Recipe: Prune and vegetable stew

Luckily, the Bangkok-born food-lover had both the means, and time, to go out and savour some of the finest cuisine in the world.

While sampling gastronomic delights in her home town, San Francisco, and “travelling quite a bit for work”, the petite exec began blogging about food.

And when her website began getting more than a million hits a month, she happily gave up her corporate career and turned to food writing full-time.

Techamuanvivit’s blogs have now been turned into The Foodie Handbook: The (Almost) Definitive Guide to Gastronomy (Conran Octopus, £20) which not only tells readers where and what to eat, but how to transform themselves into a classy eater.

She said: “People often e-mail me saying they are going to eat in Michelin-starred restaurant for the first time and they don’t know what to wear, how to order food and that they’re all nervous.

“Don’t be bashful. Ask questions, don’t be shy. Showing that you’re curious will always work better than pretending to be a know-it-all.”

Her goal is to make people feel comfortable with the idea that food is supposed to be fun and this comes through in her book.

Enjoy one of Techamuanvivit’s favourite recipes at home – prune and root vegetable stew.

RECIPE: PRUNE AND ROOT VEGETABLE STEW

Pim Techamuanvivit says: “This elegant vegetable recipe makes a perfect accompaniment for roast meat.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

50g pitted prunes
1 cup strong, brewed black tea
40g unsalted butter
150g baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
150g black radishes or turnips, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
150g fingerling potatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
150g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut into 1cm wedges
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of fresh parsley
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Salt and black pepper

Method

In a small saucepan, cover the prunes with the tea and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand until the prunes are plump, about 1 hour.

Drain the prunes and discard the tea. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
In a medium saucepan, cover the radishes, or turnips (if using) with the chicken stock and soy sauce and bring to a boil.

Simmer over a moderate heat for about 10 minutes or until the radishes are tender. Drain them, but reserve the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, melt two tablespoons of the butter in a frying pan. Add the carrots and season with salt and pepper.

Cook over a medium heat, stirring for about two minutes.
Add enough water to cover the carrots by 2.5cm/1 inch and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat for about seven minutes or until tender and then drain.
In a large, enamelled cast-iron casserole, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the potatoes and cook over moderate heat for about eight minutes, stirring, until they are tender and golden. Add the onion and cook for about four minutes or until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for about one minute or until fragrant.
Add the prunes, carrots, Jerusalem artichokes, the radishes with their cooking liquid and the herbs and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is slightly reduced. Remove from the oven, finish with lemon juice and serve.