Catch the light on the right day and the south Devon, England port of Salcombe could double for a town hugging a coastline in the Caribbean. Vivid blue and green seas, soft yellow sand and wind battered trees leading up to whitewashed houses create an atmosphere of beach life. Indeed, the relationship between south Devon […]
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Holding 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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Pasta making is a family affair in Italy. Secret recipes, sauces, fillings for raviolis are passed down from nonnas (much loved grandmothers) to future generations of home cooks. And for one Italian family in one of the busiest shops in Menton, France this is happening right now. The star of the show is a deliciously […]
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It’s Shrove Tuesday today and home cooks, restaurants and school kitchens will celebrating the day by beating eggs, flour and milk to together to make pancakes. This year we’ll be making thin, crepe-like pancakes; thicker US-style pancakes and perhaps on the on-trend Japanese pancakes which are made up to 3cm high, shaped with an […]
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Majorca also spelt Mallorca, as in Catalan and Spanish is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, is covered with delightful citrus groves full of lemon and orange trees. With a lovely climate throughout the year and beautiful views everywhere you look, the island is a popular holiday spot where tourists slake thirst with juicy […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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