Desert Island Dishes

My guest today is Donna Hay. Donna is a world famous food publishing phenomenon and most definitely the undisputed Queen of cookery in Australia. She has published 27 cookery books which have sold more than 6 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 10 different languages. And her TV shows have been broadcast in more than 14 countries. She launched her own magazine to critical acclaim which ran for 17 years and 100 issues. It’s safe to say that with her easy to follow and delicious recipes, simply prepared and beautifully photographed Donna has inspired a whole new generation of cooks. I found a quote that said “at the age of eight, Donna Hay skipped into a kitchen, picked up a mixing bowl and never looked back”. Find Donna on Instagram here: (https://www.instagram.com/donna.hay/) Find me on Instagram here: (https://www.instagram.com/margienomura/) Head to the brand new website www.desertislanddishes.co and have a look around! And you can find Donna's incredible new book here: (https://amzn.to

My guest today is Niki Segnit. Niki is the author of two books: the first being the Flavour Thesaurus which has sold more than 250,000 copies and has been translated into 14 languages which is just amazing. Her latest book is Lateral Cooking which I’m sure is going to follow in the foot steps of her first and it’s already received rave reviews. Niki counts Heston Blumenthal, Nigel Slater and Ottolenghi as fans and according to an article I found online – Kate Winslet too. The Sunday Times said of Niki’s first book: The Flavour Thesaurus is a deceptively simple little masterpiece, set to take its place by McGee on Food and Cooking as a household Bible.' It really is that good: find Niki’s books here (https://amzn.to/2qlbZfd) and here (https://amzn.to/2PB6OG8) If you’ve been following me on Instagram for a while, you will definitely have heard me banging on about the Flavour Thesaurus – it’s such an amazing book and my copy is very well thumbed – and so I was giddy with excitement to meet Niki and talk all th

My guest today is Magnus Nilsson. Magnus is the head chef of the Faviken restaurant in Northern Sweden. He initially joined as a sommelier and within a year he had taken over the running of the restaurant. At the age of 34 he has 2 Michelin stars and has been featured in PBS The Mind of a Chef and Netflix’s The Chef’s Table He has just published his third book – the Nordic Baking Book which showcases over 450 recipes gathered by Magnus. You can find his book here: https://amzn.to/2RetSry Time magazine states that he is routinely counted among the world’s greatest chefs. Thank you so much for listening! If you’re have been enjoying desert island dishes – can I ask a small favour? Just pause what you’re doing and take just 30 seconds to leave a 5* rating and a little review. It really helps to spread the word about the podcast and I really appreciate each and every one. Come and find me on Instagram @margienomura where you can probably find me cooking something for a fridge forage or a quick one pot wonder.

My guest today is Rosemary Shrager. Rosemary is a chef, food writer and TV personality. She is both a cooking and food enthusiast Rosemary began her career in restaurant kitchens, working under Pierre Koffman and Jean-Christophe Novelli, and now runs her own cookery school and patisserie In terms of cooking – she’s really done it all - from cooking over a campfire in the Australian jungle on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here to cooking for royalty. Rosemary has decades of experience in the kitchen and believes that anyone can be a better cook! If you’re listening and have been enjoying desert island dishes – please do take 30 seconds just to leave a 5* rating and a little review as it really makes the world of difference. I know its very sad but reading your reviews makes me so happy and ive only just figured out how to read the reviews from other countries and it’s so cool that people are listening all over the world – hello! And thank you! Isn’t Rosemary fun? What a career – so many impressive things in

My guest today is Saliha Mahmood Ahmed Saliha was the winner of Masterchef last year in 2017 and she won whilst also working full time as a Junior Doctor – often turning up to film the show straight off the back of a night shift. In addition she also has a young son – so the whole thing was really rather impressive. Known for her big and bold flavours – Saliha wowed the judges with food steeped in her family’s heritage. She’s written her first cookbook – Khazana – meaning treasure trove and it certainly is that. In an interview with the Times she was quoted as having said: “The other day when I was tired I gave my husband a jacket potato and I had one too, and I felt really miserable afterwards. I thought, ‘this surely can't be life!" I’ve learnt something from each and every episode of desert island dishes – and for none is that more true than today’s episode where I discovered so much I really had little to no idea about before and that made it really fun! Please ignore my extreme English accent and I’m sur

