Sunday breakfast with Natalie Gauci
Ellie Parker 3 October 2008
Natalie Gauci likes chocolate for breakfast. ‘Well, its better to eat chocolate in the morning than at night, isn't it?' she pointedly asks. And fair point too. It's hard to argue with a chocolate fanatic at the best of times.
The 2007 Australian Idol winner is explaining her breakfast habits in between striking sultry poses during a recent publicity photo shoot. While make-up artists, wardrobe assistants and stylists fidget around her, Gauci calmly slips into her seductress-rocker persona for the camera. In between these poses, the giggles, playfulness and Cadburys-for-breakfast comments come flooding out. She is a pocket rocket combination of girly charm, innocence and passion.
The Italian/Maltese singer admits she had a relatively common childhood when it came to breakfast. ‘As a kid, I grew up in a normal household. Breakfast was Coco Pops or Fruit Loops. I think the healthiest thing we had in the cupboard was Weet-Bix. The Weet-Bix always stayed in the cupboard though. On weekends, Dad was normally the one who did the big greasy fry-ups with loads of eggs, bacon and tomatoes.'
These days, when she's not touring or recording, the rock star likes to cook omelettes for Sunday breakfast-spinach, ham, cheese and mushrooms are her favourite ingredients. Natalie's omelette recipe involves two eggs yolks, four egg whites, plus a heap of fillings. ‘I like it thick,' she insists. ‘And then I do a big flip, and it's done!'
When asked about her favourite hangover cure, Gauci pauses before answering with a glint in her eye, ‘My favourite hangover cure is my nonna's leftover lasagna. I put extra mozzarella on it, then heat it up for one minute in the microwave. It's the best!'
And her favourite café? Well it comes as no surprise that Gauci's favourite place to breakfast out in Melbourne is her family's restaurant, Golden Towers on Swanston Street. ‘Of course it's my favourite, it's my mum's cooking!'