An early morning walk through the dusty streets of Istanbul down to the banks of the Bosphorus, a long and choppy crossing over the Sea of Marmara, a death-defying ride on a horse-pulled phaeton (there are no cars on Büyükada, the largest of the Princes Islands, just mad horsemen) followed by a hot and steamy…
Category: Restaurants
Neapolitan Buffalo Mozzarella with Zucchini alla Scapece and Borlotti Beans
‘Italian food is all about the ingredients, and it’s not fussy and it’s not fancy‘, so says Wolfgang Puck and this classic dish of Naples is a testimony to that. Zucchini alla Scapece is a zesty summer salad which, whenever I taste it, immediately transports me back to long lazy lunches sitting around a table heaving with…
Greek Wild Oregano-roasted Tomatoes and Whipped Feta on Garlicky Sourdough
Thinking ahead for a vibrant working lunch, I drizzled a tray of lusciously ripe plum tomatoes with olive oil, a flourish of organic oregano and plenty of sea salt and placed it in a low oven for a couple of hours. As they slowly caramelised, I was immediately transported to a recent visit to Corfu old…
Quartieri Spagnoli Aubergine Parmigiana, Melanzane alla Parmigiana
Deep in the heart of of the Quartieri Spagnoli – the Spanish Quarter – in the centre of Naples sits a tiny family-run restaurant called Hosteria Toledo. It’s one of our favourites and our go-to place when we arrive in this glorious chaotic city. The family are justifiably proud of their long-held faith in the generous…
Pal Haveli Paneer Makhani with Almond and Lemon Basmati Rice
After a long and eventful drive from Jaipur – so many stories to tell – we eventually arrived in the ‘blue city’ of Jodhpur just as its colourful residents prepared themselves for the business of the cooling evening (even in October the temperature rarely falls below 100 degrees). All of the tiny artisan shops that…
Umbrian Rocket and Walnut Pesto
‘When we first started cooking, dishes like lasagne and cannelloni were treated with suspicion. Few people knew what to expect. Thirty years ago these dishes were virtually unknown to the British population; only a few who had travelled to Italy had tried them. These dishes always had to be described in great detail before people…
Pizza Bianco with Lemony Courgette Ribbons, Dolcelatte and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Just an hour’s drive away from Assisi sits Cortona, a charming walled town in the Valdichiana Valley in southern Tuscany. After exploring its shady Medieval vicolos, inspiring artisan food stores and the beautiful duomo, we settled at the street-side table of a tiny local pizzeria. There we slowly sipped delicate glasses of an ice cold Italian rosato whilst we chatted over the…
Butterbean, Broccoli and Sugar Snap Salad with Mallorcan Caper and Sultana Dressing
Some years back, way before the Internet had begun to rule our lives, the married owners of a design studio I worked for hired an old stone farmhouse deep in the Mallorcan countryside. Their intention was to take the whole summer off which meant that a couple of us had to volunteer to take papers and…
Sheinkin Fattoush with an Aromatic Green Olive and Za’atar Tapenade
When I used to work there, Sheinkin was one of the coolest streets in Tel Aviv. It was where the beautiful people came to meet with friends, talk about life, listen to music, drink coffee in one of the myriad café-bars and to shop the funky independents (I have a treasure chest bursting with glittering Michal Negrin…
Essaouira Couscous with Saffron, Mint and Lemon
Imagine a sophisticated salon lined with intricate Moroccan tiles and finely carved white plaster; imagine the aromas of spices, incense and complex tagines; imagine literally dozens of traditional lanterns filled with flickering candles and the warmth of a Moroccan welcome all wrapped up with a flounce of Parisian glamour. You have just entered Essaouira, an authentic…
Cardamom and Dill 