Welcome to the Conversation
Felicity is the author of five cookbooks, two food travelogues and writer of the Guardian’s How to cook the perfect … and Masterclass cookery columns. She’s tried thousands of recipes by the world’s top chefs and food writers, to create the ultimate version – delicious and failsafe, every time. She answers your questions here.
Key events
Any ideas for ‘treats’ suitable for diabetics?
exyorkie49 asks: Any ideas for recipes/meals suitable for diabetics? I would love more variety in my diet and also more ‘treats’ that don’t wreak havoc on my glycaemia.
Felicity:
I’m afraid I’m lucky enough not to be an expert on diabetic foodstuffs, so I’m entirely unqualified to give advice, but I do sincerely hope you find some joyful alternatives – the only thing that springs to mind, and I don’t know if this would be suitable or not, is Brian Levy’s book Good and Sweet, which is, I seem to recall, entirely free of refined sugars (he uses fruit though). Might be worth having a look at in case it’s of use, all the recipes I’ve tried from there have been superb. Good luck!
What to do with a glut of figs?
Number06 asks: Figs. Every year we have a glut and, apart from giving them away to neighbours, I run out of ideas of how to use them. This year I have made frozen yoghurt with figs and honey and have some fig liqueur maturing. Jam never works very well. Any other ideas apart from just eating them?
Felicity:
I have a very large jar of fig jam in the fridge, I love it! It doesn’t set very solid, but I find it works very well with yoghurt. How about drying them in a low oven? If I had more (my London fig tree gives a decent number of real whoppers, but not enough for more than one batch of jam), I’d do that so I could enjoy them all winter, or, if they’re small, consider preserving them whole in a spiced syrup for Christmas?
I bet they’d also be nice in a tagine, but my quickest suggestion is to make a nice peppery green salad with watercress or similar, a really savoury vinaigrette with dijon mustard and finely chopped shallots, and toss the leaves with it, then top with chopped figs, crumbled blue cheese and toasted walnuts. Never fails as a quick lunch!
What ingredients have you learned to love?
Disc0Dave asks: How have your tastes changed over time? Is there something that you used to loathe and now crave?
subsub asks: Are there any well-known/celebrated ingredients that you can’t stand? It’s truffles for me. Hate the smell, hate the taste!
Felicity:
I’ve become a lot more open-minded; I didn’t really “get” tofu until I read Fuschsia Dunlop explaining the Chinese (and non-Western more generally, I expect) appreciation of texture as well as flavour. Now I see it as a really satisfying texture that works much better as a foil to strong flavours than something like chicken, which has more of a flavour of its own which deserves to be tasted. The same goes for mushrooms; I don’t love their flavour on its own, but I enjoy the texture, and I think they’re useful for adding savoury oomph, particularly to vegetarian dishes.
I’m utterly ambivalent to truffles – though the cheap oils smell sweaty to me – but I cannot stand parsley. Sorry Yotam etc but it tastes spiky to me, I can’t bear it, which is why you’ll rarely find it championed in my recipes!
Welcome to the Conversation
Felicity is the author of five cookbooks, two food travelogues and writer of the Guardian’s How to cook the perfect … and Masterclass cookery columns. She’s tried thousands of recipes by the world’s top chefs and food writers, to create the ultimate version – delicious and failsafe, every time. She answers your questions here.
