When Michael Zee‘s boyfriend, Mark, moved in with him, he found that (even living together) it was hard to find the time to sit down and spend quality time. They both had such busy schedules. But as they settled in, Michael realized that their most consistent time together was in the morning, before the two of them left for work. So Zee began looking for ways to make the most of their precious time alone — deciding to focus on cooking a nice breakfast for two every morning.
Most people would pour two bowls of cereal with maybe some eggs and bacon as a special treat once and awhile. But Michael isn’t most people. He began to search out complicated recipes and flavors from all over the world. He was determined to make a new and exciting breakfast every single morning for Mark. And he poured his love into every meal, often getting up at 4am before a long day at work.
As he made these breakfasts for two, he noticed with delight that the plates often looked lovely, paired up and mirroring each other on the table. He snapped some photos of these symmetrical breakfasts and a new insanely popular instagram, SymmetryBreakfast, was born. The account quickly grew, and now has over 650,000 thousand followers eager to see what Michael will cook up, and it’s easy to see why. Zee’s breakfasts are absolutely gorgeous with a nostalgic, romantic quality that makes you feel like you’re eating on the patio of an elegant resort, a warm breeze blowing back gauzy curtains all around you.
His photographs are fantastic and perfect and I absolutely refuse to let my husband see any of them lest he expect anything more than boxed mac and cheese for dinner tonight. Seriously. They’re sexy and detailed and I cannot believe anyone could love someone enough to do this every day. (I mean I love my husband a lot, just not wake-up-at-4am-to-make-breakfast-level. Love has its limits.) But Michael is a romantic and his expression of love would make most people swoon.
I talked to the (very recently married) Michael about his new book of pictures and recipes, called SymmetryBreakfast. And he told me about how he got into cooking, his food inspirations, and how to make a relationship work.
Why did you start making these elaborate breakfasts?
It all started just after Mark moved in with me in 2013. He was working at Burberry and I was at the V&A and more often than not we would only see each other for a few minutes in the morning, he would often work late and at weekends on the show and I thought it would be nice to make breakfast for us.
How did you learn to cook? Were you already good at cooking before all this started or did you get better along the way?
I’ve always loved cooking and hosting dinners and feeding people elaborate meals, and I’ve always been experimental and picked the hardest and longest recipes to prepare. My grandfather emigrated from Shanghai to Liverpool during the Second World War and opened up some Chinese restaurants, I worked in one in particular. What I grew up with was seeing ingredients in their raw state, like a whole fish that needed gutting and skinning and hours of watching my father, who is a master at using a wok. I grew up being very comfortable in kitchens.
You have so many followers and fans. Were you surprised by the response?
Absolutely! Its still astonishing now!
Why do you think people love your photos of breakfasts so much?
The world is full of so much nonsense its nice to be reminded of simple pleasures like a delicious meal prepared with love.
How did Mark react at first to these breakfasts as you started making them every day?
Oh he definitely still enjoys them, I know exactly his taste and even if he’s not tried something, I know with a good level of accuracy if he’ll enjoy it or not. I’m lucky that he is also really open to trying new things (unlike his mother!)
Breakfast is such a big meal for you and Mark! Do you just eat frozen meals and take out for dinner or do you cook at dinnertime too?
Its really a mix of everything, eating out, deliveries, home cooked. We don’t own a microwave though, so don’t expect a ready meal in my home.
You’ve set quite the precedent in the relationship with these amazing meals! Do you ever feel panicky-like you’ll have to keep this up forever?
Absolutely, there have been times when it feels like so much pressure to perform. But the reality is that it’s infinitely better than my old job!
What are Mark’s favorite breakfasts that you’ve made?
Mark is a massive fan of Eggs Benedict, but other than that he has a total sweet tooth. If you can drench it in maple syrup then he’s all over it.
Are there any foods he absolutely refuses to eat?
In all honesty I think I am more of a fussy eater than he is! I absolutely loathe raw oysters and I’ve never really loved olives either. Over the last 5 years I’ve managed to raise Mark’s tolerance to spicy food though, now he’s a hot sauce fan.
Are there breakfasts you’ve made recently that just totally didn’t work out or that you guys hated?
There are times when we go on holiday and we try to stick to the most authentic foods for breakfast rather than just going for the Aussie option. I can’t say I’m a massive fan of Moroccan mint tea, boiled to an inch of its life until its incredibly bitter so that you have to add 20 sugars, but you do it anyway!
What one of the hardest meals you’ve ever attempted to make?
Idli, a fermented rice pancake from South India, that was hard to make from scratch. The conditions found in kitchens in India, the humidity, temperature all help the rice ferment so when you cook them you get a light spongy texture. In London, its cold and damp and trying to replicate it wasn’t easy. For the book I needed a bulletproof method and it took many many attempts to get it right.
You’ve spend so much time and energy cooking for your husband, do you ever use that against him in a fight? Like I GOT UP AT 4am TO MAKE YOU BANANA BREAD AND YOU CAN’T PICK YOUR SOCKS OFF THE BATHROOM FLOOR?
I am the absolute worst for leaving stuff lying around. My line is “I’m making you breakfast, can you pick up my stuff?”
How much money do you spend on breakfasts every week?
Not as much as you think.
Where do you find inspiration for your meals?
It can be from anything like a scene in a film or a line of a song. Recently we had kippers for breakfast and that was inspired by the Supertramp song Breakfast in America.
Could we have kippers for breakfast
Mummy dear, Mummy dear
They got to have ’em in Texas
Cos everyone’s a millionaire
How did it feel to get to quit your job to pursue cooking full time?
For a long time it didn’t feel like it was even an option, I was just living in my little bubble working at a museum. I always wanted to be financially independent and when I was offered a book deal that was more than my annual salary I took the leap. The most difficult thing to learn was self motivation, before I had to get to work for 9am and suddenly I had no morning commute or colleagues to chat to, being a freelancer is actually quite hard!
Do you have dreams of starting a restaurant someday, or are you happy keeping your cooking just for the hubby?
I don’t think I’d ever open a restaurant after having seen my father work and manage them, he worked like a dog and we weren’t rich. I’m happy just to visit them!
What’s the next project that you’re working on?
Mark and I are relocating to Shanghai in the next few weeks, he got a new job and my book is also coming out in Mandarin and Taiwanese. I’d love to explore creating my own range of tableware and ceramics as well as exploring some of my father’s side of the family tree.
You’ve so recently gotten married! What’s your best advice for making a relationship work?
Talk about everything, however trivial. Even though you live together and spend all your time together which can be a great thing, human beings aren’t mind readers. Don’t expect them to know if you are upset or annoyed!!
