Living in London

London is a fabulous place to live when it comes to food; the variety and quality of restaurants are staggering and my son and I have made a ritual of dining in some of London's best eateries over the years. We choose one special restaurant (sometimes Michelin-starred, sometimes not) to try out each term. We've been doing this since he was 17...  10 years now!

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Life in Puglia

In Puglia, I have access to the freshest, most delicious produce. I rarely eat out, save for a pizza once in a while. My neighbour over the dry stone wall, Angelo, has the most stunning vegetable garden. His garden is my garden, he tells me daily. We provide the water from our artesian well, he does everything else. So every morning I pop over and pick whatever is in season. In the summer there is a glut (ans several varieties each of) of tomatoes, courgettes, aubergines, cucumbers, peppers, and green beans, which go so well with the store of pink and purple potatoes and red onions he gives us in the spring. In winter and spring we have cime di rape, cicoria, broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, spinach and chard followed by artichokes, peas, broad beans and more.

My Food Values

My values when it comes to food are simple: I only eat real food. I only eat foods I like. Wherever I am, I use the best quality ingredients I have access to and can afford. I eat for nourishment, for sustenance and for sheer pleasure.

Why I write this blog

This blog is really for my children Jasper and Evie. They so often call me asking for a recipe. I do have a little black notebook that most of them are scribbled in but this summer I decided to start gathering them all together in one place for them to find easily. So here they are, some of my favourites. I'll be adding them to this blog slowly but surely. Some are Italian or Puglian recipes and many are just family recipes which have been handed down by my mother, aunts and grandmother, all excellent cooks. The men didn't cook much in my family!