This week in our conversations in colour series we speak to Emily Dobbs, on food, sources of inspiration and the role colour plays in her life.
Tell us a little bit about your journey into the world of food, and what led you to where you are today.
I studied Fine Art in Manchester and used to work with spices as a medium. I loved the earthy colours, raw material and intense smells! After that, I just wanted to be somewhere with big skies and space, so then moved to Whyoming (!) and got a job working in a kitchen on a ranch. I had no idea how to cook - my grandmother would email me Indian recipes as she lived there in the 50s. So I technically taught myself how to cook from her and cookbooks. I moved back to London after the season and went straight into restaurants for 4 years. I then set up a street food stall selling egg hoppers and got asked to write a Sri Lankan cookbook. I moved to Sri Lanka, covid hit and I moved back to London. Since then I’ve released a new publication ‘The Spice Box’ and now work with brands combining all my favourite things - food with art, interiors, fashion, music and travel.
Your dishes always look so vibrant, fresh and bursting with colour. What is your process when creating a new dish and where do you find inspiration?
I always work with the seasons to dictate what I cook - this way produce is at its best. I play around with ideas from places I’ve been to or books I’ve read. I would never put random flavours together. I like to think of the origins of where something has come from. I like to use traditional Sri Lankan recipes then adapt them to produce available to me here in the UK, and vice versa when I am in Sri Lanka. One of my favourite things about cooking is the art of plating. It truly is an art, and hard to teach! I like to be light with my fingers and use certain things like fennel as scaffolding! I always like to use a white plate so the colours can stand out and the freshest, best produce available. Cooking with the seasons tends to ensure this.
What is your favourite dish to cook, and your favourite dish to eat?
I’m not a fan of favourites! I love to try new things and am naturally quite curious. I am also very adhd and would get bored cooking the same thing over and over again, which is why restaurants don’t really suit me. I do love to cook Sri Lankan style food as it transports me there, and I enjoy teaching those dishes as I know them so well. I love to eat things I don’t cook for myself or don't have enough knowledge on yet, such as Japanese and Asian food. I love textures in food and one of my favourite things to eat is Vietnamese Banh Cuon (rice ravioli). I mostly cook Italian for myself and I love to eat pasta in various forms.
What advice would you give to home cooks looking to add some more colour, fun and vibrancy to their cooking?
Spices!!! Plus read and collect as many cookbooks as you can! You can learn so much from books, I have HUNDREDS. I only have about a quarter of my whole book collection at home as my London flat is too small. I would take inspiration from recipes, but don’t be afraid to go a little off piste and cook with confidence and fun rather than fear! You can taste fun and vibrancy in the food if the chef is having fun cooking it I think. Colours are all to do with freshness and not having too much going on- you don’t want it to look like a mess. I'd maybe pick three colours that contrast each other well. This helps if you come from an artist background - colours just come quite naturally to you. Plating and creating food is super similar to creating a piece of art or music. From thought to process to delivery.
Outside of the kitchen, what role does colour play in your day to day life?
Colour plays a huge role in my life, I am super sensitive to light. If it's sunny I’ll make a vibrant quick salad. If its rainy and dreary, I spend hours slow cooking a dish. I am super interested in fashion and interiors. If I wasn’t a chef I’d love to be an antique dealer, interior or fashion designer, but i’m not very good at line drawing. The way I paint and draw is freeing and fun without boundaries and my food is similar to that style. I am totally myself and in the moment when i’m cooking which is one of the reasons why I love it so much.
What’s coming up for you next?
I have absolutely no idea!
What’s your favourite DL set and why?
I think the Edith Clean Tulle set is super pretty in magenta cherry red. All the clean tulle sets are beautiful colours and super flattering.
You can find Emily here.
Shop Emily's Edit here.
