Home economist and food stylist
What do you eat for breakfast?
A bowl of homemade granola with fresh fruit from the Grainger Market and Greek yoghurt.
And your go-to guilty pleasure?
A fruit scone with jam and cream, and I’m gutted if it’s not a good one as it’s so many calories! My favourites are from John Lewis in Newcastle.
What would be your last meal on earth?
I’d definitely get somebody else to cook it! I’d go for a tasting menu with wine flight from either Hjem in Wall, Northumberland or The Black Swan in Oldstead, on the edge of the North York Moors.
What can I find in your home fridge right now?
There’s always loads in there, often for recipes I’m working on – like the 12 massive bunches of watercress in there at the moment. I’ve been cooking a different recipe every day since the start of lockdown, so there can be everything from duck to lamb in there, along with tons of fruit and vegetables.
Which ingredient would you have if you could only choose one?
I’d choose eggs because you can do so much with them.
Which is your most important piece of kitchen kit?
I love my KitchenAid stand mixer. I have loads of attachments for it and use it for everything from cakes and bread to juicing and mincing. It’s one great piece of kit and it looks good too.
What’s your favourite cookbook?
The Constance Spry Cookery Book was on the reading list at university and I still use the second-hand copy I bought in 1981. There are no pictures in it, but it’s full of practical information and technical instructions; it’s just really useful.
What’s your favourite dish to make at home?
We’ve got a pizza oven in the garden, and I love to put a dish in there and just leave it. One of my favourites is lamb kleftiko – shoulder of lamb with sweet potato, rosemary, cinnamon, lemon and garlic. Served with Greek salad and flatbreads, it’s a brilliant party dish.
What’s your most important piece of advice in the kitchen?
Look after your knives and don’t put them in the dishwasher; just give them a wipe with a soapy cloth and dry them right away.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a home economist and food stylist?
It would definitely be in food – I’d probably be a home economics teacher.
If you only had £10 to spend on food, what would you buy?
I’d use it economically and get at least a couple of meals out of it. I’d get some eggs, a ham hock, potatoes, leeks and a little treat with some good parmesan. With that I’d make a frittata with some peas and mint from the garden for lunch followed by a ham hock pan haggerty for dinner.
Who is the greatest cook ever?
It has to be Mary Berry – she’s a home economist like me, she really knows her stuff, her recipes are uncomplicated and I go back to them all the time because they work really well.
www.jillweatherburn.co.uk
