I'm delighted to join Macmillan's Online Community; my work as a nutritionist has been devoted to helping those with cancer, and other serious health conditions, to find the confidence and skills to nourish their bodies through the food they eat.
My great aunt adored cooking and was my food mentor. As children, my sister and I loved staying the night with her, as we would wake up to wafts of homemade bread and…
My daughter Maya tells me that unlike her, I'm lucky not to have much of a sweet tooth – I am far more likely to crave some delicious salty olives than a bar of chocolate. Yet I couldn’t resist when Darina Allen of the renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland gave me one of her wonderful almond biscuits with my mint tea last weekend. I was there to speak at the Ballymaloe Litfest, a celebration of…
As the daylight hours lengthen and the first springtime shoots appear in the garden, we can feel a natural instinct to swap winter comfort foods such as casseroles and slow roasts for the zing of fresh juices, especially when you're living with the backdrop of cancer. Juices are a great way to increase your intake of antioxidant-rich fruit and vegetables. I particularly love those based around beetroot, carrot, ginger…
There’s nothing quite like the anticipation as the first spears of English asparagus appear in the supermarket and grocers in May. Usually an expensive luxury when it’s forced and flown in from abroad, this wonderful veg instead becomes an affordable treat. I love it lightly steamed and served with mayonnaise. This is also the month for pink and zingy rhubarb, which is growing aplenty in my garden right now. This weekend…
Chicken soup
Preparation time: about 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 1 hour and 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
5cm (2in) piece of fresh root ginger, peeled
1 chicken, about 1.4kg (3lb)
2 celery sticks
1 medium onion
1 medium potato
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 whole star anise
6 black peppercorns
1 lime
Salt
A handful of frozen peas
A handful of flat-leaf parsley or coriander, roughly chopped
Method
