As promised this is the full version of the interview I did with Ami Bouhassane, co-director of the Lee Miller Archives and Farley’s House and Gallery in Sussex, and granddaughter of model, photographer, writer and cook Lee Miller.

Ami and I delve further into Lee’s career as a photographer and journalist during World War 2 and a childhood trauma (which some listener’s may find upsetting) - experiences which left her with PTSD and struggling with depression in the later years of her life. We also explore Lee’s love of fitted kitchens, cookery competitions and ‘working’ guests.

Useful Links

To see examples of Lee Miller’s photography visit the Lee Miller Archives online.

Farleys House & Gallery and on Instagram

Books on Lee’s work including her cookbook A Life with Food, Friends and Recipes can be found here.

Chloe Edwards of Seven Sisters Spices runs cookery workshops at Farleys often using Lee’s recipes.

Suggested Reading

The Lives of Lee Miller by Antony Penrose

Lee Miller: Photographs by Antony Penrose and Kate Winslet

Don’t forget you can follow me on Instagram or Bluesky @mrssbilton or find out more about my work on sambilton.com.

A huge thank you to Thomas Ntinas of The Delicious Legacy for doing the sound mixing on this season of the podcast.

Comfortably Hungry is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Today is the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the day the second world war ended in Europe. To mark the occasion I had a chat with journalist and author Alex Johnson about the importance of tea to the British during this conflict. Alex’s latest book While There Is Tea, There Is Hope, published in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum, is packed with wartime ephemera, photographs and vintage recipes.

If you enjoyed the podcast you can become a paid subscriber to the Comfortably Hungry Substack (which means you’ll receive additional content) or show your appreciation by leaving a small, one off tip here.

Useful Links

You can find out more about Alex’s work and books on his website.

While There Is Tea, There Is Hope

Menus That Made History

You can also find Alex on Instagram

Imperial War Museum Collections holds a wealth of photographic material from the second world war.

Imperial War Museum

Donald Pleasance in The Great Escape

Don’t forget you can follow me on Instagram or Bluesky @mrssbilton or find out more about my work on sambilton.com.

A huge thank you to Thomas Ntinas of The Delicious Legacy for doing the sound mixing on this season of the podcast.

Comfortably Hungry is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Alas this day had to come - this is the last official episode of the DARK season!

In Episode 15 I delve into the historical culinary trials and tribulations of Russia with Darra Goldstein, Professor Emerita of Russian at Williams College (USA) and author of The Kingdom of Rye: A Brief History of Russian Food. We discuss the importance of ‘black’ rye bread which is at the heart of any traditional Russian meal; the folklore surrounding it and how Russians survived during periods of privation.

Useful Links

You can find out more about Darra and her work on her website which contains some mouthwatering sample recipes. You can also follow Darra on Instagram.

Darra’s books include:

* The Kingdom of Rye: A Brief History of Russian Food

* Beyond the North Wind: Recipes and Stories from Russia

* Fire and Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking: Classic Nordic Cooking

* Darra has written a range of books on preservation co-authored with Cortney Burns. Topics include vegetables, fruit and drinks.

* Darra is also Editor In Chief of the Oxford Research Encyclopaedia of Food Studies.

If you’re interested in ancient grains like rye you may also want to check out Ruth Nieman Substack and her book Freekeh, Wild Wheat & Ancient Grains: Recipes for Healthy Eating.

This is the last official episode of the season but there will be a few inter-season episodes dropping over the coming months to sustain you! Listen to the end of episode 15 to discover the theme for Season 4.

If you enjoyed this season please consider leaving a small tip to help support the podcast for future seasons.

Don’t forget to check out the Comfortably Hungry Substack!

Don’t forget you can follow me on Instagram or Bluesky @mrssbilton or find out more about my work on sambilton.com.

A huge thank you to Thomas Ntinas of The Delicious Legacy for doing the sound mixing on this season of the podcast.

Comfortably Hungry is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.