Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - Bonus Episode: Nadiya Hussain

Episode Date: December 9, 2022

What a lovely morning of coffee and cake with the divine Nadiya Hussain! Thanks to L'Or & Acast, we returned to Spring Studios for a special recording as part of the Secret Podcast Experience. The baking Queen Nadiya spoke to us (and a wonderful live audience) about the secret to the most delicious brownies (instant coffee!), what it’s like being part of a huge family, feeding 3000 people at her wedding, how she secretly entered the Bake Off, baking birthday cakes for everyone she knows & her questionable last supper (instant mash and tomato soup anyone??). Thank you Nadiya for being such a fantastic guest and speaking so candidly. It was a really inspiring morning. Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Table Manners. We are at Spring Studios again for the Law Secret podcast experience and we are about to get our coffee on. We're about to have a coffee and cake morning with Nadia Hussain. Now the people in the audience, we're going to have about 50 people, they don't know who's coming. Well they're in for a treat. Absolutely, a sweet treat. A sweet treat. How are you mum? I'm okay darling. I went to bed. They don't know who's coming. Well, they're in for a treat. A sweet treat.

How are you, Mum? I'm okay, darling. I went to bed... You've had glam this morning. How do you feel about that? She's got her extra eyelashes on. Yeah, I've got my extra eyelashes on. Can't move my eyes. I feel like I've got something in them.

But I went to bed an hour later than you. You stayed the night at mine. Yeah. But I actually don't feel tired today, so maybe that's the key, going to bed early. Maybe you just need to live with me. No. Okay. So, yeah, we're going to bed early. Maybe you just need to live with me. No. Okay.

So, yeah, we're going to be chatting for a coffee morning. Yeah, a group of 50 people. It's going to be slightly different to our last time in Spring Studios. I think slightly more tame. Smaller. Smaller. More intimate. Intimate.

Yeah. Gorgeous. A good way to cheer up this miserable day. Yeah. Nadia Hussain coming up on Table Manners Live with Law Coffee and ACAST. Hi, how are you doing? Hello. Hi. How are you? Are you all skiving work? Is that what happens? This is a really special live episode of Table Manners, created in partnership with Law and ACAST for the Secret Podcast Experience.

How are you feeling, Mum? I'm all right. I've just had a lovely cup of coffee. We're about to have another one. Has everyone else had coffee yet? Has everyone had coffee? Have you eaten? Have you eaten? I've never had coffee overnight oats. Did you try that?

Oh, you're looking. These two at the front, you're like, Ydych chi wedi eu bwyta? Dwi ddim wedi cael oed yn y coffi yn ystod ystod ystod ystod ystod. Ydych chi wedi ceisio hynny? Ydych chi'n edrych ar y ddau hyn yn y ffwrdd, ac rydych chi'n meddwl, Nid, nid ydym wedi ceisio hynny. Gwnewch yn ôl yno, ceiswch hynny. O, na, overnight, Law, coffee oats and candy, pecan, walnuts. What else have we got? Coffee, Law, coffee and hazelnut butter meringues, gorgeous. Strawberries hand-dipped in a selection of chocolate. Now, Law masters in coffee and we have a very special

master of her own kind of, well, she's amazing. We couldn't have anyone more perfect to go with the coffee. We've wanted her for ages. We're not going to say who it is yet because we've got Deepak. Where are you, babe? Are our coffees ready? Thank you, love. The barista. Now he's going to take us through.

Have you all got your drinks? Does anyone need top-ups? Who opted for what? I just had a flat white regular milk. Delicious? How many oat milkers do we have in the oil? Oh, God. Guilty. Right, okay.

So what did you go for? I went for an oat flat white. It was delicious. Great. Who's not done a flat white? Come on. Oh, hands up, clouds. Oh, just straight black.

On the hard stuff, black Americano. How's it feeling? Oh, it's good. Great. Hit him hard. Hi, Deepak. Sorry, come on. Everyone, it's good. Great. Hi, DFAT. Sorry, come on. Everyone, welcome DFAT.

Wow. Good morning. Good morning. Welcome. And I thought that given, of course, that we're here today with ACAST as well as Law, that it would make sense to begin by serving you up some delicious coffee. So, first of all, I had an important question. Does this count as being a guest on Table Man? I mean, sure. Pull up a chair. Have you got

juicy details for us? That's all we need. Juicy is probably the wrong word, but I've got some delightful coffee. Okay, fine. Come on then. At the very least. So let me walk you through it. So Lenny, for yourself, we've got a flat white. This is made, here you go. So, Lenny, for yourself, we've got a flat white. Thank you. This is made... Here you go. No milk, darling. Sorry, there you go. No milk.

No milk. Thank you, darling. So, flat white, regular milk. It's made using our ristretto blend, which is inspired from the markets of Sumatra. So you'll notice that there's quite an intense, yet bold flavour that cuts through the milk. Come on, drink it.

That's the one I normally use, ristretto. And then for yourself, we've got an Americano. Okay, thank you so much. So the Americano is made using our very... There you go. And the napkin. Our very popular Columbia blend. That's great.

It's great. Perfect. You might notice some citrusy notes at the end. It's got quite a bold flavour. And then, of course, you've got, I believe, a lovely guest who's coming in. Yeah, yeah. Put that there for her.

And these coffees are available with the Law Sublime and Compact coffee pods, which people can, of course, use in the comfort of their own home. And I just, on that note, hope that you enjoy the coffees that you've got here. There's been a lot of work that's gone on with and from the Law coffee artists. And without further ado, I'll let you crack on. there's been a lot of work that's gone on with and from the Law Coffee artists. And without further ado, I'll let you crack on. Before you go, how do you take yours? How do I take... Oh, great question.

I like it, like the gentleman in the audience, I like an Americano with a Columbia blend. It's fantastic. And then as it gets towards the afternoon, a little bit of milk. That's me too. Yeah, exactly. Absolutely. Thank you. No worries., too. Yeah, exactly. Absolutely. Thank you. No worries.

You're welcome. Thank you. Okay. Shall we get on with this live podcast? Okay, so do you want to introduce this amazing person, which couldn't be more perfect for this morning? Well, we've been trying to get this person on our podcast for years because she's such a perfect guest, I think. I think she's going to have lots to tell us,

particularly about baking. That's a clue. Won the Bake Off once. Now a star of BBC television. Like writes a cookbook every week. Writes a cookbook every week. Is absolutely the most gorgeous person. And she really

is master of her craft. I think that's her coffee cake. That's her coffee cake that's in a new cookbook. Any ideas who it might be? Nadia. Yes! Let's welcome Nadia soon. Thank you. Oh, hello. Hi.

Hi. We've got your coffee. Thank you. Cake on here. Yes. Tell us about it, Nadia. So this is a Dalgona coffee cake. And Dalgona became really, really popular.

