Category: Food & Drink

In the Soup

The family snap I posted a few days ago brought back some memories of growing up in the 1950s and 60s in rural Ireland that might, perhaps, amuse you.

A Venetian Aperitivo

Campari is no rarity on British shelves but, until the last few years, Aperol was hard to buy. I used to ask a friend to bring a bottle back when she was in Italy. Now Aperol is ubiquitous.

Posh Salt

My youngest god-daughter, Dorelia, is fashion-forward. She came back from a trip to Paris with her father with two birthday presents for me.

Croissants for Breakfast

Croissant in French means crescent (and as a noun can be used to describe a new moon) but not all croissants are crescent-shaped.

A Marshal of France

The Gers countryside rolls attractively, when seen from a car. On foot the hills seem steeper and it took two hours to walk to Lectoure.

The Picnic Papers

On Wednesday, for the first time this year, it was warm enough in London to sit out in the garden in the early evening with the awning out. My thoughts turned to picnics and, a glass of chilled dry sherry to hand, I reached for The Picnic Papers. (I put a half bottle of Sauternes… Continue reading The Picnic Papers

Sudak Remembered

Henry Sanford said that although he’d never been to Sudak, he visited Koktibel which is nearby in 2005. His great, great grandfather was the Russian seascape painter, Ivan Aivazovsky, who lived in Theodossia (now Feodosia). Russian readers will be familiar with Aivazovsky (1817-1900). He was more highly regarded internationally in his own lifetime than his British… Continue reading Sudak Remembered

Château Bute

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is Paul Torday’s first novel and his best. It is significantly better than the 2011 film of the same name. The story is as old as the world: hope trumping reality and money over-ruling common sense. Wine production in Wales shares the same themes.