Cooking

You can always tell a good meal as you can practically taste the love and the care.

Food can help shape lives and change lives. Bring back family meals as a precious time together.

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‘One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.’ – Virginia woolf. As someone who has spent her whole life around food I couldn’t agree more. Food and eating together is wonderful. A kitchen table exploding with laughter and stories really is the best tonic. When I was running kitchens we always had team lunches where we could sit, chat and relax. Even now I love having a kitchen table full.

I also believe that food has the ability to break down boundaries and challenge perceptions. Clink has trained prisoners to cook and serve in restaurants based in prisons- the Cardiff one now has a Michelin star. A second chance is sometimes all that’s needed. As a self-confessed greedy person (who always needs to lose a stone) I love food and I always will do.

Black Bean Chilli with Corn and Lime Salsa
Cooking

Black Bean Chilli with Corn and Lime Salsa

Black Bean Chilli with Corn and Lime Salsa This is a really hearty, warming chilli, perfect for a cold night. The recipe is from my new cook book The Vegetarian...

Butternut squash tatin with harissa butter
Cooking

Butternut squash tatin with harissa butter

 My squash tatin is a delicious twist on the usual sweet one.  A tasty vegetarian, lunch time or supper dish that is a little bit sweet but spicy too....

Bliss on Toast
Cooking

Bliss on Toast

Can’t believe that a modest idea I had about a monthly recipe in the Oldie, consisting of delicious stuff on toast for Sunday night suppers, has turned into a really...

Christmas Ice Cream Pudding
Cooking

Christmas Ice Cream Pudding

Christmas Ice Cream Pudding is perfect for Leftovers This is perfect for people who don’t like rich and heavy Christmas pudding. It combines all those flavours with good old-fashioned vanilla...

Magical Mulled Wine
Cooking

Magical Mulled Wine

Nothing says Christmas more than a Mulled wine   Magical Mulled Wine Christmas wouldn’t be the same without mulled wine – perfect with mince pies. Serves 10   Ingredients 2...

My Celebration Peach Bellini Cocktail
Cooking

My Celebration Peach Bellini Cocktail

My Celebration Peach Bellini Cocktail This recipe is a cross between a Bellini and a Champagne cocktail, and I think it’s better than either. Fresh peaches are unlikely to be...