The ranch dressing tossed into a salad with baked buffalo cauliflower was every bit as good as it sounds, while a batch of lentil walnut bolognese was happily devoured for three days in a row without becoming boring, the walnuts providing bite our vegan spag bol had always been missing. For example, Bang Bang Chicken, Fu Qi Fei Pian (Sichuan Sliced Beef in Chili Sauce, 夫妻肺片), and Chinese Pork Belly Bun (Rou Jia Mo, 肉夹馍).

Constructing a plate of food without everything on it orbiting around meat, fish or dairy of some description can be daunting. Its namesake is a Greek word meaning foods that can be eaten throughout fasting periods within the Orthodox faith, when both meat and dairy are given up for mainly plant-based foods. Putting them front and centre with a sustainable slant, Sophie Gorgon’s debut cookbook is an ode to vegetables, and a genuinely helpful guide when it comes to being more mindful of waste in the kitchen.

There are breads, tagine, stew and aspirational lunches following on from vibrant meze and salads and starters that you might look to when entertaining friends. Combine soy sauce, unseasoned rice vinegar, neutral-flavored oil, sesame oil, and sweetener of your choice.

Then flip to the back and there’s a section for conserves, fermented foods and pickles which you might reach for when you want to easily elevate snacks and meals mid-week. Through Jo Cooks, I invite you to join me in my kitchen as we explore delicious recipes from around the globe, celebrate the joy of cooking, and make every meal a memorable one. Chinese yellow chives are chives that have been grown in an isolated dark room without exposure to sunlight.

As they start to brown, add the rice wine or sherry, then stir in the chilli bean paste and the yellow bean paste, followed by the fermented salted black beans.