It was one of those things during the lockdown when everybody was making sourdough. Dalgona became a thing. And it's so simple. It's equal amounts, instant coffee, sugar, and water. And then you just whisk. That's it. Oh, this is the one that was on TikTok.

Right? Yes. Did anyone make it out here? I bet they did. Everyone, yes. Oh, my God. Get up. Get up. Come on. Come on. Let's talk about it. Oh, this is the one that was on TikTok. Right? Yes. Did anyone make it out here? I bet they did. Everyone, yes. Oh, my God. Get up. Get up.

Come on. Come on. Let's talk about it. How did your Dalgona? Is it Dalgona? Dalgona. Dalgona, go. I'm not going to lie.

It was amazing. Wasn't it amazing? It was really good. I went through a phase of doing it every morning. Well, I'm making cakes every morning. No, it just goes on top of your coffee. So like on top of milk. It's very good for you, though. What's your name? morning. No, it just goes on top of your coffee, so like on top of milk. It's very good for you, though.

What's your name? Charlie. Hi, Charlie. Hi. Do you want a piece of cake? Have you tried the cake? No, I've not, so I will try it. Do you want to take a piece of cake? Yeah, thank you.

Yeah, don't worry about it. Take that napkin. No, Charlie, go. Enjoy. Just like you, Charlie, my husband was having it every single morning, but he was running, so there was a, yeah. So he was running and husband was having it every single morning. But he was running, so there was a, yeah. So he was running and he was having it every single morning. But he had it and then he said, oh, that tastes quite good on cake. And I was like, right.

So the top bit is the, okay, sorry. Yeah, and then I thought, well, I can do the cake bit. I'll do the cake bit and then undo that bit. And then it just, yeah. Oh, my God, it's so god yeah so gorgeous simple it's light so light and simple it just works really well just say it again it's coffee sugar equal amounts of instant coffee um and it has to be instant coffee um and sugar and water and then you just whisk that don't i mean i was really cruel the first time because we i have a handheld whisk and a

stand mixer but i said to my husband you just whisk that for me, please. And then he was like, he was there hours later. Sometimes that's my form of punishment. It's like just... Can I talk to you about whisking, actually? Yeah. Why? Can we?

Let's talk about whisking. No, but why does cream sometimes take forever to whisk and sometimes it doesn't? Is it about room temperature? Sometimes it's temperature. So often it can be like when the kids are making something, I buy them whipping cream. So it's got extra ingredients in there that help it to whip up faster. Oh, I didn't know that.

Yeah, so... Are you making them do the hand whisker? Yeah, yeah, sometimes. Takes longer. Yeah. Oh, yeah, that's a good idea. You know, sometimes I've got angsty teenagers. Yeah.

I've got 16 and 15 and sometimes they need to they need to let off that steam somewhere so i'm like just i'm sure there are other ways of letting off steam um but i was like just why don't you just whisk that for me and then just leave them to it so sometimes it's temperature so if you're if your cream is has been set out too long and it's not straight out the fridge it takes longer to whisk okay so always straight out the fridge okay fine great this is really good thank you Mae'n cymryd hwyl yn hir i'w gwisgo. Felly bob tro ar y ffrid. Iawn, mae hynny'n dda iawn. Diolch. Pan rydyn ni'n cofio gyda coffi, rydw i'n arfer ddefnyddio

un o'r fath o espresso neu instant. Pan rydyn ni'n gwneud y bwyd no churn cappuccino, sy'n hyfryd. Dyna espresso. Beth arall wyt ti'n ei wneud gyda'ch mousse? Rwy'n rhoi'r mousse? I put in chocolate mousse. I also use it in banoffee pie.

Oh, nice. In the cream on the top of the bananas. It just is delicious. Yeah, yeah. And it makes a nice colour. Yeah, it does. Tell everybody how often you bake. Oh, I bake every day.

I know, I know. It just, it seems ridiculous, but I still bake every single day, even though every single cookbook that I write, I test every single recipe. And now I'm really lucky in that I'm at a point in my career where I can, if I wanted to say, you know what, I'll get somebody in and we'll get them to test the recipes.

But for me, it takes away the love of what I do because I love the fact that every single recipe that other people make in their own homes started off in mine. love the fact that every single recipe that other people make in their own home started off in mine um and so I test every single recipe at home but honestly my husband does think I'm a woman deranged when I when I when I've done like tested six recipes at home and then I clean up I mop and everything and then I make banana bread and he's like just because down yeah it's just like... It's just a, like, cool-downer. Yeah, it's just like... That's like, you know when you're working out

and you need, like... You've worked out... Yeah, stretch. Yeah, and then that's the stretch for me. It's like... It's like, let's just make some banana bread. And he's like, yeah, but we've got to also eat everything else that you've just made.

Yeah, do they... Have your children rejected your bakes? Or are they still like... Are they like, mum, what have you got for me today? They're 16 and 15-year-old boys, right? And I'm just saying they're eating me out of house and home. So there is nothing I cook right now that they're like, oh, we don't want that. But when I am testing, because I'm sometimes testing,

I could be doing like a cake and I would need to test that three or four times before I'm completely sure that it's ready to go to the next stage to be tested by somebody outside of the house. I have a wheelbarrow. It's a clean wheelbarrow. It's a clean one that I bought specifically for this and it's got no cement or anything on it. So what I do is I stick everything in the wheelbarrow

and I text my neighbours and I knock on their doors and I'll say, you know... Oh, like Meals on Wheels? Yeah. They must love you. You must be the best neighbour. I don't know. If they're on a diet, sometimes I feel them twitching their curtains, oh, she's back again.

With a wheelbarrow. There she is. It's that time of year, she's back again with a wheelbarrow. But I do... Because sometimes I... I might test a fish and I might test it three, four times. But I am also not a waster. I hate wasting. I think waste is a terrible, terrible thing. And I just, I'm really, really conscious of food waste in the food industry.

And I think often I watch things just get thrown into the bin. And honestly, it gives me nightmares. I hate it. And so I just, what I do into the bin. And honestly, it gives me nightmares. I hate it. And so I just, what I do is I kind of pre-warn. I pre-warn my neighbours and say, look, so I'm doing fish and there's probably going to be four. Would you like me to cook your dinner tonight? And they're like, yes, please.

And so I just turn up. Is this unlike the group WhatsApp that was like established during lockdown? Well, you know what? House prices in Milton Keyes have suddenly gone up a little bit perhaps on her road but yeah we just it just became a thing I've always been a sharer so I always kind of share my food whatever I make um and but it just became a thing that I I've always done and I've done it for the past six or seven years and my neighbours just know but is there a thing like you know when there's a doctor in the family and everyone goes, can you just have a little

look at my... Yeah, yeah, yeah. Are people like, can you just do that birthday, that fifth birthday cake? I do all of my family's birthday cakes and there's 24 of us. So... Wow. Yeah, that's on just my side. There's 27 on my husband's side. But you don't do his side?

