Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri - #BookReview

                                                                                                                                                                     

"Monday, 5.13 a.m. The sun wouldn't show up for at least another hour, but Nico got out of bed, shrugged on a T-shirt, pulled on a pair of shorts and socks, and laced up his trainers. Bed had stopped being a welcome place, both back in the Bronx brownstone he and Rita had lived in for twenty-five years, and here in this century-old, two roomed farmhouse he'd rented since May."

Mourning the loss of his late wife, Rita, former detective Nico Doyle moves to her hometown of Gravigna in the wine region of Chianti. He isn't sure if it's peace he's seeking, but that certainly isn't what he finds: early one morning he hears a gunshot near his cabin and walks outside to the sight of a flashily dressed man with his face blown off.

Salvatore Perillo, the local inspector, enlists Nico's help with the murder case. It turns out more than one person in this idyllic corner of Italy knew the victim, and with a very small pool of suspects, including his own in-laws, Nico must dig up Gravigna's every last painful secret to get to the truth.

***

So many of us have had to stay-cation this year. Not a bad thing in itself as we have some beautiful places to visit here in the UK. However, reading this book transported me to Tuscany. It is so rich in atmosphere that I could almost taste the food, sample the wines and feel the Italian sun seeping into my bones.

Additionally, there is a stray dog who attaches himself to Nico, who has this huge void in his life following the death of his wife. I think I may have fallen a little in love with Nico. The author's portrayal of him as a kind, compassionate, grieving man is extremely well executed. As he becomes involved with the local police force in solving the murder of the man whose body he discovered we see his resourcefulness and sensitivity.

The secondary characters are equally well drawn and Ms Trinchieri is able to portray the members of a close community with real skill. Evocative language and great storytelling skills made this an extremely enjoyable read for me.

It is perfect for fans of Donna Leon, Philip Gwynne Jones and Andrea Camilleri.

I am thrilled that this is set to be the first in a series and I am looking forward to the next one already. It is a wonderful combination of character, atmosphere and murder mystery and far exceeds many books of this genre that I have read. I hope that you will enjoy it too.

ISBN: 978 0749026462

Publisher: Allison & Busby

About the Author

Camilla Trinchieri worked for many years on films in Rome with directors including Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti. She emigrated to the US in 1980 and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. Under the pseudonym Camilla Crespi, she has published seven crime novels, including The Breakfast Club Murder.

Hummus to Halva - Recipes from a Levantine Kitchen by Ronen Givon & Christian Mouysset - #BookReview

"The Levantine Kitchen - The term 'levant' first appeared in English in 1497, and originally meant the East in general or 'Mediterranean lands east of Italy'. It is borrowed from the French Levant or 'Rising', that is, the place where the sun rises at a time when the Mediterranean was the centre of the known world. The Levant referred to the Eastern Mediterranean, literally where the sun rose."

Hummus to Halva is a collection of recipes inspired by the tastes of the ancient Mediterranean.

Discover the best toppings for a smooth swirl of hummus before venturing further afield with simple, family-friendly messe dishes. With favourites from falafels and flatbreads, to all-important desserts like halva parfait, and not forgetting the sauces, sides and snacks in between, Hummus to Halva offers moreish recipes from a Levantine kitchen.

***

Two of my favourite foods are hummus and halva so when my son gave me this book for my recent birthday it was a pretty foregone conclusion that I would like it. He was absolutely right as this is a beautiful book.

The book begins with some interesting descriptions of the authors and details about the Levantine kitchen. The contents include chapters on: 

Making Hummus

Toppings for Hummus

Falafel and Wraps

Soups

Salads

Breads and Sauces

Desserts

Drink

Quick Snacks

I have made some of the recipes from the book. I began with shakshuka which was lovely although I added a few vegetables to the basic recipe. Seeing those glorious egg yolks running through the red tomato base of the sauce made this a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy.

I have also made the pitta bread recipe and the hummus recipe from the book. Now, I have made many different versions of hummus over the years and I have to say that I think this one is by far the best. It is a basic recipe made from chick peas. tahini, salt and lemon juice. I added some garlic to this as this is the way my family like it.

However, the basis of this hummus recipe lies in the toppings that are put on top. I made the hummus with chicken recipe and it was delicious. I served it with the homemade pitta bread recipe which was remarkably easy to make. They recipes were very easy to follow and these photos are of my efforts.

There are several other recipes that I want to try and I cannot wait to make the halva cookies.

I highly recommend this book. It has been beautifully photographed by Karen Thomas which I guarantee will make your mouth water in anticipation.   I would love to hear how you get on with any of the recipes when you give them a try.

ISBN: 978 1911641988

Publisher: Pavilion

About the Authors:

Born and raised in Israel on a kibbutz, Ronen became obsessed with hummus as a teenager. Exploring different hummus places in Tel Aviv to taste and discuss which hummus was the best, hummus for Ronen is a reminder of groups coming together to eat and indulge in one of the world’s cheapest and most versatile ingredients. With his friend Christian Mouysset they opened their own hummus business to bring the hummus to the high street.