Fear of frying

If I ever get round to publishing a cookery book, I may call it Fear of Frying. I suspect many people never learn to cook because they are afraid, and others give up after a disaster. But cooking is all about experience, and what is a disaster or two? You can always cook something else quickly if you mess up completely - or send out for a pizza. I would encourage people to cook for themselves first and above all to experiment. Follow recipes but don't be a slave to them. Use what's available or what you already have. There are no rules. You keep trying – and frying – until you get a feel for it.

To take a mundane example: beans on toast. What could go wrong? You burn the toast - you start again. You overheat the beans and they stick to the pan, you scrape them off and eat them. The next time you add some curry spices or herbs, the following time some cut-up sausage. You stir in some cheese. You stir in a different type of cheese. You add Worcester sauce, brown sauce, pickle, peppers. You experiment, you invent. Look in the cupboard, see what you've got. Imagine whether it goes together.

It's a little way from this to making your own cassoulet but you have to start somewhere.