Occasionally. Only the ones you like. Listen, just to give you a scope of how big my family is, I'm one of 67 grandkids. 67? Yeah. I mean, I don't know the last 15. I know. I don't know the last 15.

I mean, they all started to look the same now. All of them. Some of them look like my kids. So do they think you're slacking a bit, only having three? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, yeah, because I'm one of six. My husband's one of seven. So when I stopped at three, I remember Abdel's grandma saying to me,

she just made this gesture, which is a bit rude. Just do the gesture. Oh, my goodness. A little bit rude. Let's take it back to your childhood. You're one of six yeah what was meal times what were meal times like um and um and what were you eating what's a really memorable dish were you born in Luton yeah so I was were you all born in Luton I love that were you all born there

yeah so we were all born in Luton and my parents are immigrants so they came over when they were quite my dad came over when he was young and mum was 17 or 18 why Luton I don't know it was the place to be it was the place to be back then perhaps I don't know I don't know there was a Vauxhall factory and I think that's where everyone wanted to work so my granddad came and that's where he worked um and yeah so my parents came over and then they got, and they had us, and we kind of lived on the same street forever. And I always remember it because it had a train track at the back, and it rumbled every 20 minutes, and you could hear the stones hitting your bedroom windows. But mealtimes for us, I grew up in a house where mum is an amazing cook. I don't know how she does it.

Her hand's tied behind her back, and she can make anything taste. Everyone says that about their mums, though, right? They're the best cooks. I don't know how she does it. Her hand's tied behind her back and she can make anything taste. Everyone says that about their mums though, right? They're the best cooks. I don't know, has anyone got a terrible mother cook in the audience? There's always one. There's always one. There's like a, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Right, okay. So I grew up with mum who is an amazing cook, my nan who's an amazing cook. Was she living with you, your nan? Yes, she lived down the road, but then she kind of would live with us. I mean, we were definitely raised by my nan and my mum and my dad

because my nan, I had two siblings that were quite poorly, so they'd spend six to eight months in hospital a year. So my nan would just take over like nans do. Was that your mum's mum? Yeah, yeah. She's still around, 96, and doing really, really well. And she's just, yeah, she's a force to be reckoned with. So honest.

Yeah, yeah. What was the gesture again? No. No, no, no, no. That wasn't her. Oh, the other one. Oh, wow. Yeah, it was, no, maybe No. That wasn't her. Oh, the other one. My husband. Yeah, it was, no, maybe off. Okay, later.

But we grew up around delicious food. And my dad ran restaurants his whole life, which is what he kind of went into, which lots of Bangladeshi immigrant men tend to do, is go into the restaurant trade. So he can cook as well? Oh, he's an amazing cook. My dad's an amazing, he's adventurous.

So my dad will try new ingredients and new things. Whereas my mum's very much, she knows what she knows and that's what she enjoys and that's what she's really, really good at and she can do it with her eyes, you know, she could do it with her eyes shut. But we grew up around two very different cooks. Like dad's quite dynamic and he was quite adventurous

and he would try new things and mum's the complete opposite. And mum hated us being in the kitchen, so we'd go, yeah. I think for her, because my mum doesn't like cooking, which is really interesting. Do you not like the same? No. You really don't? No. I mean, I think I can cook, and I'll do it properly, but it's not a joyous occasion. I'll know it when you hear the podcast, how sick to death she is of cooking. I salute bakers because I have no time for it.

I think baking is more like chemistry than it is cooking. You can do both. Yeah. Don't you think? Because you've got to get the ingredients exact. For sure. I think there's a nervousness around baking because it's so exact.

Because it's very exact ingredients, there's different stages where you can put things in. You can't just throw it in and experiment, can you? Well, you can't just bung it all in. No. I think sometimes people say, oh, I don't know what I all in no no yeah i i think people sometimes people say oh i don't know what i put and i just put everything together i don't believe them because if you do it just doesn't rise or it's wobbly in the i i've not met somebody who's who says that

you know i just threw it all in and i got a perfect cake because it is still very much you know it's still a science it's a science and and the thing is once you the thing is with it with baking is once you've got it in the oven like if you've forgotten something there's no taking it out no oh i'll just mix it doesn't work you can't you can't and i bet if you've had if you've baked and had that disaster before you're smiling but you know you can't you can't say oh i've forgotten the baking pad let me get that back you can't it's's done. Nadia, which cake could you do almost blindfolded? Because you make it so often. Brownies.

Brownies. Yeah, that's the one. And are yours chewy and crispy little top? Fudgy. Fudgy. Fudgy with that little thin veil on top. That's crisp. Yes.

Oh, my word. Because I've got kids who go, go, go, go, go, brownies are really simple. And the thing is with brownies, you can add toppings or you can add things to the batter or you can, you know, I like to layer them sometimes. And so, yeah, there's... Layer them?

And the trick to the most chocolatiest brownie is coffee. You see? Yeah. How do you like that, Lord? So that is genuinely the trick. If you want a brownie that tastes chocolatey beyond words... It doesn't bring out the chocolate. Yeah, so adding a little bit of instant coffee.

Quite concentrated. Quite concentrated. So normally in my tray of brownies, I do three tablespoons. And that feels like you're going to taste the coffee, but you cannot taste the coffee. Because once you've got cocoa in there, some sort of magic marriage happens in there while it's all mixing,

where what it does is it accentuates the flavour of the chocolate, of the cocoa, which is exactly what you want. Because if you've ever bought brownies and you can't taste the chocolate... When you can only taste the sugar, it's really disappointing. Exactly. But yes, I make brownies all the chocolate. When you can only taste the sugar, it's really disappointing. Exactly. But yes, I make brownies all the time.

My kids love them. And which chocolate? Do you use cocoa or chocolate? I use a mixture of 70% chocolate and cocoa. Can we go back to your childhood? Because I didn't get a dish from you. Oh, what dish reminds me of your mum? Because I want to know what you were eating in your dad's restaurants.

And then one at home that's just like... Dad's restaurant was very much like lots of Indian restaurants now that are catered to the Western palate. So, you know, they're not... Chicken tikka masala. Right. I mean, nothing wrong with it. But it's not really genuine. Well, it's not Bangladeshi cooking. For me, I always had a gripe with my dad and said, wrong with it but it's not really genuine well it's not it's not bangladeshi cooking so it's not

for me i always had a gripe with my dad and said why won't you put bangladeshi dishes on the menu um and he just said look it's it's this is what people eat i'm not changing that this is what pays the mortgage we're just we're just gonna quietly just sell what works um and it always irritated me because like he's got a korma on he had a cormorant there. See, I haven't even answered your question, have I? I know, but it doesn't matter. It goes off. But he would never, ever put mum's recipes on the menu. And I just couldn't understand why.

