Praise for Sophie Grigson's A Curious Absence of Chickens: 'A delicious treat' Xanthe Clay 'Stuffed full of recipes you want to cook' Prue Leith 'Delicious' Daily Mail 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. In this book, award-winning author, Sophie Grigson charts the local delicacies, ingredients and producers; through recipes and stories, she immerses 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 Winte Tomato Sauce to Calabrian-style Cheesy Stuffed Aubergines and from Super-Speedy Lemon Ice Cream to Chocolate and Almond Biscuits, discover the south coast of Italy with Sophie.

Collections of oddities have abounded since ancient times. Philosphers, essayists, travelers and natural historians have all contributed to this offbeat - yet rich - source of literature.

Part autobiographical, the stories offer a depiction of the myriad world of jaded entrepreneurs, overzealous cops, karaoke fanatics, dog lovers, liberated coeds, and frustrated urbanites who move in and out of China's colorful neon-lit cities and dusty rural villages; transitioning from one world to the other. Red Guard Fantasies can be viewed as a corollary to the work of noted classical Chinese writers such as Pu Songling (1640-1715) and Wu Jingzi (1701-1754), who challenged ideas of Chinese society and culture through the use of allegory, satire, and the blending of realistic and fantastic elements, often leading the reader through a dream-like, fantasy state where the real and the surreal become one.

'A delicious collection of versatile, quick and simple pescatarian inspired dishes, for all to enjoy!' Gordon Ramsay 'Wow, this is such a wonderful book, just open the cover and let Jo take you through some really inspiring recipes and ideas and show you just how simple cooking great seafood can be.' Mitch Tonks Whether you’re looking to eat less meat, a lover of seafood, or even a dedicated pescatarian, you’ll find something for you in this book filled with delicious and practical recipes for every lifestyle from celebrated chef Jo Pratt. Choose between cooking each recipe as a fish dish, or get creative with some veggie substitutes. From a curried Buddha bowl to Cornish crab pasties, aromatic cured salmon with pea blinis to a wholesome and hearty smoky mac ‘n’ cheese, the range of international recipes spans the globe and are all simple, well-balanced and packed with flavour. As well as easy approaches on how to cook your fish and hacks for vegetarian options, this original cookbook shows you how to prepare the perfect fish fillet and handle whole fish and seafood. With a wide variety of health benefits, there has never been a better time to join the growing pescatarian movement and expand your culinary skills.

'Sophie Grigson has written twenty odd excellent cookbooks, but I think this is the best of them. It is her first book for a decade and was obviously driven by a real love of her subjects, which are Puglia, people and food. It is witty, informative, fascinating and stuffed full of recipes you want to cook.' Prue Leith 'Puglia is a region I wanted to get to know intimately, to understand culture, life, history and geography, reflecting through the prism of the food that's put on the tables of locals and tourists, too. I'm reminded of my 20-year old self, scribbling in notebooks as I first travelled through Italy's south, only this time I'm back to stay.' After her children grew up and left home, Sophie Grigson found herself living alone. About to turn 60, she took the decision to sell or give away most of her belongings, to pack up her car and to drive to Puglia on her own to start a new life. In a part of Italy where she didn't know anyone, having last visited the region 40 years ago, this narrative book of food writing, stories and recipes brings to life the region, its food and the local characters that she meets along the way. This is a book about courage, hope, new horizons and, above all, delicious food. 'Vivid, humorous and unsentimental, Sophie's portrait of modern Puglia, still seeped in old ways, is a delicious treat' Xanthe Clay 'OMFG! This beautiful book is transporting me there. I can't put it down. And the lack of chickens...I never bloody noticed!' Matt Tebbutt

Following the best-selling original collection of short fiction by and about Southern gay men, REBEL YELL 2 continues the excitement with noted authors such as Felice Picano, Robin Lippincott, Kelly McQuain and more to create another vivid and compelling short fiction anthology exploring the diverse lives of Southern gay men.