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...
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....
Camembert is probably the nost well known of all French cheeses and the name and technique have been copied all over the world. The French AOC Camembert de Normandie is widely considered the benchmark by which all others are judged, but despite its reputation as a proud...
According to legend, Athena and Poseidon were unable to agree which of them was to rule Attica. Zeus, the father of the gods, was summoned to arbitrate. He told the squabbling pair that he would declare as the victor whichever of them could show him the most beneficial discovery...
A great variety of different types of amaretti and the smaller amerettini, can be found in Italy, from the tiny, hard cookies to the large and succulent macaroons with their rounded tops. An expresso ordered in a northern Italian bar with usually arrive accompanied by cookie of this kind,...
“The Cyclops took the wine and drank it up. And the delicious drink gave him such exquisite pleasure that he asked for another bowlful. ‘Give me more, please, and tell me your name – here and now – I would like to make you a gift that will please...
It is said in Catalonia that a master confectioner called Pablo Turrons invented the almond nougat (turrón) in Barcelona at the beginning of the 18th century, at the time of the War of the Spanish Succession. Using the only available foodstuffs, almonds and honey, he made a survivial ration...
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.
