Jennifer Johnston
The English mezzo’s new cookbook is packed full of celebrated musicians’ recipes, from authentic quiche to a John Cage-themed boiled egg, discovers James Naughtie
“We rely on food in the same way that we rely on music at extraordinary times like this”
Which singer’s favourite dish is Lancashire hotpot? Which pianist makes his own porridge with Irish pinhead oatmeal? And which conductor wouldn’t let you visit without serving his own Olivier Salad, a concoction which graces every Russian meal?
The answers are bass Sir John Tomlinson (no surprise there), pianist Stephen Hough and conductor Vasily Petrenko.
And the link between them all is the mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnston. While we’ve all been listening to musicians making the best of wretched isolation and the miserable sight of closed concert halls and opera houses by playing online either solo or in remarkable ensembles, Johnston has gone a step further. She’s put together a cookbook that’s also an
