This is a simple recipe of Italian origins, but one that pops with flavour. The magic combination in this recipe is the melding of earthy mushrooms and anchovies. Anchovies have long been used as an "umami" agent in the Mediterranean and European cuisine. Across the world, anchovies have been used similarly: Jeotgal in Korea, fish sauces, Nam pla in Thailand, and Nuoc nam in Vietnam; shaved, smoked skipjack tuna in Japan; and other dried, salted, fermented, and fish pastes.

For me, pasta is summer food, even a baked pasta like this one. Even as a child, I have loved baked pasta dishes; the oozy, cheesy goodness is what makes me crave these dishes. This is a simple bake, but one that always turns out so well. The spinach adds a touch of bright green to the dish, and the cheese and herbed béchamel sauce make all the difference, leading your palate away from blandness. The addition of stiffly whisked egg whites adds lightness to this dish, which fl

It is so hard for me to find good prosciutto in India, so when I occasionally see it, I load up and freeze it. It is like gold to me. Let's start by talking about prosciutto and comparing it to bacon. Prosciutto is from Italy, made from the hind leg of a ham, heavily salted and aged in a cold, temperature-controlled room for 9-24 months. The salt draws out the moisture and concentrates the flavour. It is never smoked. Because of the curing process, prosciutto can be eaten as