Award-winning food writer
“Ford traverses the global spectrum in pursuit of flavor”
The Washington Post
I am a lover of food, words and travel. I collect and create eclectic, evocative recipes from around the globe so I can travel from my kitchen when I'm back home in London.
In my writing, food is a means to explore culture and understand the world. My multi-award winning cookbooks have been published in the UK, US, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands and Russia.
A Whisper of Cardamom is my latest book - a sweet companion book to The Nutmeg Trail. This collection dives into the rich history of spice, exploring how to layer and combine flavors to create unforgettable dishes.
The Nutmeg Trail has garnered significant recognition, winning the prestigious Best ‘International or Regional Cookbook’ award at The Guild of Food Writers Awards in 2023, as well as two Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
Fire Islands, my second book, charts the fresh and vibrant food of Indonesia. It is the winner of best ‘International or Regional Cookbook’ at The Guild of Food Writers Awards 2020, two Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020, bronze at the German Cookbook Awards, and ‘Food and Drink Book of the Year’ 2020 at the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards, which celebrate world-class travel writing.
Samarkand, published in 2016, explores the foods of Central Asia and the Caucasus. Happily, it was received to wide acclaim and named a book of the year by The Guardian and Food52's Piglet. It was also awarded the ‘Food and Travel’ prize in 2017 by The Guild of Food Writers. I wrote it alongside my friend and travel journalist, Caroline Eden.
As a keen traveller, travelling slowly and overland when possible, I have visited 80 countries and sought out the best food in each of them. I have lived in the UK, Indonesia and Hong Kong. Through my writing, I aim to make world cuisines accessible, offering home cooks the opportunity to bring transportive flavours into their kitchens.
With a background in food journalism and recipe editing, I have contributed to publications including BBC Good Food, House & Garden, Delicious, Olive, Food and Travel, Time Out, The Independent, Traveller and Wanderlust. I am a judge for the Great Taste Awards and the Academy of Chocolate.
I regularly lecture for The Smithsonian (Washington DC) on the topic of spice, and have given talks about food for many institutions including Cheltenham Literature Festival, Edinburgh Literary Festival, 92nd Street Y (New York), Omnivore Books (San Francisco), Now Serving (Los Angeles), Asia House (London), Fortnum & Mason (London), Stanfords (London) and JakTent (Jakarta).
Join me on my culinary adventures—discover what I'm cooking and follow my journey on Instagram.
** Guild of Food Writers Award Winner 2023 ** Double Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winner 2023 ** ITB Berlin BuchAwards Winner 2023 ** Art of Eating Prize Longlist 2023 ** Foreword Indies Finalist 2022 ** Publishers Weekly Starred Review ** Guild of Food Writers Award Winner 2020 ** Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award 2020 ** Double Gourmand World Cookbook Award Winner 2020 ** Der Deutsche Kochbuckpreis Bronze 2020 ** Piglet Award Semi-Finalist 2017 ** Guild of Food Writers Award Winner 2017 ** A best book of the year chosen by The Guardian, The Daily Mail, Nigella Lawson, Sabrina Ghayour, Waitrose, House & Garden, Food & Travel, Delicious and The Independent, among others **
