The well-fed pescatarian loves festival food

The music may be the headline act of this summer's festivals, but the food also deserves an honourable mention. After all, it's the army of food trucks that keeps us going through the muddy times and the late night munchies, filling our festival experiences with flavour.

Anyone who has read my bucket list will know that going to Glastonbury has been high on it for a long time and this year it was finally achieved. One of the (many) fantastic things about the mother of all British festivals is the variety of food on offer.

Here is a selection of the well-fed pescatarian's top eats from Glasto. Look out for these fab vendors at other festivals throughout the summer. ¡Buen provecho!

Burritos

Burritos are a great festival food for pescatarians, because they are so tasty, really fill you up and aren't too hard to eat if there's nowhere to sit down. For me, it's all about the extras - the guacamole, sour cream, cheese and jalapenos - which really make it a fab festival meal. You can even wrap 'em up and throw them in your bag if you're planning on camping out at a stage for the duration.

There were several Jumping Bean Burrito stalls at Glastonbury, including one up at the GlastoLatino stage, which seemed appropriate. The nachos were a great pick-me-up after a bit of salsa dancing on the Thursday night too.

Crepes and galettes

You can't beat a crepe at a festival, or even a galette, as apparently that's what savoury crepes are called. It's easy to sate most of your hunger cravings in this way, as the selection of fillings on offer is immense. Over the course of the festival I indulged in both sweet and savoury options, with a sundried tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil galette going down very well. I returned to the extremely friendly girls at Happy Crepes for a white chocolate, fresh strawberry and pistachio crepe later in the festival.

Potted crayfish on toast

Probably the best thing I ate at Glastonbury was the potted crayfish on toast, which certainly saw to my seafood needs. Not only is the food served up by Crayfish Bob absolutely delicious, but it is doing a very important job for the environment here in the UK.

The American Signal crayfish was introduced to British waterways with the idea that they could be exported to the Scandinavian market. Instead, it has become a pest and is responsible for wiping out many native species. It is these American crayfish that are used in Bob's creations, helping to rid our rivers of them. It's a win-win situation for the hungry pescatarian and the environment!

Loaded wedges

The prize for the best value food at Glastonbury has to go to the wedges, as these bowls of seasoned and fried potatoes loaded with all sorts of tasty toppings were not only cheap, but plentiful and filling. A nice spicy bean concoction on top really did the trick, although cheesy wedges or an accompaniment of dips are also quite tempting.

Indian wraps

On any day of the year I would pick Indian food over any other cuisine and at festivals it's no different. I've had plenty of delicious curries from various outlets over the years, with the Patak's bus being a particular highlight, and more pakoras and samosas than you can shake a festival flag at. Having been following each other on Twitter for years, however, it was time to seek out the Chapati Man and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

Located over by the Left Field at Glasto, the Chapati Man managed to cram all of the delicious flavours of India into a tasty tasty flatbread. For the well-fed pescatarian that meant chana aloo - chickpeas and potatoes cooked in a wonderful spice mix and accompanied by raita and salad - yum!

Thai food

Those who ventured across the lake that was the West Holts arena at Glastonbury were not just rewarded with some fantastic world music acts, but also delicious food. Nothing warms you up on a soggy festival evening like a steaming plate of noodles and vegetables, which is exactly what we got from Good Thai Dins.

Liquorice

Pops and I, who have festivaled together for many years, swear by liquorice as the perfect pick-me-up between acts. Having sampled a few different vendors, we particularly like Saint Valentines, which we got a taste for at Latitude in 2014, then enjoyed at WOMAD 2015 and continued the love affair at Glastonbury this year.

Importing liquorice from all over, there's every shape, flavour and style of soft liquorice you can imagine. Producing a few sticks for Pops, which I'd clandestinely bought in advance, during our night shift stewarding for Oxfam certainly cheered him up. Look out for the Saint Valentines stalls or handy little carts at the next festival you attend.

The well-fed pescatarian in Marrakech

Gratinated oysters at Chez Mado

It's not too difficult being a non-meat eater in Marrakech, as the number of tagines, falafel, humous and vegetarian pastries on offer mean there is no need to go hungry. When it comes to eating fish, there are also plenty of options. From the skewers served up in the Djemaa El Fnaa to the modern delights of Chez Mado, Morocco's hottest tourist destination has enough to satiate the appetite of even the hungriest pescatarian.

