Dinara Safina is trying her hand in cooking, with the Australian Open second seed purchasing the Julie and Julia cook book inspired by the film of the same name.
Usually, the Russian hangs out in her hotel room when not at the tennis venue. But the eagerness to polish her culinary skills drove her to a central Melbourne expedition.
“I bought the Julie and Julia cookbook,” Safina said. “That’s what got me out of the room.”
She said that plan for a new flat in Moscow was also a motivation.
“I like cooking,” Safina said. “I’ll have cookbooks, I want to cook.”
The 23-year-old said that her culinary skills are modest but they are fast improving.
“I’m just starting, but until now nobody got sick. This is the positive,” she said. “They might like it or not like it, but if they have problems with the stomach, it’s not good. But no one has complained so far.”
Safina said that her repertoire has so far been limited to “not a bad asparagus risotto – and of course, green salad with olive oil”.
rounak