5 O' Clock Apron

In this episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast, Claire drives to Oxford to cook with the Professor of Computer Science and Head of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, Michael Wooldridge. Michael’s field of work has been in Artificial Intelligence (AI) since 1989, a landscape which has seen wide-reaching change. Michael’s Wikipedia page, and in particular, the awards and honours section is extensive and hugely impressive. He has written over 350 scientific papers and contributed to many academic books, and his most charming, for the layperson, is the bite-sized Ladybird Expert Book on Artificial Intelligence first published by Penguin Random House in 2018.

 

As with every episode, Claire knocks on the front door of Michael’s house having never met or indeed cooked in Michael’s kitchen before. Michael is a bean enthusiast, and to keep within a sensible timeframe, but still wanting to cook with dried beans from scratch, has a huge pot of just-cooked black turtle beans ready and waiting on the hob. Together Michael and Claire cook Michael’s favourite weeknight black bean chilli, a dish he regularly cooks at home for his wife and two grown up children, the question posed throughout the recording by Michael is, “How hot should we go?” More chilli is generally the answer, with some additional extra spicy seasoning that Michael is a fan of. 

 

With the black beans bubbling, Claire quizzes Michael on the future of big tech, on whether robots cleaning our houses and loading our dishwashers will happen any time soon, will AI help with the future of food and farming and food insecurity, what is easier to program: driverless cars or grandmaster chess players? With the potential of AI a near constant topic in the news these days, it is with trepidation Claire considers the future of the workforce as we know it, only to be told by Michael “not to worry, the robots aren’t coming to get us, just yet!”

Cooking with Michael Wooldridge in this episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast is a lesson in reassurance. With anxiety levels in society seen to be generally on the up, and for some, at a tipping point, cooking something delicious for dinner, whatever your line of work, is an opportunity for some much-needed calm and - most important of all - something tasty to eat on the table come dinnertime.   

 

Michael’s Black Bean Chilli Recipe 

Serves 4

Ingredients; 

400g dried turtle beans (you can pre-soak the beans in cold water for an hour or two, or overnight, but Michael thinks this is unnecessary, and his beans were, once cooked, delicious)

1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 

1 whole red chilli

1 large red onion, peeled and finely diced 

150g diced chorizo

2 tbsp of olive oil

2 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped 

1 tbsp smoked paprika 

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano, or more to taste 

Dried chilli flakes, to taste 

Jerk seasoning, Michael used Dunns River Jerk Seasoning, to taste 

The juice of 1 lime

Small bunch of coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped 

Method;

Put the beans in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of water, bring to the boil, skim off any frothy residue, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for around 1 – 1 ½ hours. Keep an eye on the water levels, top up with more water, if necessary, the beans should be fully submerged, at all times.

Add the tin of the tomatoes and the whole chilli and continue cooking until the beans are fully cooked through and the sauce is thickened and creamy, not too soupy, just right. Put to one side.

In a frying pan, add the olive oil and the onions and fry over a moderate heat for around 5 minutes to soften, add the diced chorizo and the garlic and fry for a further 3 - 4 minutes, until the fat from the chorizo begins to exude in the pan. 

Add the ground spices and the oregano and cook for 1 minute more. 

When the beans are a good consistency in the pan, thick and creamy, add salt to taste and the chorizo, spices and onion mix in the pan. Add the finely chopped coriander stalks and stir to combine and keep warm.

Check the seasoning on the beans, adding salt and more chilli, to taste, if necessary, then add the lime juice and the chopped coriander leaves to serve. 

 

 
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In this episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast, Claire is on home turf, in Bristol and walks to Dee Ryding’s house. Dee is an undertaker and owns the funeral parlour Divine Ceremony. Dee calls herself an undertaker and champions the phrase “Lovers in Life – Helpers in Death” as the strapline to her business. It was a blazing hot day in June for this recording, Claire marching the short walk to meet with Dee and cook together in her bright, sunny kitchen in Bishopston. Claire knocks on the front door, to be met by Dee, already in an apron and raring to go with one of her favourite - very much battered and splattered - cookbooks to hand, 30 Minute Indian by Sunil Vijayakar published in the year 2000 by Octopus.

Within minutes Claire and Dee are chopping and chatting together, cooking one of Dee’s favourite curries from the book. It is a recipe Dee swears by, and cooks often for her family. Over the years, because Dee has now been cooking this recipe for a good many years now, Dee has made her own adjustments, tinkering with the recipe to suit her, and her children’s tastes. 

Claire has wanted to cook with an undertaker for the podcast since way back in Series 1, and truthfully, this episode is everything Claire had hoped it would be. Dee and Claire discuss many topics as they cook, from the practical, such as artfully arranged spice drawers and a love of measuring spoons to the more profound, what happens to our bodies after we die and what impact Queen Victoria had on the modern funeral. There is a brief, but poignant moment in the recording, when Dee and Claire’s discussion tackles some of the bigger questions life must throw at us, with Claire having to steady herself, her emotions getting the better of her, composure regained, the pair continue cooking, the curry smelling utterly delicious. 

This is an extraordinary episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast, listen in, wherever you get your podcasts, as you cook along in your own kitchen and marvel at what a tonic food and cookery can be to everyday life, for everyone. 

