The death in Rome of James Gandolfini, the American actor who played a leading role in the Sopranos series, gave me pause to think. At just 51, his demise was a reminder that a heart attack can strike anytime. Especially if you do not exercise regularly and do indulge in the pleasures of life. ItRead More
Blood sausage with apple and onion
There are people who do not like to eat offal and they would find the idea of eating blood disgusting. I would say they are missing out on something. Blood used to symbolise vigour and, according to some books about these periods as they did not keep records themselves at the time, warriors in long-flownRead More
A bowl of beans
The winter season is a good period for hearty bean dishes and European culture counts a number of such traditional recipes. I often go to the south-west of France and have come to know quite a bit about the local ‘cassoulet’ with several towns still fighting over the “real” recipe. Cassoulet, like sauerkraut, was aRead More
A “light” version of Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut, fermented cabbage, is part of the Germanic diet and eaten from the Netherlands to Poland, with Germany and the Alsace region in France being the standard bearers. In the times before refrigeration, the fermentation process allowed people to have access to vitamins and nutrients in winter when other vegetables were scarce. Sauerkraut still hasRead More