About

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‘Chilli and Mint’ is my foodie outlet to the big wide world. I’m Torie and I am passionate about good food that is uncomplicated and easy to make. Spices and herbs are what I get most excited about and my recipes lift me and my family every day to new heights of enthusiasm. The UK, where I live, has come a long way since I was a child, and now there is no ingredient that you cannot get your hands on readily.

I am not a trained chef; I have never done a formal cooking course and in my early 20’s I would regularly burn ready-made pizza. But I took the bull by the horns and raised my game, exploring the world from my kitchen. Now, thanks to judicious use of herbs and spices, my repertoire is much broader, my confidence around food from new geographies much higher, and I can lift and put a spin on traditional favourites. Spices can transform and even a humdrum weekday meal becomes an exploratory journey. Entertaining friends has also become a much more original and relaxed venture for me…who wants to compete over soufflés when you can knock up a Burmese curry? Which is more memorable?

“But spices are spicy!” I hear you say. Think again – they are more varied and subtle than you would think. I have two daughters  whose palates are developing much better than mine were at their age. They love the warmth of cinnamon, the glow of cardamom and the zing of tamarind and what’s more they thank me for it with empty plates.

Why Chilli and Mint I hear you ask? Herbs and spices are a broad spectrum from the aromatic, fresh and fragrant mint to the feisty, strong and bold chilli- the David and Goliath of herbs and spices. My blog will guide you through the spectrum and show you step by easy step on how to move confidently forward in this stimulating world.

 I love to hear from readers so leave a comment under the comment section beneath a post or you can contact me at chilliandmint@gmail.com.

Copyright 2021, chilliandmint. All images and content are copyright of chilliandmint and cannot be used without prior permission please.

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49 thoughts on “About”

  1. Christine & Richard Amery

    Hi Torie,
    All of us New Zealanders are so impressed!
    It’s cling film for the poached eggs in future, and we love your receipes.
    Richard and Christine

    Reply
    • chilliandmint

      That is very kind of you to say Olivier. Yes all mine. Am in Vancouver at the moment so will blog from here soon. Do pass on my blog details to foodies or those who simply want to expand their repertoire.

      Reply
  5. Mirjam

    Dear Torie, this is Mirjam, and we met at V+A last week!
    I like your blog and I really think I should try one or the other of your recipes during holidays. Was fun to discuss Tyler Brulé 🙂

    Reply
  7. Rebecca Osborne

    Dearest Torie,

    I love your site, really clean with beautiful pictures. I have been meaning to thank you so much for the spices you sent through the post to me. I don’t have your email address or phone number! would love to catch upl NB Berlin was super but freezing (-15) and could have done with some of your lovely red split lentil dal!

    Lots of love

    Rebecca.

    Reply
      • Sue Testar

        Well the T gang just have finished Ottolenghi’s Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts and Honey – I made a few changes due to cupboard availiblity.
        I used a harisa and rose rub with honey and nuts for the crust. It was delicious – thank you. Great one for a mum in a rush back from work…..

        Reply
        • chilliandmint

          Hi Sue,
          Glad the meal was a hit, I am impressed you made it so quickly after posting. Your changes sound rather good too. Other speedy chicken recipes that you might also like are: Moroccan chicken with olives and lemons and Spanish Baked Chicken. You will find these under ‘Mains’ in my Recipe Library. Thanks for posting a comment. Best Torie

          Reply
  11. Francesca Evain

    Loving your blog Torie! Any opportunities to sample your recipes? Plans for taster evenings?… A delicious thought!… Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • chilliandmint

      Hi Laura, to follow you need to go to email subscriptions on the home page. It’s just below ‘follow me on twitter’. You need to enter your email address and then you will receive an email confirming you want to ‘follow’ my blog. At least I think that’s how it works. Each time I post a new post you will then receive an email (on average once every week) saying i have just posted something new. Let me know if it doesn’t work. Thanks for following. Best Torie

      Reply
  13. shuhanlee

    Thanks for dropping by my blog, I love yours too! And esp with a name liek that, chillies and mint, two of my favourite ingredients too because I grew up in asia!Chillies for sure, I’ll die without them! Looking forward to hearing more about your cooking adventures, everything looks brill so far! x

    Reply

  15. Pingback: 3 Awards « soulofspice

    • chilliandmint

      Hi Charu, Wow I am honoured and chuffed to bits that you awarded me the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’. What a lovely comment to wake up to. Will follow the steps on your blog ;o). Happy blogging and so glad I came across your lovely blog too. Thank you. Torie x

      Reply
  17. Kaho

    Great name! My old email account was “mintchoco” as my husband likes mint chocolate chip ice cream. I closed it down and I don’t use that account any more but I miss having mint as part of my identity. 🙂 I think mint sounds so pretty. You live in London. That’s very cool! I love having two girls. Thanks for leaving me comments on my blog! Nice to meet you!

