Food To Record To: In Studio with Charlie Hedges

I held a morning drive show in Chicago for a few months. It was terrible. I woke up at early o’clock and pedaled my bicycle through deserted city streets only to arrive at the studio and be seated across from a co-host who didn’t know anything about anything. Every topic our producer or I threw out was met with a blank stare and an “I’m too tired to think.” Needless to say, we never made it past single digit listeners. That is a far cry from the type of influence that Charlie Hedges exudes on the world. Here’s just a few of her accolades:

*She is one of the most in-demand and high profile female DJs in the UK influencing 5.6 million listeners (per week) as co-presenter on the Kiss FM breakfast show.

*On the club circuit, she’s played to thousands of discerning clubbers across the world at parties such as Sundance Festival, alongside Carl Cox at Space, Amsterdam’s Gashoulder and Ministry of Sound.

*Away from the decks, she’s crafted and honed a signature house sound in her many hours in the production studio

Charlie is currently at work in the studio producing a number of tracks that are set for release in 2015. What does a star of Charlie’s caliber fuel up on during her studio time? What has she dubbed the best Food To Record To? Here are her three staples:

1. Fajitas
For me, quick and easy meals are best as I’m normally either in the studio making a new house track or getting ready to travel to my next DJ gig. Normally I go for chicken fajitas with peppers, onion, chilli powder, salsa and sour cream, simple but tasty.

2. Salmon stir fry
Again, another quick and simple meal. The salmon goes in the oven for 20 minutes. About 5 minutes before it’s finished cooking, you get your noodles, veg, basically anything edible that you can put in a stir-fry, throw it all in the pan, cook then add the salmon into the mix for a another minute.

3. Mezze
Granted it’s more like a starter than a main dish but depending on what you include in your mezze, it gets you pretty full and you can eat it pretty fast. Get some Tzatziki which is a classic Greek cuisine of Greek yogurt and chilli, jalapeño and feta. Simply add peppers to feta cheese, make some hummus (chickpeas pureed with lemon juice, fresh garlic and salt) and then plate some pita bread, cucumber sticks, carrots or tortilla chips. That’s it, you’re done.