Welcome to Travel for Food

If Vietnam were a recipe the ingredients would be a magical blend of sweet, sour and salty combined with handfuls of fresh mint, basil, coriander/cilantro and lemongrass, served against a backdrop of breath-taking landscapes filled with industrious and wonderfully welcoming people. This blog takes you through a two week adventure travelling from bustling Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon to the locals) to majestic Hanoi, to spectacular Bai Tu Long Bay (adjacent to Halong Bay), and finally to beautiful Hoi An. I’ll share with you details of eating fabulously fresh food in some wonderful restaurants, fantastic cooking classes and the aromas of vibrant markets. Let’s begin

If Turkey were a meal it would start with a mouth watering meze selection consisting of white cheese, hot pepper paste with walnuts, calamari, yogurt with cucumber and garlic, and rice-stuffed bell peppers, followed by the haunting smoky aromas of a mixed grill from glowing charcoals.

Such a meal symbolises the wide ranging experiences that await the visitor in this wonderful country. One expects, and is not disappointed, with the traditional and well known features, the grand mosques with stunning mosaics, the bustling shopping bazaars and Turkey’s place through the ages. But in İstanbul, as in all of Turkey, expect the unexpected! Fresh local fish grilled over hot coals, sumptuous local wines from Cappadocia and Pamukkale and tranquil walks along the Bosphorus away from the madding crowds.

This travelogue takes you through a two week adventure travelling from the majestic Istanbul, standing astride Europe and Asia, to heartbreaking yet inspirational Gallipoli, to the awe-inspiring landscape of Cappadocia, and finally to seductive Alaçatı. I’ll share with you feasts of traditional Anatolian and classic Ottoman cuisines in sophisticated modern restaurants and rustic regional family establishments, our experience of the vast history of this land, which was once the thriving centre of the world.

While travelling in Turkey we visited the beautiful old Greek town of Alaçatı on the Aegean Coast. I pride myself on my Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder but one night at Asma Yaprağı, a local home-style restaurant, we had the most wonderful Lamb Shoulder I have ever eaten. I was distraught and brought to tears, it had been slow cooked for 8 hours and yet remained beautifully moist – how did they do it? The secret lay in cooking it, at a low temperature, with a lid on!

Aubergine Stew, more description goes here.