‘Each day had a tranquility a timelessness about it so that you wished it would never end. But then the dark skin of the night would peel off and there would be a fresh day waiting for us glossy and colourful as a child’s transfer and with the same tinge of unreality’ – Gerald Durrell. I…
Tag: Extra Virgin Olive oil
Caldo Gallego, a Spanish White Bean Soup with Sherry Vinegar and Mojo Verde
A beautiful bowl of love for early spring evenings, this beautiful aniseed-based broth with lightly braised haricot beans, tomatoes, courgette and fennel is seasoned with a really good Spanish sherry vinegar, chilli and fennel seeds but it’s the punchy mojo verde – a garlicky green herb and garlic sauce originating from the Canary Islands –…
La Cecìna Toscana, a Fermented Chickpea Flour Pancake with Rosemary
In pre-Covid times, it always amazed me that having eaten breakfast in England we can be enjoying a late lunch in Italy looking up to the sun and taking in the aromas of the streets: jasmine blossoms and linden trees fighting for our olfactory attention against smokey Vespas, buttery patisserie, melting chocolate, over-ripe peaches, the…
Umbrian Barley, Cavolo Nero and Lemon Soup with Pesto alla Genovese
High up in the hills of Umbria, winters can be long and very cold. A chilled silence wraps itself around the small towns and villages like a damp white cloak and the region falls into a kind of reflective slumber until Easter. Restaurants – at least those that choose to remain open after the feasting…
Greek Ospriada, a Mixed Bean, Bulgur and Herb Salad
Ospriada is a mixture of dried legumes – including black eyed beans, fat and medium white beans, kidney beans, black beans and green lentils – which are gently cultivated on quiet and tranquil organic farms close to the little known Prespa Lakes which are tucked between the borders of Albania ,the former Yugoslav Republic of…
Greek Kritharaki with Lemon, Herbs and Pine Kernels
Here’s a beautifully bright pasta dish to brighten up your day whatever the season. There’s something extraordinarily comforting about eating kritharaki (kριθαράκι) or orzo; it’s the luxe softness of it I think as well as its ability to soak up all your favourite flavours be they rich or light. This vibrant lemony herb-packed recipe is…
Minestra Aromatica, Potato and Arborio Rice Soup with Aromatics
This beautiful recipe is perfect for the early days of a new year when the desire for bright vibrant flavours vies for attention with the long walk towards the spring. This year, more than ever before, I have looked to silence and reflection these past few weeks, a quiet time in order to process everything…
Turkish Freekeh and Radicchio Salad with a Pomegranate and Balsamic Dressing
This recipe is loosely inspired by the roasted freekeh-stuffed cabbage rolls I have enjoyed in southern Turkey but, because this is such a busy time of year, I wanted to devise an alternative recipe that would come together quickly for last night’s supper and which would make use of some of the stuff I have…
Greek Roasted Red Peppers with Cannellini Beans, Beluga Lentils, Kalamata Olives and Basil Oil
When we were in Corfu Town last summer, I made it my mission to find truly authentic tavernas and by far the best one we came across ticked every single box. A simple whitewashed interior featuring a dusty clock and iconic paintings of Christ. Old family photographs fighting for our attention as they danced around…
Piedmont Gnocchi with Charred Purple Sprouting Broccoli and a Creamy Garlicky Sauce
I made ricotta, cavolo nero and lemon malfatti last weekend. By accident. It was gnocchi that I was attempting to make but the mixture was just too soft to shape and cut. No problemo, we love malfatti – an Italian term meaning ‘badly made’, even though it’s made with love and care – and I…
