A love letter to the food of Sicily Ben Tish, the author of Sicilia (Bloomsbury), is an accomplished chef, food writer, restaurateur and teacher. He runs two restaurants in London that celebrate the food of Sicily. Shortly before the first lockdown, my family and I celebrated a milestone birthday at one of these, Norma, a […]
Ripe Figs – Recipe Book Review
Recipes and stories from the Eastern Mediterranean Ripe Figs is a book about resilience as much as recipes. Yasmin Khan has travelled around the Eastern Mediterranean in search of stories about food from refugees who have landed on its shores. While exploring their cuisine and the dishes they have brought with them in their hearts […]
Chasing Smoke with Honey & Co.
Cooking over fire around the Levant In her introduction to Chasing Smoke (Pavilion) – the latest cookbook by the inimitable and much-adored Honeys (Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich) – Sarit writes about her memories of family BBQs in Israel where she grew up. Her job was to ferry the meat from the kitchen to the […]
For The Love of the Sea
A cookbook that celebrates the British seafood community. For The Love of the Sea is an unusual cookbook packed with recipes for fish and shellfish. Compiled by Jenny Jefferies (Meze Publishing), it is a collection of stories told by those who go to sea to catch the fish we eat, who process and cure it, […]
The Mighty Bean – Cookbook Review
Legumes pack a punch in this new cookbook – a recipe for Dal Pancakes I came to beans relatively late in life. Growing up, I ate green beans regularly, but other legumes came in the form of tinned baked beans, the occasional kidney bean salad or lentil soup. Hence, I am still learning about the […]
Michel Roux revolutionises French cooking
Two cookbooks from the Chef Patron of Le Gavroche Le Gavroche is one of London’s most prestigious restaurants. Sporting two Michelin stars, it was opened in 1967 by the Roux brothers and set the bar for classical French haute cuisine in the capital. A dynastic family in the food world, Albert (who died in January […]
Recipes For Heroes Cookbook Review
Cookbook raises funds for the hospitality industry The Covid pandemic has given rise to some wonderful charities and one of these brings together two of my main interests – the health service and the hospitality industry. We have all seen the footage of our dedicated doctors, nurses and paramedics working themselves to the bone in […]
Borough Market Edible Histories
Epic Tales of Everyday Ingredients Borough Market is one of the jewels in London’s crown – an outstanding food market where locals and visitors flock in droves to sample an international array of food and drink. Borough Market also runs a home delivery service, a vibrant programme of food talks and cookery demonstrations and it […]
Happy Food For Life – Review
Health, Food and Happiness – in a book! That what we eat affects our physical health is old news, but a growing body of research is revealing that it also has a direct link to the state of our mental health. Happy Food For Life (Bloomsbury) sets out to present some of the latest findings […]
Vegan Savvy is the perfect book for Veganuary
An expert’s guide to nutrition on a plant-based diet. Veganuary is upon us and ever greater numbers of people have joined up this year. While not all participants will become full-time vegans, there is no doubt that the growth of plant-based eating shows no sign of slowing. During pre-Covid 2020, I did a month-long vegan […]