Live webchat with cookery writer Claudia Roden - Weds 25 April 1-2pm

You have a fantastic job (at which you are of course very good!) - but I wondered how you got involved in writing about food?

The Middle East has had a difficult history, certainly in recent times. Do you feel food cuts across all that, or does it get caught up in the hostilities? Is the politics of food part of the interest for you, or can you ignore it?

Hello, Claudia, I am a big fan.

I would like to try making my own pitta bread. I have heard it's not too difficult. Is this something you'd recommend, and do you have any tips?

I love tabbouleh but there are so many different variations. What would you recommend to get the best result? Include onion? How much tomato? And is it acceptable to chop the parsley in the food processor?

Thanks

Hello Claudia
What's your best go-to prepare in advance recipe that's suitable for "company"?
Thanks

Hi Claudia, ! I wondered if you knew any good matzoh recipes? Thankfully Passover is over, I was suffering from some serous Matzah fatigue! I wondered if you had any ideas for making Matzah a bit more interesting and bearable? Thank you x

Where is the best place to eat in Spain? Thinking about going on a foodie holiday - which area would you recommend?

I have been to Barcelona a few times so preferably not there!

Hello Claudia. I have a jar of organic lemons I preserved about a year ago. How long will they keep? I would like to use them, but not sure if they will still be ok.

Thank you.

Emergency ideas please - dinner party at the weekend. I need to be able to prepare as much as possible in advance (I don't mind sticking it in the oven on the night but won't have time to faff!). One person allergic to fish, another doesn't eat pork or shellfish. I don't like creamy/cheesy dishes. With eternal gratitude!! Cathy

I know you have written books on many food cultures including Jewish, middle eastern, Italian and now Spanish...but if you had to pick on as your favourite what would it be and why?

I absolutely love tortilla - and have experimented with various recipes to make it at home (with varying success). What I would like to know is - a) can I par boil my sliced potatoes first and b) is there a way of cutting down on the amount of olive oil without ruining the taste? Many thanks

When I was a child, Spanish food was caricatured as chicken and chips, which I suppose is what British people were offered in Torremolinos. There was a general assumption that everything was "greasy" and fried. I was brought up with idea that it was both dull and bad for you. Yet today it is incredibly fashionable and of course a Spanish restaurant, El Bulli, has been supposedly the best in the world for many years. Is it that Spanish food itself has changed, or is it that we have become more knowledgeable (and perhaps sophisticated)?

I love the idea of tapas and am thinking of preparing a few dishes for a family birthday celebration in a few weeks's time - a way of getting us all round the table without a formal meal.

Do you have a suggestion for five or six dishes that would work well together? Preferably reasonably simple to make, if I am going to be doing half a dozen different things?

Thanks

I have had ham made from pigs fed on acorns in Spain and it was close to heaven. Is it possible to buy this jamon in the UK - and if so, where?

I have had vegetarian paella in Spain - yes I know it sounds a bit odd - and wondered if you had a veggie paella recipe you could share?

No, not all rosierhu and welcome to Gransnet. The best bit is that you can ask Claudia a question!

The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden, published in 1997 is a wonderful, comprehensively researched book. I have loved her writing and her recipes ever since I bought my Penguin copy of the original Book of Middle Eastern Food in 1972. Seem to remember buying it in the Family Bookshop in Ahmadi, Kuwait, shortly after swooning over my first ever taste of hummus and also tabbouleh in the Kuwait Sheraton.
I am a brand new member and this is my first ever post. There could be no better place for me to begin than with food and especially Claudia Roden. I watched her demonstrating many years ago at the Covent Garden Food Fair, having sneaked out of a conference I was attending in London at the time (oops!). Was desperate to speak to her but too shy!!

Hope this isn't too long.

Do you cook with your grandchildren?

I don't know if I am allowed a second question, but this one is from my husband. We have a very productive quince tree in our garden and we have made membrillo, quince jelly, quince and apple pie and quince jam. We have found your lamb with quince recipe, but not tried it yet, but wondered if you had any other ideas what we can do with the many kilos of quinces we get each year?

Tomatoes
just curious........ why do some recipes including tomatoes state to skin (acceptable) and then to scrape pips from tomatoes leaving just a small amount of flesh, it seems such a waste, I would appreciate your comment, especially as the spanish tomatoes are so tasty and juicy.