Food for Friends

It's a heatwave in more than one sense this week. We take a sunny and sweaty road trip to Kent to visit Queen of Sierra Leonian cuisine - Maria Bradford.

Helena is put to work making light as a cloud, flavour-packed Fish Huntu Balls. Izzy surprises herself with her chilli tolerance, and Maria, in another surprising turn of events shares some Posh Portaloo recommendations...

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It’s a ‘corker’ of an episode this week (see what we did there) as we pop round to Queen of Vino Hannah Crosbie’s house to chat all things grape and her new book ‘Corker’.

Over a bottle of Pet Nat (in some extremely stylish glasses) Hannah talks Tesco Prosecco, the world of wine writing and answers Producer Izzy’s burning question, what is a ‘natty wine’?

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This week we sit down for a #girlslunch in content creator and Mob Food Producer, Romany Henry’s kitchen.

Over Tom Kha Gai  Romany gives us a lesson in rice, the correct order of carbs, and where to find the best Chinese buns in London.

There’s even a food for friends first as we discover a soy sauce cupboard. We even got treated to a sweet potato and Chinese date pudding that had us all glowing.

Then producer Izzy had an unfortunate run in with some chili, and it all went downhill.

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Opening their cupboards to us this week is food writer and stylist Florence Blair.

Over Fig and Walnut Soda Bread, Whipped Butter and Fennel Seeds - a recipe taken straight from Florence’s glorious Substack newsletter - she takes us through some of her favoruite cookbooks and lifts the curtain on the slightly less glamorous side of food styling.

We hit the cupboards for lessons in vinegar and the importance of good quality pasta. The question is what *is* an assertive dressing?

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It’s beans galore today as we’re lucky enough to be invited into Amelia Christie-Miller's kitchen, the founder of the beloved Bold Bean Co.

Over Carlin Peas vinaigrette and sourdough, Helena gets to grips with the scene behind the beans.

Producer Izzy fan girls over the Bold Bean Cookbook and there’s also a Food for Friends *exclusive* during a nose around Amelia's fridge…

Food for Friends listeners can get a 20% discount with the code FOODFORFRIENDS

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In the midst of a 32 degree heatwave, we had a nose round Joe Woodhouse’s kitchen and did a deep dive on his splendiferous new cookbook More Daily Veg.

Over devilled eggs, some home-brewed cider and a game changing potato soup (trust us) we chatted crockery sales outside of London, having your photography studio at home and the wonderful Wilfred made a few appearances too.

Of course, there’s a fridge excavation full of ferments and French cheeses and a lesson in home brewing.

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To kick off S2 we have a nose around Rosie Kellet’s kitchen which she shares with friends in an East London warehouse.

Over homemade banana bread (with no shortage of butter) Rosie explains the story behind the communal cooking set up that has catapulted her onto your foodie radar.

What is a fridge defender? How does the budgeting really work when you’re communally living in a warehouse? And who is Pier?

There’s even a run in with a flat car battery and a heroic man called Rod, but we’ll get to that later.

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In this very special bonus episode, Helena and Izzy sit down for a Campari fuelled catch up and to take a flick through previous podcast guest Liberty Mendez's new cookbook 'I'll Bake!' Spoiler: it's brilliant. Helena also shares how she's lost her spark for skips crisps and Izzy has a surprising confession involving bananas.

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This week we explore the beautiful kitchen of Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules.

Over homemade rhubarb beer, Olia talks books, cooking for one and how chicken soup transcends borders. And we have a good nose around her kitchen that she calls messy but we call homely.

Home Food 

Cook For Ukraine 

Dumpling Classes

Chatting over the best homemade ceviche and a Paloma, Karla opened her kitchen cupboards and shares stories from her childhood in Baja California. And while she makes a mean ceviche, Karla’s idea of heaven is Friday night courgette pasta with her family or a table surrounded by people she loves.

But while Helena and Karla get stuck into the kitchen cupboards, Producer Izzy suffers an unfortunate mishap in Karla’s kitchen…

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This week we're opening the Bold Bean filled cupboards of Hannah Wilding. Helena talks to Hannah about how her journey to the West End stage took a sharp right towards food influencing in lockdown and lead her to work at her favourite brand - Bold Bean Co. ...

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Liberty gives us a masterclass in recipe testing while also being a podcast guest. Former Queen of the BBC Good Food test kitchen, we talk hungry neighbours, naming your KitchenAid and guess-the-tupperware in Liberty’s freezer.

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This week, we’ve taken Food For Friends for a day out to Bath to meet bread wizard Richard Bertinet. Over bowls of pasta, marinated anchovies and artichokes and some of that award winning bread, Helena and Richard talk date nights, takeaways and the beauty of tinned food. But our biggest takeaway? Listener, freeze your lemons!

