Tag Archives: writing

on writing (more)

22 Wednesday Apr 2026

Posted by in books, books & writing, work, writing

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I think I read this book maybe 20 years ago and I remember at the time being quite inspired by it (though now I don’t recall anything specific about it). So now that I am writing more, and more often than not careening back and forth between acute impostor syndrome and looming deadline panic, I was thinking it could be a good time for a re-read. Except now of course I can’t find it anywhere in the house. I find it hard to believe it would have been included in The Great Cull before moving to the present Casa Azahar but if it doesn’t turn up soon I will get another copy. Turns out there is a new 25th anniversary edition, so might be worth updating anyhow. Of course then I will have to re-learn how to read…

de lentejas y caviar

18 Wednesday Feb 2026

Posted by in books, friends, gastronomy, spain, writing

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Look what has arrived! My good friend Jorge Guitián has published his first solo book. Congratulations Jorge! Now all I need is for him to come to Sevilla and sign it. 🙂

This essay reflects on how cuisine has become a powerful mirror of societal transformations. It questions issues such as the meaning of haute cuisine, the role of criticism, culinary traditions, and new food dynamics. But it is not only a diagnosis: it is also a poetic and urgent call to reconnect with what is authentic, familiar, and everyday.

my latest decanter article!

06 Tuesday Jan 2026

Posted by in decanter magazine, spain, writing

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This was actually published in November (in print) and later was also published online, but Decanter has changed its policy for online viewing and now everything is being paywalled, so I didn’t actually get a chance to see the finished article until now. My editor Ines sent me a surprise package this week and I finally got to hold it in my hot little hands.

I researched most of The Alternative Costa del Sol last May when I went to Málaga & Marbella, and my friend Jeffrey helped me out with a lot of tips, as he lives in the area. I hope that Decanter reconsiders this policy, at least for “lighter” articles like mine. Meanwhile, you can see my previous ones below.

Decanter Articles by me

dodging the rain drops

06 Thursday Mar 2025

Posted by in climate, health, markets, sevilla, spain, substack, writing

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What a week. I had so much research planned for my next Substack article on local markets, which meant visiting some further-out markets I hadn’t been to for a while, plus one I have never visited. BUT the forecast was (and still is) for pretty much non-stop rain for at least the next ten days or so. And as we all know, walking with crutches AND an umbrella is basically impossible.

But… it’s turned out that other than on Wednesday the rain has mostly been happening from mid-late afternoon until morning, leaving midday free for me to get out there. And so I have been, wielding my old lady bus pass (I’m really getting to know the bus routes around here). Just a couple more markets to visit to finish up. Here’s a pic of the clouds heading back in as I hobbled home today.

tapas vs pintxos

04 Tuesday Mar 2025

Posted by in sevilla, substack, work, writing

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So I’ve had a couple of guest writers on my Substack (HAVE I MENTIONED I HAVE A SUBSTACK???) such as Paul writing about Jazz in Sevilla and Alexis giving us tips on how to buy olive oil in Sevilla, but this is the first time I’ve done a full-on collab. And of course it had to be with my pal Jeffrey XtremeFoodies, who is also my substack twin (we started there at the same time). The topic, as you can see, is Tapas vs Pintxos.

Jeffrey was Team Pintxo (San Sebastián) and I was Team Tapas (Sevilla) and it was, as they say, an EXPERIENCE. We are both really pleased with the end result and we also learned a lot along the way. And I think we also got to know each other a bit better, always nice. So there will be more collabs in the future, but for now please enjoy this one. And don’t forget to give it a Like, or even a Share, and if you really liked it please consider becoming a (free or paid) subscriber…

Xtreme Foodies – Tapas vs Pintxos
Bitesize Sevilla – Tapas vs Pintxos