Category Archives: Food of the Ancients

The Bretons’ Best Silver

How can one improve on eating sardines? The little fish described by London chef Rowley Leigh of Le Café Anglais as ‘the rabbits of the piscatorial world’. Wouldn’t we prefer this Chef/Writer had kept his English plainer and written ‘sea’, but otherwise I loved what he said, specially … Continue reading

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Posted in Blue Collar Gastronomy, Brassserie Lipp, Bread, Fish, Food of the Ancients, French supermarkets, Harry's Bar, Label Rouge, Simple Food, supermarkets, Terroir, The Food Business, Venice, Vinegars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Praise be, where praise should be

When an English actress called Rachel who chooses to live in Rome contacted me yesterday for my preferred way to dress puntarelle little did I know there’d be a chain reaction. Puntarelle is a deliciously bitter tasting leaf adorned with what look like … Continue reading

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Posted in Alliums, Anchovies, Basil, Best Pasta, Black Peppercorns, Blue Collar Gastronomy, Chicken, Faella, Fish, Food of the Ancients, Genoa, Pesto alla Genovese, Real Italy, Risotto, Stocks and Stock Making | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

‘Ragu al Forno’

So many dishes come about through accident. Here’s one that recently happened in the No 19 kitchen. I’ve written about Ragú and Sugo; I’ve been first in England to talk of the rich Tuccú alla Genovese. Next comes a Ragú al … Continue reading

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Posted in Beef, Blue Collar Gastronomy, Food of the Ancients, Food travel, IGP, Nonna's Cooking, Origins of our food, Real Italy, Simple Food, Southern Italy, Terroir, The Moors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

‘In Search of TASTE’

I’ve some big news to share with all – and especially those who doff their hats to Blue Collar Gastronomy and have followed my writing these past two years since I kicked off in an icy Pont de Vaux (Bresse) … Continue reading

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Posted in Alcohol, Blue Collar Gastronomy, Food Influencers, Food of the Ancients, food politics, Food Scams, Food travel, Ingredients, Memories, Nature, No Compromise Shopping, Techniques, Terroir, The Food Business, Traditions at Table, True Innovation, Wine Making and Viticulture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Two Buses and a Pre-Historic Encounter

You know the English saying – you wait for ages at the bus stop and then two or more buses arrive together. This just happened to me. One week the Poissonnèrie Municipale at Le Tréport (Normandy), then a week and a … Continue reading

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Posted in Alliums, Archaeology and Food, Basil, Blue Collar Gastronomy, Cicchetti, Classic Rice Dishes, Fish, Food of the Ancients, Food travel, Foraging, Ligurian, Nonna's Cooking, Origins of our food, Oysters and Shellfish, Puglia, Pugliese, Real Italy, Rice, Risotto, Terroir, Wild Food, Wild Funghi | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Found my Apulian Fava

Surrealism is a near daily overly used and, worse, largely misunderstood term. When you walk into London’s Queen’s Club, past three shiny patent leather black Maybach’s into a simple dining room overlooking immaculate tennis courts to meet Peppe Zullo – that’s surreal. Maybach’s stand for vulgar … Continue reading

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Posted in Alcohol, Alliums, Archaeology and Food, Aubergine, Blue Collar Gastronomy, Eggplant, Food of the Ancients, Ligurian, melanzane, Origins of our food, peasant cooking, Pugliese, Real Italy, Southern Italy, Terroir, The Moors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pigeonneau is No Pigeon-You-Know

If an Egg-on-Legs is a country mile from a Poulet Fermier, then let the same be said of the gracious Pigeonneau from its too often mistaken equivalent, the feral wood pigeon. Pigeons have always been message couriers, from the Ark, through sieges … Continue reading

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Posted in Alcohol, Alliums, Archaeology and Food, Blue Collar Gastronomy, Food of the Ancients, French Markets, French Regional Foods, French supermarkets, Great Chefs, Greek Cooking, Pigeoneau | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments