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© Copyright Margie Nomura
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What would you choose as your last meal? Chef Margie Nomura talks to a special guest about the seven dishes that have shaped their lives.
In this podcast you will find conversations with interesting people from the world of food and beyond uncovering the seminal dishes and experiences that have shaped who they are today. We will find out about their favourite childhood dishes, the dishes they eat the most often, and the dishes that mean the most to them. And of course we will also discover what their last dish would be before being cast off to the desert island.
In this podcast you will find conversations with interesting people from the world of food and beyond uncovering the seminal dishes and experiences that have shaped who they are today. We will find out about their favourite childhood dishes, the dishes they eat the most often, and the dishes that mean the most to them. And of course we will also discover what their last dish would be before being cast off to the desert island.
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I've admired Asma and her work for many years now, I absolutely loved her episode of Chefs Table on Netflix, Ihighly recommend if you haven’t seen it. So it really was a pleasure to sit down with her and hear her story first hand.
The work she does is truly amazing and it feels like she's only just getting started. I hope you enjoy todays episode.
Thank you to our sponsor Wild Nutrition. Wild Nutrition are so confident you’ll see a difference with their Food Grown supplements that they’re offering Desert Island Dishes listeners 50% off for three months when you visit wildnutrition.com/desertislanddishes. If you don’t feel the benefits within 30 days, they’ll give you back your money. Ts and Cs apply.
Nicola is the best selling author and pastry chef behind the Sunday Times bestselling Sift and also her hugely successful newsletter Kitchen Projects. Her knowlege of baking is hugely impressive having trained at top London and New York bakeries including Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel and Little Bread Pedlar.
Thank you so much to our sponsor for this season of Desert Island Dishes - the brilliant Wild Nutrition. Wild Nutrition are offering Desert Island Dishes listeners 50% off for three months when you visit wildnutrition.com/desertislanddishes. If you don’t feel the benefits within 30 days, they’ll give you back your money. Ts and Cs apply.
If you don't already come and follow me on instagram @desertislanddishes and sign up for my newsletter at www.dinnertonight.substack.com
Martha is something of an anomaly these days. She grows (a lot of) her own food… and is an avid urban gardener from London.
With over 1 million followers on Instagram, Martha’s straightforward and calming approach to growing your own food is digestible and relatable to the masses. Not only is it informative, but I find Martha’s content is such a celebration of what nature can do and how a little bit of sunshine can grow the most wonderful ingredients. Her debut book Give It A Grow has been an instant success, climbing to a top spot immediately in Amazon gardening books. It has chapters on veg, fruit, herbs, flowers and wildlife, with over 40 of her favourite projects to make the most of your garden, patio or balcony plus bonus recipes for how to cook with your produce.
Thank you to our sponsor Wild Nutrition. Wild Nutrition are so confident you’ll see a difference with their Food Grown supplements that they’re offering Desert Island Dishes listeners 50% off for three months when you visit wildnutrition.com/desertislanddishes. If you don’t feel the benefits within 30 days, they’ll give you back your money. Ts and Cs apply.
My guest today is Natalia Rudin otherwise known as Nats Nourishments
Shooting to social media stardom, gaining over a million followers in 1 year, Nat is a personal chef turned food creator, having travelled the world with clients, she now translates this knowledge into her easy, home cooking videos and recipes.
Having taken an untraditional route into the culinary world, she started out with a mission to bring retreats to her clients rather than her clients going off to retreats. She combined being a trainer, yoga teacher and chef and travelled the world – from the Bahamas, Canada, France and beyond.
Eventually, all this travel caught up with Nat and she decided to commit to posting 3 times a week on Instagram to grow a following. The success soon came, and Nat now has over 2 million followers on social media.
Her debut book Cooking Fast and Slow is a celebration of recipes that are simple and delicious, guaranteed to comfort, nourish and delight. It’s out in May 2025.
Thank you very much to our sponsor Wild Nutrition who are offering Desert Island Dishes listeners 50% off a 3 month subscription for their food grown supplements.
Head to www.wildnutrition.com/desertislanddishes and if you don’t feel the benefits within 30 days, they’ll give you back your money. Ts and Cs apply.
As Gordon prepares to open his most ambitious project to date, 22 BISHOPSGATE, Margie got the chance to sit down with him and talk about the dishes that have shaped his life.
