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Marion Grasby's Flavours Of Heart & Home
series • cooking
PG
When your mum is Thai, your dad Australian, and you’ve called more than a few countries home, defining what “tastes like home” can be a complex question. But not for .
“The foods that make me feel like home are a really good bowl of fragrant, soy-braised or a ... A lovely, sweet, coconutty, creamy massaman,” she says without hesitation.
It’s no surprise then that the beloved cook, author, and entrepreneur opens her series on SBS Food, with her version of the Thai classic, a rich, slow-cooked lamb shank massaman curry.
Tradition with a twist
Fans of Grasby (of which there are many) will know she’s inspired by the flavours of her Thai heritage, as well as broader Southeast Asian cuisines. But she’s not one to follow rules too rigidly.
“I’m probably a little bit more lenient about tradition than a lot of people. For me, food and cuisine have always been a moving landscape,” she explains.
“If you look back in history, things like chilies, that you think might be native to Southeast Asia, actually came from South America. The tomato was originally imported into Italy. So, I think cuisines are always changing, and I like to remind myself of that because I think that cuisines should be alive. They should change with the people and the context and the time.”
When she cooks for her family, Grasby simply uses flavours that work together and ingredients that come naturally to her. For example, for , that might mean adding a few tablespoons of for a hit of umami.
Grasby loves using slow-roasted lamb shanks in her massaman curry.
“It's really important to celebrate authenticity and tradition, but not be too scared to bring your own context to it.”
Cooking with love: Marion Grasby's family influence
Grasby often lists her mum, affectionately known as Mama Noi – a trained chef who remains closely connected to Thailand through food – as an inspiration.
Noi’s garden, filled with lemongrass, Thai basil, mint, ginger, and chillies, was a kind of homegrown pantry that helped shape Grasby’s own cooking instincts.
“Growing up, we had a lot of her beautiful curries, stir-fries, and spicy salads. And then we also had, what my dad would call his meat and three veg. He's a Victorian boy. All of those things have shaped the way I love to eat and cook. My food is a little bit Asian and a little bit Australian,” says Grasby.
“When I was little, spring rolls were something that we would make together and now it's something that all three generations can get into and love. And my kids are very proud when they get to take grandma's spring rolls to school,” she says.
From Bangkok to Noosa
After living in bustling Bangkok for a decade, Grasby and her family have been calling Noosa home for several years. Life is quieter on the Sunshine Coast, but rich with inspiration.
“My husband is an avid fisher. And now my son Henry loves nothing more than catching crabs and fish on the weekend. I love the bounty of fresh seafood that the area offers,” she says.
“It’s such a relaxed coastal lifestyle that encourages you to be outside barbecuing or picking up fish and chips and sitting on the water or going for a big walk. I love taking a homemade Vietnamese banh mi and eating that on the beach.”
From massaman curry to banh mi by the sea, Marion Grasby’s food is, ultimately, about connection, to memory, to place, and to the people she loves.
