Last summer I hooked up with the lovely Jenny Box(www.jennybox.org)  to run a yoga and detox retreat in the Greek mountains. The week was such a great success from start to finish and this was the beginnings of a great partnership, which has come to be known as Yoga & Feasts. 

Yoga & Feasts was born out of a desire to combine our skills, Jen as a yoga teacher and me as a holistic chef, health coach and wholefoods lover, to teach others how to create a strong yoga practice and at the same time, teach them how to support that practice with the right diet. You would assume that the two go hand in hand but this is not always the case. Often on retreats, I have felt that the food is unbalanced and lets face it, there's nothing worse than feeling like you have a tonne of bricks in your belly as you try to touch your toes, or even worse feeling as though you need to pass some serious wind right in the middle of class! But even where the food does compliment the practice, mostly it's a mystery as to how that food is prepared and once the retreat is over and everyone is immersed back in their busy lives, they have no idea how to recreate the nourishing food that made them feel so good. 

So, the idea behind Yoga & Feasts is that you learn what it means to be eating more of a natural, wholefoods diet and through cookery demonstrations and hands on classes, you learn how to prepare simple, delicious dishes, which are easy to replicate at home. Creating a meal with your own two hands, especially one that feels nourishing and complete is extremely empowering and probably one of the greatest gifts you could give yourself!

Just a couple of weeks ago, Jen and I brought Yoga & Feasts to London. This took the form of a one day autumn retreat at Globe house in Bermondsey, the most perfect yoga venue with its long wooden floors, high ceilings and beautiful old brick work. It feels as though you've been transported to an old New York warehouse - not that I really have much experience with warehouses in New York but this is exactly how I imagine them to be!  With twenty two yogini's in tow, the day kicked off with Jen's dynamic yoga class to warm up the limbs and work up an appetite. This was followed by my specialty wholegrain porridge - a mix of pearl barley, oat flakes and chia seeds cooked with rice milk and topped with crushed toasted seeds and goji berries. Wholegrain porridge makes such a great start to the day as it's warming, easy to digest and wholegrains are packed full of B Vitamins and complex carbohydrate, which release energy slowly into the body. 

After breakfast, yogini's were invited to watch an autumn special food demonstration, where I introduced some weird and wonderful delights such as arame, one of my most favourite seaweeds, as well as tempeh, one of my most favourite fermented foods. We would all be doing well to include more of these wonder foods in our diet. Seaweeds have between ten and twenty times the amount of nutrients as land plants, they're extremely high in protein and once you get over the initial weirdness of the slippery black strands, you will be quite surprised at how enjoyable they really are! As for fermented foods, well, they are full of good bacteria called lacto bacilli, which form during the fermentation process. It is these clusters of bacteria that we want to promote in the gut as they help to ward off the bad bacteria, keeping our guts in good health.

The question is how can we incorporate seaweeds and fermented foods into our diets in a way that doesn't feel too scary? Well, I have just the answer and that is my very own autumn salad, which is packed full of almost every kind of goodness that exists! Our yogini's were in for a treat and were lucky enough to experience this deliciousness first hand. Not only does it incorporate seasweeds and fermented foods but also the wonderous kale, the mighty quinoa and the succulent sweet autumn squash. All these delights come together in a colourful mass with a creamy horseradish and white miso dressing poured generously on top! Horseradish is the perfect autumn food because of its pungent nature. Pungent foods help to disperse stagnation in the body and by dispersing stagnation, we help to prevent illness. So here goes, here is the recipe for my autumn salad, which is well worth trying at home!

Autumn Salad of Kale, Arame and Roasted Squash with Tempeh Croutons and Horseradish Dressing

¼ cup arame 
1 bunch Kale
½ medium sized squash (butternut or onion squash) cubed into bite sized chunks
½ block of tempeh
½ cup quinoa
1 cup water
Handful parsley chopped
Toasted sesame seeds
Olive oil
Sesame oil 
1 tbsp sesame seeds

For the dressing:
1.5 tblsp olive oil
1tblsp white miso 
½ tblsp fresh grated horseradish
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Dash of tamari or shoyu
Water as needed

Method: Preheat the oven to 200c. Place the arame in a bowl and cover with water. Peel and cube the squash, place on a baking tray with a sprinkle of olive oil and sea salt and roast for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa, cover with water and simmer for 15 minutes. In a separate saucepan, cover the tempeh with a little water and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the liquid but hold onto this liquid for soup. Cut the tempeh into small cubes and fry in sesame oil until brown and crispy. Toward the end of cooking, pour over a little tamari or shoyu. Remove from the pan and set aside. Remove stalks from the kale. Place the leaves in a saucepan with a little water and with the lid on, gently allow the leaves to wilt for a couple of minutes. Make the dressing by placing all the ingredients in a blender. You want the grated horseradish to blend, so that the dressing is nice and creamy. In a bowl mix together kale leaves, arame, roasted squash and quinoa. Mix through the dressing and finish with parsley, tempeh croutons and toasted sesame seeds.