So when we'd go to the restaurant, we'd have things like king prawn butterfly, which is like that crisp. Oh, delicious. Yeah, really, really good. But like the prawn is like that big and the butterfly bit is that big. You're like, where's the prawn? Like it's a con. Right, yeah.

But for me, you know, growing up and eating in dad's restaurant was a very different experience to eating at home because dad's restaurant, it was king prawn butterflies or poppadoms. Like dad would leave the poppadom warmer on when we'd go to the restaurant and we would just like we'd call them big crisps and we just sit down and we go I have like a I have a routine where I kind of go no all the way around until I have one little baby crisp left so I still do that it's really embarrassing for the kids so precise the kids are so embarrassed when I and they're like breaking it and eating it like normal people. And I'm like... But at home, for us, I think for me,

the thing that really reminds me of being at home and reminds me of my mum is her chicken korma. Because that's the one I used to fight with my dad with. Because a chicken korma on an Indian menu has got cashews in it and it's got cream in, and it's got a bit of coconut milk in it, and it doesn't taste of anything. And I'm just like, Dad, that doesn't taste of anything. But that's what the people want.

So I was like, oh, it's so boring. What's your mum's korma? My mum's korma is quite special because it's the first curry every child in our family will put in their mouth. Oh, like weaning. That's their first curry every child in our family will put in their mouth oh like weaning that's their first bit that's the first i love it's the first thing they will ever ever put in their mouth at six months so every every cook and because we have to get them accustomed to spices um and so and it's such a simple recipe because it's onions garlic and ginger yeah and you get a little bit of heat from the ginger so the kids start getting used to a little bit of heat and it's just whole spices so cardamom cinnamon bay leaves uh maybe a couple of cloves occasionally but that's it so that is and that's

it's cooked with lots of onions is that one of your cookbooks yes i'm gonna definitely yeah yeah maybe my kids yes eat it because that's what we mean our kids on. That's the first thing we start is a chicken korma. So that's why it's always special. So when does your lot go on to the hard stuff? When do your kids go on to the hard stuff? Oh, my boys. I can't watch them eat sometimes. Oh, it's excruciating to watch.

Because I'll put spice in food. And I'm talking like I'll do a curry. And I'll put, on average, three tablespoons of chili powder. I go through chili, right, in one curry. Three tablespoons, right? Couldn't go to Nadia's mum for dinner, does she? I'd cater it for you, I promise. But three tablespoons, and that's just for me and my daughter.

And I don't like spicy food. I don't. And I mean, I'm ostracized slightly in my family for it because everybody eats spicy food. We grew up around eating lots of chilies. We grow loads of chilies. We put it in our cooking. And I'm like, I don't really like spicy.

I don't really like spicy. They give me the chili plate and they're like, you're going to have some more chili on top of what you order. I'm like, no, you're right. And they're like, what? They think it's really weird. But my boys, they chew on scotch bonnets. Oh! top of what you're all I'm like no you're right and and and they they're like what they they think it's really weird but my boys they chew on scotch bonnets oh no that's messed up it's messed up it's messed up and they don't ruin their taste buds no or not maybe not they just don't have

another one well now they go to someone's house and like someone I really love made salmon for them once forget about it and they were were being really polite, but not polite. It was so obvious. But no flavor, they thought. No, because it was delicious. But they were like, hmm. And I was like, hmm. You needed that scotch bonnet on the side.

Yeah, do you know what I mean? So it's like, this is ridiculous, but they eat such... I mean, their spice tolerance is unreal, but it makes my father-in-law very proud. Is that something to be proud of? Yeah, well, he... How hot you can take it. Yeah, well, my father-in-law would chew on scotch bonnet

while he's eating his dinner, and my eldest, Musa, will sit there and chew on it, and he's like, ah, and he'll rub his back, and I'm like, ugh. So you grew up in part of a big family in Luton, but that's not where your husband's from, is it? No, he's a Yorkshireman. He's a, yes, born and bred West Yorkshire.

And we, I lived in Leeds for eight, maybe nine years with the kids. That's where the kids were born. Did you go to college in Luton? Yeah, so I... What were you studying? I went to, so I finished high were you studying? I went to... So I finished high school. I'm very, like...

I was quite naturally academic. So I really like studying. I really enjoy reading. But I love... My kids hate it because I love writing an essay. And they're like, that's so boring. Why don't you like maths? Because you've got an actual answer.

But I went to college. I did psychology, religious studies, and English language that was it yeah and that's where I kind of started writing loads um because my English teacher would make us submit monologues every every term so we would do monologues no okay no no. But I did when I was 18. So I've always written poetry. So I've always written poetry. Even now, I write a poem a day. So I have like a thing.

You're an overachiever. I know. No, that's starting to annoy me. That's all the cake you can write poetry. That's all she's baked the cake and then done a little banana bread for a come down. So, a minute. Then she writes a poem.

Then I write a poem about it. But I do, that's just mindfulness for me. Even if it's just a couple of lines. Just take something from the day and then just write it down. Mum, you may be featured in the poem later. Oh, maybe. So you moved to Leeds.

Is that where your children are born? Yeah, so I went to college and then I actually got into university and I was going to study You moved to Leeds? Yeah. Is that where your children are born? Yeah, so I went to college, and then I actually got into university, and I was going to study psychology at university, and my parents said, absolutely no way you're going to university. Yeah, I know.

Still slightly a thorn in my side. Why? Because I was the first girl, I was the first person in our family to get into university. Yeah, but why would they not? Because it was beyond their understanding of where you should be. I think, I suppose now, as an adult, like when I was 18 and my mum said, you can't go to university, I hated her. I was really angry. I'm not an angry person, so I did what any good teenager would do, is I ignored her for a really long time and then just got two jobs, and I was never at home.

I said, well, it's like I'm going to university, but I'm not, and I'm never at home. Is it because her priority was not so much education, but that you'd have a good marriage? Yes. Is that more of a priority culturally then? Absolutely, yeah. I think culturally it was really important for me

to find a good husband and get married but even then and like even then I would because I'm one of four sisters and we are all you know that colorism is rife in our culture so here I was you know slightly tubby that's what I thought and that's what I was told all the time and with dark skin and I just thought well I'm not gonna and I was told constantly by family members it's like well you're kind of dark I don't know how we're gonna get you married so it was tough I know it's really hard for people to hear I find it quite easy one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen honestly you're absolutely exquisite and your skin color is absolutely perfect but it's colorism is something that exists within lots

of communities that people don't talk about enough. Yeah, so for my mum, I mean, as an adult, as a grown-up now, I kind of look back at my mum's predicament and think, actually, I was the first person to get into university. They're immigrants, and so they're already struggling to integrate themselves. And then here I am saying, I'm just going to go off to university and live this life away from you, away from your sight. It scared them. It was like my kids saying that they want to go off to university and live this life away from you away from your sight it scared them it was like my kids saying that they want to go to the moon you know that's

how I see it that's how it feels for me so at the time I was angry but I think through time I've learned to accept that that's kind of it's sad even now but this for me the hardest thing was when my when my brother went to university. And that's when I was like, oh, because I'm a girl. That's what it is. And that's kind of been the kind of script that I grew up with. It's like, well, you're a girl, so that's not the done thing. Or you're a girl, so you can't do that. Do you think things are changing in your community?

