A Lot on her Plate by Rosie Birkett (Hardie Grant, £25.00) Photography: Helen Cathcart.
Food writer, stylist, journalist and presenter, we chat to Rosie Birkett about food, family and philosophies. Her debut cookbook, A Lot on Her Plate is a must read for fellow foodies.
You come from a family of foodies. Did your family influence your career choice?
Yes, but unconsciously. I don’t think I ever really considered food as a career choice until I’d been to university and started as a journalist (which is what both my parents did), but when I think about how I grew up – surrounded by home grown, home cooked food, I should have known much earlier! I suppose I never thought I could make a living out of something which I love so much, and that brings such great pleasure, but I’m so pleased that’s the way it worked out. My mother is a brilliant cook, and my father was a voracious eater, so it really is something that I’ve been surrounded by from an early age. I also think that as I’ve grown up, and through my work as a food writer I’ve met and been surrounded by some incredible women in food who have inspired and encouraged me – I don’t think there’s ever been a better time to be doing what I do.
Congratulations on your recent book launch, we absolutely love it. Can you tell our readers a little bit about your philosophy to food?
Thank you! It’s so nice to hear people enjoying the book, which was such a long time in the making, in my teeny tiny old kitchen. The main ideas at the core of my food philosophy are to cook seasonally, from the heart, for pleasure and love, and to think more intelligently about the way you source ingredients. I really believe that if we learn to cook properly for ourselves, from scratch, we can be more in control of what we’re eating and therefore healthier. I also think that being armed with the right methods and ideas for rustling up a good meal out of simple, inexpensive ingredients is one of the most valuable things you can an do. I’m not a believer in cutting out food groups (unless you have to), but enjoying a little bit of everything you fancy and not feeling shame or guilt when it comes to food. After all, eating is something we all have to do every day, it’s something which can provide such pleasure and such an emotional response, unlike anything else. I think it’s all about balance, and most importantly, deliciousness!
If you had to choose one sweet and savoury dish from the book, what would they be?
That is like asking me to choose between my children! I’m very proud of my bavette and bottarga butter recipe because it’s an unusual and deeply savoury combination using my favourite cut of steak. The salted butterscotch popcorn cheesecake has become a cult hit and graced the cover of April’s Olive magazine, which is a huge honour!
You’ve done a fair bit of travelling, is there any cuisine from your travels which has inspired you the most?
Definitely! Wherever I travel I do my best to eat as a the locals do and pick up inspiration and recipes. Vietnamese, Italian, Mexican and North American food are big influencers for me. Dishes like the crispy tuna tacos and the octopus carpaccio witness that.
You live in London, can you share some of your favourite spots to dine at across the capital?
London is just so incredible for food. I adore Lyles and Dishoom in Shoreditch – one distinctly and stunningly modern British, the other a glorious translation of Mumbai’s Parsi cafes. I also love Verden, my local haunt in Clapton and Carousel in Marylebone, which has an ever- changing line up of incredible guest chefs and where I had the pleasure of doing a week-long pop-up recently.
I go out for dinner! Or lunch. Or breakfast. Eating out is one of my favourite things to do. I also enjoy walking my gorgeous whippet Cyril around Walthamstow Marshes, where I live.
What chefs do you most admire?
Too many to name! Jamie Oliver and April Bloomfield, James Lowe, Uyen Luu, Gizzi Erskine, Junya Yamasaki, Nigella Lawson, Diana Henry, Nigel Slater, Fergus Henderson, Yotam Ottolenghi… the list is never ending
I’d say go for it! And keep on plugging away because it takes a long time to build something like this up. For the first five years you might not make much money but the job satisfaction of working on your own project will keep you going. Find people that do what you want to do and ask for their help and advice.
What advice would you give parents to help prepare time efficient, nutritious and tasty meals for the family?
I’d say batch and slow cooking is always a great idea because you can leave the dish to get on with itself while you do other things, and you’ll usually end up with leftovers which you can eek out with other ingredients for the rest of the week. And keep a well-stocked store cupboard too!
What inspires you to create new dishes? Any particular places or people?
I’m an avid reader of recipe books, food supplements and magazines and massively into instagram and twitter, so those are all a constant source of inspiration (and distraction!). Also I love eating out and take inspiration from restaurants and travels.
Are there any new exciting projects you are working on you can share with our readers?
Yes, my new youtube channel A Lot On Her Plate shares my recipes in interactive videos, and we’re also working on some new food documentary content for the website too.
What’s your motto?
Live to eat!