Radhika Howarth

I was born in Kolkata, India into a family with roots all over the subcontinent, being part Punjabi (from the north-west), part Bengali (from the East), and partly from South India too! My extended family is even more diverse, encompassing different cultural backgrounds, from Kashmir to Hyderabad and Armenia to Italy! My cultural horizons were only further expanded when I met my husband, who is of Spanish and German descent, and by calling London, one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, my home for the last twenty years. My culinary journey started at a very young age. I learnt the basics of cooking from my mother, spending hours watching her cook as a child. I was fascinated by the way she used spices – it was as if she was conducting an orchestra! She never cooked from recipes or cookery books. She was innovative, creative and radikal – and this is what I have learnt from her. My passion for flavours and home cooking has been enhanced by my academic background in nutrition and dietetics, which has allowed me to develop recipes that are healthy and nutritious. My extensive knowledge of cultures, and health and consumer behaviours, gained through my research carried out with ethnic minority communities across the UK, has deepened my understanding of the relationship between food, health, and culture. Radikal Kitchen has been inspired by my diverse cultural heritage, passion for flavours and adventurous palate.