An Edible Voyage

September 2021 Pasta. The epitome of Italy.  Having spent 5 days hiking across the Apennine mountains on the Via Degli Dei, a big bowl of homemade pasta with a rustic sauce was even more gratefully received than usual. And I love the way there is so much more to pasta than initially meets the eye, with both the shape and the sauce being traditionally specific to a region, the shape designed to optimally hold that particular sauce. We ate a lot of pasta over our week of hiking, in fact, we had pasta every night.  And despite every restaurant being a totally different style to the others, in every one I could taste the passion and TLC stirred in by the cook. In Bologna, head north of the main train station to the edgy Bolognina suburb where you will find just as many homely trattorias as ethnic eateries.  Trattoria de Via Serra caught our eye, seemingly blending vibe with homeliness, but sadly it was fully booked.  We landed on our feet though, stumbling across the...

June 2020 I have a soft spot for Stoke Newington in London; it's leafy streets, village feel and traquillity are a stark contrast to the bustling city.  I also have fond memories of my time in Australia, and a love of restaurants which have ever changing menus showcasing the best of local, bang in season produce.  And then I came across Wander.  Reading about the restaurant, the story of the chef/ owner Alexis, and how the restaurant came to be really resonated with me and I instantly added it to the top of my list of places to try.  Unfortunately, this was just a couple of weeks before lock down so as soon as I saw they were doing a Wander At Home takeaway banquet, I was bursting to take one to my mum's garden for a socially distanced dinner.  The weekly changing menu sounded both creative and delicious, and I loved the idea of being able to choose paired wine to enjoy with it.   Our banquet kicked off with sourdough and vegemite butter. ...

June 2020 I'm often wary of miso.  I think it's the thought of it that I don't like.  And it's very easy to go overboard, adding too much and eclipsing all other flavours in a dish.  But, most of the time, I do actually enjoy the strong umami taste.  I was a little skeptical of how it would work as the main ingredient of this pasta 'sauce', and although I feel it would be too much as a main dish, it makes an elegant starter, taking minutes to prepare.  Asparagus is lightly pan fried with miso, mixed in to cooked fettuccine with a little of the cooking water, and topped with dill, fresh from the herb garden. 

April 2020 This was a lockdown accident! I decided to make a dish called 'Creamy Cashew Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Kale', only to find I didn't own the 3 key ingredients.  A bit of improvisation, however, hugely paid off! In the recipe, cashews are blitzed with garlic and lemon to make a sort of pesto so I substituted almonds.  I had made some tomato and red pepper granita the previous day and thought the sweetness of the red peppers could make up for the lack of sundried tomatoes.  Can you put ice on your hot pasta dish?  It seems yes! The result was a creamy, yet fresh and citrusy sauce, with a touch of heat from the garlic, and sweetness from the granita which gave refreshing little cold 'pops' on my tongue.  A few dry fried almonds sprinkled on top finished it off, adding a satisfying crunch and toasted flavours.