By the time the food demo was complete, there were belly rumbles in the room but we still had one more yoga session with Jen before the real feasting could begin. Luckily, I came prepared with wholemeal apple and orange tea cake to stave off the hunger and carry us through to the end! And finally, as our beautiful day drew to a close, we all sat down for an autumn feast of lentil and spinach cottage pie, autumn salad, grated carrot and parsley salad and last but not least, the bit we've all been waiting for, the almighty, the incredible raw cocoa salted chocolate brownie!

Yoga & Feasts will be running quarterly workshops in London, which will help us all tune in to what our bodies needs with the changing of the seasons. We will also be back next year in the Greek mountains for anyone who fancies venturing further a field! 

As our month in the Himalayas came to an end, it was time to say goodbye to ashram life. Thankfully, I had five more days in India before my flight back to London, so it was time to make the most of the warmth! Feeling energised and ready to face the world, along with friends Rebecca and Clare, I made my way to Rishikesh, at the foothills of the Himalayas. For three days we stayed at the beautiful Rainforest guest, just on the outskirts of town. Surrounded by trees and overlooking the Ganges, this was the perfect place to spend a few days readjusting to the real world. Rishikesh itself, although beautifully situated on the river, is hectic and noisy. It feels like a vortex of travelers, all of whom have been sucked in by some greater force. I was definitely happier back at the Rainforest in the peace of the trees!

Before leaving Rishikesh, we wanted to make a visit to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram, where the Beatles and many other famous people spent time in the late 60’s. The only problem was on this particular day, it happened to be holi festival, a Hindu festival, which celebrates the beginning of spring, where the tradition is to light bonfires and throw coloured powder at one another. The coloured powder gets mixed with water and is more like paint, so it’s a rather messy affair, as the streets become a giant play ground of paint fights. Somehow we needed to navigate our way through the streets to the other side of town and to avoid getting splattered at the same time. This was never going to happen and in no time, we looked like multi-coloured goblins!

We eventually emerged at the other end of town. Now we just needed to find the ashram, which is no longer in use. It is a derelict site and although entry is strictly prohibited by the authorities, people continue to seek it out. Perhaps the secret location and haunted atmosphere make it all the more appealing! Luckily, whilst we were wandering around wondering how we might get in, a little Indian man emerged from nowhere and for a few rupees, he led us up the forest path. He was obviously used to foreigners coming here! As we made our way through the trees, I felt like a child who was breaking the rules, knowing there would be big trouble if I got caught! Our Indian friend left us at the gates and in we went. No doubt about it, the place felt slightly haunted and eerie but you could just imagine how beautiful it must have been. The stone walled bee-hive cells, which once offered accommodation, are still intact and many have artwork, which remains on the walls. Maharishi ashram is certainly worth a visit but I think we all breathed a sigh of relief when we descended back down the forest path! 

Covered in remnants of paint, I made my way from Rishikesh to Delhi, where I spent the last three days of my trip in Delhi's southern quarter, close to Hauz Khaus village, a bohemian part of the city, with a slightly European feel. This is a stark contrast to the more northern parts, where the poverty is overwhelming and the sheer volume of people is like nothing I have experienced before. But I loved this city, which is colourful, vibrant and culturally diverse. There is so much to take in and like one giant organism, it pulses with aliveness! For three days, I walked, explored and ate! I gorged on dosas, I tried every bit of street food I came across and I drank tea in the spectacular Imperial hotel. This is a city of extremes and I wanted to experience it all! I did pay the price, however, and returned to London with a rather upset Delhi belly!!

For now, I was ready to leave India behind. Short bursts in this continent of bedlam are enough. But for all its madness, it has beauty and appeal like no other place. Both times I have been to India I have returned, feeling as though deep internal shifts have taken place and my spiritual energy renewed. But i'm always grateful to be back on home ground to enjoy a very long, hot shower and to make myself my favourite thing in the world, a big bowl of fresh miso soup with seaweed, greens and brown rice. My whole body relaxes and says thank you very much! 

