Chef Julian Ward

His restaurant is at JW Steakhouse at The Grosvenor House Hotel. I posed the logical question: It’s ‘JW London restaurant review

Steakhouse’ – is that ‘JW’ you, or is it JW Marriott, or did you get the job because you have the right initials? Chef Julian Ward laughs. ’I think it’s just a coincidence – but maybe it was destiny!’

JW Steakhouse is an authentic American steakhouse. It’s not themed with swathes of red, white and blue flags, there are no Davy Crockett hats ahangin’ and one can’t find Southern State car number plates anywhere. No, this is just, simply, the style of steakhouse that one can truly find in, say, Manhattan. Julian looks every inch the appropriate chef for such an establishment.

Chef Julian Ward gives an overview: ‘We have about 130 covers, and 170 with the outside terrace, which is poplar in the summer. It’s informal, there is a buzz, it’s relaxed, there is a concept of sharing. We do a special every day, a main, side and dessert, we ring the changes and this helps to maintain the interest of the staff. I will ask the junior chefs to come up with ideas for specials or sides. The English asparagus season is just getting going, and we will be doing specials with that, perhaps with a hollandaise or prosciutto or with beef Carpaccio.’

I asked Julian who was the most influential in his young life with regard to food and eating. Were any of his family involved in catering? ‘My grandmothers on both sides were great cooks. My grandmother in Trinidad used to have a bakery in Baltimore, and then brought it back to Trinidad. My father also cooks, so the family were all involved, especially when catering for weddings and functions. I had always loved cooking, and I can see the same thing in my sons now: my youngest son Jaden, aged 6, comes into the kitchen now. I remember at that age cutting up tomatoes, peeling potatoes, having fun expressing myself on the plate, and Jaden was the same last night, making dinner, putting cocktail sticks in the burgers. That kind of finesse in understanding food is in the blood. That’s the enjoyment of food, and when my two youngest sons are in the kitchen it’s a beautiful thing to see that they are driven to food in the same way I am.’

Were there any particular dishes that impressed Julian? ‘My grandmother’s Macaroni Pie was probably the most memorable dish from my childhood. She’s passed away now, but my Mum makes it in the same way, and now my children love her macaroni pie. Mum makes home-made ice-cream, too, so when the kids want ice-cream they will make it together, just as I used to with my grandmother. It was never about just going to the ice-cream van when it came around – it was “You want ice-cream? OK, we’ll make ice-cream”, and we’d spend two hours churning it in the pail!’

Was it Julian’s ambition to be a chef? ‘At school I always wanted to be a chef and if not that, then something in sports, but I had a great opportunity having a great teacher in Home Economics and I was lucky, I had that drive to see it through and finished with an ‘A’ in the subject. Then I had to decide where I went from there, and my Head of Year teacher was great, he gave me a list of people to apply to. I wrote to everyone – the Army, all the hotels in London, small cafés, Claridges, the Dorchester, Simpsons – and eventually I had an acceptance from the Savoy, so that was the decision made!

‘So I went straight from school to the Savoy, London restaurant review

and Anton Edelmann was head chef there. He is still a great mentor to me, and I remember his first words to me were, “Well, life is over now, you will always be a chef! Do you want to be like me?” At such a young age you look up to someone like Anton and you think: “Wow, 70 chefs under you, all saying ‘Yes, Chef!’ to you, all having that respect!”, and you say, “Yes, this is where I want to be!”

‘So really this is where life began for me, giving me an understanding of different cultures and foods – so much more than the cooking shows on TV. It’s only when you have been in the industry for a few years that you begin to appreciate what you are involved in. Only after I left the hotel did I realise what a grounding I had, what an important stepping-stone. Even today Anton continues to be a mentor to me – I speak to him at least twice a week, and he had a great influence on my coming here to Grosvenor House, as his first head-chef position had been here. I look on him as a culinary father-figure. Anton has always been looking over my shoulder, wherever I am in the world. He seems always to have known where I was, what I was doing, and kept his eye on me. I have phoned him for advice about job moves and when I talked about coming here he said, “Go for it!” This is a place where I can grow – there’s so much more I can do and learn, and working with Nigel Boschetti, the Executive Chef, gives me a balance.