Richard Bertinet 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardbertinet/

Dough - https://www.waterstones.com/book/dough-simple-contemporary-bread/richard-bertinet/richard-bertinet/9781856267625

Crumb - https://www.waterstones.com/book/crumb/richard-bertinet/9780857835062

Bertinet Kitchen - https://www.thebertinetkitchen.com/

Bath Rugby - https://www.bathrugby.com/

Angela Harnett’s Supperclub - https://www.cafemurano.co.uk/news-events/book-club/

Head over to our Instagram to check out more of Richard's recommendations

Helena and Sophie talk tomatoes on the vine, Sophie shows off her new spice rack and there’s a potato surprise upon excavation of the freezer. Producer Izzy even gets a lesson in sauce whisks…

Former Head of Food at MOB Kitchen with plenty of stories to tell, Sophie is a serious industry insider and gave us a HEFTY list of restaurants to try.

I’ll Have What She’s Having - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ill-have-what-shes-having-with-sophie-wyburd-and/id1633038389

Dinner For One Hundred - https://www.dinnerforonehundred.com/events

Instagram 

Sophie Wyburd - https://www.instagram.com/sophiewyburd/ 

Mob Kitchen - https://www.instagram.com/mob/

Twisted - https://www.instagram.com/twisted

Clare Cole - https://www.instagram.com/clareccole/

Georgina Hayden - https://www.instagram.com/georginahayden/

Books 

Mezcla, Ixta Belfrage- https://www.waterstones.com/book/mezcla/ixta-belfrage/9781529148091 

Dishoom, Kavi Thakrar, Naved Nasir, Shamil Thakrar - https://www.waterstones.com/book/dishoom/shamil-thakrar/kavi-thakrar/9781408890677

Chicken and Other Stories, Simon Hopkinson - https://www.waterstones.com/book/roast-chicken-and-other-stories/lindsey-bareham/simon-hopkinson/9780091871000

Stirring Slowly, Georgina Hayden - https://www.waterstones.com/book/stirring-slowly/georgina-hayden/9780224101653

Taverna, Georgina Hayden - https://www.waterstones.com/book/taverna/georgina-hayden/9780224101646

Nistisima, Georgina Hayden - https://www.waterstones.com/book/nistisima/georgina-hayden/9781526630681

Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many, Jeremy Lee  - ⁠https://www.waterstones.com/book/cooking/jeremy-lee/9780008156206

Food Shopping 

Fishmongers, Sopers https://www.fcsoper.com/ 

Brindisa Arbequina Olive Oil - https://brindisa.com/products/brindisa-arbequina-5ltr?gclid=Cj0KCQjwj_ajBhCqARIsAA37s0yDiHd3a-8v88x4blCvYn4ZYhsBZ4-vf6_WdwT213YWWVBvIbdCTLQaAsQrEALw_wcB

Natoora - https://natoora.com/how-to-buy/delivered/index.php?source=google&medium=ppc&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj_ajBhCqARIsAA37s0zhXApyGX14F-fCBsNI6Jh2UG4BfLNsKRW-FuprQnHzTbIDoYMXPsYaAm38EALw_wcB

Rummo Pasta - https://www.pastarummo.it/en/

Shana Frozen Parathas - https://groceries.asda.com/product/asian-frozen/shana-original-paratha/2477968

Bold Beans Queen Chickpeas / Butter Beans - https://boldbeanco.com/

Mutti Tomatoes - https://mutti-parma.com/en/

Fage Yoghurt - https://uk.fage/

Belazu - https://belazu.com/

Victorinox Knives - https://www.victorinox.com/uk/en/

Maldon Salt - https://maldonsalt.com/

La Chinata -  https://www.lachinata.com/index.php/lachinata?___store=en

Colmans - https://www.colmans.co.uk/products/mustards.html

Olio App - https://olioapp.com/en/

Restaurants 

Teahouse in Deptford - https://www.tea-house.co.uk/home

Si Kai in Greenwich - http://www.saikei-restaurant.com/

Dinner for One Hundred - https://www.dinnerforonehundred.com/

Silk Road - https://silkroadlondon.has.restaurant/

Quo Vadis - https://www.quovadissoho.co.uk/

Forza Wine - https://forzawine.com/

Rochelle Canteen - https://rochellecanteen.com/

Camberwell Arms - https://thecamberwellarms.co.uk/

Quality Chop House - https://thequalitychophouse.com/

Caravel - https://www.caravelrestaurant.com/

Mambow - https://www.mambow.co.uk/

Koya - https://www.koya.co.uk/

Towpath - https://www.towpathlondon.com/

We know these chefs for their restaurants, but what are they cooking at home? And do they like cooking for their friends?

This is the podcast that opens their fridges, lifts their saucepan lids and unearths which takeaway they have on speed dial.

The series will feature intimate conversations, showing the softer side of the professional foodie that you might not always see. 

Make sure you subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.