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.

Welsh Cakes Recipe

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Regula Ysewijn's Welsh Cakes

Cooks who love to bake, and are looking for classic British baking recipes as well as the history behind them, will love Regula Ysewijn’s latest cookery book Oats in the North, Wheat from the South: The History of British Baking, Savoury and Sweet. Read our full cookbook review of Oats in the North, Wheat in ... Read more »

Oats in the North, Wheat from the South by Regula Ysewijn

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Book jacket for Oats in the North, Wheat from the South: The History of British Baking, Savoury and Sweet by Regula Ysewijn

Regula Ysewijn has had a fascination with British food since she was a young child, which may not sound that unusual until you learn that she was born and grew up in Belgium. Baking is a particular passion of hers, which informed both her first book Pride and Pudding, and her latest title, Oats in ... Read more »

No Sushi Recipe | Sticky Toffee Pudding & White Miso Butterscotch Sauce

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Sticky Toffee Pudding & White Miso Butterscotch Sauce by Andrew Kojima

We recently reviewed Andrew Kojima’s cookbook No Sushi which reflects his personal journey to becoming a restaurateur, and launching Koj Cheltenham. One of his signature dishes, and extremely popular with customers, is his sticky toffee pudding with white miso butterscotch sauce. We are delighted to share the recipe with you for this delicious dessert. This ... Read more »

Andrew Kojima’s No Sushi

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Book cover for No Sushi by Andrew Kojima

‘No Sushi’ is part autobiography, part cookbook, written by chef restaurateur and winner of Masterfchef 2012, Andrew Kojima. The title is a reference to the (gradually eroding) British perception of Japanese food being all about sushi, the topic of a conversation Koj had with his Japanese father shortly before he died. It’s also the name ... Read more »

Lockdown Musings | Thoughts About Spice

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Black peppercorns

Stories are powerful, they shape our cultural identity, teach us how to behave in our communities and tell us what is valuable. In the process of storytelling, speaking and listening refer to realities that do not involve just the imagination. The speech is seen, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched. It destroys, brings life, nurtures. ~ ... Read more »

Tim Anderson’s Japaneasy

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Tim Anderson's Japaneasy cookbook

Recently, I reviewed Tim Anderson’s Vegan Japaneasy. Now I want to tell you about his previous title, Japaneasy. Stylistically – in voice and in approach – both cookbooks are stamped with the humour, personality, skill and enthusiasm of their author, so I’ll avoid duplicating my own equally enthusiastic approval of all four traits (warning: probably ... Read more »