Skye McAlpine Interviewed by Gwenan Edwards

Food writer and journalist Skye McAlpine shows how home cooked food can be used to nourish our loved ones as well as ourselves, and she offers some tastings by way of example.

McAlpine devotes separate chapters in her latest book to how food can comfort, seduce, nourish, spoil and cocoon. Recipes include: a dish to make someone fall in love with you, scallops with buttery brandy gratin; a meal for everyday family life, polpette di ricotta with tomato sauce; a recipe for a very old friend, chocolate, coconut and cherry cake; and something simple to eat alone, spaghetti with pistachio and lemon.

McAlpine lives mainly in Venice where she writes, photographs and teaches cookery in workshops. She writes a blog, From my Dining Table, contributes to national newspapers and magazines, and is author of A Table in Venice and A Table for Friends. Here she talks to journalist and former BBC News presenter, Gwenan Edwards, whose credits include the BBC Proms, BBC World, BBC News Channel and Watchdog on BBC1.