TV Review: Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy

I have to confess to being more than a little late to the party. The first series of Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy to be shown in UK earlier this year has achieved almost cult status amongst its fans. Is there anyone who hasn’t watched and loved it? And now, to this blogger’s great delight, […]

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TV Review: Rick Stein’s Cornwall

I was delighted to see there was a new series of Rick Stein’s Cornwall on BBC2 last week: 15 half-hour episodes over three weeks. I really enjoyed the first series last year and it gave me some great information for my holiday in Cornwall last September, especially leading me to Jack Doherty’s pottery in Penzance […]

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Film Review: Boiling Point

We’ve all heard it’s hot in the kitchen; we may have watched Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, but Boiling Point takes the heat in the professional kitchen to a whole new level. Released last summer, the film is now available on Curzon Home Cinema, which is how I came to find it and watch it last […]

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TV Review: The Great British Bake Off 2020

What a joy to see the return of The Great British Bake Off last night. In the 10 years of its life I’ve moved from liking it in its first incarnation on BBC1, to feeling a bit bored by it and almost giving up watching, to then loving it after its move to Channel 4. […]

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When ‘Drinks’ Became the New ‘Dinner’

If ever we doubted the importance of social interaction, then the last five months of pandemic living has highlighted our basic need to connect and meet with others. From the grim early days of isolation within our houses, we’ve slowly stepped back out towards our more social selves. But we’re still a long way from […]

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TV Review: Jamie Cooks Italy

After making the Carrot Caponata a couple of nights ago from the book accompanying Jamie Oliver’s new TV series, Jamie Cooks Italy, it was fairly inevitable that I would be sitting in front of my TV at 8.30pm last night, tuned into Channel 4, ready to watch the first episode. I was very enthusiastic about […]

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TV Review: Rome Unpacked

Since Sicily Unpacked came to our screens in 2012, art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon and chef Giorgio Locatelli have been unpacking their bags all over Italy, giving us an insight into the food, art and history of wherever they travel. The various series over the years have strongly appealed to me as food, art and, of […]

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TV Review: The New ‘Great British Bake Off’ – Channel 4

Well let me confess straight off that I only watched it because of the wonderful Noel Fielding, who I’ve had a soft spot for for years. I’d grown tired of Bake Off; hadn’t watched the last couple of years on the Beeb where it had grown a little tired and predictable, even with the annual […]

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Book Review: Rick Stein’s Long Weekends

I loved Rick Stein’s TV series earlier in the year, Rick Stein’s Long Weekends (click here for review), so was delighted to see a book accompanying the series has just been published, and of course I had to buy it. There are many things I love about this series but I suppose above all it […]

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TV Review: Rick Stein’s Long Weekends

Rick Stein really has the most wonderful job and I am deeply envious of his recent trips. Not so long ago he was travelling between two of my favourite places, Venice and Istanbul, and now he’s jumping on planes and heading off for long weekends in fabulous cities (one of the things I like doing […]

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