My guest today is Gizzi Erskine Gizzi is a chef, a TV personality, a cookbook author and now business owner and restaurauteur. This has been an extremely busy year for Gizzi with the opening of her first ever permanent project, Mare Street Market in Hackney, which is a very cool food space that houses a restaurant, deli, record shop and a florist. On top of that – she also has a new book coming out. Slow, of which Gizzi says is the best she's ever written. Of her cooking Gizzi has said: "Domestic goddesses have their place, but I’m a professional cook, plus, I’m not domestic at all – my house looks like a bomb’s hit it." If you’re listening and have been enjoying desert island dishes – please do take 30 seconds just to leave a 5* rating and a little review as it really makes the world of difference and helps other people to find the podcast which is always exciting! Come and find me on Instagram @margienomura where you can probably find me cooking something for a fridge forage or a quick one pot wonder. I’m

My guest today is Prue Leith. Prue is a restaurateur, a writer of both novels and cookbooks, a business woman, a TV presenter and of course judge on the Great British Bake Off. A champion of food and a passionate charity supporter - there was many great quotes from Prue on the record – whole articles dedicated to Prue quotes but one that stuck out for me was on food trends in the Telegraph where she was quoted as having said: “I don’t give a toss for drizzles and fizzles, that’s not food. I like real food.” Now if you watched last weeks episode of Bake Off – you will have heard Prue say she never wanted to taste chocolate again. In light of that I took the somewhat bold step of baking her some brownies. I was expecting her just to put them in her bag but she ate them in front of me and I instantly got really quite panicky and nervous – but I pleased to report that she’s very polite and said they were really good. There may even have been two really’s…but hey who’s counting! If you’re listening and have been

My guest today is Theo Randall. It’s safe to say that Theo is one of the nation's most beloved chefs. Inspired by the food of his childhood trips to Italy, Theo has developed a life-long passion for Italian food. He spent 17 years at The River Café and was Head Chef when they won their Michelin star. In 2006 he left to set up his own eponymous restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel in London to great critical acclaim. An interview online states: “In a world full of swagger, quick tempers and massive egos, Chef Theo Randall, is a breath of fresh air.” We recorded today’s episode in Theo’s restaurant at the Intercontinental in London where they were preparing for a busy days service. Theo is a legend in the food world and I think there’s always a slight assumption that seriously successful people might not be that nice – but if that is how the theory goes Theo completely proved that wrong. Thank you for downloading and listening to the podcast – don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe – it might seem lik

My guest today is Donal Skehan. Donal is blogger turned TV chef, cook book author and general star of the food scene. He has written no less than 8 cookbooks, has nearly 250,000 followers on Instagram, 750,000 on his Youtube channel and has done countless TV shows. He is known for his simple no nonsense approach to home cooking and is adamant he is a cook rather than a chef. Even with the release of his first cookbook way back when, he was dubbed Irelands answer to Jamie Oliver. Head to the website www.desertislanddishes.co for more information about Jack's choices, and to find the recipe inspired by this week's episode. Thank you so much for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and if you enjoyed listening please do leave a 5* review as it really does help people to find the podcast and get the word out there. In the meantime, come and find me on instagram @margienomura and I will see you next time x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are back from the Summer break and hitting the ground running with today's guest. My guest today is Jack Monroe. Jack made her name as a food blogger writing the recipes she created with the £10 a week she had to feed both her and her young son. The recipes Jack created were both cost effective and delicious and they provided such a crucial service to so many people. Jacks recipes are healthy, delicious and, importantly, varied. Jack now has million of visitors to her blog, has written three best selling cook books is now a well respected journalist, campaigner and activist. You can get Jack's book here: https://amzn.to/2PjcN2a Head to the website www.desertislanddishes.co for more information about Jack's choices, and to find the recipe inspired by this week's episode. Thank you so much for listening! Dont forget to subscribe to the podcast and if you enjoyed listening please do leave a 5* review as it really does help people to find the podcast and get the word out there. In the meantime, come an

