How to holiday at home
Of all the things that 2020 has starved us of, holidays are one of the things we most miss. Not so much the lack of gyms (meh), the ability to cross London (we’ll take it or leave it), but holidays, yes. We miss everything about them. Sitting in a towel, eating Lays crisps. That mild panic when you urgently need your GCSE French but your mind fails you. The fun, the drama, the thrill.
But don’t stress. We’ve brainstormed some ways to conjure up a little holiday magic at home – to satisfy those cravings before we’re all allowed to jet-set again. So wherever you want to go, travel figuratively with these ideas.
Rome
The Eternal City has a strong place in our hearts. From the history to the food to the romance to the shopping (did we mention the romance?), we’re pretty sure la dolce vita always starts here.
Drink: An aperitivo taken between 7pm and 9pm is the ideal way to while away a lockdown evening. Aperol Spritz is the classic Roman choice, served with salty snacks like olives, peanuts or even a pizza bianca.
Read: Ah we miss hotels. For us sofa-travellers the next best thing to an infinity pool and airy, fluffy pillows is Great Escapes Italy. Touring the legendary Italian hotels that made up the settings of films, novels and the like, this coffee table book is perfect for transporting you to the coffee tables of palatial Italian hideaways. All you need is your own concierge and you’re away.
Born in Rome, famed designer Giambattista Valli is known for his sumptuous gowns, and his namesake tome is the ideal accompaniment to any wishful Italian sojourn.
Watch: For true escapism, marvel in the glamour, the repartee and Audrey Hepburn’s flawless outfit tweaks in Roman Holiday.
Eat: Bucatini all'Amatriciana, with its sweet-tart tomato sauce and rich, salty cured pork, didn’t originate from Rome but has become one of the capital’s most renowned dishes. Amatriciana is a thick, hollow pasta but spaghetti or penne would work equally well.
Bucatini all'Amatriciana
Serves 4
Olive oil
100g guanciale (cured pig’s cheek), or good quality pancetta, diced into 0.5cm cubes
400g tin of San Marzano or other good quality tomatoes
1/2 onion, diced (optional)
1/2 red chilli, diced (optional)
50ml white wine
400g bucatini pasta or similar
Pecorino Romano
Basil leaves
1. Slowly heat the diced guanciale with a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium-low heat. If using onions and chilli, add to the pan and cook them until soft but without browning.
2. Once the guanciale is lightly golden, add the white wine and reduce by three quarters.
3. Add the tin of tomatoes. Cook down on a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste and add a pinch of sugar if it’s too tart.
4. Cook the pasta in a pan of heavily salted boiling water for 8 - 10 minutes, or according to packet instructions.
6. Once the pasta is al dente, drain, reserving some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the sauce, toss and add a little starchy cooking water to loosen if necessary.
7. Serve immediately with shavings of or grated Pecorino Romano and torn basil leaves.
Provence
The magical lavender fields, the bustling markets, the heady mix of yacht-decked towns and charming hill villages, we’re pretty sure if we had to hunker down anywhere, we’d choose Provence.
Drink: The oldest wine growing region in France, the area’s known for its rosé. Try Esprit de Buganay Rosé – full of red berry flavours and a subtle spiciness to end.
Read: The classic A Year in Provence is an irresistable portrait of an English couple’s move to rural France. If you’ve read that already, try My Father's Glory – a delightful depiction of the author’s childhood in the sun-drenched countryside. For full holiday immersion, tackle in the original French.
Watch: After numerous highly scientific studies, we’ve found the closest thing to actually being in France is watching The Hundred-Foot Journey – based ever so close to Provence.
Eat: We can thank Brigitte Bardot for making the cake of a humble Polish baker, a St Tropez legend. Sugar-coated brioche, filled with an airy cream, flavoured with orange blossom… it’s heavenly.
Tarte Tropézienne
Serves 12
12 brioche buns
360ml whole milk
4 large egg yolks
67g sugar
32g cornstarch
1 pinch fine sea salt
Few drops of vanilla extract or orange blossom water, to taste
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
60ml very cold double cream
Icing sugar, for finishing
1. Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan.
2. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, drizzle in one quarter of the hot milk. When the yolks are warm, add the rest of the milk in a steady stream.
3. Pour the mixture into the pan, return the pan to medium heat and, whisking vigorously, bring back to a boil. Keep at a boil, still whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the pastry cream into a bowl, and add the vanilla extract or orange blossom water, drop by drop to taste. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.
4. Add the butter to the pastry cream a couple pieces at a time, whisking to incorporate. Press a piece of plastic film against the surface of the cream and chill for at least 2 hours.
5. Whip the double cream until it makes firm peaks. Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and whisk to loosen it. Stir a little of the whipped cream into the pastry cream, then fold in the rest of the whipped cream using a flexible spatula.
6. Cut your brioche puns in half, fill with the cream and then chill for at least an hour for the filling to set. Serve the cake cold with a dusting of icing sugar.
Istanbul
Istanbul seems a pretty hard city to conjure up at home. The Byzantine churches, the East meets West, the bustle, the colour… but don’t worry we’ll show you. And at the end of it all, draw up a steamy bath for a little Turkish bath experience – which is our way of saying, relax.
Drink: Turkish coffee is about ceremony and really treating your guests. Usually made with an ibrik or cezve, instead make with a small saucepan by mixing one coffee cup of cold water and two teaspoons of finely ground coffee. Sweeten if desired, place the mixture in a pan on low heat and let it cook for a while – stirring gently two or three times. When it’s about to boil and foam rises, remove from heat and spoon the foam into a cup. Return to heat and when it boils, pour the coffee into the cup. Serve on a tray, in the traditional way, with a glass of water and Turkish delight or a piece of dark chocolate.
Read: Painting an evocative picture of the city, spy novel Istanbul Passage takes you back in time and right to the heart of the Ottoman city.
Watch: Murder on the Orient Express starts in Istanbul which we reckon is probably as good an excuse as any to watch Tom Bateman.
Eat: Piyaz is a classic Turkish white bean salad and cacik a staple with grilled meat. Serve both with marinated, barbecue food or as part of a meze. You’ll never guess you weren’t actually in a sultry Istanbul back street – even if it is, in fact, at a socially-distanced barbecue. Goodbye Clapham, hello Turkey.
Piyaz
Serves 4 to 5 as a side dish
2 x 400g cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 2tbsp Turkish dried chilli flakes (pul biber) or 1/2tbsp sweet paprika and 1/2tbsp cayenne pepper
2 x 20g packets of flat leaf parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
2 red onions, cut in half and thinly sliced into half moons
One large garlic clove, crushed
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
3 tablespoons of tahini
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Place the cannellini beans, Turkish chilli flakes, red onion and chopped flat leaf parsley into a large salad bowl and mix well.
2. To make the dressing, put the garlic into a separate bowl, then add the lemon juice and tahini, and mix well until smooth. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar and a generous amount of crushed sea salt and black pepper and mix the dressing until smooth. If you need a little more liquid, add some cold water until the dressing is a thin enough consistency.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad, mix everything together (being careful not to crush the beans) and season to taste if necessary.
Cacik
Serves four
One large cucumber, coarsely grated or finely diced
500ml Greek yoghurt
1 x 20 g packet of dill, stalks and leaves finely chopped
One large garlic clove, crushed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1. Carefully squeeze out and discard the excess water from the grated cucumber by hand or using a sieve. Place the cucumber in a mixing bowl and stir in the yoghurt.
2. Add the garlic and dill, mix well and season to taste. Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.