Dee’s Chicken and Cashew Nut Curry Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients;

1 onion, roughly chopped 

4 tbsp tomato puree 

1 heaped tbsp Greek style yogurt 

2 garlic cloves 

Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled

Juice ½ lemon 

¼ tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp salt

70g lightly toasted cashew nuts 

800g diced, skinless chicken thigh

3 tbsp coconut oil, or use ghee or neutral oil

50g dried apricots, thinly sliced 

300ml hot chicken stock, or use water 

1- 3 tsp hot aubergine pickle 

200g baby spinach leaves

Big bunch of coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped 

 

Method;

In a food processor, add the onion, tomato puree, 50g of the cashew nuts, ginger, garlic, turmeric, lemon juice, yogurt, salt and garam masala and process to form a smooth, thick paste.

In a large wide frying pan, add the coconut oil and the onion paste, cook the paste over a moderate heat for around 4 - 5 minutes, until the paste takes on a darker colour and begins to smell very fragrant. Add the diced chicken thighs and mix well to combine.

Add the hot stock to the pan and add the apricots and coriander stalks. Give the pan a good mix and put a lid on the pan. Cook the curry over a moderate to low heat for around 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the lid, stir through the baby spinach leaves and add the hot aubergine pickle, more or less, and to taste. Check the seasoning, adding more salt, lemon juice, spicy pickle or use chopped fresh chilli, to taste. Serve with steamed rice or naan, roti or paratha and add the remaining cashews and the chopped coriander leaf to the top of the curry to serve. 

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Lisa McGrillis is an actor. Born in Carlisle to Irish parents, Lisa grew up surrounded by family, food, and humour - three things that still shape her life today. She studied drama in Newcastle, got her start in regional theatre, and had her London breakthrough when Lee Hall’s Pitman Painters transferred to the National Theatre. Since then, she’s become a familiar face on stage and screen, from Mum alongside Lesley Manville to her current role as the gloriously over-the-top Valerie in Rivals.

When she’s not filming in Bristol or learning lines, Lisa is at home in London with her husband, also an actor, and their two children. Food is central to her family life, a connection that runs deep thanks to her Austrian grandmother — “Big Nanny” — whose recipes still inspire Lisa’s cooking today.

In this episode, Claire arrives at Lisa’s London home to cook one of those beloved family dishes: chicken schnitzel with Big Nanny’s potato salad. Together they peel, chop, and bread the chicken while reminiscing about Lisa’s roots, the chaos of raising kids, life on a busy TV set, and the joys (and nerves) of performing live theatre. There’s also a well-stocked fridge to explore, some very handy kitchen gadgets courtesy of Lisa’s dad, and a celebratory glass of Crémant to toast the cooking session.

The result? A comforting family meal with a side of laughter, memories, and a glimpse into the real life of an actor balancing stage, screen, and supper.
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For this episode of 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast, Claire travels to Bristol to cook with England rugby prop Sarah Bern - just a stone’s throw from Ashton Gate Stadium, where Sarah hopes to be battling it out in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals this September. With her own flat mid-renovation, Sarah borrows a friend’s beautiful (and admittedly “too swanky to be mine”) kitchen for the occasion.

Between whisking eggs and grating Pecorino for Sarah’s pre-match favourite, spaghetti carbonara (no cream allowed - “straight to hell” if you do, so they say), the pair dive into Sarah’s remarkable rugby journey. From earning her first England cap at 18, to playing in two previous World Cups, to preparing for the gruelling demands of the next, Sarah reveals the technical finesse of life as a tighthead prop - part maximum squat, part chess match. Sarah’s instagram @sarahbern3 is a paean to what it takes to be an athlete on the international stage, determination, ambition and a true love of the sport to which you are so utterly devoted to. 

Carbonara doesn't take long to cook, and yet Sarah and Claire manage to fit an awful lot of chat into the time it takes to cook (and record) this classic Italian pasta dish, they discuss the reality of women’s rugby, the joy and rivalry of playing alongside (and sometimes against) her partner Mackenzie Carson, the sacrifices elite sport demands, and Sarah’s big ambitions beyond rugby - namely, swapping the scrum for the cockpit as a pilot. All the while, the guanciale sizzles, the pepper flows freely, and Sarah proves she’s as strong in the kitchen as she is on the pitch.
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In this episode, Claire visits Oxford to cook with Alexandra Green, curator for Southeast Asia at the British Museum. Alexandra shares her passion for Southeast Asian food, shaped by her childhood in Malaysia and her love of rice and vibrant flavours. Together, they prepare Alexandra’s favourite quick and easy Thai chickpea curry – a comforting dish that blends classic Thai ingredients with a twist, reflecting Alexandra’s own culinary influences.As they cook, Alexandra talks about her fascinating role at the British Museum, looking after a vast collection of over 33,000 objects from across Southeast Asia. She discusses the importance of spices, their journeys across the world, and how food and objects connect cultures through time. Alexandra explains how she became the first dedicated curator for Southeast Asia at the museum, her work on exhibitions, and the ongoing efforts to share and document the region’s rich history.The conversation weaves together stories of family, travel, and the everyday joy of cooking. Alexandra reflects on the objects she cares for, from fish traps and mortars to contemporary art and ceremonial daggers, and what they reveal about the lives and histories of Southeast Asian communities. She also touches on the complexities of museum collections, the significance of transparency and access, and the role of curators in shaping the stories we tell about the past.With a warming bowl of Thai chickpea curry and plenty of good conversation, this episode is a celebration of food, heritage, and the connections we make through what we cook and collect.
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