Cook the Books Live: A conversation with Felicity Spector

Today I sat down with the brilliant Felicity Spector for this edition of Cook the Books Live - and what a powerful conversation it was.You might know Felicity as a journalist, a fantastic food writer, a Great Taste Awards judge, or from her extraordinary book Bread and War - which follows the people and places feeding Ukraine through the ongoing invasion.One thing I loved hearing Felicity talk about was Ukraine’s food culture itself. It’s such a fertile country, with incredible wheat, sunflower oil, buckwheat and rye. She describes how the produce in the markets are genuinely next level - and how even the supermarkets, in places that are hit again and again, can still be astonishingly well stocked.We talked about the things that don’t always make the headlines, but are everything when you’re living through it. We discuss the jars of pickles and preserves that keep people going when the shops shut for weeks, restaurants cooking whatever they’ve got for the people defending their cities and the sheer determination to keep traditions alive, even when life is anything but normal.Felicity also shared more about Bake for Ukraine’s mobile bakery, an old but incredibly effective setup that’s built for tough conditions (wood-fired oven, generator, water tank), that can turn out a couple of hundred loaves when it’s needed most. Thank you so much to everyone who joined us live, commented and asked such thoughtful questions. If you’re watching this back on replay, we hope you enjoy.Links mentioned: * Felicity’s JustGiving Page* Bake for Ukraine (site + packs)* Cuisines of Odessa, by Maria KolenskaIf you’ve enjoyed today’s chat, subscribe! Get full access to The Cookbook Kitchen by Mark Thomas at thecookbookkitchen.substack.com/subscribe