‘I spent four years at the Savoy, and then I went to Germany for a year, cooking Bavarian food, Thai and Japanese, and worked at the Mangostin in Munich. It was a great experience to be working away from home at that age, and I decided that I wanted to go to America, but knew that at only 20 years old there was no point, as there would be few opportunities. I had the chance to work for Marco Pierre White at Quo Vadis, and spent a year there. It was a tough time, and there was a lot of pressure to retain the Michelin star, which, along with all his other restaurant interests, took its toll on Marco and the rest of us.

‘I went to several London establishments, opened Sketch, DMD, Plateau, Pierre Garnier, a boutique hotel outside London, came back to London and had a great opportunity to open the restaurant at the Royal Institution. In the meantime I had been to the USA and spent three years there. I had an idea what to expect, having visited the States on holiday, but I realised that they are very lucky not to have the same seasonality as here – produce is available all year round because of the diversity of climates around the continent. Although when I went to Aspen, I really felt the difference, because it’s like being in a box. When supplies came in, that’s what you had, and when it was gone, that was it!

‘I learnt a lot in the US, and I still take note of developments and new openings whenever I visit family there. I bring that experience to JW Steakhouse, and so much thought and understanding of what a true steakhouse is about has gone into the design of JW.

‘Most of the menu had been tested and trialled by Nigel before I arrived, and we don’t change the core items, like London restaurant review

the steaks and the cheesecake dessert. We use great USDA beef as well as British, and we do a ‘Steak of the Month’ where I bring my own influences to bear, plus we do have daily specials and seasonal changes, of course, such as for Christmas. For our lunchtime menu we are just bringing on a BLT and a Reubens Sandwich, and a Mississippi Mud Pie served with a Bourbon ice-cream – maybe not as big as the cheesecake, but a nice slice!’ Julian laughs again, as that legendary cheesecake is enough to defeat any but the most dedicated diner and is quite a generous helping for a couple.

‘I enjoy using my food experiences to enhance the dishes. For the Kentucky Derby we added a few twists to the Sunday Roast like the Grits and Bacon, and Collard Greens, to make our American guests feel like we’re celebrating the Kentucky Derby. It was nice to be able to show our younger chefs these products for the first time. I think our guests, of whatever nationality, come here for that ‘American steakhouse’ experience, and are not intimidated by the style of the restaurant.’

Steak is the key ingredient at JW Steakhouse and they offer something for every carnivore. ‘The Tomahawk is our signature steak – it’s a bone-in rib-eye that we cut and prep and age for a further 15 days, in sizes from 900 to 1400 grams. The ‘wet-aging’ process ensures a very tender result – you can cut it with a fork. I came to work for the quality and authenticity that this restaurant offers, and that’s so important, and I’m learning about consistency as well as the different cuts of meat, always finding something new to experiment with.’

Does Julian cook when he goes home and what does he enjoy eating? ‘I have always loved my grandmother’s recipes: oxtail, curry goat. My grandmother’s from Barbados, my dad from Trinidad, so meals were very Caribbean based ...but Sunday was for our Sunday Roast. It was the traditional English meal with all the family sitting down together. At home, cooking is fun, and I teach my wife and the kids things that they can cook quickly during the week. It’s about passing on the things that I have learnt. Some people get so anxious about cooking, but I think if you break it down into easy stages you can make it fun, as well as simple and healthy.’

Visit JW Steakhouse here

Wafer Butterflies and Beautiful Cakes

We have had a few days of warm weather and our thoughts turn to summer baking and afternoon tea in the cookbook review

garden. We decorate the table with flowers and the cakes with icing but we can add some charming touches to those sweet treats: butterflies!

No, not real butterflies but rather those from Dr. Oetker. They are wafer butterflies with colourful wings and work perfectly with summer baked goods. Their soft pastel hues complement delicate buttercream or fondant. They give that professional touch to even the simplest of small cakes.

Butterfly Swirl Cupcakes

Makes: 9

Ingredients

9 Dr. Oetker Cupcake Cases
175g (6oz) baking margarine, softened
175g (6oz) caster sugar
3 medium eggs, beaten
Dr. Oetker Natural Vanilla Extract
200g (7oz) plain flour
2 sachets (2 tsp) Dr. Oetker Baking Powder (Gluten Free)
To Decorate:
75g (3oz) white vegetable fat, softened
75g (3oz) lightly salted butter, softened
275g (9½ oz) icing sugar
5ml (1 tsp) Dr. Oetker Natural Vanilla Extract
Dr. Oetker Bright Red, Lime Green and Sky Blue Gel Food Colours
Dr. Oetker Wafer Butterflies

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan, gas mark 5). Line a cupcake tin with 9 cupcake cases. In a mixing bowl, beat the margarine with the sugar until pale, and creamy-light in texture.

