Molly Meets Giovanna Ryan
I've been a big fan of Giovanna Ryan since she appeared on MasterChef in 2017 (she was a finalist!). Since then I've followed her on Instagram, admiring her beautiful photography and delicious looking dishes.
One day our Secret Linen Store was tagged in one of her beautiful photos of a delicious looking breakfast popped onto our Twill Rose bedding. Turned out she was a fan of us too!
We met for a coffee (and I went home with some of her delicious Madeleines) and decided we'd be great friends. She's going to be helping us create some delicious breakfast treats we can share with you... first up are these Cardamom and Pineapple Pancakes that are perfect for a Sunday morning.
We had a little chat, so you could get to know her too...
Describe what you do in 3 words.
Cook. Write. Eat.
What’s do you love most about what you do?
I really love doing different things every day. I don’t cope well with monotony! I get to meet so many new, interesting people all the time which through collaborations and events which I totally adore.
What does a typical Monday morning look like for you?
Well…. In the mornings I’ll usually catch up on emails or on any writing, recipe testing or photography that I need to do, fuelled by many cups of tea and amid distractions courtesy of my two cats.
Then I’ll cycle to Hammersmith where I teach singing at a drama school until 9pm. I’ll cycle home, shower and usually collapse into bed! Mondays are usually pretty exhausting for me to be honest!
We love your imaginative (and delicious!) recipes, where do you find your food-spiration?
I love reading anything cooking related so books, magazines (Waitrose food is excellent) and of course online. Instagram has become a bit of a food-haven and I love seeing other people’s beautiful photos.
My mum just found a very old Italian cookbook that was my Nonna’s so I’m working my way through that at the moment - very slowly, my Italian is VERY poor!
What’s your best piece of advice for anyone wanting to improve in the kitchen?
Don’t be afraid to try new things. People often get stuck cooking what they know but there’s a whole world of flavours out there and you’ll never know until you try.
What’s your most read cook-book? Why?
'The Flavour Thesaurus'. It’s basically a bible of flavour combinations I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in cooking. It’s also really well written and has lots of interesting stuff in it. No pictures though….
What’s your most read bedtime book? Why?
The Time Traveller’s Wife is my favourite novel. I could read it over and over again; it’s such a beautiful story.
How would you describe your own bedroom style?
A bit French. White and wood.
What’s your favourite thing in your home?
My bed. It’s a huge, Super King French-style bed with a lovely padded headboard. Totally worth the extortionate amount I paid for it.
Are you an early bird or night owl?
Early bird definitely. I’m usually in bed by 10 and up by 6. I work much better in the mornings than later on.
What's on your bed today?
Your Rose Twill bed linen, which is SO delightful, and your grey waffle throw that I got for Christmas.
If you had to have the same thing for breakfast every morning what would it be?
Baked eggs with tahini yogurt and lots and lots of sourdough toast.
Who would you invite to your dream midnight feast?
Winnie the Pooh. Surely, he’s the ultimate midnight-feaster??
Tea or Coffee? How do you take yours?
Strong but milky.
Instagram or Twitter?
I use both, but I definitely use Instagram more because it’s more image oriented and the food community is so strong.
You should definitely follow my friend @millykr...she’s my most trusted eating-partner and bridesmaid and she takes beautiful photos.
Clean sheet Friday or clean sheet Sunday? (Harriet and I disagree)
100% Sunday.
Do you have a bedtime ritual, can you share it with us?
Hmm… not particularly. It usually involves shooing the cats out and getting a few chapters of a book in.
You’re off for a weekend camping… What one luxury would you take from your bedroom?
My pillow. I have terrible trouble sleeping without a good pillow.
Tell us a secret...
I LOVE those little pre-cooked cocktail sausages you can get in packs of 50 from M&S. I always get them for long car journeys and have been known to eat them all.
Who should Molly meet next?
Nigella... I bet she’s got a lot to say about bedrooms….
