From High Fashion to Coveted Foodie

When Kara Williams moved to Italy as a National Brand Manager for a fashion house, she never envisioned that she would be swapping out designer heels and creating lux meals as a highly sought after personal chef.

But when she and a friend rented a room in a shared Italian mansion, Kara’s decision to cook for the
household one evening led to a new career in the food industry.

Kara went from cooking for the household to writing a personal food blog, to being asked to private
chef on luxury yachts and even cook for fashion royalty himself, the villa of Giorgio Armani.

As her 15k social media following grew, so did her skyrocketing career.

‘After I published my blog, I had a call from Benetti Yachts. Twenty-four hours later I was on a mega yacht, and it was sink or swim- literally- in a paid private chef role,’ Kara said. ‘That lasted the entire summer season, and the following year, as it had been with fashion, I was being headhunted by other companies and agencies. It led to an annual position within the holiday house of Giorgio Armani, and then regular contract work for the Embassy of Australia in Rome.’

After about eight years in Italy, Kara made a return to Australia for a medical procedure which
resulted in some complications. Kara had to stay longer than anticipated, and when Covid hit, she lived in a small Melbourne apartment for the most of three years, with no outdoor space.

It was the long, isolated stay in the city that enticed Kara to move to the Bass Coast, where she had spent a lot of her childhood holidays at Red Rocks or visiting at her grandfather’s holiday home in
Silverleaves.

‘Growing up in a large family, we had a lot of gatherings on Sundays with lots of people and an abundance of food. I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen with Nonna, and I always found it so interesting to create recipes that were unusual and unique,’ Kara said. ‘It wasn’t about following the exact measurements; it was more tactile- being able to feel your way through recipes. I still carry many of those recipes, and occasionally my family will ask for them!’

Kara said that while she never expected to give up a career in fashion to become a personal chef, both have allowed her to have a creative outlet. She now not only creates delicious meals, but she
also photographs them as well.  Her mouthwatering photography has been featured in numerous publications. 

‘In Italy, everything is naturally beautiful, not staged,’ Kara said. ‘You look around a kitchen and see that beautiful, embroidered cloth on the table, or the crockery, which was once a wedding gift, or
gorgeous lamp shades,’ she said. ‘The eggs might still have a bit of dirt or feathers on it, but they look naturally beautiful on a marble kitchen benchtop. The platters they are served on might have a story behind it.’

Kara has created some of her own plates and bowls at local pottery story Clay & Co, ensuring her dishes are plated with vision and love. Entertaining with great food in a stylish setting is clearly Kara’s love language.

She does a lot of her shopping from local purveyors such as Chippin Estate Produce, Goshen Country. Bassine Speciality, Wattle Bank Farm, Bass Straight Direct, The Invy Baker, Island Organics, The Corner Dispensary and farmers markets. 

She then pours her heart into her cooking and sets the tone with lighting and music for visiting friends and family.

‘When I do go out, I like to get dressed up and go somewhere with simple dishes, but lots of them as I love to share. I adore Mexican, Japanese, French and Greek. My favourite local restaurants are Kelp, Saltwater, Udder and Hoe, Bang Bang, and Anerie but I generally prefer to stay in and cook for friends and family”, she said.

‘I often have friends (from out of town) come and stay for a weekend, which is a nice way to spend quality time together. We love exploring Gippsland, going for long hikes, swims, and sauna sessions, which works up an appetite. 

‘They usually bring sushi platters or pastries from the city, and I will cook Italian ninety per cent of the time- it runs in my veins, as I innately know what works well together.

‘Or I will make a slow cooked meal or pizza in the wood fired oven. We open a bottle of wine, have music going and sit under the festoon lights on the terrace while we have the scent of the fire cooking our meal in the background.’ 

And whilst Kara also extends that love of entertaining to others through her private cheffing and community events, she would love to secure a personal chef position on a consistent basis for a household in the region.

‘I would love to work for one or two households who are looking for a unique and bespoke in-house  experience, but are time poor,’ Kara said. ‘People who want high quality and seasonal produce and
do not have to worry about where to source it.’

She also hopes to one day publish a cookbook to share her cherished recipes, storytelling, and showcase her food photography.

