Leaving behind the same-sameness of an office-based existence to follow your dream in Italy is something many of us have considered, but not so many of us have acted on, choosing instead to make a pizza and watch Under the Tuscan Sun... again.

But Carla Coulson is one of those brave souls who left Sydney and moved to Florence, where she studied Italian and photography. She eventually fell in love and married an Italian man, and now makes her living as a professional photographer with two books to her name, too. In this issue, Carla shares her annual trip to visit her husband’s family in his hometown in the southern Italian region of Puglia, where life is simple and the food delicious. Turn to page 104 to read her story, featuring her stunning photography along with a recipe for orecchiette from her nonna.

For our Celebrate story (p47), we join a Turkish family for their Eid al-Fitr breakfast to mark the end of Ramadan, and to honour long-held traditions and rituals. It is the most holy time in the Muslim calendar, and a period of community and togetherness. Their breakfast of traditional Turkish dishes is a delicious and fitting end to the 30-day fast.

This month, keep an eye out for SBS ONE’s new Destination Flavour series, which is dedicated to uncovering producers and chefs in Australia’s best food regions. Adam Liaw, winner of the 2010 MasterChef series, will be one of the presenters, and has written this month’s Essay (p124) for us, where he considers the importance of context in determining what makes a memorable meal.

We hope this issue helps you create some memorable meals of your own – please let us know what makes a meal unforgettable for you.




Feast editor