He’s a chef, restaurateur and television presenter, known for Kitchen Nightmares, Masterchef and Hell’s Kitchen. He’s one of the most famous and recognisable chefs in the world with the kind of success most only dream of, and yet you may not know that he did not have the easiest start in life. Him and his siblings were on lunch vouchers at school, they moved house 15 times and a difficult relationship with his father marred his childhood.
With a strong sense of purpose from a young age, and a determination to make a better life for himself, Gordon was a talented footballer with a bright future ahead until an injury on the pitch changed things overnight and he was back to square one.
He set his sights on culinary school and it was the Banbury round table charity that bought him his first set of chefs whites and knives in order for him to start work.
He went on to open his own restaurant , Aubergine, at the age of 27 and within 3 years it was awarded 2 Michelin stars. He then opened his flagship restaurant Restaurant Gordon Ramsey in 1998 which very quickly earned him the most prestigious accolade in the culinary world – three Michelin stars and Today, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is London’s longest-running restaurant to hold this award, and he is one of only four chefs in the UK to maintain three stars.
My guest today is José Pizarro.
José has been been cooking in the UK for over 25 years. He grew up in the outermost Western province of Spain and never thought of working in food, in fact he was all set to become a dental technician before fate intervened. He arrived in the UK in 1999 seeking to expand his horizons as a chef and has since become one of the industry’s best-loved characters.
He worked at several Spanish restaurants, including Brindisa, where he was executive chef. Then, in 2011, he opened two restaurants of his own on Bermondsey Street, south-east London: a tiny tapas bar named José and the larger Pizarro, both instant hits. Many more restaurants and cookbooks have followed all championing Spanish cuisine. In recognition of his “extraordinary services to Spain”, Pizarro was awarded the officer’s cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic by the Spanish ambassador in London.
He says when it comes to cooking, he has a mantra, “Buy the best and don’t mess it up” - often described as The Godfather of Spanish cuisine in the UK.
If you enjoy Desert Island Dishes make sure to subscribe and I will see you next week.
Thank you for listening!
This episode was a Rutherford Production.
Ferne is a TV presenter, reality TV star, social media sensation and entrepreneur. She shot to fame on hit reality series The Only Way is Essex where she quickly became a fan favourite. She’s gone on to front her own ITVBE series Ferne Mccann - First Time Mum which ran from 2018 - 2024 and documented her journey into motherhood with her two daughters. Since then she has graced our screens on shows like I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and Celebrity SAS - who dares wins.
She made it to the semi final of Celebrity Best Home Cook and says that food is her love language.
Gwyneth won an Oscar for her role in Shakespeare in love at the age of just 26 and she has since gone on to become an entrepreneur as the founder of the digital media, e-commerce and lifestyle brand and behemoth Goop. She founded Goop at the age of 36 which grew from a simple newsletter into one of the most influential businesses in the world.
She’s hosted TV shows, starred in some of the most iconic films and tv shows we all know and love, and has written multiple best selling cookbooks. We explore the story of how she got to where she is today and her passion for cooking, her love of food and the belief that family really is everything.
Thank you so much for listening. Don't forget to follow and subscribe so you don't miss an episode and I will see you next week.
Find me on instagram @desertislanddishes and @desertislanddishespodcast
We have a bonus episode for you today in the form of Nuno Mendes. Described as the chefs chef, Nuno has had an incredible career. He thought of becoming a marine biologist but quickly changed direction and after enrolling at culinary school, he's never looked back. He has worked with some of the world’s leading chefs, such as Wolfgang Puck before moving to London and opening the cult ground breaking Loft Project and world famous Chiltern Firehouse. His latest restaurant Lisboeta is an ode to his home country and has already made waves since it’s opening.
Thank you so much to Comté Cheese for sponsoring this episode of Desert Island Dishes. Comté Cheese is genuinely one of my favourite cheeses in the world.
It’s a delicious cheese to eat on its own, worthy of any cheese board but it’s also so brilliant to cook with. I love it with baked pasta, or gratins or the most amazing toasted cheese sandwiches. The taste and texture changes as it ages - so you get some young Comté that tastes buttery and almost with caramel notes and then more matured Comté is a bit more nutty and slightly fruity. So incredibly good. And the best news is they are now available at all major supermarkets.
Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com
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It's the season finale and my guest today is Manon La Greve.
