Breaking Through Burnout in the Kitchen With Meera Sodha
Plus, the cookbook author’s quick and flavorful kimchi and tomato spaghetti.
“I do check in people’s fridges to see how many condiments they have,” admits cookbook author and Guardian columnist Meera Sodha.
“If they surpass one shelf in the fridge,” they pass the test: “Okay, this is my kind of person.”
One shelf? If only. In this week’s podcast episode, Meera jokes that her collection, like mine, takes up half the fridge.
Condiments and sauces are crucial to the bold flavors of Meera’s recipes. Those many jars hold the “sleeping giants” that can bind together all sorts of vegetables with the grains or noodles or tofu that you probably already have around, creating a meal, she says, “when you haven’t really given yourself the time to think about what to cook.”
These sorts of store-bought ingredients can also help a recipe writer accurately guide readers in the kitchen. Since fresh chiles, for example, vary in heat and flavor, especially at different times of year, Meera says that calling for jarred sambal oelek instead means “we have this direct communication between us…Whereas if you go and buy some very mild chiles or some super hot chiles,” the dish may “turn out very differently to how I’d hoped that it would be.”
In our conversation, Meera also shares what she’s been craving in the cool weeks of false spring, the cookbooks that inspire her most these days, and most importantly, thoughts on emerging from a period of burnout.
That’s is the focus of her new book, Dinner, which shares the dishes that, night by night, helped her reawaken her love for food when everything “had transformed into shades of monochrome.”
There’s no easy fixes, but I love how Meera puts it: by tuning into her cravings and “leading belly-first” in the kitchen, she was able to gradually reconnect to a thread of purpose.
“It just starts with a simple question,” Meera says. “And I have to say, this wasn't just a question I was asking myself about food. It was also about life and digging myself out of this hole. It's like, what do you want? What do you need? What will bring you joy right now?”
Below, you’ll find one answer—the quick kimchi and tomato spaghetti from Dinner, with crunchy breadcrumbs and pine nuts on top—and more beloved recipes from Meera Sodha.
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Meera mentioned:
Roman vignarola / vignole (River Cafe version and another with prosciutto; Jamie Oliver version; Rachel Roddy version)
Vodka Gochujang Rigatoni
Lentils with Pomegranate Molasses and Lemon Tahini
Tofu fried rice
Peanut Butter and Sprouting Broccoli (or Broccolini) Pad Thai
Malaysian dal
River Cafe Two Easy by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers (AbeBooks here)
Stevie Parle’s Dock Kitchen (AbeBooks here; Omnivore here)
Moro East by Samantha and Samuel Clark (AbeBooks here)
Nose to Tail Eating: A Kind of British Cooking by Fergus Henderson (AbeBooks here)
An Invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey (1975 edition here; Bookshop here)
Flavor Thesaurus by Niki Segnet (Bookshop here)
Extra Good Things by Noor Murad and the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen (Bookshop here)
Power Vegetables by Peter Meehan and the editors of Lucky Peach (AbeBooks here)
Superiority Burger Cookbook by Brooks Headley (Bookshop here)
Meera’s 18-Carat Laksa
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Maggie mentioned:
Calvin Eng’s Rotisserie Chicken Congee
Hetty Lui McKinnon’s Brown Rice Congee With Crispy Kale; Butternut Squash Congee With Chile Oil
Mushroom stock concentrate
Endive salad with maple walnuts (sorry just a photo) from OTK Extra Good Things
Sunday Suppers at Lucques and The AOC Cookbook, halibut with horseradish crème fraîche
Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking by Joe Yonan (Bookshop here)
Kimchi and Tomato Spaghetti
Reprinted with permission from Dinner by Meera Sodha, Flatiron Books, 2025
When kimchi is cooked to just shy of caramelized, as in this recipe, the cabbage softens, its inner sweetness is released and the rowdy sourness mellows. Note: Gochugaru is Korea’s main squeeze when it comes to chile. It smells sweet, like dehydrated strawberries, and has a medium heat.
PREP 5 mins / COOK 30 mins
Serves 4
For the kimchi spaghetti:
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil, divided, plus extra
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
5 oz. kimchi, drained and finely chopped
2 tsp. gochugaru flakes
2 tsp. agave or brown rice syrup
1 x 14-oz can of chopped tomatoes
Salt
14 oz. spaghetti
For the breadcrumbs:
½ cup unseasoned dried breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp. pine nuts
1½ Tbsp. raw black sesame seeds
Pour the canola oil and a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil into a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat and, when hot, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until pale gold. Add the kimchi and stir-fry for a few minutes, until all the water has been driven off and the oil has visibly separated.
Stir in the gochugaru and syrup, then add the tomatoes and bring to a bubble. Turn down the heat, cock a lid over the top (as the sauce thickens, it may spit), and leave to cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened nicely. Season to taste (the saltiness of kimchi will vary—I use ¾ to 1 teaspoon of salt).
In the meantime, make the breadcrumbs. Put the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil into a small frying pan over a low to medium heat and, when hot, add the breadcrumbs, pine nuts and sesame seeds, and stir-fry until the breadcrumbs are crisp and golden. Stir through a pinch or two of salt and transfer to a bowl.
Fill a very large pan with water, season with salt (I use a teaspoon of salt for every 4 cups of water) and bring to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions and, just before draining, scoop out a small mug of the cooking water and put to one side.
Tip the drained pasta into the sauce and toss using a spaghetti spoon or tongs, adding a few tablespoons of pasta water if the sauce needs loosening. Check for seasoning and adjust as you see fit.
Fork the spaghetti out onto a serving plate (or onto four separate plates), sprinkle the sesame breadcrumbs liberally over the top and drizzle over a little more sesame oil, if you wish.
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Kimchi spaghetti looks delicious!
Like so many others, Kimchi and tomato spaghetti sounds very interesting. Will definitely try it!