About Me

When I was five years old, I made flapjacks standing on my mom’s gardening bench. But that was it, the only recipe in my repertoire. I didn’t spend my childhood helping out in the kitchen, learning all of my mom’s secrets. I spent it enjoying her food – often too much of it.

After studying, I finally uncovered the joy of cooking and the magic of cookbooks. The data scientist in me is as interested in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) as the foodie in me is in cooking for friends and family. Hence this, the inevitable food blog where I share my love of food and cooking – as taught by the greats.

I’m also a proud plant mom, collector of cookbooks, avid fermenter, traveller (when possible) and drinker of wine.

About My Non-Guilty Pleasures

My cooking has come a long way since my five-year-old flapjack days thanks to my love of eating good food – and that slight cookbook obsession I mentioned before. You will find cookbooks scattered over the house, a few always finding their way onto my nightstand. Menu planning, surrounded by a sprawl of cookbooks, is my happy place. I know most of my cookbooks by heart already. So, if I find myself referring to them as guilty pleasures, I quickly correct myself. My Non-Guilty Pleasures.

There are many recipe creators and authors I adore. But I gravitate towards the storytellers, the authors who love vegetables as much as I do, and those who introduce me to new techniques and (sometimes foreign) flavours.

In a time where international travel is impossible, I travel through food. And I am excited to share my adventure with you.

About The Food I Cook

Open my fridge, and you are greeted with a daunting display of glass jars, big and small, homemade and shop-bought. I seriously love condiments. A touch of rose harissa paste or preserved lemons can turn an ordinary midweek meal into a culinary delight.

I don’t follow a restrictive diet, but I love veggies. So, while I did not set out to create a collection of meat-free recipes, it is what you will find here. (By happy accident, I’ve even ventured into the world of vegan baking.)

You will also find leftover food ideas, homemade condiments, fresh salads and a healthy-ish collection of plant-based and vegetarian pantry meals. Recent years have taught me to really appreciate my pantry!

“No one should feel guilty about what they eat, or the pleasure they get from eating; the only thing to feel guilty about (and even then I don’t recommend it) is the failure to be grateful for that pleasure.”

– Nigella Lawson