The food we love - Natalie Gerrelli

Food has always been at the heart of Natalie Gerrelli's homelife. From childhood memories filled with the aromas of her mum's homemade bread at teatime and purple-stained fingers from blackberry picking in the autumn right through her career as a development technologist at herb and spice specialists Schwarz, she has made the kitchen very much the heart of her home.And now, using her three girls as willing guinea pigs for her recipe creations, Natalie has pulled all that experience and affection for creating dishes into her first cook book, The Food We Love.The book is full of recipes for dishes that she has enjoyed making in her kitchen for family and friends; a keepsake for when her girls fly the nest, and as a reminder of home and of the food they all love. The book is an alluring and comforting keepsake, full of the kind of dishes you'll cherish and cook from again and again. ChaptersGood MorningBreakfast & Brunch; BakedBiscuits, Cakes & Breads; It's a Soup Day; OutsideSalads & Picnics; Perfect Pasta; SpicedFlavours from Afar; ComfortFood for Cold Days; PuddingThe Perfect EndingBased in Wirksworth in and amongst the rolling hills of Derbyshire, Natalie has always been an avid reader of cook books, and loves nothing more than taking her favourite recipes and tweaking and adapting them to put her own mark on them. Meanwhile, her love of travel sees familiar British flavours influenced by trips to the Mediterranean and the Americas while her experience eating in north African restaurants has also been a major influence. Among the recipes featured in The Food We Love are:Chocolate Chip & Banana Drop Scones; Italian style Plum Cake, Spaghetti with sardines, fennel and lemon; Poached chicken with green lentils, watercress and mustard dressing; Brown sugar meringues with orange scented berries and cream."I love food and so do my family. Food is never far from our thoughts. Mealtimes are important occasions throughout our days, months and years. Sometimes it's a quick pit-stop between work and play, at other times a welcome recharge with friends and family. It is always my aim to create food that is appealing, tasty and nourishing for all of us."Natalie Gerrelli