No, no. Well, yes, they are to an extent. Yes, they are changing a little bit. I think there are. And when I say these things, I speak about my experience. This isn't as a whole. I can't say it's the entire community. But for my family and certainly the people around me, it was.

That was the truth. You know, like you're a woman. So education wasn't what you, you didn't strive to be educated. You strive to find a good husband and have a good married life. I'll tell you an interesting thing because I was named Begum. So most girls in our community are named Begum, which means wife. So the men tend to take the father's name, but the women are mostly called Begum. And Begum means wife. My mum's Begum, I was Begum. And I remember being really angry when I found out what that meant, because I thought, well, as a newborn, why have

you given me Begum? Because is that what I'm destined to become, just a wife? And I hated the idea of being married and having a family life. I just hated it, because from the very beginning, it was just like, here you go, that's Be That's big and that's your destiny and that was it How did they feel when you went on Bake Off? They didn't know Yeah No, they didn't know how did they feel when you won Baker? Okay, so

Because they were on there at the end. My parents were the little man jumping as my dad Yeah, yeah. Yeah yeah that's my dad so I didn't tell them and I'd go to see them every few weeks and my mum said my mum called me sort of week six and said oh are you have I done something and I said why what she goes we haven't been over for weeks and and at this point I'm living in Leeds and they're in Luton I said I know but I'm really busy she goes oh okay she just assumed I was angry with her. I'm like, she's going to have to live with it for another four weeks if I make it. So I just kind of left her to it. And then I got to week nine and it was the final the following week. And then I said to my mum and dad, you're going to have to come

because I've just got to the final of Bake Off. Did they watch it? No. So then I put it on, put YouTube on. I said, so this is Bake is Bake Off to prepare them so this is what I've done and then it's like great we'll come so your mum's never had a crush on Paul Hollywood no I think she's more of a Philip Schofield kind of okay yeah she always thinks he's he's always thought he's lovely I'll have to tell her that's shipper sailed okay but But, yeah, so they came, and it's funny, because as we walk out, you walk out with your bakes. No matter how big they are, you have to kind of... What was your last bake, your showstopper?

It was my Great Fat British Wedding Cake, so... Oh, yes, I remember. And then you made it for... You did a cake for some royal... for something. For the Queen? Yes. For some royal. Rest her soul. She's forgotten her already. No, I haven't. So I made the Queen's 90th birthday cake.

But when I came out with the cake, and I'm only five foot one, so I'm looking over this cake, and I come out with this cake, and one by one we come out, and I put the cake down on the table that my parents and my husband and kids were at. And my mum's looking over this cake, and I come out with this cake. And one by one, we come out, and I put the cake down on the table that my parents and my husband and kids were at. And my mum's looking over at Tamal, and she's just like,

I was like, what's she looking at? What's she going to say? My mum has some great one-liners. She's looking over, and she says, yours is nice, but Tamal's is a bit better. Ah! I know. I know. You haven't better. Ah! I know. I know. You haven't even tasted it.

I know. I know. Anyway, I have a few thorns, clearly. This is like therapy for me. But yeah, and I was like, no problem. I was like, this is a good day. This is a good day. I'm going to ignore her today.

And then we carried on and she ate the cake. My dad was giving out the cake and stuff. And then... Was he quite proud by that by that like they were proud at that point like I mean yeah I see it was it's a serious thing and it's a big deal it's a it's a big deal yeah um and then when I won we were on the drive home afterwards and then my mom said oh it'd be so great if your brother won Bake Off. Oh, my God. I'm like, he can't even open a can of beans. What are you talking about? I was like, oh, my goodness. I was like, so, Mum, do you have a favourite child?

And she's like, no, I do not have favourites. I love you all the same. I'm like, yeah. I want to know, have you gone on to do a degree? I haven't finished my degree. I've got two modules left because I started my... So I did open university and I started when I was pregnant with my little girl who's now 12.

And I did my very first exam. I studied for it and then I was in labour and then I had to revise because I had my exam in 10 days. So I had to then have her. With your third child. Third child. So I felt like a pro. It was great.

I was like, I can do this. Degree, kid, no problem. So then I had to, but I was breastfeeding at the time, so I was like, guys, I really need to feed her. So I was feeding her. Like, she wasn't going to give me any answers. So I was writing and feeding her at the same time. So my first exam that I did, she was on me. You could have put some her, like she wasn't going to give me any answers. So I was writing and feeding her at the same time. So my first exam that I did, she was on me.

You could have put some answers on her. Well, they did open her up and check that she didn't have any answers on her. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I did, I fed her. And that for me was one of my proudest moments because as a mum, you know, postpartum and I was, you know, my head was foggy as it is. I had a baby 10 days ago. And there I was sat on my rubber ring and with a baby to feed and I was like look she'll be really

quiet she just needs boob yeah that's it nothing else so she just literally drank for one hour one hour on the other side two hours exam done so yeah so your husband's very encouraging of you, isn't he? Yeah. He certainly is not of the old school. No, no. But, I mean, he gets a lot of stick for that as well, because he's just...

Does he get in trouble? Well, I think... They think he should be a bit sterner with you. I think there are certain members of certain communities who think that perhaps he should lay down the law. Reign you in. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Keep her at home um but i think he has been amazing like he's always been really amazing and he's always been really encouraging um and we are very much like people always say you know

how people say it's 50 50 in a marriage like i'm very much of the opinion that there is no such thing as 50 50 because there are times in his life where he's only put in 20% as a parent and as a husband because he had to go off and work and provide and further his career and it's the same for both of us you know there's moments in my life where I get to go away for 21 days and go film something in some glorious place and he has to stay at home do his job so we had this really weird unconventional marriage in that so my you know I was kind of very much told that oh you know it's like we're gonna because my sister's this like we're all exactly five foot one all four of us and she's just this she's very fair my older

sister and they were like oh well look we'll have no problem getting her married so we're gonna like and they're like who's gonna and I was like I'm not gonna go Bangladesh I'm not gonna go back to Bangladesh and get married and my dad that was always an option that's like you could go off to Bangladesh and you could have the your pick of men and I'm like I don't want any of them I just want to marry somebody who speaks English and is is from this country please and that's like oh I don't know I don't know and so like I made it a thing to marry somebody who is a complete opposite of who they think I would marry and And so, like, really tall and very fair and who has a career and has prospects

and doesn't require my passport to get into the country. So, you know, like, just that's what... So what would be your parents' checklist? I think in an ideal world, they would have loved me to have married one of my relatives in Bangladesh because we marry like they're related cousins yeah um because my parents are cousins yeah okay so both my granddads are

brothers yeah my granddads are brothers same village yeah they're cousins their first cousins their first cousins so idea in an ideal world it's kind of like well there's this kind of unspoken rule that if you've got daughters and they live in this country then you know getting married to a cousin in Bangladesh means that you kind of help they can come over they can have a life and you help a family member and I was like look I love doing charity but not this way just just no I just I was very much no absolutely not going to happen I mean you're not a quiet person when you've got an opinion. No. So were you allowed to express it at all? Yes. Yes.

