Travel
For a cheap, delicious, spicy, warming, hearty and healthy winter soup, this recipe for pumpkin soup is an absolute winner. And it only takes 15 minutes to make! Add chilli for heat, and turmeric as it’s an excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Don’t peel the pumpkin as it contains plenty of vitamin D (essential at this time…
It’s a fruit. You’ve never heard of it? Not surprising, as it’s one of the rarest fruits in the world. However, thanks to the inclusion of pompia in various Sardinian desserts and liqueurs, the fruit survived. Its scientific (and pretty accurate) name is Citrus monstruosa. But it could just as easily be known as Citrus…
Warning: this basil pesto bears absolutely no resemblance to any pesto you’ve even eaten from a jar. The traditional pesto of Genoa is tangy (basil, garlic), nutty (pine nuts), salty (Pecorino), and fabulously slithery (plenty of extra-virgin olive oil). 40gm basil leaves (ideally home-grown) 120gm Pecorino cheese (or similar, such as Parmesan), grated or cut…
When D H Lawrence visited Sardinia with his wife, Frieda, back in 1921, they weren’t much impressed. Food was scarce, and they found little to eat but cabbage and bread. Some ‘hotels’ were little more than shacks, and yet in Sea and Sardinia he wrote:
Thanks to its position between East and West, Estonia has often been a battleground. Over the years, Denmark, Germany, Russia, Sweden and Poland have all fought over it. In 1906, when the country was under Russian rule, Louis Kahn’s family moved to the United States. Kahn was five years old. He went on to become one…
When you consider Emilia Romagna, think food. Bologna, Parma, Modena, and Ferrara, are just some of the fabulous foodie destinations to visit. In addition, one of the best food festivals of the year is Emilia Romagna’s lesser-known town of Forlimpopoli. Festa Artusiana is a celebration of the life and works of Pellegrino Artusi, the ‘Father…
One of the best reasons for visiting Liguria (capital, Genoa) is the wonderful food. With its long coastline, the region is renowned for its excellent seafood. Then there are regional products like foccaccia, farinata (a delicious chickpea pancake), Albenga artichokes, salt cod, and, of course, pesto. Pesto championships The capital of the region, Genoa, hosts…
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the busiest cities in the world – all neon lights and skyscrapers – but hop on a bullet train and within a couple of hours you could be relaxing at an onsen (hot spring) in a green tea bath, in the middle of a forest, with nothing for company but the sound of birdsong…
I’ve been a yoga devotee for many years, and reviewed Yoganesh (Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green) for the Yogi London website. Today it goes under the name of the Yoganest. Next stop, Goa… I’m available to write reviews for individual yoga practitioners, as well as yoga workshops, yoga weekends and retreats.…
Listed below (thanks to the Italian Tourist Board) are some of the most interesting Christmas markets in Italy. Naple’s San Gregorio Armeno is one of the best, and is open all year. Via San Gregorio Armeno is an entire street of workshops where you’ll find hand-carved nativity scenes, known as presepe. The wood-carving has been…