In Pellegrino Artusi’s Italianissimo – Italian Cooking at Its Best (La Scienza in Cucina e L’arte di Mangiar Bene) a wonderful volume, which is the classic Italian cookbook, translated into English from the 1910 14th edition, the last one prepared by Artusi himself, Artusi includes a letter written to...
Of all the vegetables that I grow in my garden, nothing seems to be as prolific as my zucchinis and whilst I love to use them, they can be a challenge to serve as a vegetable on their own. Here is a wonderful recipe by Maggie Beer from her...
After sharing a review of Maggie Beer’s Verjuice Cookbook, here is one of Maggie Beer’s verjuice recipes which is one of my favourite pasta dishes. As Maggie says, a great pasta dish is all about classic flavours, quickly cooked and totally delicious and her words so aptly sum up...
Maggie Beer is a much-loved Australian food icon – I’ve adored her recipes for years and have all of her cookbooks in my library which I can assure you are well-thumbed!! There is probably the odd wine stain on a page or two!!! One of the products that Maggie...
I have just done a review of Maggie Beer’s cookbook Maggie’s Kitchen, so as a treat I thought I would share with you one of my favorite recipes from this cookbook – Chicken, Grape & Champagne Pies. Now seriously folks, what isn’t there to love here and I can assure you...
Even in classical times, Sicily was well-known for its agricultural produce. The Phoenicians introduced grape vines from the Middle East to Sicily where previously only wild grape vines had grown, and the Greeks, who followed, brought with them the latest grape-crushing technology as well as new varieties, such as...
Grape vines were planted on Kangaroo Island as early as 1837 by island settlers striving to create a familiar life in unfamiliar surroundings. Grapes were grown for personal consumption until around 1990 when commercial vineyards began to appear. In 2001, Kangaroo Island was officially declared an Australian wine region. Today...
This deep-red wine from the area around Cahors was once numbered among France’s most famous growths. Full-bodied wines have been pressed here since the 7th century, as demonstrated by a letter sent by the Bishop of Verdan to his colleagues in Cahors, thanking them for the noble wine they...
The “first lemon” which came to the Mediterranean from the distant Far East in ancient times, soon spread throughout Italy and the Provence. Brought to Corsica by sailors in the Middle Ages, where a mutant variety with sweet flesh, known as cédrat de Corse, thrived. However, it cannot be eaten fresh....
The image of Archimedes leaping from his bath with a cry of Eureka (Greek for “I have found it”) is, despite the efforts of generations of physics teachers, not based in fact. While testing a gold crown suspected of being a mere alloy, Archimedes realised that the mass of water...
Welcome to my love affair with the food, wine, history and culture of the Mediterranean, past and present. Here you will find not only recipes, drinks and fabulous products, but the history of the food and culture of the Mediterranean.
My purpose is to get you to explore and experience new tastes and along the way to immerse yourself in the wonderful history of this diverse and wonderful region – from Venice to Istanbul, Rome to Dubrovnik, Athens to Crete and all places in between and in the surrounds. Be prepared to be surprised, delighted and enthralled as you take this trip with me.
