I do love to collect cookbooks associated with my love of the food of the Mediterranean. I particularly love bar or tapas food – there is nothing better than to sit down in the afternoon with a carafe of wine or an Aperol Spritz and leisurely graze on morsels...
Wine ceramic pitchers, known as boccali, had been in use in Italy since the end of the Middle Ages, with many of them decoratively painted. However, by the 16th century, a variant on this common piece of tableware emerged in the form of the puzzle or trick jug. The...
Long attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance sanctuary of Santa Maria alla Fontana is one of the most secret and poetic places in the city. The site was originally in the middle of the countryside, beyond the Porta Comasina city gateway, and the sanctuary was founded in 1507...
Carved to the right of the main doorway into Lucca Cathedral is a labyrinth measuring some 50cm in diameter. The accompanying inscription reads: “This is the labyrinth designed by the Cretan Daedalus. None of those who ventured into it ever found their way out, with the exception of Theseus,...
Did you know that the signature jasmine fragrance of Chanel No. 5 comes only from the jasmine fields of Grasse, France? Well, here is a little behind that fact and comes from an article I read by Toni Mason. Grasse lies some 20kms from the Côte d’Azur and is a half-hour drive west...
As many of you will know, I love to entertain, be it formally or casually. I do think that some of the best gatherings are those spontaneous ones, where no meal is planned and the challenge is to whip something up in the kitchen from what you have on...
In 1921, a certain Vinicio Salvi was walking in the gardens near the site of the present-day Venice Biennale, when upon approaching the statue of Garibaldi, he felt a heavy blow on his arm which made him fall to the ground. As he stood up, he saw a “red...
On the left side of the cathedral, on practically the last part of the wall that is visible, there is a strange square formed of five Latin words carved into a slab of white marble. Arranged one work per line, these form a palindrome which reads : SATOR AREPO ...
Gaspard Bouis was born in Besse-sur-Issole on 9 February 1757. It was during a visit to the village by recruiting seageants that Gaspard, no doubt under the influence of alcohol typically employed by the military in those time, signed up for the French army. The following day, once the...
In Florence on the corner of Palazzo Vecchietti at the junction of Via degli Strozzi and Via de’Vecchietti is a bronze statue of an insolent, jeering little devil. The work of Giambologna (or Jean de Boulogne, 1529-1608) it was commissioned by Bernardo Vecchietti to commemorate a mysterious incident in Florence’s...
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.
