About

Hiya I’m Jodie, Jods or JJ …… One sec, let me check my bread.

I’m forever running around the kitchen, with pots of water bubbling vigorously on the hob, the beaters of my Kitchenaid whisking meringues manically, whilst a loaf of bread is proving, and there’s a cake in the oven, rising nicely.

When I was 7 my family up and moved to a very small mountain village in France. We had no TV and very limited access to the outside world apart from our local school. So, as a way to entertain myself I began cooking, mostly sunken cupcakes and burnt popcorn (I can assure you, I have improved since then). I realised that cooking was something I really enjoyed and, as the years passed, something I became relatively good at. We moved back to the UK when I was 14 and at 17 I got my first ‘proper’ job in a kitchen. I say proper as I had worked in a pub before but I don’t really count using the microwave to heat up pre-brought food as cooking. I worked in the pastry section at the renowned Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath, where I learnt sugar work, how to make plated desserts, and where I made a lot of bath buns. Weekends were spent helping out at the Bertinet Cookery School where I learnt to make real bread, the Bertinet way. It enthralled me, and I knew that cooking was a career I wanted to pursue. It may have slightly jeopardised my A-levels grades though, and at one point my mum had to ban me from the kitchen. I sat my last exam (thankfully passed), and the day after I became full-time pastry chef.

Once they were satisfied that this wasn’t just a hobby, my parents decided to enrol me in the 3 term chef’s diploma course at Leith’s School of Food and Wine. Probably the best decision ever made. We started with hummus and knife skills and finished with a 3-course plated dinner party for 4 – with consommé-making, game-cooking and egg-coagulating in-between.

The thing is – I’m veggie/vegan and my whole family’s veggie and have been for over 4 years now. So during my time at Leith’s there were some points where I just had put morals aside and just get on with the cooking, boning or filleting of animals, in order to have the knowledge and ability. Now I have graduated I am doing more of my own thing – who needs cruelty when you have so many delicious varieties of fruit and veg? Don’t worry, I won’t force my beliefs and lifestyle on you and in return I ask that you do the same to me. That way everyone is happy.

Right – I have the tendency to waffle on so I’ll get to the point – why have I decided to start a blog? It’s primarily because I have promised so many people recipes over the years, but it’s also a way to keep me, and hopefully you entertained. After a lot of confusion and editing I think Ive figured out how to work this website.

All the recipes will be vegetarian, if not vegan, but I will also include posts about my Dad’s vegetable garden with updates on what’s growing and when, and if I’m lucky, his much guarded tips. There will be plenty of pictures, especially of my dogs, and posts about; my travelling, the people I’ve met and who have played such a large part in my upbringing and maybe just some thoughts on life along the way.

I can’t guarantee that I will post daily, and some recipes may be so simple that they can’t even be considered a recipe, but I hope that you enjoy them!

Bon appétit!

https://www.instagram.com/jodiecox_food/

Meanwhile, be sure to check out my Insta for some cute pics of my dogs, Binkie and suki and maybe the odd pic of my food.

PS. Please excuse any typos.