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Do you remember the first time something you tasted made an impression on you? Food, by its nature, has its roots in culture, in the things our mothers, fathers, grandparents and friends cooked – and still cook. The experiences of our youth (good and bad) resonate in the eating of our adulthood. As we grow up, learn new things and travel, inspiration comes from other sources: from places we visit, trying dishes that assail, tease, please and sometimes challenge our taste buds.
Combine tantalising flavours with sunshine and a view over sea or snowcovered mountains, add laughter and good conversation around the table and the pleasure is heightened. But equally that happy memory can be a solitary one, sitting alone eating a bowl of the sweetest, plumpest mussels in a bustling café, or a flavour-bomb morsel grabbed hot from a street stall.