Can it really be more than three months since Phillip and I returned from our summer sojourn in Tuscany? How time has simply flown by. Since getting back we’ve both settled into normal life. Phillip’s recovery is progressing well. He’s walking each morning and, even though many of these trips end with an almond croissant at our local bakery, I feel the exercise is certainly doing him good. He’s also been forced to modify his diet. Despite being a life-long salt lover, I am no longer letting him use it on his bacon and eggs each morning.
We have kept in touch with the Pasquinis. In fact, I received a lovely card and package from Mariella just last week, a wheel of casu marzu, or maggot-infested pecorino that apparently caused quite some consternation among the quarantine officers called in to fumigate it.
Work shows little sign of slowing up. I continue to be highly sought after as a food writer, corporate speaker and life coach. I’ve also been elected to the board of the northeast London Food and Wine society, quite a prestigious group although a somewhat fractious one. At our first general meeting last month six separate factional divisions emerged, something of a record given that there were only five delegates present.
On the television front it turns out that ITV have got word of our recent stay in Tuscany and are interested in the possibility of an eight-part series! They’ve already got a major sponsor lined up and are apparently very keen to move ahead. Personally, I’d be delighted with anything that highlighted the wonderful food of this region. And, even though budgetary constraints mean we won’t be able to afford to film on location, I’m confident that we’ll still be able to showcase the breadth and quality of Tuscany’s regional produce within the confines of the Tesco deli section. So fingers crossed!
But enough of me and Phillip, let’s talk about you. My sincere hope is that by reading this book and attempting some of the recipes, you have been inspired to step beyond your ordinary, pedestrian existence into a world of exotic culinary pleasure. I realise that not everyone has time to grow their own vegetables, or to only shop at farmers’ markets for locally grown organic produce. And it is not my intention to make you feel guilty for not doing so (even if the food you serve is poisoning those you love, as well as contributing to the destruction of our planet). But we could all learn from the Tuscans who understand the importance of food. For them, eating is – almost literally – a matter of life and death. I’m an intensely spiritual person. I could quite easily be a Buddhist, if it weren’t for the early starts and overcooked rice, and I truly believe that the mind, body and soul must all be nurtured if we are to grow. And, after a summer in Tuscany enjoying fine food and wine, I can honestly say that I have grown.