It’s that feeling when you step from a plane and the unknown places a friendly hand on your shoulder guiding you on your way. Sitting on a bus, in a car, on a train, looking out of the window at the newness that surrounds. The people, their smiles, their looks, their houses, their friends, their food, their hearts.
From that first night when you set foot outside to find your
first taste to the last night when the menu is familiar and the highlights
tried and tested, food brings together all who travel. Whether your mates turn
their noses up at the mere sight of something different or embrace everything
from fried beetles to bird spit pie, food will always create conversations,
forge friendships and divide opinion. So with all this in mind and with an
inspiring array of flavours out there let’s share it, why not?
A travelling diary of food, from Bangkok back alleys to
Melbourne meze’s, let’s write about it, in our words, and then tell the world
what we think.
I need people on board for this to work, I need people who
understand the concept, are excited by it and will, most importantly, look
after my precious books as they wing their way to wherever they are taken.
On Thursday 6th September I shall be sending the
8 blank books out to the 8 hotels that have agreed to take part. These
travelling cookbooks will be displayed by the hotels in their reception and talked
about with all who pass by. The idea is that after a while someone will be
inspired to pick it up and take it with them on their journey. From then on the
story of Our Travelling Cookbook is unknown and exciting. Whoever has it needs
to write their food stories down, the local recipes they’ve tried, the
things they’ve loved, the things they’ve hated and then once they’ve finished
they need to pass it on to someone else, anyone else, the only requirement is a love of
food and travel, the rest is up to them. Doodles and spillages are welcome as
they add character after all!
To start the cookbook on it's journey all hotels have agreed to add a recipe of
their own on the first page and then it’s over to you guys. All who take part
are encouraged to follow Our Travelling Cookbook on www.facebook.com/ourtravellingcookbook and https://twitter.com/travellingcooks, as
well as this blog, that way I can keep track of where it is and how you’re all
getting on. Every contributor will be acknowledged if and when this book makes
it onto the shelves of a bookshop near you!
Whoever has it last, you are possibly the most important link of all in this food chain as it's the journey home to me in London that's the vital connection. Wherever you are in the world though I would arrange postage for this.
So, all that's left to say is watch this space and hopefully Our Travelling Cookbook will unveil itself before our very eyes!
