Summer Fennel. It's July. A balmy 17 degrees and cloudy with showers. The British summer is well and truly here. And with it comes our first crop of fennel. Fennel can be picked into Autumn but I think it is at it's best right now, chopped and eaten raw in a salad with a lemon dressing and some herbs. There are some great fennel recipes in Tom Hunt's book "The Natural Cook: eating the seasons from root to fruit", which takes you through the seasons with 26 different fruit and vegetables showing you how to use every part of an ingredient. I...
Semplice! Italian Food. Last week I spent 3 days in Italy. The Cinque Terre and a flying visit to Portofino and Santa Margherita. What a beautiful part of the world. We were lucky with the weather and crammed in a lot of sight seeing and a lot of eating in the short time we were there. Whenever I visit somewhere new I have a little check list of what local foods I would like to try. This time was all about the seafood. Italian food is naturally simple and they make the most of the resources they have. They resist the...