2. Gradually whisk in the eggs and add a few drops of Natural Vanilla Extract, then sift the flour and baking powder on top. Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold the dry ingredients into the creamy mixture.

3. Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake on the middle shelf in the oven for 20-22 minutes until risen and just firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

4. To decorate, put the white fat and butter in a bowl and beat until soft, smooth, glossy and pale in colour. Gradually sift and beat in the icing sugar until creamy and soft and add 5ml (1 tsp) Natural Vanilla Extract. Divide the butter icing in two. Keeping one portion plain, further divide the other portion between 3 bowls and squeeze a small amount of a different coloured Gel Food Colour into each bowl and mix well until the desired colour is achieved.

5. Fit a large piping bag with a 1cm large closed star nozzle. Spoon one third of the plain icing into another piping bag, and one of the batches of coloured icing into a third piping bag. Snip the ends off both bags to make a 1cm gap. Flatten the bags slightly and place them side by side in the bag with the nozzle. Squeeze the icings evenly down the bag towards the nozzle and twist closed.

6. Starting in the middle of a cake, pipe the icing round in an anti-clockwise direction to cover the top of the cake then continue piping round to form a swirl on top. You should have enough icing for 3 cakes.

7. Repeat the loading and piping with the other 2 batches of coloured and plain icing. Decorate the cakes with Wafer Butterflies just before serving.

NOTE: Buttercream can be made using 150g lightly salted butter if preferred.

Cooking with Flowers – Sweet and savoury recipes with rose petals, lilacs, lavender, and other edible flowers

You might think that cooking with flowers is pushing the culinary envelope. It’s perhaps reminiscent of the long-gone hippie era and its ethos of peace, nut loaf and free love. Well, consider this: we often eat flowers and cookbook review

don’t think of it as one bit retro or bizarre.

We all eat cauliflower, broccoli, we drink elderflower wine (if we have to), and rosewater is the flavouring for Turkish Delight. This beautiful book introduces some attractive and delicious dishes that will encourage the home cook to look at his/her flowerbed as an out-door extension to the larder.

One might think that flowers taste too perfumed, too exotic, and too sweet. Assess each petal on its own merits. Yes, a rose will always offer that iconic flavour but the pronounced fragrance works well with a frosting or a syrup drizzle over an otherwise ordinary cake. I have used rose jam as a key ingredient of an Asian rice pudding.

One of the most simple yet most striking is a presentation rather than a recipe. It’s tulip ice cream bowls. One removes stamens and pistils (those pointy bits in the centre of the flowers) from pink tulips and places a round scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle, with a scatter of red berries around. If one used a flower of another colour then the effect could be quite different. A yellow tulip with perhaps a chocolate ice cream could be served alongside mango, or caramel-coated bananas.

A stunning and easy recipe is that for pansy petal pancakes. The flowers maintain their vibrant colour when cooked in the batter; these pancakes are versatile and would work well as a unique garnish to fresh fruits, berries and sorbets. One can also make syrup from blue or black pansies, and it truly is a colourful and delicious talking-point.

Cooking with Flowers isn’t outlandish. It offers pastel-coloured innovation. Its recipes are inspiring and accessible – they will encourage the reader to try different blooms with different recipes to unique effect. We might become a bit more adventurous with the bounty of spring and summer. This would be a marvellous gift for any cook or gardener.

Cooking with Flowers – Sweet and savoury recipes with rose petals, lilacs, lavender, and other edible flowers
Author: Miche Bacher
Publisher: Quirk Books
Price: £16.99
ISBN-10: 1594746257
ISBN-13: 978-1594746253

Four Emperors and an Architect:
How Robert Adam Rediscovered the Tetrarchy

This book is bound to appeal to anyone with a love of what they assume to be, and indeed what has become, restaurant review

classic English architecture. We’re talking about Robert Adam’s buildings so they couldn’t be anything other than quintessentially English, could they? Well, yes and no.

