Last night I had an unsettling thought just as I was nodding off to sleep. What if the internet suddenly vanished?

I share food on social media regularly, and over the years I’ve made worldwide connections through comments and follows. These friendships and my recipe archives would disappear overnight!

In my studio I keep my great-grandmother’s old cookbook—yellowed pages stained with decades of use, filled with handwritten notes. Unlike digital content, the pages are faded and stained with decades of love. It’s filled with handwritten notes and old clippings. These recipes capture real moments: crossed-out measurements and coffee stains from late-night baking. In those days, people traded recipes in person over tea, and kitchens held lived experiences.

Without the internet, my kitchen could become that gathering place again. Meals would be events, not photo opportunities. We’d spend less time scrolling, more time savouring. Recipes would pass through hands instead of screens.

As I fell asleep, I realised true connection wouldn’t vanish. A meal shared without hashtags remains meaningful. The digital age has expanded our reach but it didn’t create our desire to nourish each other. Food connects us beyond technology. No matter if we share recipes on paper or online, what matters stays the same—sharing food has always been how humans connect with each other.

This seasonal wild garlic pesto recipe I’m sharing today, is from my own “digital” archive. It’s delicious and there is plenty of wild garlic growing at the moment. Whether you jot it down in your own family cookbook, share it through a quick photo, or simply invite someone over to taste it, I hope this recipe finds its way into your kitchen and perhaps beyond. After all, recipes are meant to travel, regardless of the path they take.

Ingredients:

100g wild garlic

50g parmesan, grated

50g hazelnuts, skinned and toasted

olive oil

lemon juice, to taste

salt and pepper

Method:

Wash garlic and place in a food processor and blitz.

Add the grated parmesan and blitz again.

Toast, then add the hazelnuts. Turn the food processor back on and slowly add the olive oil until you reach the desired consistency.

Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.