With over 374,000 followers on Instagram, British cook, writer, and broadcaster, Rachel Khoo, has long outgrown her original British audience on the BBC. Drawn to her bubbly personality and genuine approach to cooking, Khoo isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. Her recent cookbook, The Little Swedish Kitchen, aims to introduce her audience to the Swedish kitchen, and has got us intrigued.
“I didn’t want to just write a cookbook about Swedish food,” explained Khoo in an interview with Khoollect, “but a book that is deeply practical and would solve any or all cookery ‘problems'”. Among the problems her book tackles are: what to cook if you’ve only got 30 minutes to spare; or if you’ve got a vegetarian/carnivore/gluten intolerant guest joining the dinner table; or if you want to make something, light or rich or really indulgent.
“I basically thought of different scenarios that occur in everyday life and packed the book with distinctly Swedish recipes that could answer those calls (and more),” says Khoo, “and that also have a very strong personal connection to my life.”
Sampling Sweden’s best-loved ingredients, her recipes include sticky jammy raspberry and rye cookies and a speedy sailor’s stew— dishes that explore the nation’s simple and balanced approach to cooking with a fresh perspective. “I always take my time to explain why and how each recipe came about,” says Khoo, “the context of a recipe is very important for me, otherwise it could be any cookbook.”
Khoo’s sixth book, The Little Swedish Kitchen, published in the UK by Penguin Randomhouse, includes over 100 beautiful, fuss-free recipes. Follow her social media pages for more.
