I also was a slave to hay fever so I understand your pain. Then I read Understanding Allergy by Sophie Farooque and it has been life changing. If you really follow the instructions in the hay fever chapter it really works. I have recommended it to so many people and they have all said the same. It’s like I no longer have hay fever. Try it, you won’t regret it.
Just ordered for my allergy-plagued daughter (she was on daily antibiotics for the first three years of her life which I think may be behind it). Thank you for the recommendation; it sounds an amazing book.
There wasn't an option for this on your quiz but as as working mum of two boys aged 9 and 11, the biggest barriers I face when cooking are not just around time (to actually buy ingredients, try new recipes, get dinner made and kids fed before their many clubs) but to try and find one meal that suits all of us. My youngest son has a dairy allergy, my eldest is neurodiverse and fussy, I'm basically veggie and my husband is a massive meat eater!
One meal to rule them all! The holy grail for a working mum. I'm afraid it's very much two meals here too, one for the girls, and one for us (though I won't pretend that ours isn't often just their leftovers, reheated with chilli oil on top). One child eats any tomato/meat based sauce but has a lactose allergy, the other hates sauce and most 'new' foods, husband is a moderate meat eater, and I'm increasingly veggie and probably the most neurodiverse one: if I DO come up with a meal that suits all four of us, I will share it immediately!
I like the idea of a course! I suffer from "now I must use up this niche ingredient" neurosis. I used up a jar of preserved lemons bought for a tagine by substituting chopped preserved lemon for lemon zest for a few months and felt so proud when the last lemon was gone and the jar was empty!
Aaah that must have made everything taste brilliant! Love preserved lemons. If you do end up with another jar, the Ottolenghi butterbean dish with chilli, garlic & (preserved) lemon is my go-to!
This was a great newsletter! I really enjoyed reading about those ingredients and would reeeeeally love a cookery course! I've been wanting to improve my technique for a long time without finding the right course format. Thanks!
Lovely picture of Pepper. Cookery course sounds lovely. The last box, I both like to read and sometimes see on a video too, ie carving a chicken or folding veggie samosas. Xx
I'm generally cooking for one, and often try to make 1 meal last 2 evenings. I also tend to cook the same things on repeat so some new inspo is always welcome!
A cookery course sounds wonderful! I don’t really have a niche ingredient but I never make a salad without adding mint and basil leaves, and a spoonful of honey mustard to the normal vinaigrette.
I was scrolling and accidentally tapped I am a professional chef, which if you knew me is laughable. Discount one vote from that question 🤦♀️ I’m the person that went on a knife skills course once and at the end they went the room and said to people “excellent work with the fish” “the chicken was nicely boned” and then got to me and looked said doubtfully “er, you came on a bit”. Ringing endorsement there.
Ahaha that made me laugh! I do feel like knife skills is an ongoing project: mine are not nearly as sharp (sorry) as they were after working in a restaurant kitchen.
My lemon verbena moved house with me (in a pot) ten years ago so has lasted at least that long. It loses all its leaves every winter, at which point I cut it back fairly brutally and stick it in a corner of an unheated greenhouse (in our old house in Bristol, it stayed outside all year round). It will sit there, looking like the deadest, saddest plant until at least March or April. Just when you’re about to throw it on the compost heap, tiny green leaves begin to sprout and before you know it, it’s back in rude health. Which is just to say: don’t give up on your lemon verbena, it will come back every year without fail!
I read your lovely note earlier, and on my way in you will not BELIEVE, but the lemon verbena which I thought was dead, tucked in next to the rosemary in a big herb trough, is actually a FULL 5cm high, from 100% dead last week. You were right! A June miracle!
Love the idea of a cookery course- would prefer it written with pictures!!!!
I enjoy written with pictures too! Like the Time Life series (though I hear they were a nightmare to produce!)
I also was a slave to hay fever so I understand your pain. Then I read Understanding Allergy by Sophie Farooque and it has been life changing. If you really follow the instructions in the hay fever chapter it really works. I have recommended it to so many people and they have all said the same. It’s like I no longer have hay fever. Try it, you won’t regret it.
