We love to learn new skills or find out more about the history and culture of a place. Read on for reviews of cookery classes, food and travel books, plus informative posts about the places we visit.

Asparagus with Sesame-Vinegar Dressing | アスパラの胡麻酢和え

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Asparagus with Sesame-Vinegar Dressing from Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

If you want to get to the heart of Japanese home cooking, you will appreciate Phaidon’s most recent Country Cookbook, Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu. This hefty collection of over 400 recipes showcases the breadth of Japanese home-cooking today, and is a great reference book for any cook keen on the cuisine. Read my ... Read more »

Stir-Fried Japanese Leeks with Miso | ねぎの味噌炒め

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Stir-Fried Japanese Leeks with Miso from Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

If you want to get to the heart of Japanese home cooking, you will surely appreciate Phaidon’s most recent Country Cookbook, Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu. This hefty collection of over 400 recipes showcases the breadth of Japanese home-cooking today, and is a great reference book for any cook keen on the cuisine. Read ... Read more »

Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

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Japan: The Cookbook by Nancy Singleton Hachisu. Phaidon's country-specific cookery tomes showcase the breadth of recipes cooked in a given country, a snapshot in time of the cuisine. In Japan: The Cookbook, Nancy Singleton Hachisu, shares over 400 recipes for traditional, authentic Japanese home cooking.

Phaidon is well known for their hefty country-specific cookery tomes which aim to showcase the breadth of recipes cooked in each country, a snapshot in time of the cuisine. Phaidon’s The Cookbook series includes America, China, France, Greece, Italy, India, Lebanon, Mexico, the Nordic region, Peru, Spain and Thailand, plus the most recent one on ... Read more »

Lasagne with Sausage Meatballs | Nadine Redzepi’s Twist on a Classic

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Last year, I was sent a review copy of Nadine Redzepi’s cookbook, Downtime: Deliciousness At Home. Whilst husband René is wowing the world with creations for his restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, his wife Nadine is the main cook at home, and over the years, she has collated a collection of recipes that are perfect for home ... Read more »

Visiting a Northern Thailand Hill Tribe | The Akha People of Doi Pha Mee

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An Akha woman in traditional dress and headgear, during a two day visit to the Akha Hill Tribe of Thailand's Doi Pha Mee, on Kavey Eats

Visiting hill tribes in Thailand to learn about their history, culture and cuisine was something I really wanted to do during our three week Thailand itinerary. What is a Thai Hill Tribe? Hill tribe (chao khao) is a modern-day term used in Thailand as a catch-all for the various ethnic groups that have mostly inhabited ... Read more »

What Exactly is Vinho de Talha (Clay Pot Wine)?

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Talha vessel at Herdade de São Miguel winery in Portugal's Alentejo region

I love discovering specialist food and drink products during my travels, so my visit to Herdade de São Miguel in Alentejo, Portugal was an eye opener. It was at the winery’s modernist head quarters on its Pimenta estate that I first learned about the renaissance of vinho de talha. I have already shared the story ... Read more »

Inspirational Ways With Grana Padano and Prosciutto di San Daniele

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Italy has more products of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) than any other country, well over two hundred in fact. Grana Padano cheese and Prosciutto di San Daniele (ham) are two such products, both made in the north of Italy. These products have been made in virtually the same way for many hundreds of years, ... Read more »

Put A Cork In It, Alentejo!

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A piece of cork partially stamped into cork stoppers, in Portugal's Alentejo region

Did you know that Portugal is the world’s largest producer of cork? Half of the world’s cork is produced here, much of that within the Alentejo region, which I explored recently.    Cork is grown and harvested across the Alentejo, well suited to the hot and dry climate. Most of the processing happens in Azaruja, ... Read more »