So the news is out then. I have the daunting, thrilling task of taking over from
@Fay_Maschler
as the
@EveningStandard
’s Chief Restaurant Critic. It’s an unimaginably huge honour and I honestly can’t wait to get going:
I wrote about my mum giving me Nigerian cooking lessons over Zoom. It’s in today’s Guardian Weekend. And all I’ll say is that, after a strange, challenging week for me and those like me, it was especially nice to see it:
This particular cat is finally out of the bag. I’m writing a non-fiction book. It’s called ‘Settlers: Journeys through the food, faith and culture of African London’, and it’s about the past, present and future of the world that made me and so many others:
Another thing: the Small Axe film based on Alex Wheatle’s incredible life story is on tomorrow night, and I got to speak to him for The Guardian Review. A total honour:
I spoke to BAME pub landlords about their experience and their customers and the importance of the cultural hubs they have created. Very chuffed
@guardianweekend
went for the idea:
Well then. I've been shortlisted in the Restaurant Writer category at this year's Fortnum & Mason Awards (for my ES Magazine column) and I'm EXTREMELY chuffed:
Um, I appear to have won another Guild of Food Writing Restaurant Writer Award. Absolutely wild. Genuinely wasn’t expecting that given the others on the shortlist but, yes, incredibly pleased and grateful (g’wan
@FowlMouthsFood
as well):
Home from holiday to printed proof of something I’m massively proud of. My essay ‘Mother Tongue’ is the first thing in the first issue of
@thegoodjournal
:
UPDATE: My book, ‘Settlers’, is finished and it is out on 13 October. It was such a challenging thing to do but I’m immensely proud of it. It’s available to pre-order here: . Cover reveal and all the rest to come but just very excited (📸 by
@oliverholms
)
Right then. Here’s me on taking over from
@Fay_Maschler
in a pandemic, what food means to me and, inevitably, everything I owe my mum, reigning queen of tupperwared jollof 🇳🇬👑
Thank you
@catfordlitfest
! First SETTLERS event done and it was a total blast. We completely sold out of books and my mum – in perhaps the most ‘her’ move of all time –turned up with puff-puff for everyone. Incredible. 💛🖤💛
It all feels quite grim at the minute but pleased to see this particular cat out of the bag. I’m hosting an interview podcast for
@waitrose
(called Life On A Plate) with their food editor Alison Oakervee. A total blast to record & first ep, with
@BegumNadiya
, lands on Thursday.
Can’t pretend this isn’t massively exciting. My
@OffMenuOfficial
episode is out now (features SETTLERS chat, a rule-bending ice cream sundae, and suya-induced tumescence):
No restaurants quite yet but I have written about I May Destroy You and the radical idea of black British people existing on screen as they do in real life:
Extremely chuffed, especially at the moment, to be a finalist in the Restaurant Writing category at the
@GuildFoodWriter
Awards. Lots of people I rate all over the nominees. A rare lovely thing:
Here’s a bit of why I was up early this morning. All completely normal stuff. The show starts on Monday 31st January at 8pm on Channel 4
#CookbookChallenge
'When you open a cookbook, what are you after?' -
@susannareid100
Judge of The Great Cookbook Challenge
@Jimfam
explains what a good cookbook should include.
Watch GMB 👉
Don't know what you wanted for Christmas, but here's what you're gonna get: a
@MasterChefUK
special in which us critics cook off against each other, featuring
@Jimfam
@WilliamSitwell
@leylakazim
@gracedent
and yours truly. I know. I know. it's all your Christmas wishes come true.
Chuku’s was one of the pre-lockdown reviews that fell through the cracks. I went back – I had to – and I’m very glad I did. (Feel I could write a whole essay about the genius of that egusi bowl and its aesthetic glow-up)🇳🇬
Hello sunbeam! ☀️☀️☀️ Very excited to get my mitts on first paperback copies of SETTLERS. Still extremely proud of this book and the response to it. Out 6 July
@BloomsburyBooks
💛
In today's programme
@Jimfam
talks to older men learning or rediscovering cooking later in life, maybe due to a change of circumstance or death of a partner.
