PALOMA Profiles: Sian Redgrave

PALOMA Profiles has a special treat for you, right as we head into the festive and holiday season.

Sian Redgrave, Australian cook, stylist and food writer, amongst many other talents in art, food and design, has curated for you a ‘Stracciatella’ dish, done two-ways. This woman with luscious locks, shares with us her beautiful vision, heartfelt connection to the art of food, design, human connection and fusing it with soul, to make life all the more worth living.

Read this insightful interview with Sian, learn about how she maintains her ‘lived-in’ luscious locks, and learn how to create an easy, though star-stealing dish for your next dinner soiree over the festive season.

Sian, your deep love of food, design and culture is evident in the work you do, and the profile you have created for yourself. Tell us about you? How do you see yourself, and how would you like others to see you from a personal and professional frame of reference?

I am a hedonist, an epicurean, a lover of beauty, the arts, human connection and literature. I think at heart I am an artist, from as young as I can remember I wanted to create, draw, cook and do anything tactile to express myself. This passion has manifested into cooking but food is bound to aesthetics for me, with styling and composition being vital. I would hope that people can see I am a bit of a nerd, who has a slight perfectionism complex, a love for carbohydrates and a committed drive to bring people together. I want to be someone who is always evolving, trying new things and constantly learning from others.

How did you come to connect with your love of food and cooking, and utilising both as an expression of art and connection in community?

My mother and aunt raised me, both of them committed to health, well being and spirituality. Food was always seasonal, organic and prepared at home. My childhood friends all knew that my house was the ‘hippie’ house, with no fun after school snacks. How grateful I am for that now. I learnt to cook, experiment and express myself in the kitchen from a young age. As I got older and went on to study design, worlds collided with art and food. I studied set and costume design at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, where community art and theatre projects were the centre of our training. I think the theatre of it all has imprinted in my food now, and I want to share that with people.

At PALOMA, the idea of ‘SELF’ is a core pillar to our brand, our service, and our community. What does ‘Self Care’ mean to you? How do you take care of yourself, and what are your ‘Self-Love’ practices and rituals?

In all honesty, this is an area I struggle with and am constantly trying to improve. I have a tendency to push myself, sometimes a little too hard, it can be the downside of being strong minded. Despite all the pressure I put on myself to be strong there are some things that are non negotiable for me that I make time for. Music would be my first and foremost outlet for self care. Nothing has a more profound ability to uplift my mood and state of mind….I always have headphones or a speaker with me wherever I am. Cooking is an obvious one but I am pretty diligent with cooking healthy meals at home, the only time I eat out is at my favourite restaurants, never midweek takeaway. I know then the source of the produce and everything that has gone into my food and the preparation itself is very calming. Meditation, yoga, infrared saunas, burning incense, a good skin care routine, moments in nature, a big bowl of pasta, watching an old Fellini film, calling my mum, lunch with my best friend, a cone of pistachio gelato…all little things that make me feel whole.

At PALOMA we are about community and inclusivity. Obviously community is a key aspect of your work - tell us more about what community means to you?

Community is crucial, community is fundamental, we can not live without it, especially when it comes to food. I really dont believe we are supposed to do things on our own. Food obviously fuels our bodies but its connection to tradition, communication, ritual and emotion fuel our souls. Community for me is defined by other people's needs being just as if not more important than your own and the service of sharing. Sharing food, which has passed through the hands of farmers, producers, retailers and hospitality workers brings people together and encourages collaboration. I believe that investment into community also ensures connection to our planet, our creativity and our well being. Food holds such power to connect people as it transcends so many social barriers, it unites us all.

What is something peculiar about you we may not know?

I am completely and utterly obsessed with music. There is rarely a moment that I am in silence. As a child, from 3 years old I would wake up early before my mum and watch Rage, taping all my favourite songs onto the VCR. While my friends were listening to the Backstreet Boys and The Spice Girls I was listening to Ministry of Sound and drum and bass compilations. I also adopted the love of Sade, Buena Vista Social Club, New Order, The Cure, Dire Straights, Talking Heads and The Police from my parents. In high school my love for dance music was consuming, going to every festival I could, going home to find setlists online and download songs on limewire. I have a fairly broad and eclectic range of music that I listen to now, it brings me so much joy.

