Fragrant air breezing up from the Tuscany and the northern pine forests of northern Italy mix with the warmth of southerly Mediteranean Sea winds to create perfect conditions for making the world famous Parma Ham. It’s here, around the beautiful city of Parma, lying amidst the fertile farmlands between the Apennine Mountains and the Po […]
Read more
Google ‘gin’ and you’ll be swamped with new tastes, flavours, bottle shapes and packaging and stories of how a new generation of gin makers came to develop their particular recipe. The drink is enjoying a renaissance with new distilleries, not unlike those seen in the gin alleys of London of the 17th and 18th centuries, […]
Read moreCaught straight from the cold, clear waters of northern Norway every year between January and April, Skrei is much loved Norwegian delicacy. It is increasingly used by many of the UK’s best chefs, including Michel Roux Jr. who says, “Skrei is a versatile ingredient with lean, firm white flesh that lends itself to both modern and […]
Read moreGin and vodka distilleries are popping up all over Britain and are using basic ingredients and flavourings as diverse as milk, sloe berries and damsons. Many of these artisan, small batch distilleries were started by enthusiasts, quickly becoming micro-businesses with several now winning national and international awards. A parallel renaissance in label design has given […]
Read moreThe Kitchen Counter Cooking School book did what it said on the cover strapline – show ‘How a Few Simple Lesson Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks’. Written by US author and Le Cordon Bleu cooking school alumni Kathleen Flinn, the book aims to help nine self confessed ‘hopeless’ cooks gain basic skills […]
Read moreTraditionally associated with Folkestone, Kent this cheesecake-like pudding is also known around these parts as Lenten Pie, or even Kentish Lenten Pudding Pie. Enjoyed by Mrs Beeton, this sweet pie has a pastry crust and rice pudding filling flavoured with lemon or a hint of bayleaf. Putting a seasonal twist on the pie you can […]
Read more
