From Banking to Baking, from City Girl to Dorset Mama….

I have long been distracted by food, not just in its edible state but by cookery books, food magazines, creating my own recipes, doing a bit of catering, food styling, and a lot of dreaming.  Whilst working in the City, long hours were made up for by entertaining clients in some fabulous restaurants.  Although I found the international equity markets fascinating (of course), a business trip to New York meant wandering around Dean & Deluca, eating a hot dog on a street corner (because you have to, don’t you) and eating in restaurants I’d read about and excitedly booked long before the visit.  Similar trips to Greece or Turkey provided endless delicious eating adventures.  Moscow, where the food was, may I say, interesting in the mid 90’s but then there was always caviar and ice cold vodka.

On a visit to South Africa, I met the man whom I was to marry.  He chivalrously moved to London where, over the space of some years we married and had our two treasures.  When the time came to move to the country we decided on going south – my husband I think with the intention of moving about 6000 miles south back to South Africa – but we settled on a little closer and find ourselves in West Dorset with a springer called Tom, a sprocker called Billy and some bees.

That time in the City seems long ago and whilst the business trips have ended the fascination with all things culinary has not.  Life changes and now my focus is on cooking for my family and friends – practically and literally speaking I am now more jeans and Converse than Joseph and LK Bennett.  Still though, I have that yen to try or create something new, expose my children to endless new tastes and share some of what I have loved eating over the years.

Each Spring I am a judge and coordinator for the Great Taste Awards, a brilliant initiative which promotes wonderful food and each Summer I grow hundreds of dahlias.  My obsession with good food continues and I still urge everyone to cook real, nourishing food wherever possible and to only put in their shopping baskets products that Granny would recognise.

So while I still often have my nose in a cook book or food magazine I found that I didn’t have the recipes I needed most for everyday.  Ones that work whether I’m cooking for family, children, friends coming over or just supper for two each evening.  Recipes my children could take to university that were not only easy to accomplish but which would taste of home.  Straightforward recipes for proper, healthy food that is delicious and doesn’t take a cavalier attitude towards money or time.  I couldn’t find that collection of recipes so I decided to write them.