Amongst the memories, and the loving anecdotes of her son, Sasha, she told me about the latest recession; how the job she was in (TV) crumbled; how people were laid off. That prompted her to take her passion and make it into something more. She completed a diploma at Leith’s, before working the long hours in a professional kitchen for Yotam Ottolenghi. Now, she is being heralded as a new food star, casting a spotlight on Eastern European food. Many recipes in the book were inspired by her family: she spent weeks chasing her mum and grandma around the kitchen with scales and measuring spoons, trying to translate those vague ‘pinches’ and passed-down ‘glugs’ into reliable recipes.