Nadine Ingram's 'Something to Eat and Something to Read'
Nadine is a baker, writer, mother and big-thinker and today she shares what she's been eating and reading in our fortnightly Q&A. Get ready to add some new books to your wishlist!
Nadine Ingram is a baker, businesswoman and big hero of mine.
She firmly believes in the healing power of cake (she’s even given a TED talk on that very subject), has written one of the best books on baking (of all time) and her lemon dream cake is one of my favourite things to make, eat and give someone. I just love the way she cooks, writes, thinks and runs her business with her husband, Jonathan.
And so of course I was thrilled when she agreed to share her ‘something to eat and something to read’ answers for this week’s newsletter. I hope you enjoy them as much as Germaine and I did (and perhaps found a few more books to add to the collection - I’m definitely looking at that jam one!).
Thank you so much for reading, listening and supporting us. And as always, if you’d like access to our full archive of recipes and show notes, please consider becoming a paid subscriber for $5/month.
Have you had the great pleasure of visiting Nadine’s Sydney bakery Flour and Stone?Next time you visit Sydney, please put it on the list.
When my husband Tim and I used to do the Sydney farmers’ markets every other weekend with our venison, our stall wasn’t too far from Nadine and Jonathan’s, and we’d often do a little swap which meant we’d go home with a creamy white box of lemon drizzle cake for later and share their iconic panna cotta lamington’s with coffee for a market breakfast. They are such happy memories, and I love that I can still follow along with Nadine’s story thanks to Instagram and buy her lemon drizzle cake when in Sydney.
Here are Nadine’s answers to our ‘Something to Eat and Something to Read’ Questionnaire. We’d LOVE to hear your answers to any of the below or just thoughts, comments, anything! Please comment below if you’re happy to share…
Q: What was the last book you read and loved:
David Whyte ‘Consolations'. If you don't already know David Whyte, you need to!
A friend of mine leant me the book and it has changed my life because it put me in conversation with David Whyte's philosophies and poems.
David talks about the conversational nature of reality and how every day we are interacting with one another both visibly and invisibly and that we are even continuing conversations with loved ones who have passed on.
Through his words I have found a place to go in my heart, making sense of all those things that previously had the power to unsettle me. His poems have grounded me, in fact sometimes I think he is beside me.
He’s currently doing a series of online talks, and 'Three Sundays in May’ in particular was so beautiful. He spoke of the necessity for us all to REST and even the way we rest in our enduring relationships, the ones that last the longest, the ones where you are happy just bearing witness to one another rather than trying to change one another. This was a great lesson for my marriage!
Q: What was the last meal you paid for or made and LOVED? And why?
Mr Ingram cooked me a lavish birthday feast for a group of my friends and I recently. Veal saltimbocca and a table groaning with vegetables such as Jane Grover's corn with chive and paprika butter, Belinda Jeffery's carrots with macadamia and feta crumble and a miso cauliflower from Neil Perry's last book, dauphinois potatoes and soft polenta.
It was both the company of the evening and the love he cooked the meal with that made it so special.
Q: What’s your go-to comfort read?
Nigel slater's Christmas Chronicles. The man is a magician with words. He truly transports you.
Q: What’s your go-to comfort food?
Apple and berry crumble with lashings of double cream. My mother in law used to make the best crumble. I think crumble is one of those things everyone else makes better than your own. I think it's the intention of baking that is experienced in receiving.
Q: A cookbook you are cooking out of at the moment?
Five seasons of jam by Lillie O'Brien from London borough of jam
I love the botanical and herbaceous quality of her flavour combinations. I make her Kumquat and brandy marmalade at F&S and substitute the brandy for Armagnac. It's amazing!
Q: You get to invite 4 of your favourite writers over for dinner; who are they, and what will you cook for them?
Nigel Slater
David Whyte
Maggie beer
Julia Child
I'd make them a big fluffy buttermilk sponge cake filled with mascarpone custard and lots of baked champagne strawberries, rhubarb or maybe preserved quinces.
Thank you so much Nadine for sharing your ‘something to eat and something to read with us’! We will be back in a couple of weeks with our next episode. In the meantime, you can catch up with the full archive of podcasts right here.
Have a lovely weekend. Sophie x
I admire Nadine in so many ways, this was really lovely to read and I can’t quite believe that I do not own any of Nigel Slater’s books!!! That well and truly needs to change
A divine insight and all those book choices! Where do I start? Thanks for sharing x