Four Emperors and an Architect: How Robert Adam Rediscovered the Tetrarchy illustrates in words and images a significant influence on the young Adam. It’s only now that we can fully appreciate the impact of a very particular region and historic era.

We know it these days as the Balkan Peninsula, and it was Robert Adam’s eventual destination when he embarked on the Grand Tour. Politics, then as now, made the region difficult to negotiate, and for Adam in particular as his stay was cut short by the ruling Venetians, who suspected him of spying. This setback evidently didn’t diminish his enthusiasm for Spalatro, which was the name Split went by in those days. He later published his groundbreaking and highly successful work, The Ruins of Spalatro, which added to the architect’s growing celebrity.

Four Emperors and an Architect: How Robert Adam Rediscovered the Tetrarchy – even the title of the book is intriguing. Who were the four Emperors? Diocletian was one of them, and a quarter of the Tetrarchy (the word describes any form of government where power is divided between four people, although it has come to signify the system instituted by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in 293AD in particular).

The book introduces us to the ruins of Diocletian’s palace, and tells how it inspired Robert Adam to create iconic features in some of his most famous houses such as Kedleston Hall, designed by Robert in 1761 and Syon House, Middlesex, begun in 1762. These were also incorporated into the neoclassical Adelphi Development designs for London.

Four Emperors and an Architect tells of glorious ancient history, of political cooperation, of the rediscovery of architectural marvels. It also acts as a superb handbook to anyone interested in visiting the sites in modern Croatia, as well as encouraging us to take another look at Robert Adam’s fine buildings nearer home. Author Alicia Salter has an engaging style and meshes both history and architecture together in an accessible fashion. This is outstanding value for just £20.

Four Emperors and an Architect: How Robert Adam Rediscovered the Tetrarchy
Author: Alicia Salter
Price: £20
Publisher: Lexicon Publishing
ISBN-10: 0957571909
ISBN-13: 978-0957571907

Fiori Di Zucca: Recipes and Memories from My Family's Kitchen Table

This is a family cookbook and the recipes, like the author, are truly international. Yes, Valentina Harris is Italian cookbook review

from a globe-trotting family, although she speaks English without a trace of an accent thanks to her English father and BBC radio. Forget the voice and notice the animated gestures and one will be in no doubt that this lady is a passionate Latina. Read interview here.

Fiori Di Zucca: Recipes and Memories from My Family's Kitchen Table has a marvellous collection of recipes but this is equally a family history, and it’s no ordinary family. Her grandfather, Count Carlo Sforza, who became an Italian Ambassador, was posted to Turkey, China, Corfu, Italy and France. He resigned in 1922 in order to return to Italy to fight rising fascism. He and his family were eventually forced to flee his homeland. The family only returned to Italy after the end of World War 2 and that is where Valentina's mother met her soon-to-be husband. The scandal over their marriage resulted in her mother and father being banished to Tuscany, where Valentina spent most of her childhood.

Valentina Harris has penned a book that tells of horror, hardship, love, life and memories. If I have a complaint, it is that the story finishes too soon. This must surely be the first of several volumes. OK, so it’s not the literary equivalent of The Perils of Pauline where each instalment left our heroine dangling over Niagara Falls. As we know, Valentina became a success and remains so but any lover of a great tale will want the next instalment of Valentina's autobiography.

But this is a cookbook as well as a saga, and it would still be a worthwhile buy if it had remained ungarnished by worldwide adventure. The recipes are eclectic and simple to prepare. Fried courgette flowers give the book its title ‘Fiori Di Zucca’ and deserves a place in this volume not only because they are delicious and moreish but because Valentina was taught to make them by Beppino who worked for Valentina's family and loved her since they first met when she was just a few days old.

Torta di Riso is a sweet rice cake. It uses economic ingredients but the result is more than the sum of its rather ordinary parts. It’s culinary alchemy. This Torta is sweet and made comforting and addictive by the liberal use of brandy. It’s a winner and you will already likely have all the ingredients in your larder.

Baked rice-stuffed tomatoes are delicious hot although I prefer to serve them at room temperature and preferably while sitting in the garden on a hot summer evening. Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate we can still enjoy these hot as a starter or part of a main meal. Use large ripe tomatoes and serve them directly from the tightly-packed roasting dish.

