In the Engine Room

Meet MiNDFOOD’s new Global Kitchen Editor, Carl Koppenhagen.

From the moment Carl Koppenhagen worked his first shift at the age of 12, washing dishes as a part-time kitchen hand, he was hooked on restaurant culture. Soon he was slicing mushrooms, making potato dauphinois and crumbing calamari.

Food was important in Koppenhagen’s childhood. His parents owned a delicatessen when few existed in New Zealand, but it was the hustle and bustle of the kitchen that really drew him to a career in cuisine. Today, Koppenhagen is co-owner of The Engine Room restaurant at Northcote Point in Auckland.

This month, Koppenhagen begins as MiNDFOOD’s Global Kitchen Editor, a role in which he relishes sharing his experience in “people’s markets” rather than designer food markets. “When you go to places like Otara Market and Avondale Market [both in Auckland], that’s when you see the sorts of ingredients I use, which are fresh, seasonal and available,” he says.

Koppenhagen’s recipes in MiNDFOOD each month will focus on a specific destination: “I want to use the best available ingredients to execute recipes authentically. The ingredients are all readily available; it’s more a matter of not being afraid of knowing how to use them.”