For the love of food.

I don’t really know where my love of food truly comes from but I have an inkling. I don’t think I was a particularly adventurous child when it came to eating new things but I do remember tucking into Mum’s piping hot homemade Shephards pie and creamy rich lasagne.

My Mum has always cooked well and always cooked food from scratch. She often followed Delia Smith’s recipes and I still make a lot of those recipes today.  We spent time around the dining table on a Sunday or eating fish and chips on the sofa on a Saturday watching Blind Date on the TV after a hard day helping my Dad in his hairdressing salon.

As a family, we travelled abroad every year and frequently visited the Tirolean region of Austria. Even to this day, it makes my mouth water thinking about some of their regional dishes such as; Tiroler Grostl with is burnt edged potatoes, nuggets of bacon and a fried egg on top; or Tiroler Spekknodel, which is a large, round fist-sized, boiled, bread dumpling that has little pieces of bacon served in a clear soup. When we go back to Austria, my sister and I make a point to tick off all our favourite dishes throughout the week and can’t go home until we have had at least one of each.

Over the last few years I have tried to be more mindful about food waste, reducing it and have found weekly planning has helped. I try to buy organic and more sustainably sourced food and we certainly eat more vegetable-based dishes than ever. With my allotment, eating seasonally is much more interesting.  With gluts of runner beans, potatoes and tomatoes, I have had to come up with new recipes to make the most of the food we have and not get bored of it.

I have also been trying to eat more foods that serve me better and fill me up whilst giving me energy without making me feel bloated and sluggish. I am on a journey of discovery where bean or cauliflower mash appeals to me much more now than white potato mash and dairy free cheese doesn’t fill me with dread!

My best meals are those that are made out of what is left in the fridge or larder the day before the shopping is delivered. I love rummaging in the back of the freezer to see what fish is waiting to be cooked. I often cook a new recipe a few times before I decide if I like it or if it will become a regular. 

I love sharing my recipe discoveries and seeing my friends or family enjoy them as much as I do or swapping recipes with someone that has cooked me something delicious.

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