Recipe: Dolma/mahshy
One of my favourite Middle Eastern recipes is dolma, which is very popular in Egypt.
One of my favourite Middle Eastern recipes is dolma, which is very popular in Egypt.
I love to cook, and I explore cuisines from all over the world in my kitchen. Writing a new novel is the perfect reason to try out recipes from a new country! For Song of the Nile, I returned to dishes from my childhood, growing up in Egypt – in particular, my favourite sweet treat, basbousa.
Love novels? Love food? Then you’ll love literary cookbooks! These collections of recipes inspired by works of fiction offer you a chance to not only imagine fictional words but get a real taste of them…
The weeks leading up to Christmas find me baking up a storm in the kitchen, everything from Christmas cake and steamed figgy pudding to mince pies and gingerbread – and panettone; I love panettone.
When I research the setting for a novel, I explore the location’s culture (music, theatre, dance and so on), its history, its economy, its legends and its cuisine. The latter is a real pleasure, because I love to cook, and this is the perfect reason to try out some new recipes in my kitchen.
When I was a teenager growing up in Alexandria, I became very interesting in cooking. I read cookbooks, I tried my hand at recipes and
Cooking and dining are great passions of mine, and when I am writing a new novel, I take great pleasure in exploring the cuisine of
Knusper, knusper, knäuschen, wer knuspert an meinem Häuschen? Nibble, nibble, gnaw Who is nibbling at my little house? So says the witch in the children’s
Are you thinking about Christmas yet? Are you getting in the mood for feasting and merriment? No doubt if you’ve been to a supermarket recently
If there is one thing I know about the Spanish – having visited their beautiful country many times and set my most recent fictional works,
‘Gastronomy has been the joy of all peoples through the ages. It produces beauty and wit and goes hand in hand with goodness of heart and a
For many countries, Christmas is but a distant memory (have you taken down your decorations by now? I expect so). But not for the Spanish,
One of the most lingering memories of my time in Andalusia, Spain – setting for my new novel, Indiscretion– is of flavours. Succulent tomato.
I live for part of the year on the south coast of France, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. One of my favourite elements of life
Happy Halloween! What are you doing today to mark All Hallows’ Eve? Are you dressing up in a goulish costume? Carving a pumpkin? Taking children
Summer’s here! Wherever you are in the world, I hope you’re enjoying the sunshine. I’m certainly taking every opportunity to write outside in my garden,
I love Italian food – eating it, but most of all cooking it. To get me in the mood while writing my Italian-set The Echoes
What better recipe for a romance novelist to try than one for a delicious Italian sweet treat called ‘Lady’s Kisses’? American readers may spot a
You’ll notice I don’t entitle this blog post ‘Italian recipe: The ultimate authentic spaghetti Bolognese’. Strange, you may think – surely the world-famous and popular
French president Charles De Gaulle once said, ‘How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?’ Well, how about governing Italy then,
In recent weeks I’ve blogged about two Italian staples: pizza and pasta. But no look at Italian cuisine is complete without gnocchi. Have you tried
Last week I blogged on the history of that classic Italian food, pasta. But say ‘Italian cuisine’ to most people and their likely response is
‘Life,’ said Italian director Federico Fellini, ‘is a combination of magic and pasta.’ To all the countries Italians have emigrated, they have brought with them
I came across a mention of this book in the latest edition of Mslexia magazine, and was intrigued. Literary cocktails? Marrying the joy of literature
No doubt you’ve come across biscotti in your local coffee house – crunchy, dry almond Italian biscuits that are ideal for dunking into a cappuccino.
Gelato – soft, creamy ice-cream – is a popular dessert in Italy, and such a wonderfully wide array of flavours is available: pistachio, almond, hazelnut,
Cooking, and enjoying the results, is one of my pleasures in life, so when I am writing a novel I very much relish the research
No doubt you’re very familiar with this coffee-flavoured dessert, which features on countless restaurant menus worldwide. You probably also know that, like zabaglione and gelato,
My new book, The Echoes of Love, opens with a rescue: enigmatic stranger Paolo saves the heroine, Venetia, from a near-mugging. In the aftermath of
Cooking is one of my passions in life – particularly making dishes using fresh, home-grown or locally sourced ingredients. When I am in France one
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