Paula Xiberras
In her book Michelle Crawford talks about the first whiff of cherry jam being ‘between hope and a memory’, a memory of fruit that was and a hope to turn it into successful jam.
It’s a beautiful phrase that could describe Michelle’s life and how she left behind the memory of a different career in the hope that her life in Tasmania would bear fruit.
Which it has done both metaphorically and literally. We recently chatted about Michelle’s book ‘A Table in the Orchard’ recounting her experiences in Tasmania so far.
Michelle always wanted a career in cooking which she had loved from an early age but in hindsight is glad she never went into the food industry straight away as she believes she wouldn’t have sustained the passion she now feels and maybe have burnt out!
When she did leave school Michelle worked in an administrative role for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra but found herself spending a great deal of time in the kitchen! Fast forward to one of the things she does now, chopping wood in Tasmania, Michelle says she finds tasks such as this far more satisfying because it is a means to an end and preferable to ‘bonding with budgets and spreadsheets’. Michelle’s still busy these days but it’s a different kind of busy.
Tasmania held many surprises for this mainland foodie among them the variety of potatoes … she counted 11 varieties not to mention they cost a lot less than the 9 dollars a punnet for pink eyes in Sydney! and another positive the food tastes better in Tassie too!
Michelle’s book was born out of blogging but she admits it was quite a leap from a 200 word blog to a sixty thousand word book! The adaptations were worth it and Michelle compares getting the advance copy of the book akin to be handed a newborn.
Michelle’s book is a hauntingly beautiful tome with gorgeous photos. Unlike a traditional cookbook it is also part memoir and Michelle enjoyed the process so much she may write again as she is eager to take her table on travels from the orchard to other interesting surrounds.
Table in the Orchard is out now published by Random House.
