High above the Mediterranean Sea in Vallebona, an ancient town in the Italian province of Liguria, lies a grove of bitter orange trees. Family run, the La Vecchia Distilleria grove is developing a reputation for high quality orange water known as Acqua di Fiori d’Arancio Amaro and for a limited production of neroli, an essential […]
Read moreSquinting into the screen of my mini-iPad I see friendly, smiley anonymous faces staring back at me in a culinary Zoom session. We’re gathered with a sense of community, to share our time and isolated spaces and take part in an interactive cooking class. I’ve signed up for 90 minutes of expert tuition, connecting with […]
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Hidden behind cardboard boxes of polenta and rice and alongside flimsy plastic bags of dried pasta lay a smallish cotton bag full of magic beans, known in the Italian province as Fagiolo Bianco di Conio, White Beans of Conio. This drawer sits in a cupboard in my Italian kitchen, in a small town about an […]
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A vigorous swirl of finely battoned turnip in a generous splash of vinegar, rice is best, and chemistry takes over. The once clear bowl is suddenly vivid purple. Let it rest for a few minutes and then a forkful of this fresh, bright vegetable is irresistible. Taking small bites, you feel energised, fresh and wanting […]
Read moreWant to make the perfect Martini? Well it’s all in the squeeze, apparently. Get a sliver of fresh lemon or orange peel about 4-5cm long and about 1.5cm wide at the middle, pinch the longer edges in you fingers and ‘snap’ over your cocktail, says Richard Ehrlich, martini aficionado, prolific food writer and stalwart of […]
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A group of west Kent, England chefs, cooks, restaurateurs and artisan food producers have left the white heat of the kitchen and joined with Tonbridge-based charity Tree of Hope to produce ‘The Cook Book’, a tasty collection of lavishly illustrated foodie stories and recipe. Family-focused Tree of Hope latest fundraising initiative is ‘The Cook Book […]
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Tucked away in a quiet London square close to the British Museum is the UK headquarters of cook school owned by the achingly famous French cooking school Le Cordon Bleu, which aims to teach students the culinary arts and French-style cooking techniques. There’s always something new to learn about cooking and with this in mind […]
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When four young friends fresh from a couple of years international travelling as digital nomads settled down in a small town in the south of England they found the UK in the midst of a gin frenzy, with hundreds of new varieties on offer. From hand bottled, small batch offerings such as the citrusy Sacred […]
Read moreHolding a giant wooden spoon Nicole Bineau stirs huge copper pots full of simmering, boiling fruit in the back of a shop that welcomes the curious cook. A passionate jam maker, Nicole works in the kitchen at the back of her family shop Maison Herbin, in the southern French town of Menton. She works behind […]
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Taking a generous sip of chilled Marourde craft Blue Label mead, I taste centuries of history and a very modern twist on an ancient brew. Served chilled with a refreshingly smooth feel, this modern mead has none of the sickly sweet flavours of home-brew, but delicate tones of fruit, and floral honey. It’s a palette […]
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