'Leave a little room in your life for the magic'

Food writer and cook, Rosie Birkett reveals the secret to perfect cooking, the best place in the world for fish and chips plus what makes every morning better

I have been making (and eating) Rosie Birkett’s tuna steak and salsa salad for the last four months. This is no exaggeration. It is so good, so easy and so quick to rustle up, I may never cook another dish again. In many ways, Rosie reminds me of another of my favourite cooks: Nigel Slater. Though he is a cook who writes, and I suspect Rosie may say she is a writer who cooks. The point is, they both have a knack of creating food that both sings to the senses - and the heart. For those who have read any of her cook books- The Joyful Home Cook being one of my favourites, you’ll know this too. She implicitly understand that a comforting soup can take the edge off a cruel day, and that a crumbly cake, served on a summer’s day with loved ones, makes the joy spread even further. I was delighted then to hear that she was bringing her words and recipes over to Substack. This, she tells me, is going to be something a little bit different however. Recipes? Sure! But also essays, insidery lists of where to stay and what to buy for your pantry. Plus a proper foodie community away from the whims of algorithms. It’s called A Lot On Her Plate, and I’m already a signed up subscriber. If you love food and travel then I suggest you become one too. See you over there. Hopefully with a slice of cake.

1. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Don't compare yourself to others. Get your head down and focus on what you contribute instead.

2. You have 24 hours left on earth and can go anywhere. Tell us your plan.

   I'd begin in Sicily, where they eat ice cream for breakfast. There's a little cafe called Cafe Calarossa that is set back from the coastal ramparts of Ortigia in the city of Syracuse. I'd order their freshly baked brioche filled with pistachio cream, a bowl of almond granita with a glass of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, along with an espresso to start the day right. I'd then clamber down the rickety steps to the little stretch of pebbles below, and go for a morning dip. Then it would be off to Mexico City for a rummage around Frida Kahlo's Blue House in Coyoacán before lunch at Contramar. I'd then hop back to London for a saunter around the National Gallery before dessert at Quo Vadis, courtesy of the dessert king Jeremy Lee. Then a quick afternoon siesta at Kettners before hitting J Sheekey for a pick-me-up of afternoon oysters and champagne. Sod afternoon tea. We'd catch the Eurostar over to Paris for supper at Bistro Paul Bert - I'd take the steak frites or truffled eggs with more champagne, finishing up with îles flottantes. Then I'd grab all my best friends and family, and watch a private gig of Alanis Morisette supported by Fleet Foxes on the banks of the Seine, and somehow get back in time for baby bath time and bed. 

3. What’s one thing you wished you’d never done?

Delayed starting a family because of being self-employed

4. Tell us one secret address…

I shouldn't be telling you this but…The Middle Street Fish and Chip shop in Deal, Kent. It has very erratic hours and only takes cash, but it's the best fish and chips you'll ever taste

5. Tell us one of the hardest things you’ve been through- and what you learned as a result?

Grief. I lost my father suddenly aged 21, two weeks before my graduation, and a very close friend five years ago to breast cancer. It's taught me to never take my health, friendships or family for granted. Love is the most important thing. 

6. A secret ingredient that makes everything better is…

Brown butter. 

7. What’s your biggest extravagance?

Good restaurants, hotels and expensive French baby clothes 

8. The book I wished everyone would read is:

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. It's a lesson in so many important things by a master storyteller 

9. What’s the secret to a happy-ish life?

Making the most of every meal 

10. What’s your ultimate hack?

Dried lasagne sheets can be snapped in half to make rustic pappardelle or flat noodles.

11. A website I’m addicted to is…

Sous Chef and Justine Tabak

12. The best thing anyone has ever said to you is:

A kind man once told me he liked me 'a ridiculous amount' after just a few days of knowing me. Reader, I married him. 

13. We should think more about…

Where our food comes from and who's involved in getting it onto our plates 

14. A thing worth knowing is..

Living by the sea is good for the soul

15. Nothing feels better than…

The first sip of tea in the morning.

16. A quote I try live by is:

Leave a little room in your life for the magic 

17. What’s the wisest thing you’ve ever heard?

My mum surprised us by reading a poem called 'Love Is' by Mervyn Morris (poet Laureate of Jamaica) at our wedding. It is so raw and true. It made the whole room cry

18. What’s the one thing we should cherish more?

Our health

A little note to those who enjoy my writing and work here on Things Worth Knowing. This Substack is a year old now with almost 15,000 readers worldwide. My promise to you, is that I will always continue to do my very best, most honest work here. That said I do all of this in my spare time. So, if you are at a point in your life where you feel you can become a paid subscriber for just £1.45 a week (if you take out an annual subscription at £70 a year), then I’d be hugely grateful. In return I will give you more writing, greater access to me and an invitation into my writing group every month.

Part of the editorial team behind Things Worth Knowing