News & views | 8 instagram accounts to inspire you to cook

News & views

8 instagram accounts to inspire you to cook

Lockdown may have been relaxed and restaurants reopened but most of us are still cooking the majority of the time at home and in desperate need of fresh inspiration.

Worry not - you can find it on instagram! Here are 8 accounts that should fire up your culinary mojo

@dianahenryfood

Not only does Diana Henry write fantastic cookbooks* but her instagram feed features a ‘useful’ (and invariably delicious) recipe most days and explains in the most relaxed possible way how you can adapt it with the ingredients you may have to hand. Recent ones, which are cleverly tailored to the time of the week, include pasta with pistachio and ricotta pesto and chicken thighs with feta, lemon and dill (which I can personally vouch for having already made it twice!)

*most recently From the Oven to the Table

@sabrinaghayour

Actually maybe this should be Mama Ghayour, the real star of the show whose self-confessed incompetence at cooking and all other domestic skills are gently ribbed by her daughter. Sabrina’s recipe suggestions, often made with store cupboard ingredients or from her books (Persiana, Sirocco, Bazaar and Feast) are great too. There are tantalising glimpses of the recipes in her new book Simply including yoghurt and spice-roasted salmon and Persian Koobideh lamb kebabs. It's out next month so you don't have long to wait!

@honeyandco

Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer can do no wrong so far as I’m concerned. I’ve loved all their Honey & Co books but for understandable reasons they’ve recently been focussing more on their new opening Katish Katash and the mouthwatering takeaway menu from their honeyandspicedeli but the real joy is seeing them in action in their kitchen. I can’t wait to make the wonderfully simple blueberry and apple jam they've just posted. Someone should give them a TV show

@puffthebakery

If your pastry skills leave something to be desired - join the club - you may want to enrol at pastry chefs Nicole and Rav’s Puff School of Pastry. You have to pay to attend the classes but you get a tantalising glimpse of what they’re making from their insta account (personally I’m lusting after the ‘creamy dreamy Basque cheesecake and the the peach and thyme tatin) I haven’t joined yet but I’m thinking about it . . .

@roopagul

I got into Roopa Gulati’s IGTV videos through the recipes in her latest book India: The World Vegetarian which my Zoom cooking groups had tackled with great success* but love watching her in action too. It’s like hanging out with your best friend who just happens to be a brilliant cook but also has the knack of explaining things simply and patiently. If you’re feeling stressed watch Roopa.

  • her paneer and crisp-fried onions are amazing.

@rosettacostantino

Another reassuring presence in the kitchen and one I wasn’t aware of before insta, Rosetta is an Italian cookery teacher and tour guide whose feed is based on what she is cooking from her Californian garden. (If you have a courgette glut Rosetta is your woman). As a former engineer she’s particularly good on technique but also a natural enthusiast. Basically she’ll make you a better cook.

@ellypear

There is no more industrious ‘grammer than @ellypear who catalogues everything she makes both in her regular posts and her ‘Stories’. She is the undisputed queen of the fridge forage and can make amazingly delicious meals (mainly vegetarian with the occasional bit of fish) out of the most random bits and pieces. All beautifully styled too. Oh, and she’s a mean sourdough bread baker - not that I'm tempted to resume after my experiences during lockdown.)

@rocketandsquash (also top photo credit)

It’s no coincidence that the people who are good at ‘gramming are good in print too and Ed Smith (whose book On the Side I constantly refer to is no exception. Often his posts - like his goose-currant flapjacks - generously include recipes but even when there isn’t one his enthusiasm is infectious. He’s also been reviewing restaurant ‘at home’ kits too if you simply can’t face making another meal from scratch.

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