Kerstin Rodgers

I wrote this for my newspaper column six weeks ago. Then I went into a very dark space in which I felt so overwhelmed that I couldn’t write my blog. What did I do? I gardened and baked (especially loaf cakes). I soaked pulses. I managed to keep up my instagram feed. I did yoga on zoom, and pub quizzes. I tweeted a lot, probably too much. I wept after the public clapping for the NHS. I spent money online shopping, draining my savings.
I felt useless, burnt out, washed up. Work gives us identit...

I’ve been wanting to walk the pilgrim’s path to Santiago de la Compostella for decades. This is the most famous Christian pilgrimage in the world, dating from before the 8th century, a peregrination to reach the relics of St James the Apostle (or Sant Iago in Spanish).
St James was one of the first followers of Jesus and, a decade after the cruxificion, was executed by beheading in Jerusalem. The story of his remains ending up in Spain hundreds of years after his death seems unlikely. Neverth...

My daughter edits and runs a political website. She works very hard, literally seven days a week. Needing a break (since 2016, working in politics has been like a runaway train: Brexit, two elections, three prime ministers and two Labour leaders) she booked an airbnb in the Cotswolds. And invited me! Her old mum.
The hardest thing about lockdown is not travelling. I’ve assuaged much of my loneliness as a single empty nester by escaping. Now my wings have been clipped. I had to cancel a July t...

I just had a big birthday, the exact number of which shall remain private. In the spirit of self-care, I decided to gift myself a much longed for trip to Japan.
What inspiration! Japanese food is exquisite, everything is done beautifully, from the simplest cup of tea to jewel-cut sushi, artful bowl of noodles or the diverse and intriguing breakfast including rice, soup, fish, pickles and slimy natto beans.
It is less well known that the Japanese are also brilliant at European baking, imbuing ...

Kerstin learns more about the 30,000-year-old cooking technique before sharing a delicious recipe for a char-grilled pizza....

Faced with little snow and fear at even a blue run, Kerstin Rodgers, aka MsMarmiteLover, found solace in potatoes, cream and local Reblochon cheese on her recent Alpine holiday....

Kerstin Rodgers looks to the Mediterranean country for inspiration to showcase fresh quality ingredients in simple dishes....

Kerstin Rodgers, aka. Ms Marmite Lover, recommends her top food books as festive gifts with an eye to “good writing, original recipes and great photography”....

Last bank holiday, Kerstin travelled from Kilburn to the Calais and Dunkirk refugee camps to volunteer in the community kitchens. She writes about making mass meals out of donated food and features two recipes inspired by the things she ate there....

Kerstin Rodgers, aka. the blogger Ms Marmite Lover, says a squash and a squeeze can get the most out of these versatile veg....