5 minute read
Amanda Harrington new cook book
Thyme flies when you’re a busy bee!
by SOPHIA SMITH
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Food is a real family affair for a former Desperate Scousewife and model who has created her first cookbook
It was after the birth of her daughter Savannah which made Amanda Harrington realise she loved preparing food, setting the table, preparing the dishes, and having everyone around and putting a smile on their faces.
“I had my daughter really young, at the age of 19 I was suddenly running a home and looking after a baby. I just wanted to be a good mum and decided to enrol in a six-week cooking course at college.”
Amanda wanted to create the warm family environment she never had, and cooking gave her the foundation to do this. “Next thing you know, I’m cooking Christmas dinner for twenty people like Nigella at 19 years old!”
As if that wasn’t enough of a family link, Amanda’s grandad was a chef on cruise ships as he started off as a galley boy and worked his way up to a cook. “My nan had her work cut out with three babies, he had to work away to support the family, but it was him who showed me the basics.
She remembers how everyone had to sit around the table at dinner time in her childhood and nobody was allowed to eat anywhere else. “No one questioned grandad, thank God there weren’t any mobile phones when I was younger, he would have put mine in the bin!”
During lockdown, Amanda began posting new dishes on her Instagram page before she was inundated with requests for the recipe. The page quickly amassed over 10,000 followers. “The response to my recipes was overwhelming, I found myself spending loads of time just sending them over to people, so I decided to make a separate Instagram to put the recipes on and because of lockdown I was just cooking all the time. Everyone told me to create a cookbook, and I was unsure because I’m not a chef!” In lockdown 3.0 Amanda decided to use her time and got cracking with the book. “Soon it became this positive community, which I love being a part of and my following grew.” She explained: “I really could never have dreamt of writing my own cook book. I started posting meal inspiration in the first lockdown in 2020 as I was on a health kick and was trying to stay accountable and the response was overwhelming. I then posted a new recipe everyday and having the cooking account gave me purpose during lockdown when so many people felt lost.”
Amanda receives many photos of recipes posted being recreated, including messages of praise from people who said her cooking kept them sane during the lockdown and first-time cooks who had discovered a new passion. “The idea was to create something for busy people like me who run businesses, run a house and don’t always have the time to spend hours cooking. They’re all simple recipes and nothing too overwhelming. You can make things from scratch without needing a million ingredients.”
Amanda has also included her take on Liverpool’s famous Scouse dish, how to create a delicious Sunday roast dinner, a Spice Up Your Life section and indulgent desserts.
There is also a ‘From The Heart’ chapter which is packed with winter warmers, and there’s everything from spicy dishes to pastas, tasty kebabs, and there’s a whole section on the humble potato cooked five different ways!
“I’ve always been into cooking, but when I buy a cookbook and there’s a recipe with 25 ingredients it’s an instant no! I just haven’t got the time; I always go for short recipes and I only ever do a recipe if it has a picture next to it. That’s why I made easy, short recipes. For girls on the go!”
Over 90 recipes are included in the book which includes breakfast dishes, healthy recipes, ‘fakeaway’ dishes, and slow cooked delights. It includes cuisine from all over the world including Italy, Greece, Mexico, India, and Asia. Each dish is varied so you won’t get bored from page to page.
“The book has been a year in the making, I started it in January, and I thought it would be a simple process but it’s really not. The book has 17 chapters and over 90 recipes in.”
The kitchen queen added: “I’m a chocaholic so when I want to snack on chocolate, I make the protein balls. My favourite recipe in the book is the salt and pepper chicken and the chicken panang curry, it’s a really nice one.”
Amanda also has a business in Harvey Nichols where she sells a health and fitness machine, Zerofat. “I’ve been doing that for five years now. I also work out and walk every day. I’m always cleaning, I’m a proper business woman just trying to juggle everything at once. Now I’m busy launching the book!”
Amanda styled and designed 18 different looks for each chapter and front cover of her book. “It took me a while, but I planned out every outfit, accessories, wig, outfits, back drops. I got everything together myself. The photo of me sat on my throne with the sunglasses was my favourite look. It was going to be the original front cover but there was no food on the image. “People always call me the Queen of Liverpool so I created that look to take the mick out of myself. People’s perception of me is probably, me wearing feather gown sitting on a throne.” The book also contains an equipment and spice checklist for those starting out in the kitchen with a Liverpool restaurant guide for foodies who love to eat out. “I know a lot of people who say they can’t cook but they just need the basic ideas to get going I learned a long time ago that a little planning is the key to nutritious cooking.”
Amanda gives a teaser to the recipes on her website where you can expect to find chocolate orange brownies, crispy tortilla chicken strips, truffle mustard roast beef, chicken piccata pasta and a delicious breakfast frittata.
No one questioned grandad! ‘ ‘
“Once you’ve got a good selection of spices on hand, it’s simply a case of deciding what meat, fish and vegetable combination you fancy for each dish. Spend a few minutes planning out recipes for the coming days and you’ll be good to go.”
This is not just any old cookbook, it’s also an insight into Amanda’s life, childhood, family, travels and most of all her admiration for cooking. From brunch recipes to family one pot dishes and date night ideas there really is something mouth-watering for all tastebuds.