Fiori Di Zucca: Recipes and Memories from My Family's Kitchen Table is a remarkable book. It’s a heart-warming, sad, humorous and charming story of courageous and very human characters. It’s a delightful cookbook covering several continents. It’s a book written with Valentina Harris’ usual flair and enthusiasm. It’s a book with which to snuggle. It’s a book with which to cook.

Fiori Di Zucca: Recipes and Memories from My Family's Kitchen Table
Author: Valentina Harris
Published by: Duncan Baird
Price: £19.54
ISBN-10: 1848990855
ISBN-13: 978-1848990852

Pâtisserie at Home

Not many will recognise the name Will Torrent although that’s not through his lack of respect within the food cookbook review

industry, more shortage of a TV series exposing him to the public at large, and that truly is an oversight. Evidently Will is already one of those quietly appreciated chefs, but this book will surely introduce him to a wider audience.

Will Torrent started early. At 16 he was cooking at The Fat Duck restaurant with Heston Blumenthal and then later, at university, he worked with some of England's renowned chefs such as Brian Turner and William Curley, our home-grown chocolatier. He has graced the kitchens of Claridges and The Dorchester, as well as The Lanesborough.

Will has already had a glittering career and has been Young Chef of the Year, an Acorn Scholar, has appeared on television, become a pâtisserie consultant for Waitrose, and an ambassador for several high-profile products, companies and organisations.

Although a rising culinary star, Will is no arrogant, knife-throwing terror. He is charming, natural and thoughtful. If, as some suggest, success in the kitchen depends upon the mood of the cook then this man’s future is assured. Read an interview here.

Pâtisserie at Home offers just what one would hope from a book with such a title. Yes, there are plenty of recipes, in fact more than 60 of them, but Will also offers inspiration. One can make the recipes in their entirety, and you will want to do that, but many of these sweet delights have elements that can be made independently and adapted.

There are a host of classic pastries here but also lots of new temptations that will have the home cook trying different techniques and ingredients, and new concepts, but there is nothing over-taxing for the enthusiastic cook. Practise a few of these recipes and the lucky recipients of your labours will swear you have been attending a Parisian catering college since last you met.

I wouldn’t turn my nose up at any of these confections should they be presented at afternoon tea or as a dinner party finale, and I’ll likely work my way through the whole book just to impress the in-laws, but I do have some favourites with which to start.

White chocolate and almond truffles are sophisticated and easy to make. White chocolate has a bad press but I rather like it. OK, so it’s not really chocolate but it doesn’t have to be. These truffles would be great additions to the selection of sweets at the end of a meal, or as edible gifts at almost any time.

Salted caramel is trending just now so Will’s salted caramel and chocolate tartlets are bound to be popular. They are individual desserts and we all know how good a ‘whole’ something to oneself is, somehow more decadent than a slice of a shared cake or tart.

Another must-try recipe is that for Cassis pâté de fruits. These are very adult jellies that would be just perfect along with a cup of green tea at the end of a Japanese meal – delicate and mouth-watering. I am sure one could use the basic recipe but change the fruit purée for a completely different colour and flavour. I’ll be trying a blackberry version later in the year.

Pâtisserie at Home opens the door to the mysteries of beautiful and delicious French fancies, and de-mystifies the art. We all want to make delicious desserts and baked goods, and Will Torrent gives the gift of know-how and confidence. This book is amazing value, coming in at just under £20.00.

Visit Will Torrent here http://www.willtorrent.com/willtorrent/

Pâtisserie at Home
Author: Will Torrent
Published by: Ryland Peters & Small
Price: £19.99
ISBN-10: 1849753547
ISBN-13: 978-1849753548

Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors

Now, just wait – I know you’ll likely ignore this book. ‘Campfire Cuisine’ - you probably think that’s a book for cookbook review

rugged sorts: thick socks, hiking boots, woolly hats with solar cells, and that’s not you. But how about ‘Gourmet Recipes’? Well, that’s bound to be yoghurt, free-range vegetables and knitted meat substitute, isn’t it?

Well, No. Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors is a chunky volume for those who don’t want to survive on dehydrated ready meals when off on an adventure. It’s equally appropriate for those who are back-yard trekkers, cooking by the light of a domestic barbecue or a gas burner.

