Last night my husband and I were discussing colours and the colour chartreuse was mentioned. I should mention that my husband is colour-blind so we do have some interesting conversations about colour! Anyway, that got me thinking and I went to the liqueur cabinet and sure enough, two bottles...
One of my many loved books in my library is a translated copy of The Opera of Bartolomeo Scappi (1570) subtitled The Art and Craft of a Master Cook. Who was Bartolomeo Scappi and why does he hold my fascination. Here is a little insight. Bartolomeo Scappi is thought to have been born...
The unusual Cos D’Estournel lies just north of the Château Lafite-Rothschild in the famous Médoc district of Bordeaux, and in its own right produces arguably the finest grapes grown in the Saint Estèphe commune. However, it is not the quality of the wine or the grapes that is the...
Francesco Liberati wrote his Il perfetto maestro di casa in 1670 within which details the hierarchical structure of an affluent household and provides details of the clearly delineated responsibilities of the serving members of that household. Little is known of Liberati but he did serve a number of cardinals, including Cardinal Bichi of...
Here is a little historical story for you…. The magnificent Château de Vaux Le Vicomte in Maincy France is the largest private château in France today owned by the Sommier family, who purchased the estate in 1875. It is now a dazzling site to see and for garden lovers it is...
I was doing some reading this afternoon and came across this quirky piece about the how to taste wine written by Pietro de’ Crescenzi at the beginning of the 15th century. Pietro de’ Crescenzi was a Bolognese author who wrote an important treatise on agriculture called the Opus agriculturae of Rutilus Taurus Aemilianus...
Here is a little, probably obscure side note in the world of Mediterranean food. In 1691, Giuseppe Maria Mitelli was Baroque Bologna’s great designer of board games. A failed artist, he became an engraver, and in all engraved some 33 board games, including the fascinating Game of Cocknaige. This...
The Mediterranean Sea, sometimes referred to as ‘the Great Sea’ or the Middle Sea’ is bordered by 22 countries, historically bound together by trade, religion, invasion, conquest, patronage, and food. The beauty and romance of the Mediterranean has drawn people for centuries, epitomised by the Grand Tour, Brideshead Revisited...
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.