My guest today is Rachel Khoo Rachel is a British cook, writer and broadcaster. She rose to fame in 2012 when she published The Little Paris Kitchen. Later, The Little Paris Kitchen: Cooking with Rachel Khoo, was commissioned as her first TV series with the BBC. The book became a best seller, millions of people watched her on TV and the rest as they say, is history. Rachel has gone on to write many more books with her 6th book – The Little Swedish Kitchen having just come out. She has presented and created many more TV series and she is firmly on the map as a well known TV personality and chef. As if that weren’t enough, Rachel is also the founder and editor-in-chief of online lifestyle magazine Khoollect. Rachel describes herself as a ”food creative with a fresh approach to all things edible”. I hope you enjoy this episode, don't forget to come and say hello on Instagram @margienomura and visit the website www.desertislanddishes.co for lots of recipes and more info on the guests. Thank you so much for lis

My  guest today is Laura Freeman. Laura is an art critic, a writer and an author. Her book which came out earlier this year called The Reading Cure is a very brave and thoughtful memoir about how reading about food helped her on her road to recovery from anorexia. Laura is a truly excellent writer – having gained a double first from Cambridge and her book has had an amazing reaction. A review in the independent said of her book : “The Reading Cure is the work of a true-blue bibliophile, and it's impossible not to be seduced by Freeman's love of prose. It's essential reading not just for those who love food, but words.” This was a different kind of chat in many ways – but one that I think it really important and really interesting. We do all have different relationships with food and I think its important to explore them and to talk about them and I learnt a lot from Laura plus there are some delicious goodies in here too. Food is so much more than just the food itself – which is what this podcast talks about

Today’s guest is Jenny Dawson Costa Jenny founded Rubies in the Rubble back in 2011 which started out as a stall in Borough Market and now her products are stocked in Waitrose, Selfridges, Harrods and many many more places. Jenny studied maths at university before working for a hedge fund in the City for two years. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her degree, but knew she wanted to start something of her own and do something she was passionate about. After coming across the fact that half of all the food we produce is never used and yet billions of people don’t have enough to eat, Rubies in the Rubble was born. Desert Island Dish Japanese feast from Eat Tokyo Cheese Platter with condiments All sorts of ice cream I first came across Jenny and her amazing business years ago now and genuinely just thought it was the best idea ever for a business and it’s been so inspiring to see her go from strength to strength. I just love speaking to these amazing entrepreneurs and hearing how they got to where they

My guest today is Anna Jones Anna is a cook, a food writer and a food stylist. She decided to quit her day job after reading an article about following your passion in the newspaper. Within weeks, she was signed up on Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen apprentice programme. She went on to be part of Jamie’s food team has cooked for royalty and politicians. She has written not one, not two but three best selling books and has been hailed The Queen of Greens. Her food has been described as “ cosmopolitan, strengthening the passion for international cuisine but with a twist as all her recipes are exclusively vegetarian". Anna is defintiely the woman of the moment, the cookery writer everyone is talking about and who I have been dying to meet and to get on the show. Anna was every bit as wonderful as I thought she would be and we sat in her lovely garden on a hot Summer's day talking all things desert island dishes and it was dreamy. I also having stopped thinking about the pizza oven in her garden and now I know I NEED o

