I am Luisa Fortunato. I am not a professional chef de cuisine. In fact, I am an interior designer. But cooking for me is more than just a hobby. Hence my new cookery book now available in print:
Spices of Life and Herbs, Too!, 286 pages long, comprises 87 of my own favourite recipes, each featuring a different spice or herb.
Many have asked us: “How can I get a copy?” Well, we are thrilled to say that Spices of Life and Herbs, Too! is now available to order in either hardcover or paperback from your favourite bookshop, the publisher Austin McCauley, or from Amazon.
Below are the links to order from Amazon:
- Amazon UK
- Amazon US
- Amazon DE
ISBN NO: 9781638291770 (Paperback)
ISBN NO: 9798891559998 (Hardback)
Now, click here to download Spices of Life:
Download Spices of LifeLocked-in Tastes: News!
My first venture into publishing was Locked-in Tastes – Culinary Adventures under Lockdown, is as revenant now as it was during the spring. The e-book raised 120% of its target in donations for charity (The WHO). At the time of writing it, over three billion people were in lockdown: more than a third of the world’s population.
We received the following kind words from the World Heath Organisation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation Team:
We are inspired by your generosity. To date, with your help, more than $236 million have been raised to help WHO and its partners to support the ability of all countries to respond to COVID-19.
Dedicated to all who find themselves under lockdown.
Our first cookery book: Locked-in Tastes - Culinary Adventures under Lockdown is still available. Please download as our gift.
Happy Endings, our second book of 2020 is available to download by clicking the button below. It is our gift to say a HUGE THANKS to you for supporting our culinary initiatives.
We also want to wish you sweet Happy Endings to each & every day throughout 2021. And, may you enjoy a happy and healthy New Year!
Please share our books with your family, friends, colleagues, and followers!
Where does my passion for cooking and teaching cookery come from?
I grew up in a 100% Italian family on the east coast of the USA. Cooking was integral to our lives and it is no coincidence that many of my favourite recipes in Spices of Life are Italian, several learnt from my mother or from one of my many aunts.
My career as an interior designer took me, in my 20s, to Thailand, where I was the only European working in one of South-East Asia’s top architectural and design firms. I lived with a Thai family, learnt the language, and was rapidly shopping at the local market and being taught how to cook dozens of different dishes by incredibly helpful Thai friends and stall-keepers. So, again, it’s no surprise that many of my recipes in Spices of Life have a South-East Asian touch, or are in some cases 100% traditional Thai recipes.
My life and career then took me to Switzerland, where the cuisine is kind-of high-quality fusion-European but also where I discovered how to cook the perfect rösti. And it was in Switzerland where I met my British Yorkshire-pudding-loving husband. So a few recipes for roasts have crept into Spices of Life, too.
My husband and I divide our time between Switzerland and London, which is where I have come to share his tastes for Indian cuisine. Never having visited India myself, I have nevertheless become fascinated by the London Indian restaurant culture, especially the “From Bombay with Love” theme epitomised by the innovative Dishoom chain of restaurants, which present Bombay street food to a discerning British public. I have experimented with (and I hope perfected) many of these ideas. So you’ll find some Indian recipes in Spices of Life, too. Not surprising, given the title!
Cooking demonstrations of some of the dishes in Spices of Life are already available on my YouTube channel (lockedintastes).
Follow me and Locked-in Tastes on Instagram (lockedintastes).
I hope you will find something spicy that appeals to your tastes!