Kate Humble reveals the one piece of advice she ignored before writing her first cookbook Home Cooked

Virgin Radio

7 Feb 2022, 15:16

TV presenter and farming expert Kate Humble joined The Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose on Sunday (6th February) to discuss the release of her very first cookbook Home Cooked, and why she went against the naysayers to put her own seasonal recipes down on paper. 

The Springwatch veteran has been at the front of many of our nature programmes, and now she’s turning her attention towards delicious yet simple cooking anyone can do from their home.  

The book was inspired by Kate’s rural life back home in Wales, and while her recipes have proved popular with her TV fans, the presenter and her publishing team weren’t so sure

She told Graham: “The only talking to I got when I came up with the idea of doing a cookbook was don't do it at all. I make very simple things and I was asked by Channel 5 to make things on the telly which is an entirely different thing to making them in your kitchen, it's quite scary and chaotic.

“I thought I'd just cook the stuff that I cook at home. Mushrooms on toast is in there and little discoveries like you can make an amazing cake with a jar of marmalade and chocolate, what's not to like about those two things. In one saucepan, no washing up, nothing.

“People kept saying why don't you do a cookbook, I thought why not, I'll give it a go. And then my publisher said no, don't. I ignored her clearly because here it is.”

It wasn’t an easy road to get the book looking and feeling like a glossy and professional cookbook, and Kate let Graham into the somewhat stressful morning that photographer Andrew Montgomery walked into. 

Kate explained: “It was about March I think and we were lambing. I'd spent two hours trying to pen up a ewe that had given birth and then didn't want anything to do with her lamb at all. 

“I'd been chasing around for 2 hours, finally get her in a pen, finally get her lamb with her…everything's marvellous. Wretched London photographer comes in and goes: ‘Oh look at that lamb, it's brilliant, I'm going to take a photo.’ He opens the pen, ewe bolts, and I say something I'm not allowed to say on Virgin Radio."

Despite the drama, Kate was pleased with the final result, and called it a ‘really beautiful job', but still doesn’t believe she’ll be chasing Nigella Lawson for a coveted spot on TV cooking shows. 

“Not unless anyone wants to watch someone basically just making a mess of everything, I don’t think Nigella has anything to fear.” Kate added. 

Kate Humble: Home Cooked is out now in hardback.

Listen to The Graham Norton Radio Show every Saturday AND Sunday from 9:30 am on Virgin Radio or catch up on-demand here.