:claire gourley Claire Goals
Sibling rivalry has turned into a successful cooking venture for one Bay of Plenty teenager
CLAIRE GOURLEY HAS ACHIEVED more in her 18 years than what most adults do in their entire lives. She is a chef, television presenter, published author,
YouTube sensation and in six years she will complete degrees in law and business, and then … well, the sky is the limit! Claire is the first to point out the peculiarity of her early success and humbly brushes off any cause for praise. "I started this project when I was 15 and I never thought I
would have published a book before I left high school," Claire says. "I was very lucky that people gave me opportunities and choices. I'm not the best cook or the best writer … I simply entered the doors that were opened for me." Claire was inspired (or driven) by a dose of sibling rivalry.
When her older brother began the process of applying for halls of residence at university and figured out that he was going to have to start cooking for himself, Claire made it a goal not to be as ill-prepared when her time came to enter tertiary study. "Like all teenage boys he loved food but was pretty useless
at cooking. I made it my goal to be a better cook than him when I left home, so at 15 I started compiling all my favourite recipes. These came from variations of family and
Claire's 5 Top Tips to create an easy peasy meal … • Use a recipe that you know will work – get it from someone you trust. • Keep things simple – I don't do complicated – it's best to master the basics first!
• Choose recipes that make as little dishes as possible (I love chop-it-up, chuck- it-in one-pan dinners) and clean up as you go – I hate ending up with a messy kitchen to clean!
• Always check you have all the ingredients before you start. • Cooking should be fun – so make sure the music is loud!
106 | www.hermagazine.co.nz
