Travel tips-Restaurant reviews-Recipes
I was alerted to the fact that today – I November – is World Vegan Day by the food writer Matthew Fort on his blog, Fort on Food. There’s a lot of vegan and vegetarian in my life at the moment: I’ve recently worked on a book about part-time vegans (which apparently is the ‘in’ […]
Read MoreIt was a chance, last-minute decision to make this gorgeous soup today. I popped into Waitrose to buy a few things, saw a wonderful knobbly celeriac and couldn’t resist buying it. With the cold mornings and evenings we’ve had over the last week or so, and days drawing in, it’s soup time again. I love […]
Read MoreThis one is for Antonio who rather cheekily texted me yesterday to ask, Do you ever eat at home???? He was clearly catching up on my latest posts. As it happened, at the time I was in Masaniello having lunch out with the family, so unfortunately I was closer to proving the validity of the […]
Read MoreI couldn’t resist taking a trip back to Prezzemolo & Vitale yesterday – this time with plenty of time to spare, my car and a large bag! Chelsea is not that far away – only about 10 miles – but I know from experience, as I used to work nearby, that the traffic can be […]
Read MoreHere I am still in Italian mode. If it’s been a theme of the past week, it’s certainly a theme in my life – learning Italian, Italian friends, cooking Italian food more than any other, travelling to Italy at least once or twice a year … and being called Nonna (Italian for grandmother) by my little […]
Read MoreI bought Gino D’Acampo’s Hidden Italy on the spur of the moment; it was on offer in WH Smith for a bargain £7. I’ve got a few of Gino’s books now. Like a true and good Italian, he keeps things simple, reasonably authentic – and his recipes work! Which isn’t something that can be said […]
Read MoreIt’s been a glorious June day with the temperature in the mid-20s and the sun shining from a clear blue sky. My beautiful pale yellow rose is in full bloom in the garden, its Old English perfume a heady, glorious fragrance. Pots are filled with bright red geraniums and what a treat it was to […]
Read MoreWith Nicola & Rachael down from Worcestershire for the weekend to celebrate my birthday, we had a busy day planned for Saturday – which included High Tea at the famous Maids of Honour tea rooms in Kew. With uncertain timings and knowing we’d have more ‘tea’ than I usually do – in fact I don’t […]
Read MoreIt was while I was wandering around Waitrose today that I saw packs of San Marzano tomatoes. I’d no particular plans for supper and thus couldn’t resist buying these famous Italian tomatoes to make a pasta sauce. Although actually when I got home, I saw these came from Spain! To be honest, it is a […]
Read MoreIt might seem crazy to be making a thick, hearty soup in the midst of Christmas madness, but I have the advantage that I’m not actually ‘doing’ Christmas until Boxing Day. It all came about because I couldn’t resist buying a bundle of cavolo nero (black cabbage) at the farmers’ market yesterday, where I’d gone to […]
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