Anna Barnett visits the north London kitchen of chef and TV presenter Andi Oliver and her daughter, Miquita, in this episode of her podcast, The Filling. Together they explore Andi’s career through music (best friend is Neneh Cherry klaxon!) to food broadcasting, and a certain mother/daughter road trip through Cambodia where the driving definitely was not shared (you do have a license right, Miquita?). Along the way we learn about a new restaurant venture with Fred Sirieix, talk inspirational black influenced cooking, and that you can never have too much gravy.

TOP QUOTES

“Let’s get down to the nitty gritty – she doesn’t let me in her kitchen.” Miquita

“The main rule in the kitchen is don’t put your hand in the food.” Andi

“Oh Lord have mercy – where’s my gravy?” Andi

“Add marmite and then sexuality happens.” Andi

“Nobody wants bad vibe food – don’t put your bad vibes over my chicken!” Andi

“Everything is soul food if it’s done right.” Andi 

RESOURCES

www.wadadlikitchen.com

www.claptoncountryclub.co.uk

Edna Lewis: In Pursuit of Flavour 

www.thegreyrestaurant.com

www.jainesfish.com

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Great British Menu host, Andi Oliver, was born in London and made a name for herself as a musician performing with several bands in the 1980’s & 90’s. Moving into broadcasting, Andi’s passion for food and cooking took centre stage when she co-hosted a culinary TV show with her good friend, Neneh Cherry, ‘Neneh & Andi Dish it Up’. As well as TV work, Andi is also now also a restaurateur and writer.

@andioliver

Born in 1984, Miquita Oliver’s first TV job was at the age of 15 when she was cast to present irreverent teen music show, ‘PopWorld’. After 5 years she moved to present T4 for the next 4 years, subsequently landing her own TV show on 4Music, ‘The Month with Miquita’. Miquita still regularly appears on TV and radio.

@miquitaoliver

ABOUT THE HOST

Anna Barnett (www.annabarnettcooks.com) is a chef and food writer. She moved to London to work in TV and enjoyed a career at both MTV and Channel 4 before moving into fashion. Life has always been experienced through the lens of good food, however, and she released her debut cookery book ‘Eat the Week’ in 2015, after which she spent several years writing ‘The Reluctant Vegetarian’ blog for the Independent newspaper whilst also contributing to Vogue magazine. She went on to write the food pages for Grazia magazine; she now has a weekly column writing for The Evening Standard online. In 2019 Anna wrote and styled ‘How to be Gluten Free and Not Lose Friends’, her second cookery book. Anna regularly hosts pop-up restaurants, collaborates with brands, caters private events as well as hosting cookery classes at her home in east London. 

@annabarnettcooks

We’re in culinary heaven in this week’s episode of Anna Barnett’s podcast, The Filling, as our host is invited to the home of Sami Tamimi, renowned Palestinian chef. They’re joined by Sami’s writing partner Tara Wigley (her journey from publishing to trained cook via the birth of twins is worth a podcast in itself) to discuss being part of the Ottolenghi empire, why the term Middle Eastern cooking needs greater definition, and the difference between right tahini and wrong tahini. Along the way Anna gets fed the most exotic sandwich yet in the series, and we learn why stopping midway during a marathon for a kebab isn’t the best idea. 

TOP QUOTES

“If you want something done, ask a mum of twins.” Tara

“In the Middle East you can’t just walk around with a list as it just doesn’t work this way.” Sami

“She had a tattoo of an open pomegranate on one arm, and an aubergine on the other.” Tara

“Z’atar is better than drugs.” Sami

“I actually have a gigantic mouth; I can fit a whole ladle in my mouth.” Anna

RESOURCES

www.ballymaloe.ie

www.belazu.com

www.zetunevoo.com

www.ottolenghi.co.uk

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Sami Tamimi: Growing up in the Old City of Jerusalem, Sami Tamimi displayed an early interest in food and cooking. After a brief career as a hotel porter, Sami quickly progressed to head chef for a restaurant in Tel Aviv. An invitation to run a bakery led him to London in 1997. Two years later Sami met Yotam Ottolenghi and their mutual love and appreciation for the ingredients and recipes from their shared homeland developed into a business. Sami is now co-author of several bestselling cookbooks and co-owns the restaurants Rovi and Nopi. His latest book is Falastin, co-authored with Tara Wigley. 

