When I was growing up I was one of four children. That meant every evening my mother cooked for six people. She didn’t cook three slightly different versions of the meal depending on who liked what. There was no room for fussiness or pushing food around the plate hoping to skip straight to dessert. No. Mum cooked a meal and we ate it. Simple.
This is not my first recipe using the marvellous lamb loin. I’m on a mission to show how versatile they are. They can take on so many different flavours and create any number of delicious meals.
Normally Thursday is my blogging day but I’ve deviated from my normal schedule to bring you a recipe I was desperate to share.
This magnificent meal was the product of a Saturday night spent at home – I’ve confessed previously how much I enjoy a quiet weekend. Often it’s a great opportunity to pick up a takeaway and a big tub of ice cream, relax and watch a good movie. But I decided to cook.
Athens – Greece’s capital and a city that was once the lifeblood of an ancient and powerful empire.
Athens was our last stop in Greece before our ship sailed back to Italy. It was also the stop I’d been particularly looking forward to. It has been a long held dream of mine to climb the Acropolis. When you embark on something you’ve waited so long to do the hope is that it will live up to your expectations.
During our cruising of the Greek Islands our ship made a stop on Turkey’s western Aegean coast. Kusadasi, where our ship docked, is a popular resort town and a major stop for the cruise ships.
Last week I took you to Italy where our Mediterranean cruise began and ended. After beginning with the end I thought it was timely to wind the clock back to our first excursion.
After thirty-six hours at sea sailing from the south of Italy to the Greek Islands we were looking forward to disembarking for a day in the Greek sunshine.
In contrast to an excellent night out at Chef’s Table (see my previous blog), last weekend was much quieter with a Saturday night spent in.
When I was younger, the prospect of spending a Saturday night at home was scandalous, embarrassing. Admitting you had no plans for a Saturday night left you feeling depressed and friendless. (Remember those fraught teenage years? Getting older isn’t all bad, you know).
A trip to the United Kingdom would not be complete without a few – or many – trips to the pub. Each time I visit I am reminded of how much character and tradition they add to the country. To my knowledge I’ve never visited an English village that doesn’t boast a charming local or two. There is something extremely satisfying about settling in a warm, cosy pub and ordering a plate of hearty pub grub.
When I was living in the UK much was made of the ‘mini-break’. Somehow the idea of getting away, for however short a time and however short a distance from home, conjures great excitement.
Tracey O'Brien 
Recent Comments