Stories from Community Chef's Man with a Pan cookery course,
@ageukbarnet
&
@menspieclub
We are not quite yet at Frost/Nixon levels, but an honour and a joy to speak to
@JohnBoyega
again for
@EBONY
. They Cloned Tyrone is something special 🤖
He broke barriers as the first Black Stormtrooper in the
@StarWars
franchise, and last year he was one of the stars of "The Woman King." Now he is our second cover star for the month of June! Welcome
@JohnBoyega
🔥Experience our June cover on
#EBONYMag
My penultimate
@ESMagOfficial
restaurant column is here. It is about the new Darjeeling Express takeaway menu, food as extension of the home and the bracing genius of Asma Khan’s keema toastie:
If you happen to be up and listening to
@BBC6Music
, I’ve got a 6 Musings about SETTLERS on
@laurenlaverne
’s show at about 8.40am today. My favourite station and my favourite show. Absolutely wild 💛🖤💛
Lovers Rock is on tonight and it’s a straight-up masterpiece. Here’s my review for Empire (thanks to
@Terri_White
for the reminder/being lovely about it):
This week’s WHERE’S HOME REALLY? is here and it is with the indomitable
@Asma_KhanLDN
. Listen at the link in my bio or wherever you get your podcasts:
This week’s review is of Chishuru’s meal kit from (the very impressive) Dishpatch. Adejoke Bakare is doing something really special (e se!) and I hope her restaurant will be back soon. But, wow, this will more than tide you over 🇳🇬
Very happy to be shortlisted in the Restaurant Writer category at the
@fortnums
awards again. First time for my role at the paper. Lovely to be up against
@gracedent
and
@jayrayner1
as well, which of course means it’ll be extremely breezy when we’re next on
@MasterChefUK
together
THE
#FANDMAWARDS
2022 SHORTLIST IS HERE! 🏆🎉🥇 With an independent judging-panel comprising some of the biggest names in the industry led by
@angelacooking
OBE, the annual awards celebrate excellence within the industry. Winners announced 12th May! >
I think I had kidded myself that I wouldn’t really read reviews of SETTLERS. But the first one is here and I’m chuffed with it. “Thoughtful, cogent and admirably even-handed.” In print today and also Book of the Day online. We will absolutely take it:
We're looking forward to the arrival of
@BloomsburyBooks
Settlers, by journalist
@Jimfam
: a vivid journey into African London, its cultures, histories and connections, shining light on an energetic, creative new generation. Coming in October! Pre-order:
Using SETTLERS as a bit of a springboard, I have written for
@ObsFood
about life, death and the magic of suya. It’s a piece that means a lot and I’m very proud of it:
A conversation with
@Jimfam
& Alison for Life on a Plate for
@waitrose
- I talk about the importance of being the voice of the voiceless- why communities who are side lined need a seat at the table. I talk about my food ethos and why you will never find okra fries on her menu
Had a blast doing this earlier. Thanks to
@Darjeelingldn
for the hospitality. Apologies again to the veggies & vegans for what was basically extended brisket erotica:
Normally quite expert at contriving reasons to leave the room when I’m on TV but really enjoyed watching that back. Proud to be part of this lovely thing. Will be on All 4 soon if you missed it tonight
#CookbookChallenge
On the menu tonight, we have a festive lasagne, butter chicken and… 5-month-old sausage rolls?!
@PenguinUKBooks
’ search for their next big cookbook author with
@jamieoliver
continues tonight 8pm 👀
#CookbookChallenge
Oh hi. I do not really watch the mentions for the sake of my brain but I’ve seen a few and wanted to say thank you to everyone who said nice things about Friday’s review. Thanks also to the guy from a hotel in Dubai (?) who DM’d to say I didn’t know what I was talking about.
Here is a longer than normal, online-only column from me, trying out a few really good at home dining kits and failing to mount an elaborate lockdown cookery project because children but, also, because laziness:
Very happy to say that there’s an extract from SETTLERS in
@gdnlongread
today. It’s just one aspect of a book that looks at food, religion, education, class and many other things (with jokes!). But it gives a sense of the story I’m trying to tell 💛🖤💛:
This week it is me on London’s burgeoning sandwich hype trail, pork shoulder-filled doughnuts and the majesty of Mangal 2’s (yes, them again) mackerel pide:
New OFM with Sunday's
@ObserverUK
. Cover:
@Jimfam
on the stories behind 5 of Britain's Caribbean food stores. Cover stars: Kiera-Lorelle and Lewis Rhomes of Cinnamon Leaf Food Hall, Tottenham. Plus, top cooks' comfort food and
@NigelSlater
's early summer recipes.
Right, this is a bit exciting. I’m launching a new podcast next week. It’s called WHERE’S HOME REALLY? and you can listen to the trailer and subscribe by clicking here:
No review from me this week but there is this SETTLERS-themed piece on Black African diaspora restaurants and my long road to fully appreciating them 💛🖤💛:
🎉 The first episode of WHERE’S HOME REALLY? is here🎉
@stephenkamos
was a total delight and you can listen to the whole thing at this link or wherever you get your podcasts:
Congratulations to this year’s Bronze & Silver winners in the
#BritishPodcastAwards
Interview category
Silver : Where's Home Really?
Bronze : Masala Podcast /
@Soul_Sutras
Everything is awful at the minute. Even saying so seems trite. But, nonetheless, I got the hype-train to Hawker’s Kitchen for this week’s review and I very much enjoyed it: