For cookbook author and TV personality Melissa Hemsley, eating healthy is not a conscious decision but a way of life. She shares her philosophy and recipes.
Cookbook author and TV personality Melissa Hemsley tells Sally Prosser that her new book Eat Happy is full of alternatives to familiar staple dishes
Melissa Hemsley comes on stage at the Emirates Festival of Literature, a radiant smile lighting up her face, and from the start the audience is rapt. In partnership with her sibling Jasmine, the two sisters have garnered great success in the UK with a private catering business (first clients were a famous rock band, the name of which they still refuse to divulge), writing for Vogue, a couple of healthy eating cook books, a cafe in Selfridges department store, a TV series, pop-up eating events and a few hundred thousand eager Instagram followers.
Melissa is here at the festival to promote her first solo cook book Eat Happy and spread the word about her healthy eating, every day, home cooking philosophy.
On stage during her interview, Melissa doesn’t stop talking. It’s as though she’s meeting an old friend for coffee (or perhaps a chicory latte) and a chat, with the audience as that friend. She’s respectful of the place she’s visiting, asking for the correct pronunciation of za’atar for instance, and by the time we reach the question and answer session, many hands shoot up asking for cookery tips.
So, is this yet another book about foods we are not supposed to eat and the miracle properties of kale? And how are these sisters (Jasmine a former model and Melissa a footwear brand manager) qualified to instruct us on cooking and diet? There have been grumblings in the British media with criticism of the ‘clean eating’ brigade from a major tabloid newspaper (which I take with a good pinch of salt) to those of a food writer (who is more credible). The main gripe is that many healthy eating ‘gurus’ are far from qualified to give nutritional advice and people following these diets are confused at best and exclude whole food groups at worst. The Hemsleys are mentioned by several, intimating they are guilty of this.
When I raise this with Melissa she is quick to deny ever having used the term clean eating or giving nutritional advice. ‘People assume I’m vegetarian,’ she says, ‘and if you just look at my book it’s quite evident that I’m not.’ There is a complete absence of anything with gluten or common starches such as rice or potatoes; does this mean that Melissa is promoting gluten-free as ‘healthy’? ‘My recipes are naturally gluten free so if people do have an allergy they can cook from them.’
When she described some of her dishes on stage, including melting halloumi, she had the audience salivating. As someone who clearly enjoys food so much, including
comforting soups and stews, isn’t she tempted to dunk a big slice of bread into them?
She protests that she does like bread but wants to give ideas about how to get more vegetables into your diet. For instance, if she gives you a “measly soup” you are more likely to have to fill up with bread, whereas if she gives a recipe for a hearty soup, you’re much less likely to need it. ‘It’s very easy to eat a lot of bread or rice through the day. I help people who want to get more vegetables into the way they eat, (without going on a diet), and we’ll look at what they’re eating. They’ll have toast for breakfast, maybe a sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner with some garlic bread on the side.’
Eat Happy is full of alternatives to familiar staples such as pasta but she has no issue if someone wants to swap any of the ingredients for another; in fact, each recipe has hints and tips at the end giving suggestions.
As for the criticism about excluding whole food groups, she responds by saying that it’s very easy to get lumped into one group. ‘People have generalised a whole host of us who are into healthy eating, or what I call ‘real food’ and said ‘you’re all the same’. I’ve read about myself that I’m a calorie counter, that I’m dairy free and meat free, and if you have read my books that couldn’t be farther from the truth.’ Indeed, Eat Happy lists butter in the Store Cupboard guide in addition to a recipe for homemade nut butter.
M elissa says there is a misguided impression that her food is restrictive or boring. When someone comes to one of her meals or has been cooked for by a friend who has used one of her recipes it often changes their opinion. Eat Happy is a book about celebrating food, she says, ‘you can eat whatever you want, but if you want to eat more vegetables and prepare food in 30 minutes or less, that’s me. I’m not telling anyone what to eat.’ All recipes are designed to use two pots maximum, most needing just one, for minimal washing up.
