FOOD with SOUL

In her latest cookbook, Bella’s Kitchen, Isabella Niehaus has put together a collection of beloved recipes she’s taken from every stage of her life – and they’ll make a wonderful addition to yours, too! Here are seven of our faves.

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BAKED MUSSELS

SERVES 4-6

• 500g cherry tomatoes, crushed
• 60ml (¼ cup, or about 40g) salted capers, drained
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 30ml (2 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2kg fresh mussels, cleaned
• freshly ground black pepper
• a big handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Arrange the tomatoes, capers, garlic and chilli on a large roasting tray. Drizzle with the olive oil. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened slightly.
3. Add the mussels, cover with foil and cook for a further 15-20 minutes or until the mussels have opened (discard any that do not open).
Taste the sauce and season with black pepper. Garnish with basil and serve with crusty bread.

FRENCH APPLE CAKE

SERVES 8-12

I’ve never been good with desserts, but this apple cake (and I have a few different versions of it) is definitely part of my repertoire. The hardest part of it is peeling and slicing the apples (you could keep them chunky as in this version, or slice them very thinly). It's the kind of dessert that you can put in the oven when you serve the starter. It’s amazing just out of the oven, but just as good served cold (it tastes even better the next day). The best thing about it? It fills the house with the most beautiful aroma!

• 95g cake wheat flour
• 3.75 ml (¾ tsp) baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 4 large apples (if possible, choose 4 different varieties), peeled, cored and halved
• 2 large eggs
• 150g sugar
• 45ml (3 tbsp) dark rum
• 2.5ml (½ tsp) pure vanilla extract
• 115g unsalted butter, melted
• double-thick cream, to serve (optional)