Exploding Tomatoes and Other Stories

Once settled into her new life in Puglia, Sophie Grigson felt ready for another adventure . . .
Driving along the coastal 'instep' of southern Italy in her trusty purple car, she travels between little fishing ports and explores the beaches of Puglia's west coast, then heads into the wild hills of Basilicata and Calabria's high Sila, famed for its chestnuts and mushrooms, and ends her journey in the bergamot orchards clustering around Reggio.
Charting the local delicacies, ingredients and producers, through recipes and stories, let Sophie immerse you in the beauty, culture, food and characters of southern Italy.
Full of delicious, traditional recipes from the different regions, from Puglian Beans in Red Wine Tomato Sauce to Calabrian-style Cheesy Stuffed Aubergines and from Super-Speedy Lemon Ice Cream to Chocolate and Almond Biscuits.
'Plentiful insights are provided into the food culture of the region with recipes, stories and interviews.' - National Geographic
'Sophie captures the essence of our region's cuisine, recognising that simplicity is king.' - The Puglia Guys

Sophie Grigson is a cook, food writer and television presenter with over 20 books to her name and nine television series for BBC, Channel 4 and UKTV Food, as well as several more for the Travel Channel. She has also written columns and articles for the Evening Standard, Independent, Sunday Times, Country Living, BBCGood Food and Waitrose Food Illustrated. On impulse, after interviewing the late Russell Norman about his book, Venice, in 2019 she sold or gave away the majority of her belongings and packed herself into her small car to move to Puglia in the south of Italy. Since making the town of Ceglie Messapica her home, she has filmed two series of the award-winning Sophie Grigson: Slice of Italy for Discovery/Food Network and started her catering business, Trulli Delicious.