What are your top 3 values in life?

Generosity- giving time, support, a home cooked meal, a hug, acceptance and understanding to those around us is imperative.
Curiosity- learning, evolving, having hunger for knowledge and connection to the world.
Resilience- trusting in life, recovering from setbacks with compassion, moving towards the future and learning to embrace the duality of our existence.

You have very luscious hair. Tell us about who looks after you at PALOMA? What do you get done to your hair, and why have you chosen PALOMA as your salon of choice?

Firstly, thank you! I can really only thank my parents for the genetics for my locks. To look after it I definitely adopt the less is more approach. I eat a mediterranean diet, full of good fats, vitamins and minerals which keep my body happy. Apart from that I am quite lazy when it comes to my hair so Paloma and John always give me a cut that looks great as it grows and dries naturally. I love lived-in layers and healthy, natural hair so I also have mine glossed to enrich the natural colour. PALOMA is such an easy choice, full of warm people, with no judgement and uplifting vibrancy.

What hair products do you use and love from PALOMA salon?

I am a lover of Oribe products, I mean who doesn't love a Tom Ford fragrance. The Gold Lust shampoo and conditioner keep the split ends at bay and make for a moment of luxury in my day. The thick finishing spray is also a favourite to add body and volume as I have a lot of hair but the strands are quite fine, sometimes feeling flat and unfinished.

Speaking of community and food, we have a very special time of year coming up - end of year celebrations and season’s greetings. We are blessed to have one of your beautiful recipes, done two-ways, for the PALOMA community to relish and share with their loved ones… please tell us about them? Why you specifically chose these two recipes, and the best way we can enjoy these over the holiday season?

These recipes are barely recipes, just delicious ingredients, prepared simply. The holidays can be stressful which is ironic because they are supposed to be relaxing. I know a lot of people panic about cooking and entertaining so I wanted to give everyone something easy to whip together for their loved ones.

Stracciatella cheese two ways:

(If you can’t find stracciatella, burrata will be perfetto)

With Lemon & Anchovy

250g tub stracciatella
1 tin of good quality anchovies
1 lemon, finely sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper

Spoon the cheese into a serving bowl. Top with lemon slices and anchovies. Drizzle with olive oil and finish with seasoning. Spoon onto fresh bread and enjoy!

With Spring Vegetables

250g tub stracciatella
200g broad beans, podded
100g fresh peas, podded
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 3cm batons
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 small clove of garlic, finely grated
Zest of one lemon
Basil oil ( to make the basil oil, blanch a whole bunch of basil in boiling water for 10 seconds. Plunge immediately into iced water and squeeze out excess liquid. Pop into a blender with ½ a cup of olive oil and ½ a cup of grapeseed oil. Blend on high speed until green and vibrant. Pour into a container and leave overnight in the fridge to infuse. The next day strain through a fine sieve into a bottle. You can keep this in the fridge for up to a week to use on salads, fish or pastas).

Blanch the vegetables in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes, Strain and plunge into iced water to keep the vibrant colour and ensure they don’t over cook. Strain again and mix in a bowl with sherry vinegar, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and a little salt and pepper. Spoon the cheese into a serving bowl. Top with the vegetables and generously drizzle over the basil oil. I topped mine with nasturtiums growing in my neighbours garden but some fresh basil leaves would do the trick!

Yum, thank you!

Are there any last words, messages or heartfelt truths you would like to share with the PALOMA Community whilst you have us?

Find what you love and pursue it with passion, obsession and the goal of it helping other people. Something that gives you purpose and salvation, even in the hardest of days, is worth our time and energy. But above all else, treasure the ones you love.

Thank you Sian, it’s been a true pleasure to receive your radiance through words, and the food/ moments of connection we can create through what you have shared with us today. Love, PALOMA Salon.

Follow us on @paloma_salon for behind the scenes and other PALOMA Profiles to come.
Keep in touch and follow Sians’s Journey @sian_redgrave

Credits
Photography: Jay Patel from The 10th Letter | @10thletterau