Cooking the Books with Gilly Smith

This week, we’re back at Patio in Brighton for Cooking the Books Live with Tim Anderson and his latest book, JapanEasy KitchenIn front of a live audience, we find out about the nine magical Japanese pantry staples which Tim says can transform anything we want to cook, how this white man from Wisconsin has claimed the space in British food media as Mr Japanesasy and his insider tips for the best Japanese finds. We start by talking through his cannon of books ready to be signed and sold on the pop up CookBookBake stall at Patio and noticing just how beautiful they are.  Pop over to Gilly's Substack for Extra Bites of Tim and a recipe from JapanEasy Kitchen. And if you like what you hear on this ad and sponsor free podcast, you can give a little back by clicking here to contribute a little something, or here to become a paid subscriber on Substack.

This week, we’re looking in depth at the shortlists in the food categories at the Fortnum and Mason Awards with Marie Mitchell, one of the judges and last year’s award winner for her debut cookery book, Kin.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Under the guiding eye of Mark Diacono who played head judge this year, Marie along with fellow judges, Ravinder Bhogal and Richard Bertinet have plucked the best of the best in food and drink – books, podcasts, radio, TV and social media - talks through the shortlists in the food categories, and how it feels to be one of last year’s winners. No Extra Bites this week, but if you like what you hear on this ad and sponsor free podcast, you can give a little back by clicking here to contribute a little something, or here to become a paid subscriber on Substack.

This week, we’re off to Lebanon via Reigate with the man behind Comptoir Libanais and Yalla Yalla, Jad Youssef.Lebnani is Jad’s debut cookbook that's all about the Lebanon of his childhood, the rituals and traditions of the food from his homeland that he's brought to the menus of restaurants all over the world.His fear is that Lebanese food is losing its identity, not just through war, displacement and massive food insecurity at home,  but through social media influencers and their chocolate hummus and sweet potato falafel. Gilly finds a man deliberately trying to keep a food culture alive in the Uk that's already moved on in the homeland, who tells her why it matters.And if you like what you hear on this ad and sponsor free podcast, you can give a little back by clicking here to contribute a little something, or here to become a paid subscriber on Substack.

This week, we’re off to Malaysia with The Malay Cook, Ranie Saidi.The Malay Cook is the debut cookbook from this lawyer turned supper club host at Soho House and Curry Club London and now author.It's an homage to the memory of his grandmother, a wedding caterer who brought him up while his parents were studying. But the book is not just about  her recipes as he remembers them, but about building his own identity in his new home in the UK.For Gilly, it’s an opportunity to immerse herself in the tastes and smells of her earliest years growing up in Penang and Ipoh. Ranie’s recent remaking of her family’s curry recipe has been a highlight of her culinary year so far. Pop over to Gilly's Substack for Extra Bites to read all about it, and for the gulai recipe from the book which he reckons was its inspiration. Riches indeed.And if you like what you hear on this ad and sponsor free podcast, you can give a little back by clicking here to contribute a little something, or here to become a paid subscriber on Substack.

This week, we’re back with farming champion, Abby Allen and her latest book, The Farm Kitchen.Abby was, until recently, the face of Piper’s Farm, the online farm shop which brought together the best farmers and producers in the South West. Her passion in creating a resilient food and farming system to food lovers across the Uk now comes from a new company, Pipers and co,  run by Abby and husband Will which continues to build a network of farmers and producers who do the right thing by the soil, the planet, the animals and us.And all while she’s been growing a whole new human called Olivia. Gilly begins by finding out how the mothering is going.And if you like what you hear on this ad and sponsor free podcast, you can give a little back by clicking here to contribute a little something, or here to become a paid subscriber on Substack.

This week, we’re with the queen of modern Caribbean cooking, Shivi Ramoutar.It’s 10 years since her debut cookbook, Caribbean Modern: Recipes from the Rum Islands launched this Trinidadian lawyer and supper club host from Leicester to become the Caribbean queen of daytime TV.The 10th anniversary edition – simply called Recipes from The Rum Islands is just as much about identity and belonging, but as the co-presenter now of Jimmy and Shivi's Farmhouse Breakfast and a regular on This Morning, not to mention a mum of three young wildlings, as she calls them, she’s got a different perspective.  Gilly asks her to revisit a time when she first began to dive into her heritage and its food.Pop over to Gilly's Substack for Extra Bites of Shivi and a recipe from The Rum Islands. And if you like what you hear on this ad and sponsor free podcast, you can give a little back by clicking here to contribute a little something, or here to become a paid subscriber on Substack.