Daniella Moyles

My life in food

“It wasn’t fancy: rice, beans, plantains, but the setting was spectacular”

What was your favourite childhood meal?

I used to love getting home from school, damp from the walk in the rain and my back ready to give up under the weight of my bag. The smell of my mam’s cooking instantly meant safety, ease; the day was over. Her comfort foods were my favourites: a home-made soup, or a stew with a couple of slices of crusty bread.

What is the meal you will always remember?

I’ll never forget having our last simple dinner at the final camp before summit night on Kilimanjaro. It was nothing fancy: rice, beans and plantains, but the setting was spectacular — nearly 5,000ft beneath the clearest night sky I think I’ve ever seen, the moonlight reflecting off the snowcapped tip of Africa’s highest peak and the Serengeti sprawling below us. One of the porters also brought hot chocolate for dessert, which was a real treat after a long day trekking at altitude.

Your defining food experience?

I think it was when I discovered sushi. I must have been in my mid-20s before I tried it, intimidated by the chopsticks, perhaps. Ever since, I’ve found a true love for Japanese cuisine: sushi, ramen, gyoza, miso, pickled ginger. I always struggle to make a decision when I’m presented with a Japanese menu. I also adore the emphasis on ferments, the complimentary green tea, the care and precision injected into all Japanese practices, and their utter aversion to tipping culture.

What’s the first dish you ever cooked?

It was probably one of my mam’s home-made soup recipes, or the first of many elaborate salads. I’ve been honing my salad-making skills since I was quite young, and I can make an array of pretty great ones now, if I do say so myself.

What is your comfort food?

I call it a ‘baby bowl’: essentially, it’s potatoes and vegetables mashed up until they hardly require any chewing. I sometimes add torn pieces of chicken breast, and always use lots of gravy, too.

What is your hangover cure?

See above, with a decent sprinkling of salt on top, a pint of water and/or freshly squeezed orange juice.

What do you drink?

I brew my own kombucha and drink it every day as a probiotic. I love the taste, as you can flavour it however you like on the second ferment — turmeric and ginger or pomegranate and mint are two favourites. I got a water filtration system installed on my kitchen tap; it’s called reverse osmosis and remineralisation, which is a bit of a mouthful, but it removes any chemicals, microplastics or metals from the water, and remineralises it with what should be there. I drink so much more water now, and really notice the difference.

If you could only eat three things for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Japanese food, Mediterranean food and fermented food, like sauerkraut or kimchi.

Your favourite restaurant abroad?

I was in India recently, travelling through the north, and I found myself in the city of Jodhpur. One evening after sunset, I ate at an outdoor restaurant, Chokelao Bagh. It’s at the base of the iconic Mehrangarh Fort, which was lit with very romantic lighting. Indian food is so tasty and indulgent; this place was top-notch and the setting was really special.