Melissa and Jasmine are daughters of a British father and a Filipino mum who has been very influential in their approach to food.
With her radiant confidence in the kitchen, around cooking and flavours, did Melissa grow up learning at her mother’s knee?
She denies this with a guffaw, in fact it’s probably why people without many cooking skills relate to her so much.
Her mum’s Filipino food centred on lots of dark leafy greens, homemade broth and slow cooked meat in stews, such as Chicken Adobo. Melissa relishes the combination of Spanish and Chinese influences of the cuisine, with depth of flavour without being too spicy ‘so kids can enjoy it.’
Every Sunday, her mum would make a big pot of soup in order to use up all the vegetables and leftovers from the week. This approach to minimising food waste has definitely seeped through to her daughter.
At book signing events, people approach her and confess that they are “horrible cooks”. Melissa’s response is that her book is for horrible cooks. ‘I feel that would be quite a good title. The book for horrible cooks.’ She believes strongly that anyone can be taught confidence in the kitchen as she proved from her own experience. ‘I was the baby daughter, left to set the table.’ She says her mum liked to shut the kitchen door and be left in peace to get on with getting the meal ready. ‘I learned to cook in later life, so I get it when people feel frightened of the kitchen. When I do cooking classes people walk out with their heads held high full of confidence.’
Catchy phrases are dotted through Eat Happy, such as ‘fakeaways’, fridge raid, and ‘waste not, want not bowl’ – a way to reassure the less confident cook. ‘Why do we love takeaways?’ she asks, ‘it’s because of those special spicy sauces.’ She’s revamped her favourites and called them fakeaways ‘so like a takeaway but quicker, healthier and it saves you money.’
When asked how she’d convert the home delivery culture of Dubai, she ponders for a second, ‘Think about how you feel when you’ve had quite a few take-aways in a week. Do you feel good, do you feel nourished, energised and uplifted? I know I don’t.
‘When I go back into the kitchen, even if I make something simple like Mexican scrambled eggs, which takes 5 minutes, I start to feel more empowered. I can sneak vegetables in – sometimes it’s hard to get vegetables in a takeaway – I feel connected to my food. If I get a takeaway I’m more tempted to just sit on the sofa and watch TV. While I might have enjoyed the flavours I haven’t enjoyed the meal. For me, nothing beats home cooking, also you know what goes into it.’
Melissa’s enthusiasm bubbles over and she gets quite evangelical. She’s determined to write recipes that people want, that they’ll want to cook a lot of. She’d be happiest if she sees her book dirty, sticky, covered in turmeric and spices, and smelling of garlic. Every recipe has a ‘use it up’ tip, or a time saving tip, or ideas about things to swap in as alternatives. ‘I spend as much time on writing the tips as the recipes,’ she says. There’s a trouble-shooting section at the back about rescuing sauces that are too thin, too thick, too spicy or even burnt.
Part of her recipe inspiration comes from travel, with recent visits to Mexico and Turkey informing this book. She’s bursting with praise about last night’s food tour round old Dubai naming her highlights as a green chilli dip and stuffed falafel ‘which we were urged to smash’ and a goat stew ‘which was
Melissa says she’d be happiest if she sees her cook book dirty, sticky, covered in turmeric and spices, and smelling of garlic
incredible’. She’s eager to visit the farmers’ market – the new Organic Souk at Festival City is right next door – and her eyes light up when ripe, fragrant cherry tomatoes are mentioned. ‘I’ll eat them like sweets.’
So what’s next for Melissa? Life Life Better – her podcast with Penguin books – is something she particularly enjoys. ‘I love the chatting – not talking about food necessarily – but every podcast always comes back to food,’ she says, with a laugh. With her down-to-earth, friendly manner, she’s a natural host. She plans to do more cooking classes and events as she loves sharing her tips and ideas.