Niklas Ekstedt and I chat via Zoom, as everyone does these days, during the UK's second lockdown (the tricky follow-up to the first lockdown and just before the third lockdown dropped). Sweden, at that stage, was restricting social interaction but not shutting down as much of Britain had. His restaurants, the ones that focused heavily on open-fire cooking long before it was a trend that swept the rest of Europe, are among his country's best and, while they weren't able to host as many guests as normal thanks to Covid, his main disappointment when we speak is that, "It isn't snowing yet. Let's get this Covid thing out the way," he exclaims. "It sucks!"
Having fronted television shows here, such as Crazy Delicious alongside Heston Blumenthal, and published another book this year, simply titled Ekstedt, we talk about Happy Food For Life, the follow-up to his hit tome Happy Food that just hit UK bookshelves. The original, published in 2018, focused heavily on Ekstedt's firm belief that we can eat ourselves into a happier state of mind. As is so often espoused these days, both physical and mental wellbeing start from within the gut and Ekstedt says that foods that nourish our bacteria and spirits can help ease us out of anxiety and even depression.
Both Happy Food books were a collaboration between Ekstedt (who created the recipes around the science) and his friend Henrik Ennart. "He is an acclaimed scientist," Ekstedt says, "and a lot of people subscribe to papers here in Sweden just to read his work. It’s fun for me to be challenged too and working on an assignment that isn’t just about fine-dining gastronomy and Michelin-starred restaurants."
So why another book? Thousands more studies into the "gut-brain axis" have been undertaken in the few years since Happy Food was written and his latest explores that link in much greater detail. "Today, researchers agree that 70 to 80 per cent of our immune system is located in our gut," Ekstedt tells me. Adding, "It's hard to be healthy on a sick planet. We are often mentally unwell and the planet is sick, too. The body and the brain are linked and the food and gut flora are crucial to both." Ennart writes in great detail about new studies and then Ekstedt provides delicious recipes to support the science and make it adaptable to our everyday lives.
© David Loftus
"We wanted to do a second book because science and research on food is going in a very quick and fast direction," Ekstedt says. "One reason for this is that it’s actually cheaper to sample someone's gut now than it was six years ago." And, of course, the presence of Covid-19 weaves its way in out of our conversation even though it wasn't a consideration when this book was written. "It’ll be interesting to see how gut and general health will change after Covid because health will be massively affected in the future by all this. And you have the mental health implications of it, too." Ennert also talks of using what he has learnt to help him get ready for any future pandemics. "Because medicine can help, but it’s clear now that isn’t the whole solution. It’s just part of it." So what should we all be doing to arm ourselves against disease and misery?
"Well, it’s easy to give people a chocolate cake and tell them it’s delicious and they will enjoy it, but giving someone big, healthy game changers is a harder sell. People always ask if you can really prove things and I end up in a debate facing a lot of scepticism. But none of what I say is about dieting and losing weight." He starts by emphasising the importance of having a variety of vegetables in your diet. "I try to highlight them more in my restaurant and at home. I’m not going vegan, but encourage you to look at food as broadly as possible, because variety is our main challenge. We think we have so many things to choose from, but most people tend to eat the same things – a lot of us are stuck in a rut and variety in our diet is so important. Try to discover new things and give in to curiosity and try to have fun when you’re shopping. I always tell people to 'shop the rainbow'. Get as much colour in your basket as you can."
Ekstedt's other advice is that, "Small things can make a meal broader: put out nuts before you eat; finish with some fruit. I find it fun to buy something and make it a conversation piece on the table. You don’t have to overdo it or let it change your whole life, but small changes make a big difference." He also isn't the biggest advocate of fasting, because, "When you eat properly, you don’t feel hungry an hour later. Eat food, I say. Which means that when you eat, eat quite a lot so you avoid snacks, particularly bad snacks. When you’re getting ready for battle in life you need to eat and if you’re thirsty drink water. It’s not difficult." What is so refreshing is how easy Ekstedt's advice really is to follow. It's not fasting or avoiding foods at certain hours of the day, eating lots of something and giving in to fad food trends; it's all the basic information we have at hand and, yet, somehow, often forget. "Make small changes in your everyday life and if you then want to kickstart it with something like fasting then you can. I think it’s about being curious and loving food. That’s the most important thing."
And, as we're gearing up to January and the inevitable resolutions that come our way, our conversation inevitably moves to alcoghol. It's not out of the picture completely, but, inevitably, it's to be limited and consumed mindfully. "Try to only drink when you eat," Ekstedt advises. "Wine can enhance flavours and make your meal delicious and have you enjoying what you eat to make it even more tasty, but try organic if you can. I think drinking before and after food can be dangerous, especially on weekdays and remember the link with your gut bacteria. We need to be careful with it, but I really enjoy wine. And it’s important culturally." What further justification do we need than cultural relevance?
