Feel-good cooking is not just what we eat, it’s the mindset around it. A relaxed, flexible approach that encourages you to tune into what you need, what suits your mood and what you happen to have in your fridge. We catch up with Melissa Hemsley to talk about her cooking philosophy, culinary trends, and to discuss her new cookbook.

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Hemsley grew up in Surbiton in Kingston, London. As part of a busy family, her Filipina mum was always working, so when she did eventually come home she was “straight into the kitchen” where delicious food would appear but with little time and starving mouths to feed, “the kitchen was very much her domain, not ours”.

This rich heritage of Pilipino dishes (“I remember my mum as ginger, garlic and onion”) still influences Hemsley today and on leaving home she found it “extraordinary that fish sauce wasn’t a thing”. Aged 18, Hemsley went to work for a small shoe company in Bermondsey and rather than struggle with the commute home she swapped accommodation with friends for cooking. “I wasn’t very good but I started with tom yum soup and went from there.

I was annoyed that my mother hadn’t given me all the skills but at the same time grateful that I had eaten great flavourful food.”This love of cooking and food led Hemsley to ditching the shoe business and starting work as a private chef with her sister, Jasmine. Clients included Take That – “we were lucky we started with a bang”. She still stays in touch with the band today “they are such nice people with wonderful families.”

In fact, Hemsley often misses aspects of the job such as “being left alone, creating my own recipes, owning my day and the freedom”. During lockdown Hemsley has desperately missed cooking for people and the pleasure it brings. Whilst she has enjoyed cooking for herself and her partner, she is apprehensive of her forthcoming book tour where she will be back in the limelight and needing all the energy she can muster to complete the tour. She also points out that she used to “get very stressed – when people know you are a chef they expect so much more”. Today, however, her motto is “keep it simple” and if you “roll one meal onto another so be it”!

With Hemsley’s strong heritage of cookbooks, including Eat Happy and Eat Green, the incentive behind Feel Good Cooking is a culmination of all her favourite recipes and culinary beliefs. Before she wrote the book she asked herself “What do I want to live with for the next two years? It’s got to be very special – simple and with nostalgic flavours” and then when Covid hit, it was also important to include “store cupboard and freezer cooking” and food that reflected “community, connection and comfort”. Hemsley wants her food to be “hearty but not heavy”. The book embraces not just what you are cooking but the way you share and enjoy it which Hemsley believes is just as important.

Often an assumption is made that healthy food is expensive. Hemsley believes that if you group recipes together based on cost and plan meals ahead this can be very helpful. “Eating healthily shouldn’t be stressful but achievable” her suggestions include “freezing fresh food when it’s in season, batch cooking and raiding the fridge to use up left overs”. Hemsley’s top ingredients for health are leafy greens, frozen berries (cheaper than fresh) and chickpeas (good for brain health) which can be used in so many different ways. Her mantra has always been and will always be “eating healthy and eating greener”. Her other favourite ingredients include, proper sea salt as “it makes everything delicious” chocolate “who doesn’t love it” tahini “you can use it in everything” and sardines “affordable and so good for us”.

Hemsley’s advice for the next generation of aspiring chefs is not to be intimidated if you are not formally trained. Thanks to the likes of TikTok and Instagram, food and cooking is everywhere with everyone having a go. “Don’t feel limited to any one way of spreading your food message, show your passion and persevere. Write, cold call, explain your skill sets but keep it short and snappy and if people don’t respond keep on contacting them.” Another great way of getting into the culinary world is to “volunteer on charity cook books where you will meet talented chefs, photographers and stylists and may even bump into some of your kitchen heroes”.

Hemsley’s enthusiasm, knowledge and genuine love of food is infectious. Whilst her books have brought her fame and much deserved recognition, at heart she is still a Surbiton girl. When asked what her dreams are for the future, she doesn’t aspire to restaurant chains and celebrity TV shows, rather she wants to create a “community cooking space, where you pay what you can afford with any profit going to teach young and aspiring chefs”. This down to earth outlook on life and cooking can be seen by her mantra, “if it comes let it come, if it goes let it go…”

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Three-ingredient chocolate pots

These are so simple and delicious, plus they’re plant-based! If you want to make them in advance, they’ll keep for 3 days in the fridge. I love them made with just the three ingredients – hazelnut milk works particularly well – but if you want to go to town, try adding extra toppings – whatever you have in your cupboard! These are quite rich, so they happily feed six. You’ll need 6 ramekins or glasses/jars – tea cups would look lovely; just avoid delicate glasses that might crack under the hot mix.

Prep time: 20 minutes + 4 hours chilling (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 180g Medjool dates (about 10 large dates)
• 250ml nut milk
• 160g dark (50%–70%) chocolate
• A little pinch of sea salt, plus extra to serve (optional)OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
• Dollop of (plant-based) cream
• Chopped toasted hazelnuts or pecans
• Pitted cherries or fresh pomegranate seeds
• Raspberries or strawberries
• Crushed biscuits (such as ginger nut or digestive)

Method:

1. Roughly tear the dates, discarding the pits, and soak in just-boiled water for 10 minutes. Even though Medjool dates are soft anyway, this helps soften them further, which is good for any blenders that might need a helping hand.
2. Heat up the nut milk in a saucepan, being careful not to boil, and remove from the heat once it’s heated through.
3. Meanwhile, finely slice about 2 tablespoons of the chocolate to create some chocolate ‘shavings’ and set aside for garnishing.
4. Chop the rest of the chocolate and add to a blender or food processor, then pour over the hot nut milk. Drain the soaked dates and add them with the salt, then carefully blend until smooth.
5. Divide the mixture between 6 ramekins or glasses (see introduction) and chill in the fridge for 4 hours until set. Cover them if you’re keeping them there any longer, so they don’t pick up ‘fridge’ smells. Scatter over the chocolate shavings, plus a tiny extra sprinkle of sea salt, if you like, or add any of the other toppings to serve.