Born and raised in France, Manon came to the UK to work as an au pair and then rose to fame as a quarter finalist on The Great British Bake Off in 2018 and has become known and loved for her delicious French inspired recipes. Described as a culinary sensation, she’s now the author of two cookbooks,
She says she takes inspiration not only from her French heritage, and her London discoveries, but also from her travels around the world. When asked to describe her cooking style in 3 words she’s said it is French food made easy.
Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.
Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest today is Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah is a Sunday Times and New York Times best-selling author, award winning producer and philanthropist.
For over 30 years she has been committed to being a voice for forgotten children around the world. She founded Children in Crisis in 1993 and the charity has educated over 1.4 million children. The Duchess also champions the Teenage Cancer Trust, the Children’s Air Ambulance, the British Heart Foundation and Julia’s House to name just a few and it was recently announced she is now a patron of Prevent Breast Cancer, as patron, she will focus on spreading the word about the importance of early detection.
Over the course of her career, she has written over 70 books and her latest children’s book Wonder in the Woods - a joy filled celebration of the power of community and being connected to the world around you is out now.
Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.
Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest today is Melissa Thompson
Melissa is a writer, author and broadcaster. A columnist for BBC Good Food magazine, she is also ambassador for Weber Grills and an award-winning writer covering food for publications including The Guardian, Waitrose Magazine and Stylist.
Her debut book Motherland was published in 2022 to critical acclaim. It is an extraordinary combination of recipes from Jamaica and an exploration into the island’s history and the influences on the food.
By others she’s been described as "a creative powerhouse" : On her own website Melissa describes herself as a London-based food & drink writer with a love of ice cream, fried chicken and anti-racism.
Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.
Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com
This episode was produced by Rutherford Productions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest today is Marco Pierre White. The original rock and roll chef, Marco Pierre White was the chef who cooked like an angel, looked like a rock star and changed the way the world thought of British food. Born in Leeds, to a chef father and Italian mother he was the third of four sons. As a teenager he travelled to London with just £7.36 in his pocket to pursue a career in cooking.
He trained under some of the most famous chefs in the world - Pierre Koffman and Albert Roux. He opened his own restaurant in 1987, aged 25 and at the age of just 33 he became the first British chef to win 3 Michelin stars and the youngest chef in the world to achieve such a thing...He would also be the first chef to hand back his Michelin stars. He now runs the Rudloe Arms in Bath where we are today working with his daughter. He says family is the driving force behind everything he does.
Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.
Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com
This episode was produced by Rutherford Productions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest today is Eleanor Wilkinson.
Eleanor is a content creator and recipe developer from East Yorkshire. Having always loved food and cooking she made the decision to quit her job in the charity sector and embark on turning her passion into a full time career.
She started her series, One Pot, One Portion - recipes for people who eat, cook, or live alone but are tired of washing up and was soon getting millions of views on social media and quickly amassed some 600,000 followers on Instagram. She has now released a cookbook of the same name and counts the one and only Nigella Lawson as a huge fan.
Nigella described the book as a “brilliant, beyond brilliant idea” and we know Nigella is never wrong.
Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.
Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com
This episode was produced by Rutherford Productions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest today is Matt Adlard
Matt is a self taught baker, author and social media pastry sensation.
You may have known him in the early days online as The Topless Baker and he’s known for hosting his own show on the Food Network as well as being a judge on various different baking shows including the BBC’s Platinum Pudding Competition.
Despite growing up above his fathers Michelin starred restaurant, Matt says he had little interest in pursuing a career in food and fell into baking as a hobby while studying at university. He is entirely self taught and now teaches his millions of followers how to to become a professional level baker through his videos and courses. He has an online cooking school called Bake it Better and published his first book last year with the same name.
Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.
Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com
This episode was produced by Rutherford Productions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest today is Ruby Wax
Ruby really needs no introduction from me, she’s a household name. She’s a woman of so many talents - she’s a comedian, Actress, author, writer and mental health activist.
Her life in show business began when she went to the RSC - she says of herself she doesn’t think she was a good actress but Alan Rickman saw in her a talent for comedy and that was what started her on her road to success. She went on to become a TV star interviewing some of the world’s most famous people from Donald Trump to Goldie Hawn, The Spice Girls and OG Simpson.