My guest today is Annabel Karmel, Annabel is the best-selling children's food author and television personality She has written a whopping 41 books which have sold millions of copies worldwide. She has also created supermarket food ranges, weaning equipment and smartphone apps. With her app being the number 1 food app in Britain. Annabel was awarded an MBE in June 2006 in the Queen's Birthday Honours for her work in the field of child nutrition. She has been described as the undisputed category queen in baby food and It’s not for nothing that Annabel is known as the Princess of the Purees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Martha Ortiz Martha is a chef and cookbook author who is famous for her imaginative approach to food and her historical research into Mexican food traditions. Having written 8 cookbooks she is passionate about food that shows Mexico’s spirit and sense of identity. She recently opened her restaurant Ella Canta in London after the success of her restaurant in Mexico City which is regularly listed in Latin America’s top 50 restaurants. It really comes as no surprise that Martha is one of Mexico’s most famous celebrity chefs and has a starring role on Top Chef México, when she says such brilliant things as.. ‘Chilli is like a lover — you really need to feel its presence” Thanks for listening! Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe as it really does make all the difference. And head to the website www.desertislanddishes.co for lots more recipes. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter, @madebymargie. See you next time! x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Melissa Hemsley Melissa is described as a kitchen pioneer, and she is one half of Hemsley and Hemsley – the bestselling cookbook authors who had their own TV series on Channel 4 and have their own café in London’s Selfridges.  She has released her first solo cookbook this year, Eat Happy, which focuses on 30 minute feel-good food.   Melissa is a proud supporter of lots of different charities including the Prince’s Trust and Cook for Syria. Marie Claire has described Melissa as “the Queen of the kitchen.” Desert Island Dishes: 1.    prawns dipped in vinegar. Or anything Filipino – Chicken tonola2.    Stephanie’s tomato sauce or scrambled eggs3.    Cambodian fish ammok curry4.    Egg mayo or classic cucumber or New York Reuben5.    Roast chicken and all the chicken leftovers6.    Watermelon salad Desert Island Dish: Pan of bolognaise with chicken livers and lots of red wine Luxury item: really amazing olive oil Most treasured cook book: anything by Madhur Jaffrey Thanks so much for listening.

My guest today is Ruth Rogers. Ruth is the Chef and co founder of the River Café . She is without doubt, one of the most respected and celebrated chefs in the world. In 1987, Ruth, along with her friend and business partner, Rose Grey opened the River Café in what was then a fairly unfashionable part of London in what used to be a warehouse on the bank of the River Thames. The pair became famous for simple, authentic Italian food and 30 years later the River Café has grown to be one of the most famous restaurants in the world. Quite an achievement for two friends who weren’t trained chefs, and who started out with a space big enough for just 9 tables. To mark 30 years of the river café, Ruth has brought out a new book. River café 30. Of the book Ruth writes: ‘Change is timeless. A good restaurant is alive. It lives, It grows and so do its recipes. We have grown. We have a new vision, but the same conclusion: with good ingredients and a strong tradition change and recipes can be timeless. “ Desert Island D

*This was recorded back in December but it's one of my favourites so I wanted to share it with you again for anyone that missed it. Forgive the Christmassey references at the beginning, I hope it doesnt make you feel too discombobulated but Levi is a superstar, and I didnt want you to have missed out by not hearing it. My castaway this week is Levi Roots. Levi was born Keith Valentine Graham in Jamaica. After his parents moved to the UK when he was 4, he was brought up by his grandparents until he eventually moved to Britain at the age of 11. He shot to fame in 2007 by appearing on Dragon’s Den with his famous Reggae Reggae sauce. He wowed the dragon’s and managed to secure a £50,000 investment from Peter Jones and Richard Farleigh. Within 4 weeks his Reggae Reggae sauces were outselling Heinze tomato ketchup in Sainsbury’s and since then his business has gone from strength to strength. He now has so many products ranging from sauces, to snacks, to seasonings and ready meals. He’s written 7 books, released 4

My guests today are The Hairy Bikers, whose real names are Dave Myers and Simon King. Dave previously worked as a make-up artist, for the BBC where he specialised in prosthetics. Si worked for many years as an Assistant Director and Locations Manager for film and television, including the Harry Potter films. The pair met on the set of a TV drama 23 years ago and discovered that they found they shared a love of riding motorbikes, cooking – and eating. Since then their popularly has soared, they have gone on to have countess TV shows and they have written more than 20 successful cookbooks which is pretty impressive! Desert island dish: starter: Italian Salumi Main Tournedos Rossini Pudding: banana crème brulee and cheese board Luxury item: Dave: motorbikeSi: Sharp knives I definitely had a little fan girl moment trying to invite myself to supper – pretty sure I wanted to nominate myself to be the 3rd hairy biker – but I don’t quite have the beard for it… Don’t forget to come and find me on Instagram.