    Reply
    • chilliandmint

      How funny re the ‘mint’ connection, it happens to be my fav ice cream in fact! Very glad to have stumbled across your blog yesterday. Lots of interesting posts for me to browse through.

      Reply
  18. Chuck Alderete

    Hi, I found your duck vindaloo recipe on Tastespotting and I’m eager to try it. I have a question about chilis: (the recipe calls for 5 dried chilli and 5 small green chilli) I live in California and I have access to, and use, dozens of varieties of chilis used in Asian and Mexican/Latin American cuisines, and I look for them by name. Can you tell me what chilis I should use for this recipe? For example, for dried would I use the small Japanese or larger Mexican types of hot chili? For green would I use jalapeños or serranos? Are there named varieties of Indian chilis that I could find in our many Asian store here or Indian shops in San Francisco? I will appreciate any guidance here. thanks, Chuck

    Reply
    • chilliandmint

      Hi Chuck,
      You asked a very good question – I should indeed probably have noted which ones I used. To be honest I tend to use whichever variety I have sitting in my fridge for the fresh chilli – whether it be the Jalapeno, Serrano or Finger Chillies. I tend to mainly use serrano or finger chillies in my cooking and in the case of the duck vindaloo I used finger chillies, which are hotter than the green chilli, jalapeno and Hungarian hot wax, but not as hot as a Birds Eye. If you prefer a milder sauce then definitely go for the Jalapeno. Serrano is also a go to chilli for me as it has a nice kick. Again if you prefer it less hot remember to take out the chilli seeds as it will then tone it down a lot.
      As for the dried chilli I used small dried red chillies from Thailand. I think the proper name for them is ‘Prik Haeng’, which I source from my local Asian grocers. I think that you will have a far wider selection on offer in California so I would love to hear what you end up using and how it turns out.
      My in-laws, who are Indian, find the full on version slightly too hot for them, although I personally love it. Remember to have some natural yoghurt to hand, just in case it gets a little too hot when you are eating it. A spoonful of natural yoghurt on the side works wonders!! It may be best to start with the milder version and then see how it tastes before adding one or two more depending on how hot you like it. Best of luck. I hope you love it. All the best Torie

      Reply
    • chilliandmint

      Hi Pia, That is such a lovely comment thank you so much, it means a lot to me. Glad you liked the name – I love all herbs and spices so wanted a name that encompassed them all – from the bold to the more subtle – and a name that had a ring to it. I am drawn to your name too and just had a peek at your blog – looks enticing so will definitely have a good browse around. I see you come from Kolkata – same as my hubbie ;o)

      Reply
  21. kellie@foodtoglow

    I can’t believe our paths have not crossed (via Twitter today) until now. I blog on plant-based global food using British ingredients, but I favour the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia – ie spicy and aromatic. Really lovely recipes and gorgeous site, fellow Word Press-er.

    Reply
    • chilliandmint

      Thank you for your lovely comment. Welcome aboard and I hope that you will enjoy my recipes. Do take time to go through my ‘recipe library’ as I have lots that will hopefully interest you. Best Torie

      Reply
  25. Jo Thomson

    Hi Torie, it’s Jo here, we met yesterday at Dubai Airport. I hope you had a good flight back; isn’t it grey in UK after colourful India… I had a quick look at your recipes and shall certainly try them out.

    Reply
    • chilliandmint

      Hi Jo, lovely to hear from you. Yes freezing back here in Blighty. I’ve been wearing one of my winter coats indoors all day (even though we have the heating at full blast). Cooking a hearty vegetarian stew at the moment to warm us all up. Watch this space for lots of Keralan recipes over the coming weeks. Let me know how you get on with the recipes or if you need any advice re any of my recipes on the site. Best Torie

      Reply
  27. Rasheed Arogundade

    Hi there Torie,
    Lovely chat this morning. You’re something of a “brain-box”. Really enjoyed your company.

    Your recipes are very inspiring. Can’t wait to try some of them. I look forward to reading your book now.

    More grease to your elbows.
    Best of luck.

    Rash from Bristol

    Reply
    • chilliandmint

      Hi Rash,

      Lovely to meet you this morning and hear about your exciting plans for the future.
      Thanks for signing up to the blog. I may be a little quiet on here for a bit as my deadline is looming from the publishers, but bear with me. I’m posting more regularly on my instagram @chilliandmint which will show you the types of recipes going into the book. Watch this space.

      All the best

      Torie

      Reply

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