This book offers recipes for rather smart food that can be produced with the most primitive cooking equipment. No need to buy a cheffy sous-vide, just a single burner stove will get you started. There is advice on buying the most practical stove and a list of useful utensils to take along. Plenty of information here about keeping foods fresh and avoiding food poisoning. It’s not a handbook for the forager and you are not expected to hunt, shoot or fish for your supper.

There are imaginative recipes here. Savoury cheese s’mores are an adult version of the original sweet s’mores made with digestive biscuits, chocolate and marshmallows sandwiched together. This savoury version uses firm cheese and pesto on wholewheat crackers. One softens the cheese over the fire or coals and then spreads over the tapenade-coated biscuits. The book does have sweet s’mores but here they are called S’moradillas and they take advantage of flour tortillas instead of biscuits.

Cajun spice-rubbed pork tenderloin is a sophisticated yet simple dish for home or away. The key to success is the marinade as the cooking time is short – only 20 minutes or so. Jumbalaya takes longer but the wait will reward the camper with a hearty one-pot meal. It’s a vibrant dish with spicy sausage, and shrimps for sweetness.

Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors is a handy book of easy eclectic recipes for the alfresco fireplace or barbecue. They are a well-balanced bunch that will delight any lover of good food.

Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors
Author: Robin Donovan
Publisher: Quirk Books
Price: £10.99
ISBN-10: 1594746281
ISBN-13: 978-1594746284

JW Steakhouse - Grosvenor House Hotel

The restaurant is as big as the portions for which it is famed. JW Steakhouse at Grosvenor House Hotel on Park London restaurant review

Lane is characterful. Those visiting for lunch will appreciate views over sunny (if one is lucky) Hyde Park. Night brings a city ambiance of passing headlights and restaurant low-lights.

It’s difficult to make a vast space seem intimate for dinner but the designers of JW Steakhouse have achieved this by artful use of dark wood, tiled floors and blackboards that serve both to decorate and edify. The high ceiling which could have given the space all the charm of an aircraft hanger has been used to advantage with impressive shaded lights making quite a decor statement.

JW Steakhouse has the air of an authentic US steakhouse. The rich-coloured carpentry, bar and well-spaced tables would not be out of place in Manhattan, although there the ceiling would likely be lower and clad in zinc. The menu at JW would be appreciated each side of the Atlantic and beyond: steak as the main feature but lots of classic American items as supporting cast.

Seafood is prized in the US and their Atlantic and Pacific coasts provide the best of both fish and shellfish. Maryland Style Lump Crab Cake was my choice of starter. This is a traditional dish from a region famed for its crabs. These cakes are remarkable for their texture – light and flaky and that is due to the amount of pure crab and merciful lack of the bready filler that creates a much more dense and heavy patty. This must surely be a signature starter here.

Americans take their beef seriously. It’s not just about quantity (although JW caters for dedicated eaters) but London restaurant review

quality and in this case that’s provided by US Department of Agriculture-certified Creekstone Kansas Black Angus Beef. They specialise at JW Steakhouse in hand-cut selections of prime beef, grilled to order. The steaks are seared under a 650°C grill (broiler). I think beef of this quality is best enjoyed rare or medium rare.

We tried one of the smaller cuts and it was striking. The Filet was cooked to medium rare and was a cliché. You would doubtless have heard the phrases ‘you could cut it with a spoon’ and ‘as soft as butter’: well, we conducted a gastronomic experiment and, with very little effort, cut through this steak with the side of a fork. This meat needed nothing more than a little sauce (Béarnaise didn’t mask the natural beef flavour) and a bowl of fries. The adventurous Brit might also like to try Bourbon Sweet Potato Mash with a marshmallow crust. This is probably the only spot in London that has this unique and very sweet side dish.

Vegetarians are not forgotten. I can recommend the JW Chopped Salad which is a classic preparation of vegetables (in this case a healthy nine of them), feta cheese for tang, avocado for richness and then a topping of crispy fried onions, all dressed with a citrus vinaigrette.
Another pure vegetarian choice would be Butternut Squash Gnocchi filled with porcini mushrooms, chicory and toasted hazelnuts. Fish lovers could order Crispy Skinned Scottish Salmon, Seared Tuna Steak au Poivre, or Grilled Jumbo Shrimps in garlic butter, which are bound to be popular.

