The Art of Everyday Cooking: Flavours, Failures, and Finding Joy

In this episode I sit down with freelance journalist and home-cook-in-training Elle Hunt.

Known for her articulate and thoughtful writing in The Guardian, Elle talks about her personal journey of learning to cook and the mindset shift that got her into the kitchen.

She shares candid insights about how living alone and dealing with work burnout led her to see food as more than just fuel.

From self-proclaimed terrible cook to actually enjoying preparing her own meals, she talks about how she got started by experimenting with simple recipes and building a relationship with reliable cookbook authors, that led her to find confidence in her cooking abilities.
 
Our conversation also touches on the importance of having essential ingredients on hand, the value of trying new recipes for personal growth, and how cooking fits into her life as a home-working freelancer. We also discuss food culture and perfectionism and how that shapes our attitudes, in cooking and beyond.
 
The episode is full of relatable stories and crash-tested practical tips - a goldmine for anyone looking to explore or improve their own home cooking skills.

tasty morsels

00:00 The journey towards enjoying cooking
06:06 Building trust with cookbook writers
08:28 Exploring new recipeswith confidence
11:03 The everyday cooking challenge of 'what's next'  
14:52 Easy and approachable cooking stories  
19:02 New home, new ktichen  
22:30 Meal kit convenience and other hacks
24:07 Creative Cooking with Leftovers  
28:22 Adapting your diet for more protein
30:41 Seasonal eating  
35:38 Reliable recipes for easy meals  
37:00 Exploring flavours when travelling
41:46 Fridge insights and cooking connections  
44:20 When food ordering becomes irrelevant

the best bit

"It definitely makes me feel better being able to take care of myself in this way, and it has made my life better. But it's something about the kind of fetishization of food that we can fall into (...) that still makes me feel very impatient."

get cooking

Three ideas for taking action in your own kitchen, inspired by the conversation.

🍅 Build slowly: Start with simple, foolproof recipes that will boost your confidence and will motivate you to keep cooking.

🍅 Keep going: Challenge yourself to try a new recipe or ingredient each week. This keeps your cooking adventurous and helps build your skills and confidence gradually.

🍅 Find a cookbook or food writer that resonates with you and start building a relationship with their recipes. This connection can make cooking more enjoyable and personal.

connect with Elle

connect with Katerina

instagram: @intuitive.cook
youtube: @intuitivecook
community: No Recipe Club

additional links

Books & recipes mentioned:
The Roasting Tin (Rukmini Iyer)
One Pot, Pan, Planet (Anna Jones)
Cook As You Are (Ruby Tandoh)
Alison Roman's Shallot Pasta
~
Original music by Colin Bass.

To bring intuition into your kitchen too, start here!