Tweak your culinary skills with this deliciously fresh salad… I have fond memories of this salad and of eating it in Syracuse, Sicily, with my father. Some friends there grow lettuces, and this salad was part of a wonderful meal after a long, dusty drive to their farm. It was the first time I […]
A very tasty loaf that is delicious as an antipasto, or as part of a picnic. What is especially delicious about this loaf is that it stays wonderfully moist. Serves 6 Ingredients 50g (2oz) stale white bread 100ml (3½fl oz) milk 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 200g (7oz) speck or other smoked cured ham, […]
This is No.3 in a series of eight of the most memorable starring roles, up next is the cult classic ‘Don’t Look Now’ featuring Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie Don’t Look Now (1973, Venice, directed by Nicholas Roeg. Starring: Donald Sutherland, Julie Christie) Daphne du Maurier’s dark novels have inspired a number of spine-chilling yet highly-acclaimed film […]
Heralded as one of the most romantic countries in the world, Italy has no end of romantic spots to pick from. So move over Venice, Italia! short lists some strong contenders… 1.Florence It sometimes seems as though Florence’s magnificent architecture and piazze were designed to please enamoured couples. Not only does the city house hundreds […]
The dramatic view out to the Castellammare del Golfo from Segesta in Sicily is only matched by its dramatic history. Both must have outdone the spectacles played out in its theatre. As background scenery goes it would be hard to beat the awe-inspiring panorama of the Hellenistic amphitheatre at Segesta in western Sicily. Segesta […]
At the height of Mussolini’s powers, physical fitness was used to demonstrate the ‘supremacy’ of the fascist movement. As these diminutive skiers show, children were not exempt. Between 1926 and 1937, when the fascist regime was at its peak, Mussolini founded the Operazione Nazionale Balilla – Italy’s version of the Hitler Youth. Part of Il […]
We are at the second in a series of eight of the most memorable starring roles, next is the original ‘The Italian Job’ and the legendary getaway scene featuring the rooftops and back streets of Turin… The Italian Job (1969, Turin, directed by Peter Collinson. Starring: Michael Caine, Noël Coward) Michael Caine stars as Charlie Croker, a cunning […]
Luckily, though, unlike some regional neighbours, Lucca has managed to avoid turning into an over-commercialised tourist trap. Lucca has been a thriving community since Roman times and before. It was, in fact, such an important centre for the Romans that in 56BC Caesar, Pompey and Crassius met here for their historic pow-wow, which culminated in […]
It brings together a heady mix of chocolate, damsons, spice and bruised cherries. Honesty in a wine is such an important trait. To find a wine that encompasses all-and-nothing-else of its terroir is a rare thing indeed, and yet this is precisely what Paola Corradi has achieved with her ‘basic’ Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. All […]
The pumpkin is an underrated vegetable which deserves to be used much more widely. This snack looks as good as it tastes! 300g (10oz) pumpkin or butternut squash, seeded but not skinned 75g (30oz) soft white breadcrumbs 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed 1 sprig of fresh fennel leaves 1 garlic clove Sea salt and […]