The secret of any good tomato sauce is the quality of the base ingredients, which, of course, in this case are the tomatoes. If your pocket doesn’t allow for San Marzano tomatoes, I like to use the Sainsbury’s taste the … Read More
Ghent is one of my favourite European cities; its serene canals are lined with 15th century architecture of absolutely breathtaking beauty. Unspoilt by the tourist hordes of Brugge, and with less of the ugly modern development of Brussels, it’s city … Read More
Having family in the West Country gives me the perfect base from which to explore the delicious delights of Devon. This was my second visit to the Start Bay Inn; I adore its location on Slapton Sands, a long spit … Read More
Having no wine in the house is rarer than a Cullinan diamond, but on this occasion it happened to be rather fortuitous. Having bought a kilo of king prawns from the local fish shop (for a quarter of supermarket prices) … Read More
My trip to Spain always involves eating large amounts of seafood and fish. Fresh as a daisy from the local supermarket, cheap as chips and the local greengrocer provides organic veg and herbs which have a fantastic perfume and flavour. … Read More
I’d never seen elephant garlic before. A visit to a house in Somerset led me to the vast gardens in which I first spotted the long, thick stalks with a a flowering head. Elephant garlic actually belongs to the onion … Read More
I love sharing dishes and a great big bowl of plump mussels, drenched in a Spanish or Provencal style tomato sauce with bread for mopping up the juices is right up there for simple, easy eating. TIP Buy the very best … Read More
Although one can buy tinned clams (please don’t) I would never dream of using anything other than the fresh variety. It’s one of the easiest dishes to make – I use tomatoes and although I’m not sure if it’s authentic … Read More