Somehow its mid June and we’re almost halfway through the year. I can’t quite believe it. The months seem to roll by at a terrifying pace and I never seem to be able to keep up! Its been more than six months since I posted on my blog page and I regret to admit, that the promise I made to myself last summer to continue to document my culinary adventures, seems to have fallen by the way side! But it’s been an eventful start to the year with some exciting trips abroad, so with the help of some photos to jog my memory, I will document the highlights of the year thus far. Not all of the goings on are food related, as my energy has been focused on pursuing another hobby, and I’m proud to say that in February of this year, I completed a month long intensive yoga teacher training in India. This has definitely been the most exciting, and perhaps the most demanding, journey I have been on for sometime, not only physically but mentally, emotionally and spiritually too! 

The year of 2013 kicked off in Morocco, where I was cooking for the Healthy Holiday Company with my beautiful cooking companion Hayley North, who gets mentioned time and again throughout my blog posts! This was my second time working in this particular venue, which I adore. Luckily, it is situated well away from the madness of Marakech, although the peace and quiet of our tranquil surroundings doesn’t always reflect the commotion in the kitchen! Cooking for these retreat holidays is a full on affair with constant trips to the market and relentless hours of preparation and cooking but when I’m working with Hayley, there’s no shortage of energy in the kitchen and there's always craic to be had! 

The markets in Morocco are an assault on the senses, a concoction of vibrant colours and powerful smells. Animals and people alike seem to emerge from behind the stalls and if you don’t know where you’re going, it’s easy to get led astray! Luckily, we have come to know many of the food stall- holders and with our legendary taxi driver, Ali the Great, we can get in and get out without too much distraction. But even still, each shopping expedition feels like a mission!

On New Year’s Eve, once dinner was served, we were ready to collapse. Most of the team retreated to bed before midnight but I decided to take some time to sit in the yoga room with a candle and write a list of resolutions and wishes for the year to come. One of my wishes for 2013 was to pursue yoga more seriously and now I see there is a lot to be said for being clear about what you want and asking the universe to grant it! Not long after my trip to Morocco, the opportunity to do a yoga teacher training course in India arose and I just knew the time was right. A visit to the Sivananda Ashram at Neyar Dam in Southern India two years back gave me a taste of ashram life, as well as an introduction to Sivananda yoga. Prior to this, I had attended all sorts of yoga classes but nothing had ever really clicked with me. During this trip however, something profound happened and I felt an amazing internal shift take place. Since then, I have been practicing yoga more consistently and for sometime, I've wanted to do a Sivananda teacher training course, where you live and breathe yoga every moment of every day for one month. This is a truly powerful experience and even for those who never intend to teach yoga, this is personal journey worth exploring!

February is my least favourite month of the year. It’s cold and grey and it feels as though winter might go on forever. So, as it was drawing to a close, I was thankful to be en route to India, only delighted to be leaving the long, dark days of London behind me. After landing in Delhi, there was still quite a journey ahead in order to reach our destination, a small pilgrimage town called Rudraprayeg, situated high up in the Uttarakhand region of the Himalayas. This region is often referred to as the ‘land of the God’s’, due to the many Hindu temples and pilgrimage centres found throughout the area. For centuries, sages and gurus have inhabited the land and as a result, it has attracted people from all over the world, who have made their way here on pilgrimages and spiritual journeys. The natural beauty of this region is humbling and as with any awe-inspiring scenery, it makes one realize what a speck in the ocean we are, amidst the vast expanse of creation.

Heading North East, up towards the Indian/Pakistani borders, a cohort of five mini buses drove for sixteen hours along the most lethal roads imaginable. Overtaking on mountain passes doesn’t seem to faze the Indian drivers, who just stick there fists on the horns and go for it! There never seems to be any peace driving in India, as everyone is constantly beeping, even when there are no other cars on road!
    
Arriving late at night, we all fell into bed, too tired to fully absorb our surroundings. But when I awoke the next morning and opened my bedroom door, the sight was breathtaking. The sun was coming up and I was looking down onto a yoga platform, overlooking the ganges, flowing in full force.

By no means was this month in the mountains a breeze. The course was demanding and although the days are highly structured, no moment of it is ever your own. But at the same time, there is no escaping yourself. Instead, you are forced to look within and observe what is happening and in doing so, it's quite amazing, or perhaps a little terrifying, to witness the rollercoaster of emotions experienced over the course of just one day. I have felt this before doing silent mediation retreats, where the only option is to be with your inner voices but looking back, dealing with only yourself in tranquil surroundings, feels like a walk in the park. Somehow, here in India the timetable of daily mediation, yoga practice, yoga philosophy, chanting and the constant interaction with others, felt intense. And yet, it is a different kind of intensity to being busy with work or rushing around London. It is the intensity of an inner process, of which you suddenly become acutely aware and with which you must deal with, each and every day, for one whole month! Luckily enough, I met some of the lovliest people imaginable on this trip, all of whom helped to make this a very special and life changing journey.

