Archives for 2008

Chilli and cinnamon chocolate brownie

Chilli and cinnamon chocolate brownie

It doesn't happen often that inspiration for a new flavour of brownie comes from a novel. In 'The Lollipop Shoes' by Joanne Harris, the heroine Vianne Rocher prepares her favourite chocolate drink by adding a mesmerizing  combination of chilli, nutmeg and cinnamon. Instinctively I knew that … [Read more...]

Valentine Erbazzone Emiliano

Valentine Erbazzone Emiliano

One of our most popular dishes, the Erbazzone Emiliano has received a loveable makeover especially for Valentine's day... Love is in the air! … [Read more...]

Behind the scenes of ‘Cooking the books’

Behind the scenes of ‘Cooking the books’

Towards the end of last year I was contacted by Talkback, the TV production company. They had seen my blog and wanted to invite me to appear on a forthcoming TV food show they were making called 'Cooking the Books', which was due to run on consecutive evenings on Channel 5. First of all I was … [Read more...]

Carrot cake with vanilla-scented icing

Carrot cake with vanilla-scented icing

When I first came to England I was completely smitten by your carrot cake. In Bologna where I grew up, I had never seen a cake made with a vegetable(!) nor one with such a peculiar texture - so enriched with walnuts and such a beautifully sweet icing. Hmm! For this reason I used to order … [Read more...]

Five things to know about your favourite coffee

Five things to know about your favourite coffee

I think sometimes it can be challenging for people to understand the difference between the differernt types of coffee that are available to buy. Truth be told, there are only two types of bean: arabica and robusta. What makes the difference, indeed what makes each brand's flavour stand out, is … [Read more...]