There’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal, especially when it comes from the pages of a renowned Welsh chef. George Foster chats to Angela Gray ahead of the launch of her seasonal cookbook.
Not being much of a foodie myself, this writer didn’t expect to be made as hungry by Angela Gray’s latest cookbook as I ended up being. Part of that comes from the chef herself, whose excitement is very clear. Talking to her, she revealed more about her love of spring, the process behind selecting the recipes and what comes next for her.
The inspiration behind having a series of seasonal cookbooks rather than one is clear. “I thought it would be really nice to showcase the seasons because it’s something we forget about. Seasonal food tastes better and it’s more affordable. That’s how it should be.”
A cookbook focusing on spring lends itself to a careful selection of the recipes included, though it’s harder than it sounds to give everything its due. “It was a process of travel, well-received food and crowd-pleasers, and trying to narrow it down. There’s a lot of love for food and travel, all integrated and entwined. It kind of marries everything together.”
Gray opened up her own cooking school in Llanerch Vineyard back in 2011, which has had its own role in the recipe selection. “We give tasters to everyone and try and get the thumbs up. We haven’t had a ‘we don’t like that’ yet!” she laughs. “We kind of know when it’s been a hit.”
The spring season is often associated with greens, something underlined in the book. “It’s a reflection of fresh shades of green. I could eat British asparagus until it comes out of my ears.”
When asked about what she might do next, Angela bubbles up with excitement. “There’s been ideas to start doing a BBQ book. It’s a whole new world, so I might explore that. Other than that, I do have up-my-sleeve stories from my travels. I might like to put that in a little travel log and layer it with recipes from those places. It wouldn’t be a recipe book, but memoirs with funny stories and great food along the way.”
Angela Gray’s Cookery School: Spring Recipes is published by Graffeg on Thurs 25 Apr. Price: £9.99. Info: www.graffeg.com