Happy Birthday Charlotte! Charlotte’s dishing on her favourite veggie dinners, her go-to Stoke Newington hotspots and great Tiramisu

What’s your ultimate comfort food? The one thing you’d eat in your PJs on a lazy Sunday?
I love making my ‘posh’ beans on toast. Chunky sourdough as the base, then I mix together Bold Bean butter beans with a tin of plum tomatoes, tomato purée, chopped onions, loads of garlic, and a big dollop of Lamiri Harissa paste until it’s thick and glossy. Spoon it over the toast, top with crumbled feta and chopped coriander – I’m happy! Definitely posh and sounds delish!

What’s the most surprising ingredient you’ve fallen in love with? Something you never expected to enjoy cooking with?
Basic supermarket Fajita seasoning! When I can’t be bothered to balance spices myself, I’ll sprinkle it over roasted veg (especially sweet potato) and it makes everything taste smoky and delicious. But also a shout-out to that Lamiri Harissa paste again, I put it in pretty much everything I cook and it makes all my food taste awesome.

What’s your ultimate cooking hack that’ll totally level up your kitchen game?
Okay this might sound nerdy, but… reading my cookbooks like novels! Not just flicking through for random recipes. Most good cookbooks are designed to be read start to finish, like a cooking journey and it’s really helped me understand flavours, techniques and how to build better meals. Pro tip!

You have a £50 budget at the supermarket to whip up a dinner party – what’s on the menu?
With a trip to Aldi, you can throw a great dinner party on the cheap! I’d probably fire up the BBQ for a veggie grill, grab some Beyond Meat burgers, cheap burger buns, veggies and halloumi to grill. I already have all the condiments and gherkins in the pantry so we could do it for next to nothing!

We all love a cheeky takeaway now and then – what’s your go-to spot in London when you’re too tired to cook?
I just moved to Stoke Newington and the restaurants around here are amazing! I’ve got loads of recommendations, but I’ll shout out Rasa – incredible South Indian cuisine and just… bloody yummy.

Below: Rasa 

Imagine it’s your dream birthday meal – what’s on the menu, and where are you eating it?
At home with all my friends, my playlist, great red wine and a big spread of picky bits. For Eurovision this year, each guest brought a dish from a competing country (I got France) and we ended up with the most epic buffet. So I’d do something like that again, loads of variety, everyone chipping in. And two birthday cakes: one from Violet Bakery, and one from my best friend Anna. Love the themed Eurovision party!

Below: Charlotte’s French Boursin puff pastry tarts for the buffet

Are there any foodie rules or trends you think are just total nonsense? (Looking at you, gold-leaf on everything…)
Overpriced small plates – wine bars and pubs charging £5 for 3 olives. C’mon! Agreed!!!

If you could swap jobs with any chef in the world for one day, who would it be, and why?
Nigella Lawson – she cooks at home, alone and her pantry is nicer than my flat. She just enjoys the simple things and can make a piece of toast feel like the most indulgent snack. Plus I think she’d be heaven to share a bottle of wine with.

London’s packed with amazing restaurants – what’s your top hidden gem that we all need to try?!
Pizza nights at Dusty Knuckle Harringay, they’ve just brought them to the Dalston branch too. It’s honestly some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. I also went to Dalla the other night and had one of the best Tiramisus of my life, I think I inhaled it in three seconds flat. So there’s two Italian gems for you!

Below: Tiramisu at Dalla

Lastly, what is your food nemesis?
I’m veggie so… any meat or fish. Sorry!

Thanks Charlotte for sharing your love for food with a few tips thrown in! We hope you have a decadent night with friends and delicious vino!