Cookery Writer Skye McAlpine on Hosting as an Act of Love

Video Description

For a special Christmas episode of Homing, I was invited into the home of cookery writer and ultimate host, Skye McAlpine. Skye is like a modern-day “Mother Christmas”. She was raised between London and Venice by parents who were great bon viveurs, and her childhood home was an open house, filled with guests, conversation and celebration. It’s there that she absorbed the idea that a home is meant for sharing – a philosophy she has carried into both her life and her work. If you follow Skye online, you’ll see that her kitchen is at the heart of everything she does; a space to cook and gather those she loves around one long table. For Skye, hosting is an expression of love, and choosing a favourite event is, in her words, “like choosing a favourite child”. The glamorous version of her life is only one side of the story. Skye also shows me the unseen, everyday moments of life at home. During our tour, she laughs about the dust that gathers on every surface, which makes her cough. We talk about insomnia, doomscrolling, introversion, and the importance of not letting the pressure to appear perfect stop you from putting yourself out there. This is an episode about place, belonging, childhood, and what it really means to make people feel at home. So, before your Christmas dinners, I hope you give this episode a listen and absorb Skye’s wisdom for creating a table full of love. This episode was filmed in person at Skye’s London Victorian townhouse. – Matt An extended version of the tour is available to our Patreon community. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt 00:00:00 Childhood & Family Beginnings 00:00:52 Move from London to Venice 00:01:50 Adapting to New Culture & Language 00:03:27 Identity Between Two Cultures 00:04:26 Attachment to Place & Home 00:06:10 Life Between London & Venice 00:06:32 Childhood Home in Venice 00:07:21 Bookish Childhood & Adult Company 00:08:48 Family Traditions & Hosting 00:09:28 Celebrations & Rituals 00:10:34 Being the Centre of Attention 00:10:46 Memories of Father, Alistair McAlpine 00:12:06 Collecting, Aesthetics & Family Values 00:13:42 Father’s Political Life & Family Dynamics 00:15:49 Only Child in a Triangular Family 00:16:55 The Hampshire Home and the IRA Bombing 00:19:43 Venice as a Safe Haven 00:20:22 Parents’ Separation and Finding Home in Relationships 00:21:49 Feeling at Home Within Oneself 00:23:23 Gratitude, Achievements, and Moving the Goalposts 00:25:03 From Classics at Oxford to Food Writing 00:30:45 The Kitchen as the Heart of Home and Work 00:33:01 Connection, Conversation, and Hosting Traditions 00:35:16 Hosting Challenges and the True Meaning of Entertaining 00:39:05 Cooking as an Act of Love 00:41:30 The Energy of Homes and Creating Memories 00:44:49 Fragility, Resilience, and Overcoming Challenges 00:47:07 Family Scandal, Resilience, and Finding Purpose 00:51:01 Insomnia, Routines, and Finding Calm 00:55:24 Sensory Overload and the Need for Routine 00:59:11 Parenting, Blueprints, and Unconditional Love 01:06:52 The Meaning of Home To hear more from us: Instagram: @homingwithmatt TikTok: @homing.with.matt Contact: Email us at [email protected] Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live, is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496 Music by @simeonwalkermusic Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office Produced by @podshoponline The full visualised home tour is available to our Patreon community. Patreon: http://patreon.com/HomingWithMatt