Aside from feeding our guts with healthy bacteria, Ennert and Ekstedt write a lot about the importance of fresh air, but if you're living in an urban area don't despair. "How we absorb vitamins from nature is all about the food we eat. You can make up for a lot if you eat a varied diet and have lots of fish and, again, remember colourful food so you’ll get everything you need when you don’t get enough sunshine." Exercise doesn't need to be overdone to ensure optimum health, either. "It’s really interesting," Ekstedt tells me, "because we have travelled a lot to places where people live healthily without even knowing it and what really strikes me is they don’t over-exercise. None of them are super athletes, but they stay fit and have a daily dose of a good walk and they move around a lot. It’s quality over quantity."
Happy Food For Life is the perfect balance of approachable scientific analysis, all of which makes perfect sense, blended with Ekstedt's carefully curated, very approachable recipes. From lentil and game bolognese with white cabbage noodles to whole roasted butternut squash and a fantastic "Happy Food snack platter", they aren't the fine-dining gastronomic beauties of his restaurant (we recommend another of his books, Ekstedt, for that) but, rather, these are refreshing, varied, plant-heavy recipes that help all of us eat better, nurture our guts and boost our immune system. New year's resolutions or not, surely that's more important than ever.
Happy Food for Life by Niklas Ekstedt and Henrik Ennart with photography by David Loftus (Bloomsbury Absolute, £22) is out now.
Buckwheat risotto with fennel and pea sprout salad
“Fennel is the slightly neglected cousin of parsley and coriander. The seeds and stalk have both been used in natural medicine and fennel’s fibre and folate content have given it a reputation as being good for the heart. Here it’s served with beetroot, which has a vasodilating effect, and naturally gluten-free buckwheat. Västerbottensost cheese isn’t only really tasty, it was also one of Henrik's ancestors who discovered it. If you can’t source västerbottensost, then aged cheddar cheese will work too.”
Ingredients
2 shallots
300g crushed buckwheat
3 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
600ml chicken stock
150g Västerbottensost cheese (or aged Cheddar cheese)
4 tbsp crème fraîche
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 bulb of fennel
3-5 cooked beetroot
Pea sprouts or green leaves or herbs, such as basil or oregano, to serve
Method
-
1
Peel and chop the shallots.
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2
Sauté the shallots and buckwheat in the rapeseed oil for 4 to 5 minutes in a wide, thick-bottomed saucepan.
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3
Stir and add the chicken stock, a little at a time. Allow the liquid to reduce and add more stock while stirring until there’s still a little bite in the buckwheat.
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4
Grate half of the cheese into the pan and add the crème fraîche.
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5
Toast the fennel seeds in a pan over a medium heat.
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6
Thinly slice the fennel – this is easiest on a mandoline.
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7
Cut the cooked beetroot into wedges.
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8
Top the buckwheat risotto with toasted fennel seeds, sliced fresh fennel and beetroot. Shave the rest of the cheese over.
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9
Add a few pea sprouts, green leaves or herbs.
Pasta al dente with sage, butter and pine nuts
“Pasta tastes great, but won’t it make you fat? No, because moderation and quality are the keywords. The GI value is lower if you choose pasta made from durum wheat and serve it al dente. As always, you have to see the meal as a whole. Here we balance the pasta with black pepper and pine nuts that stabilise the blood sugar and feelings of hunger.”
Ingredients
400g pappardelle, dried
2 cloves of garlic
3 tbsp butter
8-10 sage leaves, plus extra to garnish
50g parmesan
3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Black pepper for serving
Method
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1
Cook the pasta al dente, according to the instructions on the packaging. Drain and leave to steam thoroughly.
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2
Thinly slice the garlic.
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3
Brown the butter slightly and add the sage and garlic.
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4
Add the pasta and mix thoroughly.
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5
Serve with parmesan shavings, toasted pine nuts, extra finely sliced sage and freshly ground black pepper.
Tomato dip with sourdough bread and olive oil
“This is a delicious tomato dip spiced up with a splash of vinegar. It’s perfect as a starter, for example on a bruschetta, or as a side dish with soup or pasta. Make sure the tomatoes are ripe.”
Ingredients
500g sweet and ripe tomatoes
3 shallots
1 clove of garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 red chill
6-8 basil leaves, wood sorrel or herb of your choice
Salt
Method
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1
Cut the tomatoes in half and roughly chop or grate the cut surface coarsely with a grater (hold the tomato by the skin).
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2
Add salt and suspend in a fine sieve for approximately one hour. If you grated the tomatoes you will obtain a thick consistency.
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3
Finely chop the shallots and garlic and quickly fry without allowing them to brown in a hot pan with 1 tsp of the olive oil.
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4
Mix with the tomato mixture, the remaining olive oil and red wine vinegar and season with salt.
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5
Halve the chilli and remove the seeds.
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6
Shred the basil leaves, sorrel or herbs.
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7
Top the tomato dip with chilli and herbs.
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8
Serve with freshly toasted sourdough bread or roast chicken breast with grilled salad
Now read
Why your gut health is responsible for your happiness
River Cottage outdoor cooking guide
How to eat your way to a healthy gut
"eat" - Google News
January 09, 2021 at 03:00PM
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How to eat yourself happy in 2021 - British GQ
"eat" - Google News
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