I love food, and writing this book was a real pleasure, although it meant many nights and long solitary weekends researching the subject in libraries and bookshops, trying out recipes in the kitchen and typing away on my laptop. I could not have done it without the encouragement and support of Chris, my husband, who found the time in between tennis, judo and songwriting to photograph dumplings and proofread my manuscript. Alison Booth, travel writer and zumba enthusiast, gave me the last push over the finishing line, and I am very grateful for her patience and thoughtful advice. The beautiful drawings were executed by my close friend Emma Harris and by artist Lucy Rickards. My sister Silvia and my parents also contributed photographs, tales and recipes to this project.
I then want to thank literary agent Brie Burkeman, who introduced me to many relevant books by cookery experts, and Lulu Grimes, food director of Olive and BBC Good Food magazines, who was my teacher at Leiths School of Food and Wine in London and gave me an invaluable introduction to the world of publishing.
I also thank my friends Hanne, Manola, Jess, Kate, Michelle, Sandra, Maureen and all the dinner guests who tested many of my trial recipes for dumplings and sauces.