Skip to main content

INTERVIEWS

Skye McAlpine on the joy of cooking for sharing & why she’ll always call Italy home

Skye McAlpine - cook, author, columnist and founder of tableware collection, Tavola, inspires us to cook from the heart and entertain without fuss.

02 October 2022
By: Emily Armstrong

The author of two cookbooks - A Table in Venice and A Table For Friends, Skye's cooking and entertaining style is influenced by the Italian way of making an "art of simplicity and celebrating it". As she tells us, "the best meals never feel fussy or pretentious, but are always warm, generous and welcoming."

Here we chat with Skye about the joy of cooking for sharing, the inspiration behind her tableware brand Tavola, her desert island ingredients, her favourite places in Venice and how fuss-free entertaining is what our friends really want...

 

On growing up in Venice
My family moved to Venice when I was six years old and it’s been home ever since. Now, I divide my time between London where my husband works and Venice where my heart lies

On an Italian / English upbringing and the love of sharing meals
It’s impossible to grow up in Italy, I think, and not love food… My parents always ran our kitchen as an open kitchen when I was growing up and we always had friends (new friends, old friends, friends-of-friends who might have been passing through town…) join us for lunch and for dinner. In retrospect, I think it was a way of building a family and a community in a new home. So, I think I grew up with the belief that food is always more meaningful than the sum of its ingredients and that meals always taste better when shared with others… When I left home to go to university in the UK and for the first time I had access to a kitchen I could call my own, is when I really learned to cook and I started hosting my own little (and fairly chaotic) dinner parties… And I’ve never stopped! Sharing food with friends, cooking for them and indulging in their company, is one of my greatest pleasures in life.
 
On her cookery journey and cooking for a crowd
I’m not a trained chef - I’ve just taught myself to cook from cookbooks and from watching others do it. So, I’m not especially skilled - anyone who has seen me chop an onion would tell you that! But I do love cooking for a crowd - I love meals to be welcoming and chaotic, with children and grown-ups and everyone else in between gathered round the table… And over time, I’ve developed a way of cooking, a repertoire of recipes, that allow me to cook something that feels special, that I can be proud and excited to share with others but that isn’t stressful to put together, and that I can practically do while balancing the busy business of work and everyday life. Most of those recipes are gathered together in A Table for Friends - I wanted to write a cookbook that helped make cooking for the people you love something fun and enjoyable to do rather than stressful in any way.

 

However much it feels like the world around you is spinning out of control, you can create a haven of peace, a beautiful special space at your kitchen table.
    Best tip for entertaining?
    Keep things as simple as you can; don’t cave to the pressure of feeling that you need to put on a show for friends - all anyone wants is to come and spend time with you and feels so lucky to be in your home - you could serve baked potatoes and salad, followed by ice cream and they would be over the moon (I know I would); and leave the washing up until the next morning - no one wants to end a happy evening doing the washing up

     
     
    What makes a beautifully laid table for guests?
    Beyond the obvious plates, cutlery, glasses, etc… I think a few bud vases with some flowers in them make a big difference and instantly signal ‘this is a special meal’; candles because everyone and everything looks glamorous by candlelight (we have these really pretty candlesticks at Tavola that are made in clear Murano glass and shimmer so prettily by candlelight); and proper linen napkins - because nothing feels so luxurious to touch as a proper napkin

     

    I am currently working on several houses for a client in Melbourne (one in the city and two at the beach on the Peninsula) which are going to be fabulous. They are a very cool young couple who love colourful, interesting interiors and they are so trusting of me and my team so I’m excited to be working with them on their projects.

    Your online shop is filled with beautiful textiles, antique finds, and other treasures – what do you look for when curating and creating products for the shop?
    I am always looking for things other stores don’t have. Things I am always trying to find in stores myself for my own home. I also love to support local artists and craftspeople and we are offering more and more one-off pieces, special things that you just can’t find everywhere. I am also hoping that Spiro Store will be the go-to place in Australia for customers who just want to order a custom-made sofa or an armchair in a fabulous fabric. They may not want to do the full design with me, but they can just come in and get a piece of what we do. I hope people really embrace that.

    Sharing food with friends, cooking for them and indulging in their company, is one of my greatest pleasures in life…
    Landscape Photo 1
    Landscape Photo 2
    Landscape Photo 3

    I am currently working on several houses for a client in Melbourne (one in the city and two at the beach on the Peninsula) which are going to be fabulous. They are a very cool young couple who love colourful, interesting interiors and they are so trusting of me and my team so I’m excited to be working with them on their projects.

    Your online shop is filled with beautiful textiles, antique finds, and other treasures – what do you look for when curating and creating products for the shop?
    I am always looking for things other stores don’t have. Things I am always trying to find in stores myself for my own home. I also love to support local artists and craftspeople and we are offering more and more one-off pieces, special things that you just can’t find everywhere. I am also hoping that Spiro Store will be the go-to place in Australia for customers who just want to order a custom-made sofa or an armchair in a fabulous fabric. They may not want to do the full design with me, but they can just come in and get a piece of what we do. I hope people really embrace that.

    3 favourite pieces from Tavola?
    We just brought out a new collection of plates - the ‘Lido’ plates - they’re made based on a 1950s design with a really pretty scalloped edge and come in pink and yellow, the colours of my kitchen. I absolutely love them. We also do these really cute ‘Tutti Frutti’ jugs - they’re hand-painted moulded ceramic with cherries or strawberries or lemons on them. They’re super cute and look great with flowers with them, as well as to serve drinks. I also use my ‘Fragola’ mug with i handpainted strawberry design on it, daily

    3 desert island ingredients?
    SO tricky! I love chocolate, so I would have to take a good supply of that with me - I feel like somehow if you have chocolate you can always throw together a good pudding of some kind; pasta; and a good chunk of cheese

    3 favourite haunts in Venice?
    I love breakfast at Rosa Salva - they do delicious, freshly baked pastries and unbelievably good host chocolate. I love Al Covo for a special meal - the food there is exquisite and I literally have dreams about their fried zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta and mint. And I love Il Bacaro del Gelato for ice cream - they do a dark chocolate ice cream topped with pistachio butter which is to die for.

    Other favourite places in Italy?
    I always love spending time in Rome; and in the summertime, we love going to the Amalfi coast for sunshine, swimming and lots of yummy food

    What’s next for Skye McAlpine?
    I’m working on another cookbook at the moment which I’m super excited about; and also working on lots of new designs for Tavola which are coming out over the coming months…

    Lets Play Favourites with Skye McAlpine

    Flower - peony
    Scent / Fragrance - Vilhelm Parfumerie’s Lilac
    Travel destination - Marrakech
    Place in England - Oxford
    Book - The Secret History
    Podcast - Past Imperfect
    Wellness ritual - yoga, when I can… Failing that, long walks in the park when I’m in London or by the waterside when I’m in Venice
    Colour - pink
    Music - Elton John classics
    Muse - my girlfriends
    Season - summer
    Restaurant / Meal - tagliolini gratin followed by torta all meringata and chocolate ice cream at Harry’s Dolci in Venice
    Era or decade - 1950s
    Time of day - early in the morning
    Quote - 'Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life'
     

    Follow @skyemcalpine @skymcalpinetavola ~ Interview by @emilyflorence_

    Shop the look

    YOU MAY ALSO LIKE