Yes. I'm not shy of just saying it. I'll just say it. And did your parents think that was disrespectful? Yes. Yeah. And so you had to... No wonder she wanted your brother to win.

Yeah. Shut up. Keep her quiet. But I was the one who was always asking questions. And I said, okay, well, you know what? Because I didn't get to go to university and I was working two jobs. I thought, well, they were like, well, what... What were the jobs?

So I worked as a PA for a PA for a car hire company, which I loved, because on my lunch breaks, I'd go to the mechanics and I'd sit with them and watch them fix the cars. I'm like, so what are you doing there? They're like, oh my God, she's back again. Were you baking at that point? No.

That could have been helpful. Yeah. And then I also worked for an out-of-hours doctor's service. So I'd work nights there and then I'd work days in the office after college. You were working all the time. All the time. I was never at home.

So when did food start playing a part in your life? And, I mean... After I got married. After you got married. So it wasn't a selling point, this girl can bake? No! To attract the husband? No, no, no.

Well, when I met my husband, I was like, fair, prospects, degree, job, perfect, it'll do me. And it was everything my parents never aspired for me I suppose so I was like that'll do and then what was his what were his checkpoints um I think for him he needed because he's quite religious he's quite spiritual I think for him that had to match for him that was the only prerequisite and and he had to fancy me and that was it and um our dads used to be friends years ago, and they got back into contact, and then I saw him.

Like, we heard of each other because our parents had spoken and said, oh, I've got this daughter and I've got this son. How old was he then? 22, 23 at the time. 23. And so we exchanged numbers and spoke to each other for six months. Oh, so it wasn't... Because I read that you'd only

met him once before I had yeah but you had something yeah you've got something going a little bit yeah I was I was very obviously quite a sensible 19 year old because I was asking things like what's your 10-year forecast and like do you want to have children and and you know what are the plans when are we going to buy a house I was asking really sensible questions um and then all my sense and sensibility kind of left as soon as I saw him because he was gorgeous um that was it yeah he's pretty yeah yeah he is I mean he's easy on the eyes and I just um he he always gets dms he does he gets dms yeah they're like if it doesn't work out if they're under under, he always shows me. He's like, look.

Bill, got it. I was like, shut up. But yeah, it just worked. We were very lucky, you know, six months. And then we met on the day we got engaged. It was the first time I ever saw him. And when you saw him, did you think, I've done okay? I'll have a bit of that.

Yes, he was gorgeous. Long hair, beautiful. Just this gorgeous was gorgeous. Long hair, beautiful. Just this gorgeous, gorgeous. And really well-dressed. And good shoes, good shoes. That's very important. Shoes are important. That's the first thing someone sees

when they meet you for the first time, are your shoes. So I was like, good shoes. And he had a good job. And he had prospects and all of that. And the day we got married was the second time that I'd seen him and we spent all of four minutes together in our entire life so tell me about the wedding was it a where was it it was in Bangladesh yeah oh you went back to Bangladesh

yeah so we went to Bangladesh because my father-in-law and my dad are schemers and they decided that it'd be too expensive to get married here so let's take them to Bangladesh and our entire wedding costs like six grand which isn't bad and there were less people to invite 3,000 people no the catering and you've had people sit 3,000 people for six grand what did you make there's a lot of dead cows because back because back home everything's cheaper back in bangladesh everything's cheaper and so they um and and a lot of the it's a blessing thing it's not it's not about feeding people who can already feed themselves so you feed your family members and i think in terms of family members there's probably a thousand

of them will probably family and then the other 2000, you make an announcement in the village and you say, such and such a person is getting married. Come over to give them your blessings and come and eat. And so you feed, so you feed 2000, we fed 2000 poor people. And so once the family had been fed, you just kind of let streams of people off the street, people who, you know, they take food with them. So it's 3000 people in the end, which was amazing for me although i didn't know anyone it was a blessing that for me was a wonderful way to start our married life so i i you you got into cooking when you were married yeah how when did you master the art of cooking because you you i mean you're you're a celebrated chef baker yeah personality author all of these things but when did you know that you

you had it um I think when you get to the point where you if you get to a point in your head where you think you've got it you're never going to learn anymore okay and I don't think I and that's partly probably my own imposter syndrome that doesn't allow me to feel like I have it, but I know I'm good at what I do. How many books are you on now? 17? Yeah, I think you've got it. I think you've got it. We think you've mastered the art.

Okay, yeah, okay. I was ticking them off. And I said, Jessie, she's writing one every six months, I think. Yeah, well, I've done kids' cookbooks and I've done grown-up cookbooks and I've done fiction and non-fiction, but I've done fiction and nonfiction, but I love writing. I loved writing when I did my A-levels. But for me, it's weird to hear somebody say that I'm a master at what I do, because I suppose for me, I'm always learning.

You can only be as good as how much you learn, and I think for me, I'm always learning, and you can never learn everything. But the one thing I've learned about myself over the last seven years is that it's okay for me to say I'm really learning and you can never learn everything. But the one thing I've learned about myself over the last seven years is that it's okay for me to say I'm really good at what I do. Because I think as women, and certainly as a ethnic minority, as a Muslim woman in this industry, it's really hard for me to say, oh, I'm actually really good at what I do, because you are forever doubting yourself. But I think the reason why I am good at what I do is because I allow myself mistakes. And that's whether that's cooking, whether that's baking, whether that's life. If you

don't allow yourself mistakes, you don't learn. And that's what you have to do with cooking, with baking, is you have to allow yourself to make mistakes. Because if you don't make those mistakes, you don't know how to fix them. You have to make those mistakes, especially with baking. It's just quite messy. And like you that was so beautiful and i've just ruined that but like it's it's baking is hard it's hard to do you have a in your kitchen is your your food mixer out all the time yes so you can have a kitchen aid yeah yeah if i get a kitchen aid will i be a good baker will Will you? Maybe. Faster. Faster. If you use KitchenAid.