September and October have been a hive of activity at the Lewes
Community  Kitchen, with the Vital Skills hands on cookery   workshops. 
These workshops,  which will continue throughout November and December, are open to everyone and are a brilliant way to broaden your cookery horizons at a bargain price! Robin Van Crevald, otherwise known as Community Chef (www.communitychef.org.uk) and founder of the Lewes Community Kitchen, has been leading the way with the Vital Skills series, with help from Fresh Feasts and Cashew Catering (www.cashewcatering.co.uk) - the world's best vegan catering company by the way! 

This Friday, Fresh Feasts ran a workshop on food and mood, with 8 lovely ladies from various parts of Sussex. We had a fantastic morning, discussing the connection between food and mood and it was interesting to hear from all the participants how they felt their own food choices affects their moods.  This was followed by a hands on cookery session, where we prepared some lovely autumnal dishes including aduki bean and squash stew, quinoa squash burgers with coriander and sunflower seed pesto and a beautiful seasonal crumble using local apples, pears and berries. 

The connection between food and mood is such a fascinating area, affecting all of us on a daily basis. It is a 2 way relationship, in the sense that the food we eat affects the way we think, feel and behave; for example food affects our blood sugar levels, with associated changes in mood and energy, and on the flip side, the way that we feel affects the foods we choose to eat. For example, if we feel sad, low or tired, we might choose to drink a coffee or eat some chocolate, as we inherently know these foods give us a lift. Only a temporary lift, mind you, and the trouble is, making the wrong choices on a regular basis leads to trouble, including mood swings, poor health and often disease. So, our aim is to make the right food choices and select foods, which balance our moods and our health. This isn't always easy but the more familiar we become with making the right choices, the more balanced we feel and the less likely we are to want to eat foods which have a more roller-coaster like effect on the body. 

So, check out the Community Chef website for details of more exciting workshops. Fresh Feasts will running a natural desserts class in December and this will be a great opportunity to learn how to make some delicious, guilt free treats for Christmas

Aduki Bean and Squash Stew
Serves 4-6
The warming, soothing nature of this stew makes it the perfect autumn dish. It is highly nutritious comfort food, which helps us to warm, soothe and comfort. The advantage of eating this sort of comfort food, as opposed to pizza or chocolate, is that it leaves the body feeling satisfied and balanced. Do an experiment at home and try eating this dish one evening and pizza another, and see what you notice!


Ingredients
1 Tblsp sesame oil1 onion diced3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tsp cinnamon  
1 tsp ground coriander
1 red chilli chopped fine
3 cups Butternut Squash cut into chunks
2 tins aduki beans
2 cups water
Dash of shoyu 
Sprinkle of sea salt
Handful of fresh coriander chopped

Method: Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with salt and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic, cinnamon, coriander and chilli and sauté for a minute or two. Add the squash and stir well, coating it in the spices. Add the water and simmer until the squash is soft – approx 10-15 mins. Add the aduki beans and allow to simmer until the stew is thick and creamy, with most the liquid absorbed. Add shoyu to taste and mix through the coriander, saving some to sprinkle over at the end. Serve with short grain brown rice or another wholegrain of your choice. 

Tip! Including sweet vegetables such as squash in your meals will help to reduce sweet cravings and regulate blood sugar levels.

Since July 2011, I've been studying Macrobiotics at the International Macrobiotic School in Devon.  Now in my second year, this course has taken me on a journey of discovery. Not only a journey of self-discovery, although I have learnt more about myself in this time than ever before, but also an exploration of humanity and the universe, of how we came into being and how everything in the universe is forever changing and in flux. This change proceeds according to the laws of nature and at its very core, living by the laws of nature, is what macrobiotics is all about.

The term macrobiotics originated in Greece, where teachings based on a deep 
 understanding of the laws of nature came to be known as macrobiotics, meaning ‘big’ or 
 'great' (macro) ‘life’ (bios). Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, was the first to 
 introduce the word back in the 5th century B.C, as he himself taught a natural way of life,
 which emphasized harmony with the environment, especially in the selection and 
 preparation of food. The ancient teachings of macrobiotics, however, pre-date 
 Hippocrates and have existed from the time of the earliest human cultures and 
 civilizations. By tracing its origins, we can see that macrobiotics is far more than a dietary
 regime. It is a philosophy and way of life, which encompasses not only diet but all 
 dimensions of human life and cosmic activity. 

