I’ve long been a fan of The Hemsley Sisters, I’ve stuck with them through their successful books, their podcasts and their Selfridges cafe, I’ve written blog posts defending them too, when the great and the good (well The Daily Mail) were haranguing them for crediting Dr Natasha Campbell Macbride (the founder of the GAPS diet) as one of their ‘inspirations’
Of course the mainstream press would like to have us believe that anyone who reckons that diet and nutrition and specifically the healing of the gut can have a dramatic impact on our health and well-being and has even been shown to benefit children with autism, is at best a bit barking and at worst a dangerous quack, but despite their brush with the ‘alternative’ and paleo world these two women, passionate about good food, are still rocking it.
They have two best selling books under their belt The art of eating well, and Good + Simple and this new release, Eat Happy 30-minute feelgood food, a solo effort this time from Melissa (Jasmine is concentrating on a project about Ayurvedic food) is set to do well too. Melissa wanted to cater for her friends, some of them mums, some working, all of whom get too busy to cook decent food every day. Its a fantastic collection of meals that can be prepared in 30 minutes so there is literally no excuse.
I LOVE this book, real food, ingredients that are easy to source and lots of time saving tips, the recipes (over 130) range from big breakfasts, to quick suppers, lunches, canape parties and Melissa’s healthy spin on takeaways and how to use leftovers.
When we interviewed her Melissa explained that her Filipino mother, in addition to teaching them about good spices and seasonings, was ‘thrifty’ and they were taught reverence around food, to treat it with love and not to waste any. This ‘honouring’ of food really shines through with the delicious recipes. Melissa also lovingly brought in some fabulous coconut muffins made with almond flour and lime zest – yum, she can be a return guest any day!
Melissa is on a mission to get everyone to recognise that healthy eating doesn’t have be expensive or time consuming, she wants us all to appreciate the humble cauliflower, so cheap to buy in the UK, and with a multitude of uses, she reminded us that nothing needs to go to waste there, as the leaves, just like carrot top leaves, can be roasted. Delish
Check it out, from Apple Pie Buckwheat Porridge, to Ginger Fishburgers and Anytime Blueberry Bake – there’s something for everyone
Eat Happy 30-minute feelgood food by Melissa Hemsley is published by Ebury Press
