My 10 quick questions to a pioneer of winemaking in Israel, the founder of Domaine du Castel family winery and award-winning wine-maker Eli Ben Zaken. 1. How would you describe your wine in a few words?Restrained. Elegant. Long. Worth ageing. 2. You are a pioneer in Israeli winemaking. Who and…

The story of vermicellier Maison Barale began when Matteo Barale moved from Liguria in 1892 and brought the Ligurian pasta-making know-how to Nice. 130 years after, it’s still a small family affair run by Eric Guernion and Nathalie Barale, and, since 2 years, their son Thomas. (Who used to work at…

PÂO DE LO cake recipe by Nuno Mendes,from the book “Lisboeta: Recipes from Portugal City of Light” My kind of a dessert! Serves 4 100g caster sugar 4 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk 80ml olive oil 20g plain flour Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve Sea salt flakes, to serve…

It’s not often that you get the chance to speak with a chef who has over 70 years experience in cooking. The phenomenal Jacques Pépin is one such man. Born in France, he worked in some of the finest kitchens in Paris (as well as working as the private chef…

Lunch with a view at La Villa Madie, the newest 3 Michelin star restaurant in France headed by chef Dimitri Droisneau. The view of the sea and the pinetrees is magnificent, the cooking- even more so. Originally from the Normandy, Dimitri has worked at top restaurants in Paris such as…

A single word holds the key to the magic to so much of what we understand about the world of taste and flavour today – Umami. But what is this famous fifth taste, where do we find it, and why is it that we can’t get enough of it? In…

Throughout this series, we’ve delved into the world of Umami – the indescribable fifth flavour – which was discovered in Japan by Professor Ikeda in 1908. To put it simply, when something is really tasty and delicious, it’s very often the case that it’s got umami in it. Scientifically, these…

Umami is synonymous with Japan in many ways, in everything from their cuisine to their tea ceremonies, but there’s no reason the illusive ‘fifth taste’ can’t be produced in other countries too. This was exactly the thought that struck journalist Nina Gruntowski one day, when she discovered that green tea…

My favourite classic bistros in Paris in random order because I ♥️ them equally.