused olive oil done simply, with thick cut potato chips and rocket and parmesan salad, with olive oil and lemon juice

Have there been any specific challenges that you’ve had to overcome in your career?

Challenges in my career have always been finding people who believe in my entrepreneurial drive. But I have been fortunate and have been linked to some well respected people in the industry from early on, and they are still supportive and available for advice! The biggest influences on my career have been Judy Badenhorst, who recognised my “talents” even before I did… and John Tovey who whisked me off to work in his Michelin restaurant in the Lake District…

What will you do when you retire?

When I retire, if I do….It is my dream to have a small holding, developing new products and being totally self-sufficient in terms of growing my own food… with a few chickens for free range eggs…. and a grove of olive trees…

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I am fortunate to be surrounded by creative people and have many friends in the industry and we often compare notes. I have noted in my career that there are clear cycles of flavours and styles…The one constant has been Mediterranean food Italian food, which is the basis for my style of food.

What are your kitchen pet peeves?

A badly stocked pantry is a no-no. One should always have a stock of “personalised” basics, mine are Filippo Berio olive oil, truffle oil, balsamic oil, parmesan, black pepper, fresh lemons, “OO” bread flour, eggs, salt flakes…rocket…

What is your fondest childhood food memory?

My best childhood food memory is having our family, with a laden table, enjoying a meal and taking hours over enjoying the whole experience…and feast, mainly on Sunday afternoons or holidays..

Who is your favourite cook? (family, friend, etc) why)?

I enjoy Antonio Carlucci’s food as it is authentic, unbelievably tasty and always fresh and simple and not over manipulated. I have eaten in some of his restaurants and enjoyed them immensely. I have a close friend, Christine Stevens, who is a winemaker and who has her own organic farm and grows her own produce, milk and meat. She has a wonderful passion for the food she grows and cares for what she cooks and eats and this inspires me.

What is the mark of a good chef?

I think the mark of a good chef is his/her ability to produce a lot, from a little, and do it simply, without deliberately trying to over-work or disguise authentic flavours…

If you could invite 6 guests, living or dead for dinner, who would they be and what would you serve them?

My family, they are the most supportive and encouraging of my friends and Catherine Tate (I think she is the funniest comedienne around, to make us laugh…)

What’s your culinary Achilles heel?

I am not a fan of over-handled food.

What do you cook when it’s just you at home?

I love pasta and strong Italian cheese. I will often throw together a delicious pasta dish…my best is roasted butternut, gorgonzola and rocket with lashings of Filippo Berio olive oil. The pasta is homemade, of course…

If you could live anywhere in the world, food wise, where would it be and why?

I would live in Positano, if I could … I would shop every day for what I required and eat the freshest of the fresh for every meal. There are also no cars there….

Read about Graham’s Career here. Graham will be judging the ten recipes with the most votes to win a trip to Italy – not only will he be critiquing the creative blend of ingredients and how masterfully they are combined with FILIPPO BERIO’s range of products, but he will also be cooking these recipes himself. The winner will jet off to Tuscany, the home of FILIPPO BERIO’s olive groves, with five friends. If you want in on the action, or to simply keep up with the latest in Italian cuisine as well as competition updates, enter the Gourmet Club here. Aprons on, Italy awaits!