Her second career has been as a mental health campaigner. She trained as a psychotherapist and got a Masters from Oxford in mindfulness based cognitive therapy. Her dissertation formed the basis for her first sell out stage show, she launched the Frazzled Cafe in 2017 and was also awarded an OBE in 2015. For tickets to Ruby's show find out more on her website here and follow her on instagram here.
Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.
Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com
This episode was produced by Rutherford Productions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest today is Clare Smyth (MBE). Clare is one of the world's most respected chefs. She is the first and only British female chef to be awarded three Michelin stars which she achieved for her restaurant Core by Clare Smyth in Notting Hill. Growing up on a farm in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, her passion for food began at a young age and even inspired some of her most famous dishes from her restaurant.
By the time she was 17 she had graduated from culinary school and moved to London to work with and learn from the world best chefs. She went on to train in some of the most celebrated kitchens in the world including with Alain Ducasse and Gordon Ramsay. She would go on to break new ground by becoming Chef Patron of three Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordon Ramsay before going on to open her own restaurant in 2017. It took less than 3 years for her to be awarded her own 3 Michelin stars. Clare has received numerous awards including the title of the World's Best Female Chef 2018 And in 2013 Clare was awarded an MBE for services to the hospitality industry.
Thank you so much to the brilliant Maldon Salt for sponsoring this season of Desert Island Dishes. I am a huge fan and long-time genuine customer so to be working with them is a dream come true.
Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe if you enjoy today's episode and you can find me over on Instagram @Desertislanddishes or over on the website www.desertislanddishes.co. You can also sign up for my newsletter where I send you one easy and delicious weeknight recipe over at www.dinnertonight.substack.com
This episode was produced by Rutherford Productions.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest today is the founder of Hoppers - Karan Gokani. Combining his passion for cooking with his love of the country of Sri Lanka he has built a restaurant empire celebrating the food of Sri Lanka and Southern India. I went to Sri Lanka last year for the first time and completely fell in love with the food. I’ve been to Hoppers many times so I kind of knew what to expect but honestly it’s just the most amazing country and the most delicious food so it was brilliant to hear from Karan about his love for it it too.
I know I told you that this was going to just be a little short season for the month of February but already we have come to the last episode of this mini season – it’s gone very quickly but fear not as we are already recording the next – so hopefully wont be too long to wait.
Another reminder to any one listening – if you haven’t yet subscribed to my newsletter Dinner Tonight, please do think about it. It’s one easy weeknight recipe, often one pan, mostly 30 minutes or less and I look forwards to writing it every week and it’s honestly amazing that there are so many people reading it. Over 22,000 of you now which is amazing but there’s always room for more. https://dinnertonight.substack.com/
I do hope you enjoy todays episode and thank you for listening. If you don’t already, come and follow me on Instagram @desertislandishes and you can sign up for the newsletter and find a whole host of different recipes at www.desertislanddishes.co
Thank you again to HG Walter our sponsor for this month of Desert Island Dishes, and thank you for listening!
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My guest today is Bee Wilson. In all honesty, Bee is one of the most interesting and thought provoking food writers and historians we’ve ever known.
She is the author of 8 books about food and eating. Her books have won multiple awards, and she’s won 5 Guild of food writers awards for her journalism. After over 20 years of food writing, this year she released her first cookbook, The Secret of Cooking, something she says she’s dreamt of doing since the age of 8.
She has been described by Yotam Ottolenghi as "the ultimate food scholar" and writes brilliantly about all aspects of our current food culture.She counts Nigella and Diana Henry as friends (and fans) and I so enjoyed getting to chat to her and hear her Desert Island Dishes.
I hope you enjoy this one and thank you so much for listening.
A huge thank you to our sponsor HG Walter for bringing the podcast to you this month - visit them at www.hgwalter.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest this week is the world famous photographer David Loftus. David is one of the most influential photographers of all time often fondly referred to as Lord Loftus. Award-winning and internationally acclaimed, David has done the photography for the books of Jamie Oliver, Rachel Khoo, Gennaro Contaldo, Elizabeth David and April Bloomfield. For over 20 years, David has photographed over 150 books including all but one of Jamie Oliver’s international best-sellers. His work with Jamie Oliver alone has resulted in book sales of over 30 million copies. You will have looked a David’s photographs even if you were unaware of it at the time.
Thank you so much to HG Walter for sponsoring this month of Desert Island Dishes. Head to www.hgwalter.com for nationwide delivery.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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