Learning how to eat

Sounds daft, doesn’t it? Eating should be natural, in fact it is natural and in the Western world many of us do far too much of it. However, there is a difference between simply eating mindlessly and REALLY eating, savouring the aromas, textures and nuanced flavours. I am quite lucky really in that I grew…

Cuoppo – Italian fish and chips

Sometimes I really miss fish and chips. Honestly I do. Especially really GOOD fish and chips like the ones you get at Anstruther – fresh fish, cooked to order, single portions of chunky chips cooked to order in fresh oil and plenty of salt and vinegar… especially sitting at the harbour overlooking the sea. So…

Pasta with cream of avocado and lime

They say that necessity is the mother of all invention, and nowhere is that more true than in the kitchen. When the fridge was almost empty and I suddenly realised at 10pm that I was hungry… well rather than calling for a pizza (again) I decided to rack my brains for something to make. I…

Pasta, Parmesan and Parma Ham

La Vecchia Taverna in Oliveto Citra As some of you will no doubt have realised by now, many of my favourite restaurants in Italy are truly rustic. This is because, in my experience and humble opinion, the most rustic restaurants are the ones which tend to serve the best food, created with the freshest, top…

Arrivederci, not Addio.

When I first arrived in Salerno and went to live in a run down shared flat in the centre of the city I was lucky enough to meet some fantastic people. One of these people turned into my best friend, the person with whomI could share all of the trials and tribulations as well as…

Summer spaghetti – zucchini e fiori di zucca

Summer is here and it is hot hot hot, so the last thing that you want to do in 40°+ heat is spend ages in front of the stove cooking some elaborate dish. Firstly because it would be torture. Secondly because in this heat you probably wouldn’t even enjoy eating it anyway. The solution is…

Amalfi by Vespa

The only way to see the Amalfi Coast, and I mean REALLY see it, is by vespa. Why? Well the wind in your hair, the sun on your face and the delightful smells of the wonderful Mediterranean vegetation all have something to do with it, but most of all it is just such a terribly…

Blogging and tomatoes

So, why have I stopped blogging? Very simply put, tomatoes. Yes, tomatoes. Damned red fruit… As some of you may know, I work for a company which cans tomatoes. This means that the summer, aka  The Tomato Season, far from being idyllic and relaxing, is an absolute madhouse and by far the busiest time of…