Happy holidays!

It seems summer has returned to our little seaside town. It’s lovely to watch families walking through town, towards the beach. The children are often clutching buckets and spades and grandpa brings up the rear with a huge cool bag, stuffed with picnic needs. Many people look forward to a traditional treat of fish and chips and this year they’re probably going to try out the new Ferris wheel. Several years ago we returned to Italy for our holiday and I took the opportunity to cook with Giovanna in her outdoor kitchen. We made beef ragu, fresh pasta and gnocchi-type things with stale breadcrumbs. Like you, we’ve eaten some interesting dishes all over the world, enjoying grits, collard greens and spider crabs in South Carolina, pigs trotters in Bavaria, Pont L’Eveque cheese in Normandy, patatas poverinas in Seville and boar sausages, cloud berries and lingen berries in Estonia. This year our plans are somewhat local, in that we’ll be taking a narrow boat on the Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire. I take several pieces of essential equipment every time we rent a boat even though they are well equipped, so sharp knives, a chopping board and scissors will be in the baggage. Our plan is to make a video whilst onboard – not easy with tourists, unpredictable weather, moorings with nosy cows, but we’ll have a go!