Ok I'm sold - ordering it immediately, thank you!
Just ordered for my allergy-plagued daughter (she was on daily antibiotics for the first three years of her life which I think may be behind it). Thank you for the recommendation; it sounds an amazing book.
Find your recipes excellent and would love a cookery course with some video as sometimes it’s good to watch how something is done.
Thank you so much! I think some video would work well for technique too :)
There wasn't an option for this on your quiz but as as working mum of two boys aged 9 and 11, the biggest barriers I face when cooking are not just around time (to actually buy ingredients, try new recipes, get dinner made and kids fed before their many clubs) but to try and find one meal that suits all of us. My youngest son has a dairy allergy, my eldest is neurodiverse and fussy, I'm basically veggie and my husband is a massive meat eater!
One meal to rule them all! The holy grail for a working mum. I'm afraid it's very much two meals here too, one for the girls, and one for us (though I won't pretend that ours isn't often just their leftovers, reheated with chilli oil on top). One child eats any tomato/meat based sauce but has a lactose allergy, the other hates sauce and most 'new' foods, husband is a moderate meat eater, and I'm increasingly veggie and probably the most neurodiverse one: if I DO come up with a meal that suits all four of us, I will share it immediately!
Please do! One meal to rule them all sounds like the dream...
I like the idea of a course! I suffer from "now I must use up this niche ingredient" neurosis. I used up a jar of preserved lemons bought for a tagine by substituting chopped preserved lemon for lemon zest for a few months and felt so proud when the last lemon was gone and the jar was empty!
Aaah that must have made everything taste brilliant! Love preserved lemons. If you do end up with another jar, the Ottolenghi butterbean dish with chilli, garlic & (preserved) lemon is my go-to!
This was a great newsletter! I really enjoyed reading about those ingredients and would reeeeeally love a cookery course! I've been wanting to improve my technique for a long time without finding the right course format. Thanks!
LOVE the course idea, what a fab idea!
Thank you for this bean goop tip - I've always rinsed my beans and chucked it away but now I'm intrigued, will try this one out!
Lovely picture of Pepper. Cookery course sounds lovely. The last box, I both like to read and sometimes see on a video too, ie carving a chicken or folding veggie samosas. Xx
I'm generally cooking for one, and often try to make 1 meal last 2 evenings. I also tend to cook the same things on repeat so some new inspo is always welcome!
A cookery course sounds wonderful! I don’t really have a niche ingredient but I never make a salad without adding mint and basil leaves, and a spoonful of honey mustard to the normal vinaigrette.
It hasn’t flowered *yet* 🤣
YES PLEASE!! Would love this....the cost is my usual barrier to cookery courses; there are so many I'd love to try!
Love a bit of creative cooking!
I was scrolling and accidentally tapped I am a professional chef, which if you knew me is laughable. Discount one vote from that question 🤦♀️ I’m the person that went on a knife skills course once and at the end they went the room and said to people “excellent work with the fish” “the chicken was nicely boned” and then got to me and looked said doubtfully “er, you came on a bit”. Ringing endorsement there.
Ahaha that made me laugh! I do feel like knife skills is an ongoing project: mine are not nearly as sharp (sorry) as they were after working in a restaurant kitchen.
My lemon verbena moved house with me (in a pot) ten years ago so has lasted at least that long. It loses all its leaves every winter, at which point I cut it back fairly brutally and stick it in a corner of an unheated greenhouse (in our old house in Bristol, it stayed outside all year round). It will sit there, looking like the deadest, saddest plant until at least March or April. Just when you’re about to throw it on the compost heap, tiny green leaves begin to sprout and before you know it, it’s back in rude health. Which is just to say: don’t give up on your lemon verbena, it will come back every year without fail!
I read your lovely note earlier, and on my way in you will not BELIEVE, but the lemon verbena which I thought was dead, tucked in next to the rosemary in a big herb trough, is actually a FULL 5cm high, from 100% dead last week. You were right! A June miracle!