 That might all sound a little way out there but I think it’s important to understand where
 macrobiotics comes from. The present day understanding of the term is far from what I 
 have described above, as most people have either never heard of it, or if they have, often
 they associate it with a diet, which is renound for being regimented and bland. 

 So what is the macrobiotic ''diet'', you might well ask. Well, first of all, I would like to 
 emphasise that macrobiotics is not a diet; rather it is an approach to life and food, which 
 considers many factors such as the climate, the time of year, the location and the 
 individual’s needs. Broadly speaking, it is centered largely around eating a simple, natural 
 diet, which includes wholegrains, beans, vegetables, sea vegetables and smaller quantities
 of fish, nuts, seeds and fruits. 

 The beauty of the macrobiotic approach is that the emphasis is not on what you can or
 cannot eat. Instead, it focusses on making us more aware of how different foods and 
 cooking styles affect us, both physically and emotionally. But to create this awareness and
 sensitivity to food, a simple diet is required.  As we become more aware of the effects
 that different foods have on us, we are more in control of knowing what our needs are at
 any given time. And of course, what we need today may not be what we need tomorrow
 or next week, as our needs are changing all the time. 

 So, I hope by now I’ve managed to give you some understanding of macrobiotics without
 confusing you completely. I wanted to share this information because firstly, in the midst
 of this increasingly complex world we live in, I think there is a lot to be said for a simple, 
 natural approach to life, which enables us to take control of our own health and 
 happiness. And secondly, over the coming weeks, I am undertaking a little macrobiotic
 experiment to improve my own health and sensitivity to the foods I eat. So, I invite you
 to join me on this journey and along the way, learn more about this fascinating and 
 ancient approach to great health and a great life! 

Well, here I am back in London with grey skies and pelting rain. What a welcome back! But at the same time, i'm ready to face the world once again, feeling refreshed and full of energy following my culinary adventures in France and Italy. 

My last week at In Sabina was glorious. The September sun was the most beautiful temperature, soft and gentle even in the mid-afternoon and the evenings were a little cooler, with spectacular sun sets and the clearest night skies. Somehow, this week I managed to find lots of time for yoga and with no one on the big platform in the mornings, I spent much time stretching and moving and breathing in every last breath of the beautiful clear air before launching into cooking lunch each day. We had a group of Swiss yogis this week, who were great fun and fun of life, although i'm not surprised there was a sense of liveliness around with the sheet quantity of coffee being consumed. They were fiends through and through!

On my last night at In Sabina, we decided to cook pizza for the group in the lovely out-door, wood-fired oven. Attai, my fabulous sous chef from Afghanistan is training to be a pizza chef at the moment, so he was only delighted to get the fire going! He did, however, look completely horrified when I told him we would be making the pizza bases using spelt flour. This is obviously not the done thing in the world of Italian pizza restaurants but I reassured him they would be totally delicious - and nutritious! He looked at me with even more horror as I stood griddling aubergines and courgettes and preparing a whole array of colourful vegetable toppings, as he obviously realised the pizzas would all be vegetarian. I daren't tell him some of them would even be cheese free and vegan!! What did he expect in a vegetarian kicthen!

With the oven fired up, we lay the table, made the dough and cooked down some beautiful juicy fresh tomatoes with garlic and oregano to smear across the pizza bases. And with the evening sun pouring down on the eating platform, we began rolling the dough, as we waited for the yogis to arrive. We churned out 20 pizzas one after the next, of varying colours, tastes and textures, one more delicious then the next. And at the end of it all, we sat down and devoured our own pizza creations. Attai went for mozzerella and sun dried tomatoes, while I went for a veggie fest with aubergine, roasted squash, sun dried tomato and black olives spread over the wonderfully herby and garlicy tomato base. I even got a nod of approval from Attai regarding the spelt pizza base. He approved and so did the swiss yogis. The last supper was a roaring success! 

In the morning, it was time to get moving and make my way to Rome, where I would spend the day with my beautiful friend Hayley. Rome is a wonderful city to walk around, as everywhere you look there is something exquisite to take in - the buildings and architecture, the cafes, the shops and the cobbled streets. We wandered for hours just chatting, we ate lunch at the most exquisite ayurvedic arts cafe, which is a restaurant, library and performance space all in one, we had ice-cream in the park and we watched baby turtles flap around in a pond! The perfect end to a wonderful culinary journey!