 Falafel, hummus and tabbouleh at Cafe Clock

We were lucky to be staying very close to Cafe Clock in the Kasbah area of the city and ended up eating there twice. Great Moroccan classics, served up on the roof terrace with a good dollop of entertainment thrown in. There was a jam session going on in the courtyard below during our first meal at this wonderful cafe. You may notice there's no fish in the falafel dish that I enjoyed on our second visit, but just because I eat fish, it doesn't mean I have it for every meal. Going full-veggie is also great too.

I was actually spoilt for choice with their menu, as there were loads of options open to me. As is often a good idea, I took the advice of the waiter, who spoke great English (sadly my French lies somewhat neglected under my more frequently used Spanish, and my Arabic is practically non-existent). So I tucked into a steaming hot b'stilla with taktouka sauce. This flaky pastry parcel was filled with roasted vegetables, but can also come with meat or fish, so be sure of the contents before ordering.

No trip to Marrakech would be complete without an evening dining at the Djemaa El Fnaa. For the uninitiated, this vast square, which is full of orange juice sellers by day, becomes a fantastic food market in the evening. Sit on a roof terrace at any of the establishments surrounding the Djemaa El Fnaa and you will look out across a sea of lights amid the stalls, with steam and delicious smells from the food being cooked rising up to fill the air.

It can be somewhat overwhelming to walk among the traders and try to decide where to dine. Of course, they are all making an effort to entice you in, but one piece of advice struck home as we peered at the piles of produce ready to go on the numerous grills - "It's all the same stuff; just the quality is different". So we decided we would pick a stall almost at random.

As we walked past No 95, Chez Ba Hassan, the chap trying to drum up custom said: "Ali Baba, Ali Baba" (my other half's beard had instantly won him this nickname when we arrived in Marrakech), "Hashtag f*@!%ing awesome". Well you don't get a better sales pitch than that! While he tucked into skewers featuring various unidentified meats, I enjoyed my prawn and squid skewers with vegetable cous cous.

Highlights of a delicious meal at Chez Mado

Reading a fellow travel blogger's article prior to our trip, Chez Mado was described as the best seafood in Marrakech, which sounded like the kind of experience the well-fed pescatarian could not miss. Located in the new town, we hopped in a taxi and made our way to this chic eatery. The outside has been painted in the red, black and grey colour scheme that is carried on throughout the establishment and the almost garage-like facade and curtains covering the door meant it was impossible to see inside.

Venturing through the curtains we found ourselves in a contemporary space, with a conservatory-like structure on the front. Without reservations, we were seated here, which did us just fine. And we proceeded to gorge ourselves on delicious Moroccan wine and a fine selection of seafood. While my other half had gratinated oysters to start, followed by John Dory, I enjoyed seafood soup with tasty crouton-like toasts covered in a light mustard sauce and scallops parmentiere - both of which were stunning.

I had no space to fit in a dessert, but was quite excited to see iles flottantes on the menu, as I've never actually been anywhere that you can order this legendary dessert before. I convinced my partner in crime to order it so I could at least have a taste and it was just as amazing as I'd imagined it would be. Lighter than air meringue and creme anglais with the subtlest of vanilla flavour.

Grand Marnier souffle at Le Grand Cafe de la Poste

I hadn't had a problem fitting in dessert the previous night, however. This wonderful Grand Marnier souffle was the climax of my birthday meal at Le Grand Cafe de la Poste, and yes, it was as good as it looks. You can just make out my other half's strawberry carpaccio with whipped cream in the background. This restaurant, housed in the former post office building, was a real treat. I especially loved the pomegranate-shaped lampshades hanging from the ceiling. Almost good enough to eat.

The meal I tucked into at this fantastic colonial era establishment was a combination of traditional Moroccan elements with elevated French techniques. The scallops to start had a rich creamy sauce, but were balanced on a bed of cous cous. And the prawn and monkfish tagine was perfectly cooked. All this was washed down with a few glasses of gin fizz - after all, you only turn 30 once.

The well-fed pescatarian samples paella in Valencia

Until this summer I had never travelled to Valencia, but there were a few things on my bucket list for the city that I couldn't ignore and right at the top was paella. Obviously food can be entirely evocative of a place and knowing that this rice and fish dish originated in Valencia I wanted to try one and have the ultimate paella experience.

