This is just to say thank you again to everyone who has cooked from THE SECRET OF COOKING. It’s a third off at Amazon U.K. until dec 1st. But know I would be every bit as delighted if you got it from one of the great independent booksellers who have supported it. Or a library.

Do you remember your very first taste of plum? Headteacher ⁦@jasorourke⁩ of ⁦@washingborough⁩ recorded this three year-old trying her first plum as part of ⁦@tastedfeed⁩. She goes from fear to curiosity to joy. As discussed on the @nytopinion⁩ podcast.

Butter-poached carrots from The Secret of Cooking was recipe of the day on @nytcooking! Thank you so much to @ericjoonho for the beautiful write-up (and prodigious recipe testing) which made me see the simplicity of the recipe in a whole new light. 🙏🧡

On these cold days, I can’t say how much comfort I am getting from this book of NEW SCOTTISH BAKING from @SueHLawrence. Cheese scones, flapjacks, oatcakes, bannocks, shortbread and so much more. It would make a lovely present.

P.S. with thanks to @Booksforcooks for this lovely window display. The title recipe is Sylvia Plath's favourite cake recipe which she adopted from her mother. As the title suggests, it's flavoured with canned tomato soup as well as cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg.

On top of all his other writing achievements, Vladimir Nabokov wrote the greatest ever recipe for a soft-boiled egg. It's one of the recipes by famous writers in this little volume which I wrote the foreword to. I'll be on @BBCFrontRow tonight talking about it w/ @JLQuoVadis

Things that make me happy in the kitchen. The way a pestle sometimes rolls by itself when you put it down. As if it’s alive.

My happiest reading has all been thanks to libraries and physical bookshops. So I’m not suggesting anyone should go to Amazon in preference to those. But in case it’s of interest,THE SECRET OF COOKING is 40% off for just 2 days (8th and 9th) October.

You can toast pine nuts in the microwave! 2 mins on a plate followed by thirty second intervals until done. Also you can make these ‘semi-confit’ tomatoes with a little oil and garlic. Among many things I’ve learned from MICROWAVE MEALS by Tim Anderson.

What a joy to celebrate five years of @tastedfeed at Honey and Smoke @Honeyandco with TastEd patron @we_are_food last night. So many thanks to everyone who made it happen, especially @FranABox and to the people who came along, including teachers who are doing TastEd every week.

Taste may be identity but it isn't destiny. I so much enjoyed talking to @LoriLizarraga for @NPRCodeSwitch about food preferences, FIRST BITE (@BasicBooks) and how we can change the foods we love at any age (in answer to a question from a listener, Anton, about picky eating).