Perfect Pizza Recipe!
Ingredients
500g wholegrain spelt flour (or half wholegrain and half white spelt)
15g fresh yeast (or 5g dried yeast)
10g salt
325ml warm water
1 tbsp olive oil

Method
Mix the flour with the salt in a bowl
Dissolve fresh yeast in a little of the warm water and add olive oil
Add this to the flour and mix to form a dough. Should be quite sticky
Turn onto surface and knead until smooth and elastic
Place in a bowl covered with cling film and allow to rise (it should double in size)
Meanwhile, preheat the oven - a very hot oven is best
Roll out dough to whatever size pizza you desire, place on a baking tray scattered with polenta or other coarse flour and add toppings of choice
(Of course if you're doing this in an outside oven, then the pizza goes straight in on a paddle)
Bake until the base looks coloured and crisp

Toppings
Make a tomato sauce by roasting or cooking down in a pan some fresh tomatoes with olive oil and garlic (add oregano if you wish)
Griddle aubergine and courgettes
Roast some squash in very thin rounds or slices
Have a selection of cheeses at hand - mozzerella, goats cheese, blue cheese or for a cheese free pizza, just got for extra veg!
Sundried tomatoes
Rocket and Basil

My favourite combination: 
Roasted tomato sauce with griddled aubergine, sun-dried tomato, black olives and a big handful of rocket added when the pizza comes out of the oven!

With only 3 clients to cater for this week, i've been enjoying the peace and quiet of a very empty yoga retreat centre and I've also  managed to venture from the kitchen to explore some of the amazing scenery and hill top towns that surround me here. This region is truly beautiful and so unspoilt. It amazes me that we're only an hour from Rome and yet the area remains so untouched. It appears that the masses go further North to Tuscany, which is undeniably beautiful but very crowded. 

Last weekend, my venturing led me to the close by town of Cantalupa, where I found myself in the midst of an arts festival by night. Independent artists gather here each year to showcase their work throughout the ancient cobbled streets. There was acrobatics, guitarists, a range of artwork and theatre pieces in action but the star of the show had to be the magician, who was captivating people with his magical bubble blowing. I know that might sound a little funny but this guy knew how to pull in a crowd with his Gandalf-like cloak and hypnotic beats. I just wish i'd been able to capture a better picture of him!  I did wonder what concoctions he might be consuming that the rest of weren't, and whatever it was, he definitely wasn't sharing! My second cultural outing is a little more hazy, as it involved sampling some exquisite wines in a beautiful little taverna in the town of Casperia, which sits perched in the hills of In Sabina. The taverna is owned by Johnny, an English man, who is a wine and olive oil connissuer, as well as a big Slow Food advocate. Although the Lazio region is not renound for its fines wines, which are hard to find, Johnny has a selection of the best to choose from and he's only delighted for you to sample as many as possible! The Lazio region is however renound for its wonderful olive oil and produces some of the best in Italy. Of course, I wasn't going to refuse the invitation to wash down my wine with some homemade local sourdough bread smothered with some beautifully golden olive oil which was smooth, fresh and peppery to taste. The night ended in a local restaurant with a bowl of hand-made fettucine with rocket pesto and mussels. Quite a strange combination, one might think, but my goodness, it was divine! My next venture was a little more purifying and much needed after a night of wine tasting. A long walk through the valley in the most beautiful September morning light sorted me right out. There is something so special about the September skies here, which make making everything sparkle and dance. 

The week ended with one of the most enormous storms I have ever experienced. It kicked off in the middle of the night and seemed to go on and on. I literally thought my caravan would take off into the sky but thankfully it remained intact and so did I! Then followed a day of intense rain, which funnily enough, was quite enjoyable as I set about doing some baking in preparation for the next group, who will be my last! I made some delicious crunchy biscotti for their arrival - made with olive oil, honey and spelt flour. This recipe was adapted from Meredith McCarty's Sweet and Natural book. I added in some sesame seeds and a little dark chocolate for something a bit different and what a great combination it was! These little biscuits make the perfect morning snack and are a great accompaniment to orzo. For all you coffee addicts out there who have tried time and again to cut the caffeine but failed miserably, orzo is your answer! It's made from roasted barley grain and looks very like coffee. You even make it in the percolator, which gives it the same depth and intensity as coffee but its effects on the body are more mellow because its caffeine free. In the UK we have something called yannoh, which is similar to the Italian made orzo. Yannoh and orzo come highly recommended on my list of things to try!   

