abby

i lived in malawi until i was 14 and grew up eating homemade food made with seasonal ingredients.

we grew a vast range of fruit (mangos, bananas, peaches, passion fruit, papayas, strawberries, pineapples, mulberries) and vegetables (carrots, sweet corn, peas, potatoes, brussel sprouts, cabbages, beans, potatoes, gem squash).

we kept chickens for their eggs, and mum would shop on a daily basis (food shortages meant you never knew what would be available). we also received regular supplies of otherwise unavilable “exotics”, such as chocolate and dried fruit, via visitors from other countries.

moving to the uk and encountering processed food for the first time at 14 was a real shock. i feel very fortunate to have always eaten homemade food and to have the confidence to cook. i’m particularly lucky because I also enjoy cooking!

since graduating from oxford university, over 10 years ago, i have mostly worked in the not-for-profit sector in london. increasingly however, i’ve been keen to find a way to link my passion for food with my career.

in 2005 i decided that studying nutrition might be the way forward and enrolled on a couple of courses, which would enable me to work with people as a nutrition advisor. having completed those courses i’ve decided to continue studying – in october 2006 i started studying part-time for a 3 year degree in nutritional medicine.

as well as blogging about the food i cook and eat, with the aim of sharing my passion for food as well as some simple (and not-so-simple!) recipes that you might enjoy, i have started writing about healthy eating at the daily tiffin.