A measuring jug is also vital when cooking rice, as this is always measured by volume rather than by weight.

My agent, Debbie, saying, ‘Don’t get involved in advertising.’ She gets so many calls a day about me promoting a product, but I am really pleased I have never gone down that route. I don’t want somebody else to make a saucepan with my name on it.

I sometimes think the chef end of cooking is not the real end of cooking. Cooking is all about homes and gardens, it doesn’t happen in restaurants

But quite honestly I can’t help being a passionate football supporter. If that’s my sin, I’m guilty.

I think Antony Worrall Thompson is dreadful, just repulsive.

Football is becoming all about money. I would like to be in a lift with Gordon Brown and say, ‘Please do something about football.’

I found in my whole career the best thing that can happen to you is that you hear what people want.

I don’t get insomnia, but I do get the odd night when I can’t unwind.

Good kitchen equipment is expensive, but most items last a lifetime and will pay for themselves over and over again

Hopefully people will be inspired to cook. It’s my mission to persuade people not to be afraid of cooking.

A measuring jug is also vital when cooking rice, as this is always measured by volume rather than by weight

I have tried all my life to look after my skin, so I never do things like go to bed with make-up on. I also always use moisturisers. But I certainly do not believe in Botox or anything like that. The thought of it just makes me think ‘urgh’.

There are three reasons why this book came into being. First, throughout the 33 years I’ve been writing recipes – although I’m not vegetarian myself – I have greatly enjoyed creating vegetarian recipes, and cooking and serving them at home.

If I was a Mayor, I would sort the traffic out and that includes public transport. The traffic jams really get on my nerves.

I sometimes think the chef end of cooking is not the real end of cooking. Cooking is all about homes and gardens, it doesn’t happen in restaurants.

Memories are fallible and a timer can save a lot of hard work from going out of the window.

Although a food processor is not an absolutely essential piece of equipment, because you can certainly chop, grate, slice, knead and mix everything by hand, it does do all these things very quickly and efficiently and saves you time and energy

Getting into the habit of switching a timer on will, I promise, save you from any number of kitchen disasters.

The thing I can’t resist is a pork pie. That’s my idea of a lovely treat.