So it’s dessert time, although if you ordered those marshmallowy sweet potatoes you might feel you have eaten dessert with the steak. There is the ubiquitous Warm Apple Pie but there are some other more adventurous yet truly American options such as Whoopie Pies with Bailey's Milk Shake, or Pecan Pie with Honey Bourbon Ice Cream, but a hotel staff member had mentioned, with a glint in his eye, that we should try the Cheesecake.

It’s proclaimed on one of those aforementioned blackboards as ‘The best Cheesecake this side of the Pond’. If you investigate still further then you will have the sense that this might be on the large side: ‘You may not want to share but you should’ gives you the lie of the culinary land – or just consider it as a warning.

We ordered just one portion of cheesecake which is London restaurant review

in fact one cheesecake. Yes, a whole individual biscuit-crumb-based cheesecake that was too big for any individual of my acquaintance. This could serve 4 and those diners wouldn’t feel short-changed. You’ll be grateful when your waiter asks ‘Want a box for that?’

At the end of the evening you will realise that those well-spaced tables are not just a design feature but a consideration for diners’ comfort. Those folks will want to push chairs back and bless elastic waistbands, and consider that booking a room for a doze at Grosvenor House Hotel might have been a good idea.

Grosvenor House Hotel
JW Steakhouse London
86 Park Lane
London W1K 7TL

Phone: 020 7399 8460
Email: info@jwsteakhouse.co.uk

Visit JW Steakhouse here

Afternoon Tea - St James’s Hotel and Club

This is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful hotels in London, a city that has some of the most beautiful London restaurant review

hotels in the world. It’s a boutique hotel set in a Victorian townhouse but its red brick and ornate stonework make this a jewel in an already glittering city crown.

St James’s Hotel and Club has a superb location: just yards from St.James’s Palace, Mayfair and Green Park it has an enviable plot at the end of a cul-de-sac, which offers both convenience and quiet. Rare partners indeed.

The original club was at another location and was established by the Earl Granville and Marchese d’Azeglio, a Sardinian Minister, After an altercation at the Travellers Club they decided to found a competing club for travelling diplomats and in April 1859 Francis Cavendish sent invitations from the Foreign Office to every British Embassy and legation in order to recruit the first members for the St James’s Club.

From the start the club attracted the great and the good (and some not so good). They came from the nobility and included Lord Randolph Churchill (Winston’s dad), writers such as Charles Dickens (who documented lives of Londoners who could never have become members), and Arthur Sullivan, the composer (partner of W. S. Gilbert), was also a member. All those wanting to join had to be elected but those working in the British diplomatic service and the Foreign Office were usually admitted with no questions asked. The subscription was eleven guineas and the entrance fee twenty-five guineas (a guinea was £1 and 1 shilling) which was a considerable sum.

During the early 70s financial difficulties resulted in the closure of Afternoon Tea - St James’s Hotel and Club

Afternoon Tea - St James’s Hotel and Club

the St James’s Club which reopened at its present location thanks to Peter de Savary. He is a celebrated international businessman who has a wide repertoire of interests. He has been involved in the petroleum industry, shipping, property, import/export and of course clubs and hospitality.

This present building at 7-8 Park Place was originally built in 1892 as apartments for Gentlemen. The façade is imposing and the uniformed doorman confirms your assumption of formality, although this hotel isn’t at all stiff, starchy or formal. It’s become a spot renowned for good food and good times, laced with a sparkling array of celebrities.

St James’s Hotel and Club was recently refurbished by the famous German designer Anne Maria Jagdfeld and is now a contemporary space that retains the comfortable and intimate aspects of a club – that’s a private club, not a nightclub. There are hundreds of paintings illustrating Expressionist and Cubist work from all over Europe. They add to the smart-casual air of a hotel that ‘does it well’.

Multi-award winning chef William Drabble has a coveted Michelin star so I knew that an afternoon tea here would be well-executed and delicious. I wasn’t disappointed. It has a traditional format and an amazing price. It was served in an area sporting many of the aforementioned paintings, and was a copious and delicious introduction to the style of this polished yet accessible hotel.