Chocolate Sesame Biscotti
(makes 25)







Ingredients
3 cups spelt flour
1 tblsp baking powder (aluminium free!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2/3 cup honey
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
Some chopped up dark chocolate

Method: 
Pre-heat oven to 180c.
Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients and add to dry.
Gather the mixture together and form into 2 logs as shown below, 
Transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for about 20 mins - until golden. 
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely - around 20 mins. 
Once cool, cut into slices on the diagonal. Some will crack but use a very sharp knife to prevent this happening. 
Once cut, place the pieces back on the baking tray and bake for a further 15 mins. 
Remove from oven and allow to cool. 

Already the Americans have been and gone and quite frankly, last week disappeared in a haze! I'm struggling to remember what I cooked, although it turned out the group were not so completely fixated on bucket loads of pasta, as previously thought. They simply wanted lovely food and lots of it! This was a large group of 26, which is quite a number to cater for from the tiny domestic kitchen of In Sabina. It certainly put my timing skills to the test and it sometimes felt as though I simply couldn't churn out enough food for this hungry lot! But i'll take that as a complement, as with every meal, only demolished serving platters came back to the kitchen.  

As we had quite a few gluten and dairy intolerances to cook for this week, I concentrated on making dishes, which were free from both. One of the favourite grain based dishes of the week was black rice and quinoa with tomatoes from the garden. The tomatoes were cooked down with garlic and olive oil and then forked through the grain, whilst still hot. So simple, yet so delicious and a great way to use up the ageing tomatoes, many of which are coming to their end on the vine. 

Sadly, the aubergines and courgettes are diminishing in number from the garden, which meant I couldn't stretch them far enough to make my vegan moussaka for the whole group. However, I did get to experiment with it over the weekend for a small number of people and now i'm ready to share the recipe, which you can find below. 

The highlight of this week was that the sun came back and once again it feels like summer! I know a little water was much needed but I'm secretly delighted the storms are over for now! My lovely caravan is not so lovely in the rain, as it feels like a damp tent, which brings back not such fond memories of camping in the rain at festivals! Something i've never been very good at but I don't seem to learn my lesson! I'm a mediterranean sun baby through and through and I need to just stick to festivals in sunnier climates!

Only 2 more weeks to go in heavenly Italy before its time to face the real autumn back in London. What a thought! I need to savour every moment! I look forward to having some downtime this week as there will only be 3 people to cook for! That means time to relax, read and enjoy the peace and quiet of the beautiful countryside. 

Cashew Nut Moussaka (serves 6)

Ingredients: 
4 small aubergine (or 2 large)
3 medium courgettes
600g spinach or chard 

(For the tomato sauce)
200g sundried tomatoes
4 large beef tomatoes, peeled and chopped
75g walnuts
2 cloves garlic
handful of herbs (sage, marjoram, oregano)
Touch of tamari or shoyu soy sauce to taste

(For the white sauce)
250g cashews (soaked for a couple of hours)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons yeast flakes
Pinch of salt

Method: 
Slice the aubergine and courgette into rounds, sprinkle with olive oil and salt and bake in a hot oven for about 40 mins (you sprinkle aubergine with salt and leave in a colander to drain for 1 hour prior to this if you wish). 
Remove large stalks from spinach or chard and roughly chop. Saute or steam, adding a little garlic, olive oil and salt. 
Make the tomato sauce by placing all ingredients in blender. Whizz quickly and leave this sauce a little chunky.  Add some water if necessary to thin down. 
Drain cashews and place in liquidizer with water and yeast flakes, adding more water of necessary. Sauce should be thick but creamy. 
Then layer a baking dish as follows - a layer of aubergine followed by tomato sauce, courgette, white sauce and spinach and then courgette, white sauce, spinach, tomato and aubergine. 
Bake in the oven for about 20 mins and then sprinkle with parsley before serving. 

August has drawn to a close with the arrival of the Blue Moon, our second full moon this month. And along with it came a great big storm here in the hills of Sabina. Dare I say it, but the air feels  almost autumnal and grey clouds are looming. This is good news for the locals, however, who are celebrating at the prospect of rain. The land is dry and very much in need of some water!

With September, comes a wave of new fruit and vegetables from the garden. The squash, carrots, figs and apples, which have been slowly emerging over the past couple of weeks, are coming into their own. Each day brings a new box of apples, so its time to make lots of compotes, tarts, salads, chutneys and anything else I can think of.

