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Jenny Chandler has her fi nger on the pulse


FOOD WRITER AND TEACHER JENNY CHANDLER


EXPLAINS WHERE HER PASSION FOR FOOD CAME FROM AND WHERE IT’S AT TODAY


striking cover shields hundreds of easy, tasty and economical recipes that cham- pion the oft-overlooked pulses. We met Jenny recently and her passion


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and enthusiasm for food, not just pulses, was bubbling and infectious. Not surpris- ing, given that after university she spent 11 years travelling around the world, seeking out food and jobs that went with it. But it was much earlier that Jenny’s true passion for food was ignited, “I didn’t come from one of those families where my mum was reading Elizabeth David in bed or creating fantastic Mediterranean dishes – I used to think garlic was pretty out there!” she chuckles, add- ing:


“What set me off


e fell in love with Jenny Chandler’s latest book, Pulse, as soon as it came through the post. The


school in Italy that really struck a chord. “I thought ‘this is fantastic’. I’ve spent my life being told off for talking too much and fi nally I can do a job where communicat- ing is part of it!” Her fi rst book The Food of Northern Spain was published in 2005, followed by A Real Taste of Spain in 2007. In between writing Jenny is busy teaching too. At the moment she runs demonstrations through her business The Plum Cooking Company in Clifton, Bristol, teaches Richard Berti- net’s Introduction to Bread Making class in Bath, classes at Leiths and a cookery demo at London’s Borough market once a month.


on my absolute love of food was a trip to Spain when I was about 14. At the weekends there would be a huge paella that the granny cooked over a fi re in the garden and the whole family used to be there. We would all help to cook other dishes, the whole family would be involved getting everything ready and then we would spend three hours eating it. I can remember sitting there thinking ‘this is amazing! This is what eating’s about’.“ Since then, Jenny has been around the


culinary block. She trained at Leiths, did stints at restaurants including Rick Stein’s and The Castle at Taunton and travelled the world working on a boat as a chef. But it was working as an assistant in a cookery


50 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER


“I didn’t come from one of those families where my mum was reading Elizabeth David in bed or creating fantastic Mediterranean dishes”


“It’s [writing and teaching] an amazing combina- tion because I can lock myself away at home for a few days by which time I will be dying to talk so then I’ll teach for a couple of days!” These days Jenny


is passionate about encouraging people to eat more legumes


and vegetables. “I feel evangelical about helping people to embrace options that don’t involve meat or fi sh, and show that if you eat more pulses and vegetables you aren’t actually missing out on anything. There’s so much amazing food out there and so many cultures don’t have meat or fi sh as the king pin of the dish. I’m really happy to eat vegetarian food a few days a week.”


“People think it’s bizarre that Italians have risotto and pasta as their starter, but the idea is that they fi ll up on that then they have a really little bit of meat or fi sh, not a stonking great bit, which is what I


think we need to move away from.” We could learn from Mediterraneans


in more ways than that too, Jenny adds, “I remember my Spanish au pair baby coming to stay and being astounded when he went into a newsagents and there was a whole wall of chocolate. Yes they have chocolate over there but it’s not part of their culture.”


But despite that, we are in a forward- thinking part of the world when it comes to food says Jenny, who always knew she would settle in Bristol, “It’s great the way we celebrate West Country produce. There’s a real feel that everybody is trying to support each other. We’ve got amazing produce, cheese, great fi sh from the south coast, brilliant butchers, I think we’re in a fantastic spot.”


What’s next for Jenny? More champion- ing of what she reluctantly calls the demi- veg or veggivore diet, but in a non-worthy manner. “I think a worthy approach is what has put people off. Ottolenghi has been great at turning people’s mind about that sort of vegetable based food. People are ready and excited about going down that route of being a little bit more adven- turous.” We can’t think of a better tour guide.


CHICKPEA, BEETROOT AND FETA SALAD


Chickpeas make this refreshing eastern Mediterranean salad substantial enough to eat as a main course along with toasted pitta.


Serves 4


❤ Half a red onion, sliced ❤ 2 tbsp red wine vinegar ❤ 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve


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