From kitchen disasters to the secrets behind her most-loved dishes, multi-award-winning food writer Diana Henry invites us into her world – and reveals why recipes are only half the story.
Diana Henry is the sort of food writer who makes you want to put the kettle on, grab a notebook and start plotting your next dinner. In a candid and laughter-filled podcast conversation, she opens up about her creative journey, the personal stories behind her writing and why, sometimes, a kitchen disaster is just part of the magic.
Listen to the full episode, then check out our podcast hub for more conversations with experts to find out their tips for thriving in the kitchen, along with getting to know the character behind the recipes.
A book without recipes?
Diana Henry’s latest work, Around the Table: 52 Essays on Food and Life, is a departure from her usual cookbooks. “There are no recipes in it,” she says with a smile, “so it’s a very different kind of book for me.” The book began life as an audiobook, a collection of essays and reflections drawn from decades of food writing. But, as she and her editor pieced it together, they realised it deserved a physical form. The result? A “huggable” hardback that feels as comforting as a favourite jumper.
But, will readers miss the recipes? Diana isn’t sure – and she’s intrigued to find out. Recording the audiobook version gave her a fresh perspective on her work. Without recipes acting as “punctuation stops” or the familiar rhythm of headnotes and instructions, the writing flowed in a new, uninterrupted way. “It was a very different experience for me,” she says. For Henry, words themselves became the feast – the writing is the main course, not a side dish.
The real stories behind the recipes
Diana’s writing has always been personal, weaving stories and memories through her culinary explorations. “I just wrote like that from the very beginning,” she explains. “It’s interesting because I think that Americans are much more used to that personal voice… but when Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons came out, I got a review saying, ‘It’s all about me, me, me.’ And I thought, what else would it be?”
That personal touch is what makes her work resonate. Readers write to her, sharing stories of anniversaries celebrated with her recipes or sending messages of support during her recent hospital stays. “That means so much,” she says, recalling the outpouring of warmth she received while recovering from illness. “One of the best things about writing is the connection you have with the person who’s reading you.”
Kitchen disasters and culinary confessions
For all her accolades, Diana is refreshingly honest about the less-than-perfect moments in the kitchen. She recounts the time she spilt a painstakingly reduced lamb sauce onto the kitchen floor just before serving guests. “But nobody noticed and nobody really cared,” she laughs. “That’s the kind of thing you have to remember. Nobody knows what this dish was supposed to be.”
She’s equally candid about the realities of feeding a family, revealing that “the dish that [she’s] cooked most in the last 27 years” isn’t some elaborate showstopper, but a humble tuna & sweetcorn pasta bake. Even her sons, now grown, still ask for it when they come home.
The allure of the humble chicken thigh
If there’s one ingredient Henry is known for, it’s the chicken thigh. “I get a bit embarrassed, except that I keep coming up with new things to do with them,” she admits. “If you can actually just roast a tray of chicken, you can honestly feed people for months and months and months. And, nobody gets tired of chicken.”
Her cooking is defined by a love of contrasts – sweet with savoury, sharp with mellow. “I’m really on that sweet-savoury, sweet-sour axis,” she says, tracing influences from Morocco to Thailand. But, she’s careful not to overdo it, constantly tasting and adjusting until the balance is just right.
Try our chicken thigh recipes for inspiration on cooking with this budget-friendly cut.
Favourite dishes and food memories
Ask Diana for her favourite dish and she lights up. It’s a Turkish-inspired leg of lamb, marinated in yogurt and garlic, served with a smoky aubergine purée and a layered bulgur pilaf studded with spinach, roast tomatoes, tobacco onions and mint. “It’s complex because of the components, but the reason it’s good is the contrast and layering. Those things are both very, very important in food.”
Her food memories are rich and evocative – from family holidays in France, where she learned the importance of a simple green salad and perfectly made vinaigrette, to the bustling kitchens of Northern Ireland, where her father’s love of chicken left a lasting impression.
Find fresh inspiration for cooking leg of lamb, from vibrant midweek meals to impressive centrepieces, with our collection of creative lamb recipes.
Why good food matters
For Henry, good food goes far beyond ingredients or technique. It’s about care: sourcing well, respecting the animal and valuing simplicity. It’s a lesson she first absorbed in France, where even the humblest meal is treated with quiet reverence. “It’s food that’s actually quite simple, but you’re interested in it,” she explains. “Nobody makes a fuss, but they know it’s worth it.” For her, true cooking lies in that balance of pleasure, connection and contentment — whether it’s two perfectly pink slices of lamb or a tender poached peach. As she puts it, “We eat three times a day. That’s three opportunities for pleasure…”
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