This year my fig tree is laden with fruit which are very slow to ripen. I think it is the rain that's slowing everything down. My friend Felix from 'Bei Amici Restaurant' makes the most ... continue reading...

This classic Italian dessert never goes out of fashion. It is so deliciously creamy and has a full, rich flavour. The story goes that a 'Madame 'of a bordello in  Treviso, Italy, devised ... continue reading...

It is interesting how the name for a dish can make it seem glamorous or just ordinary. I remember one dinner I created at Bei Amici restaurant we served 'polpettine alla Siciliana' ( light ... continue reading...

I used to have a total block in making meringues. I tried all sorts of recipes from friends that were meant to be fool-proof. Nothing worked. Usually after a promising start they would go ... continue reading...

Some years ago  I was is in the town of Modica, Sicily, doing research for my book on Sicilian food and  I met this local cheese maker. Ornella was a striking woman  who looked like a young ... continue reading...

My older sister Ursula taught me how to make this classic crème caramel , which was a favourite in my Swiss family. At the time Ursula and I  were living together in Melbourne, which was  my ... continue reading...

When I was growing up in Teheran in the 1950s, my mother would insist that we all drink a glass of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice every morning. It was her special potion to keep us ... continue reading...

These simple Persian biscuits are sweet, light and crumbly so I call them Mothers Kisses. The combination of cardamon , walnuts and cinnamon is very Persian - unusual and a bit exotic. The ... continue reading...