About YMK

Your Magical Kitchen: Nine steps to inspire creative cooking is my down-to-earth guide to making the most of your kitchen and becoming an even more confident and adventurous cook.

What I hope you get from my book is a personalised journey for you, creating dishes packed with taste, flavour and aromas, based on the foods that you absolutely love. The book covers food families, taste pairings and flavour combinations; how to weave herbs, spices and condiments into your dishes; and how to make your creations look stunning. Thrown in between the steps are some fun anecdotes from my own journey, mostly at my own expense!

The book also features an array of recipes to spark inspiration from cuisines across the world, including Californian Lamb Fajitas and Sea Bass with Turmeric and Coconut Sauce alongside desserts like Toffee Blackberry Pavlova and Pina Colada Popsicles.

I love cooking. Always have. My nine steps didn’t come to me in a dream one night. They evolved over time and they weren’t written down. However, there came a moment when I thought, why not write them down. Alternatively, put them in a book. What’s the worst that could happen? So, I started making some notes and nothing awful happened. But then, in early 2020, something really awful did happen.

Once the pandemic hit, I realised that staying at home would quickly be the new norm. That meant millions of people would have to home-cook daily. Something they maybe hadn’t done for a very long time. One evening, between Netflix series, it struck me that maybe I could put my notes up on the internet for those who might want some tips on how to get sorted for daily cooking.

Sometimes you get pushed into something. Other times, you get pulled into something. The last 18 months have been a bit of both for me. It’s been an incredible ride. I have learnt so much from so many talented people who helped me with my first website, first Instagram page and, of course, my first book - beautifully rendered by Meze: Publishing.

Last, I guarantee that it is well within your ability to design your own magical kitchen. It won’t look like mine, nor any of your friends, family and neighbours, but it will be yours.