High on a hilltop in Tuscany sits the village of Buggiano Castello is home to the most exquisite gardens filled with fragrant citrus trees, lemons, oranges, mandarins, pomellos….
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Memories of Kabu and a Japanese masterclass
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 […]
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Le Beaujolais Nouveau 2019 est arrivé
Excited shouts of ‘Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé’ in dodgy French accents will be ringing out today from bars and restaurants around the world from Lyon in France to Toyko and New York as the annual launch of this miracle of wine marketing hits the streets. Simple, fruity and perhaps tasting of bubblegum and figs […]
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Dine and dream for Francesco
A couple of weeks ago I was kindly invited along with Cook_inc. magazine to a fund raising dinner. Money raised will be used for scholarships young given to young Italians keen to become professional cooks and to train with chef and educator Niko Romito. The dinner took place in Locanda Rocco, a beautiful, boutique restaurant […]
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The Lucca restaurant making its point through innovation
Chefs have a choice. Run with the new, the unknown and the experimental, or fill their menus with dishes that cemented their early reputation. Yes, the favourites remain on the list – why would you want to disappoint long term fans of the dish seeking out signature dishes – think Riccardo Camanini at Lido 84 […]
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Designs for life with Rochini’s table top architecture
There are subtle forces at a play when a table is laid, food plated and served, and ultimately enjoyed. Long before the table is prepared, chefs and craftsmen and women skilled in ceramics have been creating backdrops for your meal. Before the table is prepared, there are questions to be asked. How deep should the […]
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Snap the peel to make the perfect Martini
Want 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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Tree of Hope Cook Book
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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French cooking with Le Cordon Bleu and Parma ham
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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Bergamot and cucumber combine to refresh gin and summer
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 […]
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