I'm So(dha) into you
A tribute to Meera - sorry, it's been a long day
One of the many joys of having a cookbook podcast (who, us?) is somehow confusingly becoming a person who friends and family come to for cookbook advice. Ever-present imposter syndrome aside, I enjoy the niche requests. Which book should I buy for my sister-in-law who likes to entertain? (Mezcla, Ixta Belfrage) Your go-to baking book for impressing people? (One Tin Bakes, Edd Kimber; Sweet, Ottolenghi, if you’re after something a bit fancy) A vegan book that doesn’t really feel like it’s even vegan? (Nistisima, Georgina Hayden).
As much as I’d like to fancy myself some sort of cookbook agony aunt, the truth is - I’d likely be a bit of a broken record. There’s one book I come back to time and again, to the point where its spine is quite literally hanging on by a thread. Both for quick dinners and for slower, weekend meals that I want to take some time over with a glass of wine, it always seems to have something I feel like eating. I can’t recall seeing a recipe that’s longer than a page; nor can I recall making one that hasn’t packed a huge punch of flavour and the perfect blend of heat, sweet and salt. It’s East, by Meera Sodha, and if you don’t have a copy, I really quite strongly recommend that you do (as long as it’s no trouble).
But I don’t just want to bang on about the cookbook - I’ve done that before, as long-time pod listeners will know. Meera - yep, first name basis - wrote a piece for this Saturday’s Guardian about burning out, and how it affected her love of making and eating food. And while I can feign being a cookbook authority, I’m absolutely loath to touch the topic of mental health and eating. All I can say is that I commended the honesty of the impact of grief, Covid and working far too hard on both appetite and creativity - themes way too big to fit into a little sentence, but Meera did it better. You can read it here (as long as it’s no trouble).
Love East as I do, I’m extremely excited for the imminent arrival of her new book, Dinner. This is not an ad, absolutely not #sponcon, I promise. If anything, please consider it a public service announcement: the food is good, the recipes work - and they don’t take a million years. Yes, a couple of ingredients may be hard to find, but you’ll be glad you made the effort. And so, dear reader, consider this your starter pack: a few of my favourite MS recipes to date.
A recipe so good that both Victoria and I made it for our episode on East: the wonderful Bombay rolls (part of the inspiration for one of the first recipes we developed)
I was flying back from a wedding in Dublin recently and saw that this recipe for peanut and tofu banh-mi had been posted, and I really couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to eat whilst mildly hungover. It was sublime.
With a mandate to come into the office more, one of my new year’s resolutions was to stop eating the sad lunches that my workplace offered and to spend a little Sunday time making something that will inject some joy into my day: these lentils with pomegranate molasses met the brief. I pack the lemon tahini into separate containers - I am just that insufferable.
The massaman curry I made to impress my boyfriend on one of our first dates. We’re still together, if that’s any sort of testimonial.
These sticky peanut aubergine flatbreads which are an excellent midweek dinner.
We made this Marmite risotto with tomato and crispy chili butter last weekend (with non-vegan butter, sorry) and it was wonderful - perfect for this time of year when tomatoes are ripe and affordable.
Forcing myself to a stop here. There are way more recipes to browse on the Guardian and in her books - any friends who wish to treat me to Dinner, I’d be more than receptive.
Hannah x
Full disclosure: my very dear friend Louise came up with the idea for this post, as she knows me better than I know myself and the timing seemed right. Thanks, friend - but can you give me my copy of East back now, please?