Adam Liaw Dinnerware for the Everyday

For the latest issue of the Minimax magazine, we sat down with Adam Liaw to ask him about this latest dinnerware range with Noritake, his upcoming cookbook as well as his kitchen favourites.

Adam Liaw is a Malaysian-born Australian cook, television presenter, and author. He has collaborated with Noritake to produce a collection of dinnerware that reflects the eating habits of contemporary Australia.

We’re so excited to stock your new dinnerware range Adam Liaw Everyday by Noritake, where did the inspiration for the range come from and what is your favourite piece?

If I’m to be completely honest, the Everyday range was inspired initially by me getting frustrated at trying to fit bowls into a dishwasher! I just wondered why we weren’t designing bowls that fit better in them… so then I designed one myself.

It made me think more broadly about what dinnerware could be like if we adapted it – first and foremost – to the practicalities of modern life. We want to live more sustainably. We’re more conscious of our health. We use dishwashers, and we eat a variety of cuisines in a variety of styles.

Everyday builds all of that into the design, so while the Everyday pieces might look unassuming, they perform amazingly. From stacking a dishwasher, to choosing how to set the table, to putting away and reheating leftovers – it all just works.

My favourite pieces would definitely be the medium plate and medium bowl. Rather than being in-between pieces, they’re so useful. The medium plate is great for light meals, and the medium bowl is perfect for everything from Japanese donburi to soup to breakfast cereal.

Your new book "Tonight's Dinner 2: More Midweek Recipes From The Cook Up" celebrates mighty meals for everyday cooking, can you share with our readers a little bit more about the book and which dish do you love to cook on a weeknight and why? 

The book is all about practical home cooking. On The Cook Up we have a rule that a dish shouldn’t take me more than about 10 hands-on minutes to make, with allowance for cooking time after that.

To me that’s a really exciting way to cook, because it lets me simplify and adapt recipes to something really practical.

Dishes from the book like the Potato Gem Shepherd’s Pie (using frozen potato gems for the top instead of making mashed potato) or Rosé Prawn Spaghetti are staples in our house, but the recipe from the book I probably make most often are the Perfect Pancakes. I don’t mean to brag, but they really are perfect and my kids LOVE them.

One last question, what’s one thing you can’t live without in your kitchen?

Definitely my wok. It’s like a safety net to me. If ever I’m stumped on what to cook for dinner, my go-to is always a simple stir-fried dish and a couple of vegetable sides that can be ready in just a few minutes. It’s saved me countless times.