Farro and lentil soup
I first encountered this soup in the medieval walled city of Lucca in Tuscany. It was a total revelation; the creamiest lentil soup I'd ever tasted. Farro is an ancient grain from the same family as spelt, so wheat-free folk will love this.
Clams açorda
There are many variations on the açorda theme in Portugal, but this was the most memorable for me – we were sitting on the balcony of a cliff-top restaurant in Madeira, our heads in the clouds and the sparkling blue sea down below.
Cuban chicken with moros y cristianos
Cuba is not a country famed for its culinary heritage, but I had this in a paladar – a family-run restaurant, as opposed to a state-run restaurant – and its simple flavours delivered a direct hit to the tastebuds.
Salad scheherazade
I ate a salad like this in Tangier after a particularly stormy crossing from Spain (I was trying to put some distance between me and a rather tumultuous affair). I'll always remember the soothing effect it had on both my churning stomach and my battered heart.