Kara’s Recipes

Gippsland smoked trout pate

As we bloom into spring, entertain in style with this decadent yet effortless pâté recipe. Serve with toasted pita and seasonal crudités for a truly impressive spread. The perfect accompaniment to a glass of celebratory sparkling.

What you need:

300 grams Gippsland whole smoked trout

100 grams mascarpone cheese

200 grams cream cheese

Two tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill Two tablespoons finely chopped potato onions

Juice of one lemon How to make:

Remove the skin and bones from the trout and chop finely. Add all of the ingredients together and combine well. Taste test and add more lemon if desired.

Carpaccio di manzo- Gippsland beef carpaccio

As the weather warms and we seek lighter meals, this fresh dish embraces the essence of spring. Carpaccio is a dish consisting of thin slices of raw meat, traditionally beef which can be lightly cured in lemon juice. It was invented at Harry’s Bar in Venice, prepared for countess Amalia. This recipe was made on the Bass Coast with local grass feed Gippsland beef.

What you need:

200g top quality beef (100g per person)

Handful of rocket leaves

Freshly grated slivers of parmigiano

Lemon juice

Drizzle of quality extra virgin olive oil

Freshly cracked black pepper and a pinch of sea salt

How to make:

1: Slice the beef in the thinnest possible thickness (tip: place the beef in the freezer, making it easier to slice), OR ask your butcher to thinly slice for you but it may brown quickly. I prefer to slice it myself.

2: Arrange thin slices of beef on a plate, squeeze fresh lemon juice over meat (cover and place in the fridge for 10 minutes if you want the meat to cure). I let mine cure for 5 minuets.

3: Place rocket leaves and slices of parmigiano on top, drizzle with olive oil, finish with pepper and salt and serve with a wedge of lemon.

Bass Coast whole milk ricotta cheese

There is a plethora of Italian dishes that call upon ricotta as a vital ingredient. However nothing beats a bowl of warm freshly made ricotta, only made better with a piece of crusty bread. Sometimes the simplest things in life are the most decadently delightful.

Making ricotta from scratch is surprisingly easy, as all you need is some milk on hand. It is so simple, and made extra decadent by using local Bass Coast whole milk.

What you need:

2 litres of full cream milk

1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice

Salt to taste How to make:

1: Place the milk in a large heavy saucepan, using a thermometer bring the milk to 180-185 degrees.

2: Once the milk has reached the desired temperature, remove the pot from the heat and add the lemon and salt, stir gently for about a minute in a figure eight motion. Cover the pot with a tea towel and top with the lid. Let it sit untouched for at least two hours.

3: Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the curds from the whey, they will be visually obvious.

4: Place the curds (the lumps) in a strainer/basket mould that is lined with fabric lightly moistened by warm water (muslin if available, if not a clean cotton tea-towel). Once all of the curds are placed inside, cover with a cloth and allow to rest. The ricotta should be set and be ready to eat after two hours. Turn out onto a plate and enjoy while it is still warm. However, it can be stored in the fridge for about 5 days.

Tiramisù al limone!

This is literally sunshine in a bowl, and the quintessential zesty spring recipe with lemons picked straight from my tree. This is one of my favourite feel good recipes that always spreads joy. Made only more special by making individual serving bowls for everyone to enjoy.

TIRA MI SU

tira = to pull

mi = me

su= up

Literally means “pull me up” (pick me up) What you need:

– Savoiardi biscuits (about 20 for this recipe)

– 4 organic eggs

– 250 grams mascarpone

– 1/3 cup sugar

– 200 ml limoncello (approximately)

– 1 lemon (juice and zest)

How to make:

– Separate egg whites from yolks.

– Whisk egg whites until fluffy. Gradually whisk in half of the sugar and continue to whisk

until firm peaks form. Set aside.

– In a separate bowl whisk the remaining half of sugar together with the egg yolks until

light and creamy.

– Add and whisk in the mascarpone.

– Add lemon zest.

– Use a metal spoon to gradually add the egg whites to the yolks trying to keep in as much

air as possible. Stir in a figure 8 motion.

– In a separate bowl add the juice of one lemon and the limoncello.

– Dip in the savoiardi biscuits and place in one large baking tray OR about four individual

bowls, on top of a layer of ‘cream’.

– Repeat layers: cream, biscuit, cream, biscuit, cream.

– Top with lemon zest , cover, and refrigerate over night