No pressure then! In order to try and minimise the risk of the outcome of this exercise being disappointment, a paella recommendation was needed. Luckily, the receptionist at our hotel was forthcoming and highlighted a few reliable establishments in various parts of the city. As we wanted to head down to the City of Arts and Sciences we decided to check out an area she recommended just off the former riverbed, which has been transformed into a beautiful park.

Despite there being a small cluster of restaurants scrawled on the map in biro by our friendly receptionist, each one we came to was closed. This is a common problem in Spain during the summer months, when many establishments shut up shop for a few weeks for staff holidays. It was getting late in the day for lunch when we finally found Raco del Turia and the welcoming sight of lights and people inside. It was coming to the end of their lunch service, but they were happy for us to order and we took our seats outside on the pavement.

Eating paella in Valencia is not something to be rushed and while our huge pan of the speciality was being prepared, we enjoyed some smaller dishes, including squid and a delicious salad. When the steaming dish arrived, it was a vision of bright yellow with the seafood distributed across the top. What amazed me was how thin the layer of rice was, allowing it to be cooked evenly over a massive surface area.

From a selection of paellas on the menu we went for paella de mariscos - prawns, cuttlefish and monkfish and it was delicious. The rice and fish were both cooked perfectly and it was quite unlike anything I have ever had before, despite loving all of the ingredients that ended up on my plate. The bright yellow comes from the all-important saffron, which is a much more delicate flavour than its intense hue would suggest.

Safe to say that the paella experience lived up to expectations. So much so I bought a paella pan from a hardware store we walked past the following day. Despite saying it serves two, it was a fraction of the size of the one our authentic paella was brought to us in at Raco del Turia, but that is probably a good thing as I wouldn't have been able to slide it down the back of my rucksack quite so easily if it had been larger! I look forward to plenty of paella suppers at home to evoke leisurely lunchtimes in Valencia.

The well-fed pescatarian cooks stuffed courgette flowers

It has always been something of an ambition of mine to cook stuffed courgette flowers, but the opportunity has never really arisen, until recently. On a family holiday to Tuscany that saw three generations of Dodds all staying in a stunning farmhouse in the hills, I spotted the all-important ingredient - courgette flowers.

My mum was buying vegetables at one of the stands during the weekly market in Ponte a Moriano and there in a pile were the freshest and most tempting-looking courgette flowers I have ever seen. If I was ever going to cook this delicacy, now was the perfect time.

I rejoined the rest of the family at a small cafe on the edge of the square clutching my bag full of courgette flowers and not doing a good job of hiding my excitement. But despite the yellow blooms being the vital part of the dish, you also need to have something to stuff inside them, so off I skipped to the local cheese shop.

My Spanish-influenced attempts at Italian helped me establish that the shop did not sell ricotta, but had something similar and I bought the lot. The kind man behind the counter was patient with me, but when I clearly didn't understand something he was trying to explain to me, he called for a younger assistant from the back. He told me in excellent English that I needed to rub the cheese with olive oil to bring out the flavour.

Back at the villa I did add some olive oil and since the cheese was firmer than ricotta, I chopped it up as small as I could, while adding herbs and garlic. Our accommodation had minimal items in the larder, so we had to buy even the simplest of additions for meals. With this in mind, I made a beer batter, as alcohol was something we were not in short supply of!

It is safe to say that stuffing courgette flowers is a fairly fiddly process. First you need to cut off the stalks and remove the stamens from the centre. This should be done carefully so as not to tear the petals, giving the potential for the filling to ooze out. Twisting the tops once they have been filled helps to keep everything in place, then it is just a case of dipping them in the batter and frying them. Eating them hot is a must.

One member of our party is not particularly keen on cheese, so I made an artichoke and tomato alternative for her. We all ended up trying this variation, which was pretty good, although the cheesy stuffed courgette flowers were definitely the favourites.

The well-fed pescatarian in Malaysia

I generally describe myself as a vegetarian, as this is the easiest way to talk about people that don't eat meat, but then occasionally someone will call me on the fact that I eat fish. Being an avid traveller is made so much easier by consuming fish, although it didn't help me miles away from the sea in Russia, when pickled vegetables were my only sustenance. So in summation, I am a pescatarian and a pretty well-fed one most of the time.

