The author on childhood fruit fears and the role of food in her novels, The Miniaturist and The House of Fortune
When I met my partner he said: “I just want to cook for you, so you can get on with your writing.” It was very romantic, actually. And I remember when he moved in, he made this ragu and we still talk about it: “Can you ever make that ragu like that again?” You know when you are first falling in love, you think: “Oh my God, everything’s amazing!” So he has made subsequent ragus and they’ve been equally delicious but there’s something about the first ragu, because it was infused with love.
I really don’t love cooking. I find I’ve poured enough of my patience and discipline and experimentation into writing that I just can’t be bothered.
