Slaving over a hot pot is often the ideal way to survive emotional woe. For me, cooking calms, relaxes and nourishes the soul, and there’s (usually) something delicious to eat at the end too.

Today was one of those days so I was pleased I could reach for a new vegetarian cook book I recently received as a birthday present: Veggiestan by Sally Butcher.

For me this is a fabulous book – not only am I vegetarian (well, practically vegan) but I also was born in the middle east and many of my favourite foods and dishes are from there – okra with tomatoes, aubergine with onions and tomato, hummus, babaghanoush, etc etc. So this book with its inspiration of veggie dishes from across the region was an absolute delight; thank you Steve Pill.

Cooking as therapy

Tonight it was me, the book and Mung Bean Casserole (pg.116), although it was more like a curry really which was perfect comfort food. It was delicious and, essentially, heart-warming. I made a few tweaks: I swapped spinach for chard – organically grown via the brilliant Food From The Sky community on the roof garden of my local Budgens. I’m always in awe of how beautiful chard is with its a striking purple, pink and green hues on bouncy, curly leaves. Plus I had purple potatoes to use instead of normal ones – another wonderful looking ingredient.

Definitely a success and a comforting dish for the change of temperatures and season…So thank you Veggiestan for being my comfort blanket on a day of white noise.