03 Magazine: September 01, 2023

“Now because everyone knows my name, it’s easy to have
a couple of wee things on the side. That’s where I see the
business going at the moment.”
The wonderful thing about Philippa’s recipes in this book
is many are traditional, basic recipes our grandmothers
cooked without the need for some modern twist or random
unnecessary ingredient. They are thoroughly tested, hearty,
basic but delicious winter warmers, both sweet and savoury.
It’s just damn good fare that most families will enjoy. Think
pork sausages, with onion and apple gravy, eighties curried
mince or shepherd’s pie. Also a delicious cauliflower cheese,
the ‘best-ever’ pikelet recipe and plenty of delicious baking like
coffee cakes and lemon loaves.
Pip thought it would be hard coming up with so many
recipes for the new book but she gets inspiration from all
over the place, including her and her husband’s grandmothers’
original recipe books and new-found friends on Instagram.
She also gets advice from fellow farmers that are cooking high
volume meals on the farm.
“I cook for anywhere between six and 10 people each day
and so the quantities are huge. And in winter they eat more
while out in the hills so a lot of the food is gone at the end of
the day.”
She knows the appeal of her cooking is because it’s easy
and homely and in her words, “is never pretty”.
Philippa sees how home cooking took a bit of a turn at one
point with the rise of shows like MasterChef and, as a result,
people were putting more pressure on themselves to make
restaurant quality dishes at home.
“I think people forgot that meals and cooking at home were
to be enjoyed for the company, the love and the banter that
goes on.”
Her recipes use ingredients that most will already have in
the cupboard.
“I think simple cooking can be the best cooking.”
Winter Warmers also offers lots of tips and tricks for
food waste, good ways to use cheap cuts of meat and
utilise leftovers.
“At the beginning of the book there’s a little food map
and so if you’ve made a big pot of mashed potatoes and
have some left over, it has three recipes you can use for the
leftover mashed spud.”
Her favourite dish in this cookbook is her cauliflower
cheese.
“The pot roast is popular. And the homemade pastry.
Everyone is scared of making their own but it’s so easy!”