Food & drink
In 2020, it will be 250 years since Australia was ‘discovered’ by Captain James Cook. We now know that the land mass was already inhabited with more than 500 Aboriginal tribes. In fact, humans had been here for more than 60,000 years. The First Nations have a tradition of using fire to burn vegetation. Known…
Read MoreCooking Science and the Art of Eating Well In La Scienza in Cucina e l’Arte di Mangier Bene (1891), Pellegrino Artusi considered the scientific role of food in well-being. Was his interest sparked by a near-fatal visit to Livorno in 1855? After eating a bowl of ‘minestrone’, Artusi suffered terrible stomach pains. Days later he discovered…
Read MoreSwoon over Chianti’s rolling hills covered in serried vines and bordered by pencil-thin Cypress trees. Explore exquisite medieval walled villages, and luxuriate in ancient spas, then release your inner gourmand with fine Tuscan DOP food and wine. A tip: when eating out, or buying produce, look for the DOP (denominazione di origine protetta) label. Only…
Read MoreIt’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…
Read MoreWarning: 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…
Read MoreBologna, Parma, Modena… just some of the fabulous foodie places to visit in Emilia Romagna. One of the best food festivals of the year is Forlimpopoli’s Festa Artusiana. The festival is a celebration of the life and works of Pellegrino Artusi, the ‘Father of Italian cuisine’. In Artusi’s La Scienza in Cucina e l’Arte di Mangier Bene (Cooking…
Read MoreOne 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…
Read MoreListed 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…
Read MoreAn evening with Gennaro Contaldo at Cucina Caldesi proved entertaining as well as useful. One of Gennaro’s rules is to always use seasonal products so, around about now, that includes the pumpkin – three of them in fact: The pumpkin is a member of the plant genus Cucurbita L. and includes squashes, pumpkins, courgettes and…
Read MoreOctober 2015 Winning ‘Best Honey in London’ has made me very proud. Not that it’s been especially easy to get to this point. After doing my training with Capital Bee towards the end of 2011, I finally got my hive and bees in May 2012. The hive is in Cordwainers Garden, the community garden that…
Read More