On a recent trip to Malaysia I was able to eat very well with my combination of vegetables and seafood, as rice, noodles and myriad non-meaty flavours supplemented these key ingredients. Anyone who has travelled in the country will know that it is a foodie heaven and it is difficult to go hungry.

Penang

The island of Penang has become associated with wonderful street food of late and I was keen to sample the vendors' offerings. It would be remiss, however to neglect the great restaurants scattered around Georgetown too, as they serve up some delicious dishes that ticked all the boxes for this hungry pescatarian.

Among those to try are:

• Sri Ananda

There are a few branches of this establishment serving up south Indian specialities on the island. The one in Little India in Georgetown is very conveniently located. I had prawn masala, aloo ghobi, pelak paneer, garlic naan and rice.

• Woodlands

Just across the road from Sri Ananda is another delicious stop-off - Woodlands. My meal here consisted of chenna batura - a spicy chickpea stew with raw onions, sliced red chillis and half a teeny tiny lime on top. Accompanied by freshly squeezed orange juice.

• Teksen

Not far from Armenian Street is this humble-looking establishment with beaten metal tables and stools. Do not be put off by its apparent simplicity, as the complex flavours of the dishes more than make up for the décor. I would recommend ordering the tamarind king prawns, which were among the stickiest and tastiest things I've ever eaten. Even those who eschew a Brussel sprout at Christmas could not fail to love the fried sprouts with shrimps - delicious. Nutmeg juice washed the whole lot down.

• Tropical Spice Garden

On my last day in Penang I took a tour of the Tropical Spice Garden, which is in the Teluk Bahang suburb of Georgetown. The very informative guided tour from a lady called Bea was the perfect way to work up an appetite for lunch and the restaurant certainly didn't disappoint. Sat outside with beautiful views from under colourful umbrellas I tucked into a very flavoursome pad thai. The garden has its own cookery school, where visitors can learn to make such delights. Unfortunately my time was up by that point, but maybe next time...

Lunch at the Tropical Spice Garden

Street food

There are lots of areas in and around Georgetown that can boast a wide array of street food on offer. One of which is a huge hall at the bottom of Gat Lebuh Armenian, which is jam-packed with hawker stalls. Wandering around, looking at what is available it is clear that you can take your taste buds on a culinary journey around the world without ever having to leave this place.

Everything from Thai and Taiwanese food to Nyonya cuisine and brisket was being served. I settled on Thai seafood rice and watched as the lady carefully chopped and threw ingredients into the wok. She also reached up to a variety of boxes on the shelf above her and added in a wide selection of spices and additions to subtly flavour the delicious dish.

Kuala Lumpur

As you would expect from a capital city anywhere in the world, Kuala Lumpur has plenty of places to eat whether you describe yourself as a carnivore, vegetarian or pescatarian. But for me and many other hungry bellies, the ultimate destination is Jalan Alor. This incredible street is jam-packed with food stalls every evening and there was only one night in the whole of my stay in KL when I didn't eat here.

You can almost smell this evocative thoroughfare from a distance and once the sun goes down, the light from the yellow and red lanterns looped from each side highlights the rising steam from the grills. It is just about impossible to see where one stall ends and the next starts. I walked the length of the street until I reached the tea bus, checking out what was on offer before making my choice.

On the first night I made a schoolgirl error and ordered far too much food, but the butter prawns and assorted greens were amazing. The fried rice was probably delicious too, but there was little chance of me making in-roads into it. I learned my lesson for next time.

Jalan Alor

During the course of my stay, I enjoyed everything from delicious whole fish to durian ice cream. The chap selling this delicious concoction had a specially made container that looked like three barrels joined together complete with perfectly fitting lids. He reached in with his incredibly long spoon and dug out the ice cream.

Before his customers managed to get a taste, however, this deft showman would use the thick consistency of the ice cream to stay stuck to the spoon. This allowed him to spin the cone out of reach just as the customer was about to take it. Twirling the handle and having fun, visitors to this ice cream stand are guaranteed entertainment with their sweet treat.

Durian is well known for its foul smell, but this was hard to detect when in ice cream form and the flavour was gorgeous. So if you are going to eat the stinky fruit, I recommend having it served up in a cone instead.

The ice cream entertainer at work