the podcast
COME FOR SUPPER
Each week Alexandra speaks with a different personality to discover how they like to entertain. Delving into the lives of her renowned guests which include chefs and restauranteurs, authors, actors and artists. The podcast reveals guests’ most memorable dinner parties, recipe tips and kitchen essentials, alongside their kitchen catastrophes and ultimate dinner party invitees, while allowing the audience to learn more about the backgrounds of some of the most celebrated figures in food and entertainment. Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Acast.
RECIPES
This watermelon salad is crunchy, zingy and everything you want on a hot day. Chilling the watermelon and charred sugar snaps make it even more refreshing so give yourself time to chill them if you can.
This is a really good way to jazz up your sprouts. I love to make this on boxing day to enjoy alongside baked potatoes.
I crave vibrant, zesty food in winter and this soup is just that. The ginger, garlic, lemongrass and thai basil make it reminiscent to a thai green curry.
These are the cookies I’m making on repeat at the moment. They aren’t too sweet and have a good oaty chew. They work especially well for breakfast or midmorning and I suspect would be a good one for lunchbox snacks
This salad always looks wonderful on the table. I often serve it alongside a simple roast chicken. The colours remind me so much of Autumn but I tend to eat it during winter when the trees are bare and I look for colour in my cooking even more than usual.
These griddled flatbreads are one of my favourite things for entertaining. Its the griddle marks that make them look so good.
As a general rule a buttery fried egg is always delicious but this harissa butter takes it up a notch. Melt the butter and harissa together until bubbling and fry the egg until it’s crispy round the edges and glistening in the vibrant harissa butter.
Of all the puddings I pull out for dinner parties this one might be my favourite. I love the chewy sweetness of almond frangipane against soft cooked fruit.
This rich tomatoey chicken dish is perfect for Autumn suppers. It’s one of those dishes that doesn’t need much to accompany it either. A simple green salad or good loaf of bread will do.
Writing
London has long been hailed for its vibrant restaurant scene, but the city’s hit-list of notable wine spots is increasingly on the rise. I shared my top 10 wine bars in London for Citizen Femme.
My tips on how to host a supper club. From menu planning and welcome cocktails to how to set the table.
I meet Mike and Rika on a wet and blustery February morning. The kind where one only dares erect their umbrella if prepared to wrestle with it. I am wet, slightly frazzled and cannot feel my feet when I knock at the door of their East London home. Rika opens the door. She is wearing a blue cotton dress and has a smile so warm that even my icy feet seem to instantly thaw. Michael stands just behind her. Together they welcome me into their home.
I have been visiting Zermatt since I was eleven years old. Even then, it felt like a magical place. A place where no cars were permitted, where the air was always clear, where everywhere you turned you could see a breathtaking view of the mountains and where the people had a deep respect for nature.
I meet David on a Sunday morning at Jolene - the bakery, café, restaurant that serves very good food and wine and even better pastry. There is a comforting warmth to Jolene. It is low lit with neutral tones and tenderly on trend dusty pink walls.
Reviews
Nordelaia is a stunning boutique hotel in the gastronomic region of Piedmont. Press pause and indulge in exceptional food and outstanding wine with the breathtaking backdrop of the rolling northern Italian hills.
Preserving the island and the people within it is important to SALT and they encourage you to connect with the food, people and culture of the island. All of the food you will eat at SALT is grown right there in the island of Mauritius and rather than stay horizontal by the pool all day (although that’s fine too) the hotel encourage you to get out and explore the island, meet the locals and even learn some new skills.
Ditching animal products and making January ‘Veganuary’ is becoming an increasingly popular practise for the first month of the year. Even if you’re not going one hundred per cent plant based for the month and instead choosing to go vegan’ish’ it couldn’t be easier.
There is a certain glamour that comes with holidaying in Gtsaad. Picture perfect mountains and prestigious international schools have long attracted royals and celebrities alike. In the winter it is custom to ski but in the summer, one must spa.
The book
Land & Sea: Secrets to simple, sustainable, sensational food
A celebration of real food and wholesome ingredients, Land and Sea brings sustainable eating to the table in true flavour and style. With advice on using the whole ingredient (no matter what it is); how you can make the most of leftovers; and how to be creative with herbs and spices, Land & Sea is the perfect companion to both the novice cook and the seasoned cook.
Tomatoes, garlic and shallots cooked confit - slowly in the oven with lots of olive oil and some rosemary which I paired with a quick zesty salad of thinly sliced courgettes tossed with lemon, dill, olive oil and lots of Grana Padano.