There are many reasons I am fond of traveling. Whether for work or pleasure, far off or on a day’s trip, the thing I probably enjoy the most is coming across people who lead me to to see our world a little differently than the day before. Through their cultures,  histories (and the stories behind them), art and architectural achievements are an ever renewed source pleasure to me. And then there is the food.

Some years ago, I realised, that the memories of these travels were also turning up in my kitchen. Until recently, I had not given it much thought, until I looked back and realised that for years I had  been building a collection food delights along the way – recipes, combinations, ingredients, which I had tested and adapted. I love blending flavors to give old recipes new twists. Mostly though, I’m fascinated by the ingredients in all their natural simplicity, the stories behind them, and how people the world over combine them for simple ancestral shared pleasure.

I’d like to collect and share some stories of natural goodies,  their origins and the friendships that surround them. A tavola!