It’s said a kitchen is the heart of a home and if not on a basketball court that’s where you’ll find Abby Cubillo.
The dual WNBL champion and 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Cup gold medallist loves food – eating, cooking and sharing it with others.
But it wasn’t always this way, it’s a passion that’s grown over time.
“As a kid, I was such a picky eater, the pickiest kid ever and I wouldn’t eat anything except my Mum’s cooking which made me a pain to take anywhere,” she explains.
“Because I moved away so young and got to experience things like the COE and then going to uni and living by myself I got to incorporate foods I did like with ones I didn’t find as enjoyable and make recipes and dishes that were my own and suited to me.
“Being able to then go home, take that home to my family and share that with them was something I really loved – cooking for people is my love language.
“Hosting people, bringing them together then sharing food together – that’s what I love most about food and why I’m pretty passionate about it.”
Cubillo shares her plate via her Eat With Abby Instagram account and finds inspiration and recipe ideas from social media especially TikTok.
“It’s been a lot of fun. I naturally love taking pictures of my food and going out for coffee and taking cute photos so I thought why don’t I make a separate page so I can just blast it with the food that I cook and eat. My family and friends will send me a post and ask for the recipe or ask me to cook it for them.”
And while cooking and eating is fun, fuelling her body is also crucial as an elite athlete.
“Whenever I make a meal I always try and put as much protein and vegetables in as I can while also making sure it’s super delicious. I love being in control of fuelling my body and take a lot of pride in cooking good food and food that is good for me.
“I just love eggs and how versatile they are. They’re so good for you and a great way to fuel and fill you up. I love to have them in an omelette with ham, cherry tomatoes and red capsicum, I feel like I could eat that every single day and then once I’m sick of that I’ll make scrambled eggs and have it with some sort of chilli sauce.”
So, what does a foodie like Cubillo love to eat most?
“Pasta. I just love it so much,” she said.
“There's a gazillion pasta recipes on TikTok to choose from and I love following a TikTok recipe.”