KitchenAid, yeah. And you think those are good, Jessie? Maybe you should get one. It'll make you faster at being bad. Okay. I'm going to ask you, because I find cooking for vegetarians, vegans, a challenge. What cakes can you recommend for a good vegan cake? I do vegan brownies.

But I do them with applesauce. So you can do them with applesauce. So applesauce replaces the egg white. So it replaces the eggs. It does the exact same job, like for like, in terms of amount. Applesauce blitzed up. You can put in a brownie and you can get... Why does it make it rise?

Don't ask me the science bit. Okay, but I'm trying to work out how it can replace eggs. Yeah, but you could... Why are you doubting me? I'm just working it out, Jessica. Like for like, you can applesauce, you can do flaxseed, so you can use flaxseed

as well, mashed up with some water. That works the same as well. You might think that you can taste the apple, but you can't, because when I make my brownies, obviously I put a bit of coffee in, so you really taste the chocolate, so you can absolutely do that. But I also really, really enjoy doing a semolina cake,

so a semolina cake without the eggs, again with applesauce, but with semolina you get kind of a gritty cake, and then you make a delicious syrup that you put on top and it just soaks it all up fancy that we've got law coffee semolina squares they're vegan and gluten-free there you go yeah so and for vegetarians like i quite often make a mousse so i make like a mousse using um egg whites so not egg whites, sorry. The chickpea. The aquafaba. That's amazing.

So you drain the chickpeas and then you use the water in the chickpea and then you blitz that up with sugar and then you add chocolate to it and they make amazing, amazing meringues. Even in a can of chickpeas that have already been pre-soaked,

you get a can. Just the liquid. So you don't need to soak your own... No, none of that. Perfect. And it doesn't taste like chickpeas. have already been pre-soaked. You get a can. So you don't need to soak your own... No, none of that. And it doesn't taste like chickpeas. We need to ask you a few table manners questions. This is fascinating and I'm adoring this. We always ask

everyone's last supper. Starter, main course, dessert and drink of choice. Is it going to be all sweet? No. No. Starter. You might be slightly disappointed. and drink of choice. This is going to disappoint you. Is it going to be all sweet? No. No? Okay. No.

Starter. Why are we going to be disappointed? You might be slightly disappointed. Go on. I was going to say egg sandwich, but that sounds so... I know, it's ridiculous. I love egg sandwiches. Yeah, I do love an egg sandwich.

What, like an egg mayo? Yeah. Do you put anything sexy in your mayo? Well, I like to put... Nothing sexy. Salad cream, sorry. It's just me and me. Okay, salad cream. Okay. But what I do like to put nothing sexy, salad cream, sorry. It's just me and me. Okay, salad cream.

But what I do like to do, but this is not even the last supper. I'm just saying this because I feel I need to. It's a safe space. No, but when I make an egg sandwich, and my kids love egg sandwiches, and I remember when I was pregnant for the first time, I lived on egg sandwiches. So what I do is I do a soft a soft boiled egg and so when I lay the egg on I put the soft boiled egg in the middle and then I put the rest of the egg and then the

bread on top when you cut it you get this oozy jammy egg in the middle oh that's a start that's a start my kids my kids love that um but for me if I was going to have a starter it would be a samosa chat which is a samosa that is kind of really crispy crunchy that's chopped up and then drizzled with tamarind sauce mint sauce and bombay mix and like that's that's the kind of stuff you eat in bangladesh you know on the streets just oh just so what's in the middle of the samosa potatoes and peas okay so just delicious that's the kind of stuff whenever i make samosas and we've always got some left over, the kids are always like, shall we?

Yes. Okay, so we chop them up and then we put tamarind on top. So delicious. That's what I would have. And don't hate me. So for my main, I would have, and this is not fancy at all, but I don't care, instant mash. Don't.

Stop. Before you judge me, before you judge me. Before you judge me. Instant mash made with milk, butter, a dollop of mayonnaise. Mix that up. No, it's really tasty.

Just trust me. No, I'm going to trust you. Master, remember? I know. Yeah. Just trust me. And you can make it with proper potatoes if you want to, but I love instant mash. I love it. I don't care. You don't even know if you can still buy it. Of And you can make it with proper potatoes if you want to, but I love instant mash.

I love it. I don't care. I don't even know if you can still buy it. Of course you can. I buy it in five kilo bags. Oh my goodness. I do. I do.

I love it. It's so versatile. Really, really good. Really good for thickening up sauces as well. Oh yeah. It's just a bit of instant mash. It just thickens it up. It's like baby porridge.

Yeah, it's got it. Instant mash made fancy. So I make it with mayonnaise, milk, butter, and one egg yolk. So it gets really luxurious. And then, wait, yeah, this I don't don't be fooled. Can of tomato soup on top. Cream of tomato soup. She's holding her daughter's leg. She's holding her daughter's leg. It's in a recipe. I have it in a book. Shut up. Yes, in front of her.

It's actually in a book. That's how much I love it. Tomato soup, right? Yeah. Cream of tomato soup. Yeah, of course. Then grated cheese on top, and then you grill it. Oh, Jesus Christ.

Sorry. This is her last... Has anyone tried that one from Nadia's book? I don't know what to say. What do you call it, by the way? See, the reason why I love it, it's so good. You know when my kids are sick? Yeah.

That's what they have. That's for them. So what do you call it? I don't know. It's in your cookbook. Well, in the cookbook, it's a little bit fancy. It's like tomato soup and mashed potato. I can't remember, but it's got a much fancier name, I'm sure, in the cookbook.

But for me, that's really nostalgic. That's something that I really sure, in the cookbook. But for me, that's really nostalgic. That's something that I really... If I was going to have my last meal, that's the thing. Like on a day like today when it's down with rain, mashed potatoes, tomato soup, grilled cheese is so good. I mean, there's a lot of good components in there, so why not put them together? Trying to work it out, Jess.

I mean, my kids even go the whole hog and make fish fingers and go like that. Oh, lovely. So that's your main course yeah what's gonna be i can feel some judgment but you know what you're gonna ignore it yeah i'm it's okay okay and i'm going to give it i hear the hesitation you know okay i hear the hesitation in your voice you're 18 months old will love it yeah yeah i think he probably will. Make it, Jen. Yeah. And what else for your dessert? Well, so for my dessert, it would have to be Eton Mess.

That's my favourite dessert. Really? Yeah, I love Eton Mess. Now, do you keep it, like, straightforward, Eton Mess? Do I keep anything straightforward? Of course I don't. But for me, it's not just like a pavlova that's been thrown on the floor, really, isn't it? So, for me, Eton Mess, that's, like, my favourite dessert. There's. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg.

Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg.

Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg.

Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Mae'n debyg. Is there any extra thing that you would recommend everyone putting into your eaten mess? Or are you just going, no? So I tend to, when I make an eaten mess with the fruit, whenever I kind of mix the fruit up, I always do lots of berries, lots of different types of berries. But I go for a lemon and lime zest. So you get a little bit of...

I've never done that. It's delicious. But if I make an eaten mess specifically, and I'll do just strawberries, and then I'll do lime zest. So if you mix strawberries and lime zest, it tastes like fruit pastels. I'm not joking. You know fruit pastels are sweet? It tastes like fruit pastels. And the green one's the best anyway, in fruit pastels.

In my humble opinion. Yeah, so it tastes like fruit pastels. So that's what I would normally do, and I would always whip the cream with some icing sugar, but always put a little sprinkle of cardamom in. Oh, lovely. Cardamom's delicious in cream, so

yeah. Oh, I've never thought of it. I've started putting rose water in mine. Rose water. Which makes it taste slightly exotic. Yeah, cardamom's delicious. Okay, I'll have a go. Have a go. Drink of choice? A drink of... I don't drink. So...

Just water? Oh, my God. I'm really crushing dreams here. No, you're not. I am. You're not. I am, because on a night... I'm imagining you having a Coke float or something like that.

No. No? Okay, fine. Not that juvenile. No. Coke floats are weird. They are weird. They that juvenile. No, Coke Flots are weird. They are weird. Remember when cream soda...

Did you like it? It's called... It's disgusting. One's called a brown cow. A brown cow is the... I've been called that loads of times. Oh, no, not yet. I have, I have.

Anyway, that's a whole other episode. Drink of choice. Don't hate me. Now, I like a mocktail. Love a mocktail. Lassie? They're a bit thick. You don't know whether to chew or swallow.

That is true. They're a bit weird for me. But if I was going to... My drink of choice, if we're going to go out, or if we're having dinner, is a mocktail. So it would be a mojito.

Obviously, everyone got to know you and loved you and adored you and you're so celebrated, but do you think that food... I mean, I feel like you were a confident, brilliant person before everyone knew about you, but do you feel like food had a place of empowering you? Anyone who watched Bake Off Off anyone who knows me will know that I have not naturally like I don't before I did Bake Off I didn't naturally feel confident I think I felt quite she wasn't confident at the beginning on Bake Off near the end I was talking

back to Paul do you remember yeah I was talking back so you know I think a lot of the fact that I had anxiety really kind of suppressed who I felt like I was. So it's been definitely a learning. It's something that I've learned over the last seven or eight years. I've learned a lot about myself in the last eight years. And I haven't always been really confident. Gobby, yes. Always been gobby.

My parents will tell you. My husband will tell you. But I've not always been confident. will tell you, but I've not always been confident. And then I got thrown into this weird world of publication and media where there I was constantly being reminded that I'm a Muslim woman or that, you know, I'm from an ethnic minority, constantly being reminded. As well as being celebrated for baking, the biggest part of me was the bit that wasn't about the baking, it was about, oh, she's a Muslim woman, oh, that she's, you know, she's from an ethnic minority, her parents are immigrants, and so for me to take up that space was really hard. I was then, I turned up into this

industry where I'm not a chef, I'm not a trained chef, but I'm a cook, but I'm also come off a reality TV show, and so I really struggled with that at the very beginning, and I really doubted my own ability to do what I do. Because, let's face it, I've stepped into an industry where it's dominated by middle-aged white men. And there I was, 5'1", Muslim woman, like, hey, I'm here, and I literally forget having a seat at the table there was no table for me to sit at so it felt really hard at the very beginning but now I get to do a job that I love

which comes with a responsibility that I didn't realize I had but you've used that sensibly I mean absolutely you've opened the world up to seeing different cultures your own particular culture absolutely and it's also about the question I always ask myself is, if I don't see myself, do I even exist? And growing up, I didn't see people like me. I didn't read books with names that were familiar to me or characters that I could relate to. I didn't see someone on television like me or read books about people like me so for me I didn't exist and the biggest thing about doing this job is that I I'm creating a space where kids like me growing up now will look and say oh I do exist and that is a big responsibility and I take that on and and that's

for me that's far greater than the cooking because as much as I love what I do, I'm always going to... That is a big part of who I am and what I do, so if I can do that for a really long time, I'll be happy. Nadia Hussein, everyone, you're amazing. Amazing. Thank you. Thank you. I don't... I feel like we were just getting started.

However... I'd like to stay forever. I know. And honestly, you're an inspiration. You're amazing. You're gobby and I like it. Good. And before we let you go,

Mum has a very vital question to ask you. Oh, God, what is it? What is it? Do you like karaoke? Do I like karaoke? If you had to sing a karaoke song which one would it oh um it would be queen for sure I want one I want to break free I feel like I've been singing it since I was a teenager thank you so much for being here thank you to everyone for doing this. Thank you.

Well, I don't know whether we talked that much about food, but we talked everything else and and I could have gone on for hours and hours Nadia is unbelievable I'll tell you something darling we're having a back yeah we're doing a round two no doubt um that was inspiring so interesting I could have asked her for many a tip um just because we didn't ask this I just asked her what she was baking today because obviously she bakes every day. She's doing an apple crumble because she's got loads of apples from her mum. And I said, how do you do your topping? Am I just being a bit trying to be too healthy on the top?

Do I need more butter? Because mine never crisp. She said, yeah. She said what she does is essentially makes a flapjack recipe and puts that on top. So butter and completely indulgent. That'd be quite chewy, wouldn't it? I don't know. Well, the problem with you lot, you're not indulgent i don't know well the problem with you you lot you're not indulgent the problem with us law okay i'm still on the fence about the main course but i'm willing to give it a try uh listeners why don't you email in if you do try the

instant mash with mayo um tin of uh soup and grilled with. Please tell us if you try it. Send us some pictures. I want to get a lowdown on this and if it works. Remember Jessie, cream of tomato soup. Cream of tomato soup. No holding back. I loved her so much. I did. I think she just talked about really important issues and she was incredibly personal

and that was in a group of 50 people. She's a very open person. She's incredible. And so we're going to get her back on to talk maybe more food. Inspiring. Really inspiring. Thank you to Law Coffee and ACAST for setting this up. We've really wanted Nadia for so long.

And didn't disappoint. An hour wasn't long enough with her. No, we need another hour, darling. Her new book, Nadia's Everyday Baking, is out now. A big, big thank you to everyone who signed up for tickets and joined us at the Secret Podcast Experience show with Law and Acast. It was so, so special. We really, really enjoyed it.

If you fancy a coffee or making some delicious coffee bakes, head to lawespresso.com to shop Law's delicious coffee range. And thank you for listening. We'll see you next week.