Celebrity Health – Gizzi Erskine
Images © Lateef Okunnu @Lateef.photography
Chef and award-winning food writer Gizzi Erskine talks to Your Healthy Living about her food philosophy and her passion for sustainable cooking
Q How would you describe your food philosophy?
Gizzi: I want to know that the food I am consuming and working with, both professionally and domestically, gives back to the environment, whether it be regenerative agriculture, biofuels or using natural materials within all parts of the cookery process. When it comes to my style of cooking, I’m influenced by modern technique, world flavours and the highest welfare, confidently and regeneratively grown produce I can find.
Q Last year you published the book Restore: a modern guide to sustainable eating. Can you tell us a bit about this and why sustainability is a passion of yours?
Gizzi: I think at this stage you would have to be quite ignorant to not be aware of the impending global climate and environmental crisis we are all facing. I wanted to write a book that was full of practical solutions for real people to help inform how to shop for produce and cook in the home. Thinking sustainably extends to all of the choices we make, including what we cook with.
Q Would you say that following a healthy lifestyle is important to you?
Gizzi: Honestly, what I consider healthy is balance. I’m lucky that I really enjoy food full of vegetables and I try to keep my meat consumption down, but I do still believe that life is for living and I’m not going to restrict myself from every so often having a treat.
Q What are some of your favourite healthy recipes?
Gizzi: I lived on gazpacho this summer, but I’m looking forward to eating lots of slow cooked gelatinous stews this autumn, as I believe the body needs that kind of nutrition too.
Q What would you say are your top three favourite healthy foods or ingredients?
Gizzi: I live for garlic, which is amazing for your heart and blood pressure, oily fish and good oils. I eat boquerones by the bucketload for this very reason.
Q What projects are you currently working on?
Gizzi: I’m opening my first restaurant outside of London in Margate, which is scary but exciting! I’ve also been working with cast iron cookware brand Skeppshult for years now and will be doing more recipe development with them over the coming months, including some supper clubs across the country. Collaborating with Skeppshult made total sense for me. I’d used them professionally for years because of their durability and stylishness but as I got to know them I was more and more drawn to their history and how as a brand they are driven by a real ethos of producing their cast iron ware in a truly sustainable way. We share a common ethos in understanding that the current consumerist throwaway culture just simple isn’t tenable.
The Skeppshult X Gizzi Edit of sustainable cast iron cookware will be launching in John Lewis in October.
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