On the sleepy and beautiful Ionian island of Paxos, the local people still follow the old ways. They cook from ancient recipes: simple dishes, handed down the generations until they are instinctive - in which good ingredients are allowed to speak for themselves. The food on this little island is special, because by happy accident of history and geography, Paxos is the place where Greek and Italian cuisines meet. Here, you have the simplicity and robust flavours of traditional Greek food, lifted with Italian style and panache. The result is the quintessence of Mediterranean cooking - healthy, fresh ingredients used in delicious flavour combinations that are easy to prepare.

Try your hand at real Tzatsiki and tasty Dolmades; learn a fuss-free way to prepare grilled meats and seafood; cook up one of Belinda's warm pies on a cold winter night, and mix a glorious daquiri for a warm summer evening with friends. Many times, you fall in love with something you have tasted on holiday, only to be disappointed when trying to recreate it at home. Roast Lamb in the Olive Groves not only brings a treasure-trove of tastes home safely, it shows how these dishes can be made dazzling and inspiring for modern cooks to serve at home. In sparkling, original recipes that are true to the spirit of Paxiot cooking, it shows how the ancient can be very modern indeed.