@sami_tamimi

Tara Wigley: After spending a decade working in publishing, Tara Wigley, decided to retrain at the Ballymaloe cookery school in Ireland. She has developed, tested, and written recipes for Yotam Ottolenghi’s column in the Guardian magazine and monthly New York Times’s columns, as well as for his cookbooks. Her latest book is Falastin, co-authored with Sami Tamimi.

@tara.wigley

ABOUT THE HOST

Anna Barnett (www.annabarnettcooks.com) is a chef and food writer. She moved to London to work in TV and enjoyed a career at both MTV and Channel 4 before moving into fashion. Life has always been experienced through the lens of good food, however, and she released her debut cookery book ‘Eat the Week’ in 2015, after which she spent several years writing ‘The Reluctant Vegetarian’ blog for the Independent newspaper whilst also contributing to Vogue magazine. She went on to write the food pages for Grazia magazine; she now has a weekly column writing for The Evening Standard online. In 2019 Anna wrote and styled ‘How to be Gluten Free and Not Lose Friends’, her second cookery book. Anna regularly hosts pop-up restaurants, collaborates with brands, caters private events as well as hosting cookery classes at her home in east London. 

@annabarnettcooks

Get ready for an hilarious, equal parts couple’s therapy, equal parts life coaching session (with a bit of food talk thrown in), as Anna Barnett chats to UK fashion’s power couple, Henry Holland and David Hodgson, for the fourth instalment of her new podcast, The Filling. The conversation weaves us through how they met, their successful career paths, and how being northern keeps them grounded in a capricious industry. What we all really want to know, however, is, just how big was David’s award-winning marrow he grew when he was 5, and what are turkey turds, exactly, and why do they have them in their fridge?

TOP QUOTES

“You’re definitely a gammon, egg, and chips man; very plain, very northern.” David

“I have a very delicate digestion and even looking at pastry gives me heartburn.” Henry 

“I’ve lost many a tooth to Haribo and I’m proud of that.” David

“You know a chocolate orange is my favourite chocolate outside of mini egg season.” Henry

“You jump headfirst into everything without fear of failure; you don’t look back. And that’s an amazing quality.” David

“There are more face masks sachets in our fridge than there are food sachets.” Henry 

RESOURCES

www.luluguiness.com

www.houseofholland.co.uk

www.j-sheekey.co.uk

www.bratrestaurant.com

www.bistrotheque.com

www.myneighboursthedumplings.com

www.outfry.com

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Henry Holland was born in Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester, in 1983. After graduation from the London College of Communication, Henry went on to work for several teen magazines. In 2006 Henry designed his Fashion Groupies t-shirt range which gained notoriety throughout the fashion world and beyond. Henry subsequently designed a full collection and founded his own fashion house, The House of Holland. Henry has collaborated with Levi Strauss, Debenhams, and Le Specs sunglasses. 

Instagram: @henryholland

Born in Cumbria, David Hodgson, acquired his first handbag at the age of 21 while he was interning at the Observer. Since then, David worked for 5 years at Loewe in Madrid after which he launched his own consultancy business collaborating on the relaunch of Coach, as well as working with brands such as Proenza Schouler, Joseph and Strathberry. In October 2018 he was made Creative Director at Lulu Guinness. 

Instagram: @david_hodgson

ABOUT THE HOST

Anna Barnett (www.annabarnettcooks.com) is a chef and food writer. She moved to London to work in TV and enjoyed a career at both MTV and Channel 4 before moving into fashion. Life has always been experienced through the lens of good food, however, and she released her debut cookery book ‘Eat the Week’ in 2015, after which she spent several years writing ‘The Reluctant Vegetarian’ blog for the Independent newspaper whilst also contributing to Vogue magazine. She went on to write the food pages for Grazia magazine; she now has a weekly column writing for The Evening Standard online. In 2019 Anna wrote and styled ‘How to be Gluten Free and Not Lose Friends’, her second cookery book. Anna regularly hosts pop-up restaurants, collaborates with brands, caters private events as well as hosting cookery classes at her home in east London. 

Instagram: @annabarnettcooks