THE SUN-SOAKED PLATE...Mediterranean recipes for family and friends

  --> Paprika is one of those things that most of us take for granted, but its importance in Spain’s regional cookery cannot be overstated. It lends it’s deep, intense, sweet, spicy flavour to many of the country’s favourite dishes including “paella”, “habas a la Asturiana”, “sopa de ajo” as well as a multitude of “chorizos” and off course, local “sobrasada”. It is produced from cone-shaped peppers (capsicum annuum) that are ripened to redness and was introduced to Spain by natives of Hispaniola during Columbus’ second voyage to the New World in 1493. Hungarian scientist Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1937 for isolating vitamin C in paprika. He also discovered that, pound for pound, paprika is a richer source of the vitamin than citrus and the red spice quickly became an important ingredient in preserving meats and sausages.

We all know that in order to lead a healthy life we need to eat nutritious, wholesome food. So If you pledged to make healthier eating choices in your resolutions for the new year, picking up a few superfoods can make achieving your goals easy! The term ‘superfood’ has become a popular buzzword in the language of food and health, but what are superfoods? Well it seems that there’s no official scientific definition of a superfood, but it’s generally accepted that superfoods contain high levels of much-needed vitamins and minerals. They can also be a source of antioxidants; substances that shield

--> I love the smell of the gently toasted spices and the way they fill the kitchen with the most amazing aroma. The sheer variety of flavours that they have to offer and can bring to a dish is endless, but seasoning with herbs and spices means complimenting your dishes, not overwhelming and hiding the true flavour of the food. Mediterranean cooks have been blending spices for centuries and they were among the first of many foods brought back to Europe from the east by Marco polo. Spices encouraged the early voyages of Columbus and Vasco

--> “When we loose a flavour, a fragrance, we loose a recipe” CARLO PETRINI     Most of us understand the importance of seasonality, freshness, colours and flavour in our cooking. As we become more educated about the food we eat we also see words like fresh, local, organic and artisan appearing everywhere on restaurant menus and food packaging. Although those words have never been more in fashion than they are right now, it’s often too easy to get lost in all the marketing jargon and slogans that we begin to forget what those wonderful words really mean. That is until you meet someone like Laura Buades.

--> Who doesn't start the New Year pledging to begin a new healthier lifestyle? Let’s face it we all do it…my resolutions are usually to eat less sugar, less fat, less salt and go vegetarian.   We make these resolutions annually in an attempt to start afresh and turn over a healthy new leaf.   I believe that the secret to a healthier lifestyle normally lies in the kitchen and if you are really serious about it, one of the answers is to become a better cook. So if you hoping to become a culinary wizard in your kitchen in 2017 here are my 7 essential food resolutions for the new year. 1.Get a knife that’s sharp and learn how to keep it that way.

-->     Although it might seem a little out of sync in these days of political correctness gone mad, I have to admit that I like my steak oozing with blood…the type that might be described in an American steakhouse as “take a cow, rip off any horns, wipe it’s arse, and throw it on a grill for 2 minutes; or my personal favourite: a steak so rare, a good vet could bring it back to life!

--> Forward-looking chefs are always on the look out for new and exciting ingredients to liven up their menus and sea vegetables are slowly becoming the next big thing. They are also a great idea if you need to introduce a salty sensation on the plate and impress your guests.

I have a confession to make. Some years ago I caused a major incident on an airplane and very nearly got kicked off for upsetting other passengers. Luckily for me, we were already 10,000 feet above the ground and there was no going back. No, I had not been drinking; no I didn’t get into a fight. I was traveling alone and I did not have a single conversation with anyone. It was my hand luggage that did all the talking!

Someone once said, “There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate”, I couldn’t agree more… The fact is that very few people fail to realize the charms of chocolate and it is probably one of our most popular ingredients. Indeed many food scientists have reported chocolate to be the single most craved food and sales of chocolate worldwide continue to soar. We Europeans eat a staggering 40 percent of all chocolate produced in the world. The top five countries are Switzerland, Austria, Ireland, Germany and Norway, according to the world Atlas of Chocolate.

Often regarded as poor man's shellfish, mussels are cheap and plentiful I love mussels. They are great value for money, entirely sustainable and have a wonderful gutsy flavour with an amazing aroma. After cooking you are also left with an intense cooking liquid that offers up the most incredible taste and that, is just the half of it. Mussels are also a good source of vitamin B12, zinc, folic acid and omega 3. Spanish Mussels, along with clams, appear in just about every seafood dish you care to imagine from the ubiquitous Paella to the various fish soups, stews and calderetas all along Spain’s vast coastline.  In the sheltered bays of the Spanish Atlantic coast, mussels are commercially grown hanging from ropes attached to stakes in mussel farms. The constant exchange of water through the ebb and flow of the tide encourages the build-up of plankton, the mussels' main

Ceviche is all the rage these days and Peruvian/Japanese restaurants are quickly moving from the next big thing to omnipresent, trendy “cantinas” springing up all over the place.   So why have we fallen in love with this Peruvian icon and why has this spicy marinade become the most fashionable taste in town?