I’ve also been making some foccacia and experimenting with different flours. Believe it or not, my best foccacia this week was made from a mixture of rye and wholemeal flour with only a little bit of white to give it a lift. The rye flour here has a lovely softness without being overly heavy, so I have also been using it to make cakes. My apple and walnut cake went down a storm!

The highlight of the week however, was my vegan moussaka, which was a bit of an experiment but thankfully, it worked wonderfully. I can’t bear the thought of a sticky, glupey white sauce, full of butter and white flour, which gets lashed over moussaka and lasagne. I wanted to create something lighter and more nutritious. Whilst working in France recently, holistic chef and friend Hayley North, showed me how to make raw lasagne, which is totally divine! In order to get the richness of a white sauce, cashew nuts and nutritional yeast flakes are combined to give a lovely creamy, cheesy flavour, while a ‘meaty’ tomato sauce is achieved by adding walnuts to the tomatoes. Nutritional yeast flakes in the vegan world are a precious ingredient as they impart that cheesy flavour giving depth and richness to a dairy free dish. So, although my moussaka was not raw, it followed the same principles as the raw lasagne. The combination of baked aubergine and courgetes from the garden, along with a rich and chunky tomato sauce and a creamy, cheesy white sauce, was simply wonderful! Now, I just need to do it again and this time document what I’m doing!

So, here ends another week. The sivanandas are leaving and in come a group of Americans who have requested lots of very traditional Italian food. I wonder how my vegan moussaka will go down with them! But what I’ll do is serve it and see if they even notice the difference! Watch this space for a full report back and a vegan moussaka recipe which, by next week I will have nailed! 

Black Olive and Rosemary Foccacia


Ingredients
250g rye flour
150g wholemeal flour
100g unbleached white flour
10 g fine sea salt 
15g fresh yeast
3 tblsp olive oil
Rosemary

Method
Mix flour and salt together
Mix the yeast with 350 ml of warm water, then add to the flour mixing to a soft dough Add in 2 tblsp of the olive oil
Place on a board and knead until soft and pliable
Place in a bowl and leave to double in size (about an hour) and then knock back. At this stage, leave for another 30 mins if possible. 
Oil a shallow tray and place the dough in the tray, gently pressing into a rectangle. Cover with cling film and leave for 30 mins more. 
Once risen, press dimples into the dough, sprinkle with olive oil, olives, salt and rosemary and bake for 15 mins at 200c and then turning down the oven to 180c to finish

Leaving France behind, I made my way to Rome and   then jumped on a train going north towards the hills of   Sabina in the Lazio region. Here, I would find the In Sabina yoga retreat centre, where I would spend the next 6 weeks cooking for retreat groups. This incredible opportunity arose through Levity Cuisine, a collaboration of holistic chefs who aspire to cooking with consciousness and with whom I’m currently working in partnership. 

Having arrived late at night, there wasn’t much I could see but I was shown to my new home, a beautiful caravan in the garden! I fell asleep exhausted and in anticipation of what my surroundings would be like by daylight. I wasn’t disappointed! The centre is a 17th century house set amongst olive groves, fruit trees and rolling hills. It's no wonder groups of yoga lovers come here year after year to enjoy the amazing sense of peace and calm and to practice yoga on the incredible platform, which overlooks the valley. I fell in love with it all immediately! 

So, my first week of cooking has come to an end and its been a lot of fun. I spent the first few days finding my way around the kitchen and making menu plans for the coming days.  But with a thriving vegetable garden at my disposable, as well as buckets of olive oil from the trees, it wasn’t long before I found my flow! I’ve been making use of the masses of greens, especially chicoria, which is extremely bitter and needs to be boiled for sometime before you can begin to use it. Once boiled, it's completely delicious, sautéed with some olive oil, garlic and lemon and tossed with salt and almonds. On the vegetable and salad front there's been lots to choose from, although I can see my creativity will be put to the test with the vast numbers of tomatoes, courgettes and aubergines which seem to emerge from the garden on a daily basis! I've also been experimenting with risotto but risotto made with brown rice and no dairy. It may sound dull but my risotto primavera (spring vegetable risotto) was one of this weeks most favourite dishes. Typically, it's made by adding grated potato, carrot and courgette to the risotto rice - as well as lots of butter and parmigiano, of course! But this dish is also delicious with no parmesan or butter. Olive oil is used instead and the potato helps to make the brown rice really creamy. The end result is a beautifully creamy and colourful risotto, which is light and nutritious. 

The week ended on a high note with a little party by the pool and lots of dancing. This group of yogis knew how to have a good time! But it was soon time to say goodbye and prepare for group number 2 - the Austrian ashtangas. We shall see how this next week unfolds!