Food writer Sarah Rainey’s culinary likes and dislikes

Food writer Sarah Rainey is all about throwing together speedy treats – her latest cookbook, 6-Minute Showstoppers, is packed with cakes, biscuits and puds that take as long to make as it does to boil an egg.

So a quickfire food quiz on her culinary likes and dislikes was right up her street…

Your death row meal would be… A jacket potato with baked beans and cheese. And for pudding, a hot, salted caramel brownie with some vanilla ice cream.

The thing you still can’t make is… Rice, I’m terrible at rice, absolutely terrible. It’s either burnt or soggy. I can’t get it right at all. My husband has to make it every time.

Your favourite store-cupboard essential has to be… A jar of Marmite. It’s my hack for any pasta dish or stew.

The kitchen utensil you couldn’t live without is… Probably a whisk, use it in everything.

Your late-night snack of choice has to be… Tayto cheese and onion crisps – proper Northern Irish potato crisps.

Your signature dish is… Some choc chip cookies. I make these very, very gooey chocolate chip cookies, which are like crack, they’re so good. It’s not my recipe, but I’ve made it so long that I’ve adopted it as my own.

You like your eggs… Very runny, properly runny.

Your favourite childhood dinner was… An Irish stew.

Last night you ate… A very, very spicy chilli pasta, made by my mother-in-law, which left us all gulping glasses of water.

If you’re ordering takeout, it has to be… Fish and chips. Every time.

Your ultimate hangover cure is… Berocca. A big glass of Berocca.

You really cannot stomach… I hate marzipan.

6-minute Showstoppers by Sarah Rainey, photography by Clare Winfield, is published by Michael Joseph.

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