There were the usual selection of sandwiches and they were the expected savoury start to the mound of baked goods that not only filled the 3-tier stand but occupied the table alongside as well. There rested the scones and they were remarkable in every regard. They had a classic flaky texture, buttery flavour and were generously proportioned. A couple of these irresistible homemade scones served with clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam would render the rest of the top tier redundant to all but the most dedicated grazer.

I know it’s all a matter of taste but I think Afternoon Tea - St James’s Hotel and Club

the pastries here are the most appropriate of any London Tea I have recently enjoyed. Yes, I still say ‘enjoy’ as those others have been excellent, imaginative and beautiful, but the pastries are often elaborate confections that would not seem out of place in Paris or Milan. I want a top tier that gives a nod to Victorian drawing rooms, and some nice fruit cake. The pastries here were familiar in miniature form and all that I would have wanted to complete this charming event.

St James’s Hotel and Club also offers a very popular Gluten-Free Afternoon Tea: Selection of sandwiches on gluten-free bread; homemade gluten-free scones served with clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam; gluten-free pastries: macaroon with raspberries, almond and chocolate cake, lemon drizzle cake, Financier with seasonal berries, chocolate mousse cake, apple and almond cake.
£19.00 per person

Both menus are seasonal and subject to change. The gluten-free afternoon tea is available every day and must be booked in advance; this can be done on the same day but before 12 noon.

For reservations please call +44 20 7316 1615 or e-mail restaurant@stjameshotelandclub.com

St James’s Hotel and Club
7-8 Park Place
St. James's
London SW1A 1LS
Phone: +44 20 7316 1615

Visit St James’s Hotel and Club here

Clockjack Oven for Chicken

A roasting jack was a machine popular in Tudor times. It was a mechanism for rotating meat on a skewer or spit. London restaurant review

Often it was a kitchen menial who had the sweaty job of slowly turning the meat in front of a roaring fire, and sometimes it was even a dog on a treadmill that kept the joints turning. A Clockjack was a rotisserie powered by falling weights or springs just as one would find in a Grandfather clock. They were commonly called Spit Engines in Europe but Clock Jack was the name in North America.

We have all seen rotisseries in markets in France. We buy those succulent and well-flavoured chickens that have enticed with their savoury aroma all the way from the car park. We pronounce that ‘we can’t do it like that in London’ and on our return we wax lyrical to a drooling audience about the flavour and the texture of ‘chicken like it used to be’.

But here is that same old-fashioned quality in a thoroughly contemporary setting. There is no need for that trip across La Manche, as free-range chickens from Brittany are bronzing in the heart of the capital. You won’t be negotiating a path through flocks of French ladies with baskets of artichokes (no, I don’t know what they do with them, either), nor mapping a route past stalls selling big knickers and ‘designer’ watches for 3 Euros. Clockjack Oven is conveniently situated much nearer home for easy access by red bus, black cab or Underground.

It’s only been open a few months but it’s celebrated by critic and regular diner alike and it’s easy to see why. London restaurant review

Clockjack Oven is tasteful in every regard. Plenty of light wood (the colour of one of their splendid birds about ¾ of the way to being cooked), attentive and vivacious staff, and then there is the food – and that’s the element that will assure the restaurant’s continued success.

One can sit at the ‘bar’ which in reality can be considered as ‘chef’s table’ as it’s right in front of the vertical rotisseries, or one can sit at conventional benches or raised banquettes and stools. It’s an attractive and light space and thankfully the management have not been tempted to go with the rustic look with faux chimney, copper pots and a taxidermised rooster. The only stuffing will be on the plate.

The menu isn’t extensive as Clockjack Oven is remaining faithful to its signature ingredient, with a few other items for vegetarians. Chicken is simply showcased here. The main dishes offer well-seasoned flavour from the skin, and both white and dark meats are moist with equally delicious juices.

We ordered Crispy Chicken Bites to nibble while considering the rest of the menu. These morsels are marinated in buttermilk, coated in seasoned gram flour (chickpea flour) and they are as far from a ‘nugget’ as you would want them to be. This is food worth fighting for. Yes, OK, so it’s fried but one isn’t eating Bites every day, the chicken is free-range and, cooked at the right temperature, isn’t oily. We enjoyed these with the house sauces and in particular Chilli for some spice and tangy Caesar.

The birds are marinated in a ‘secret London restaurant review

recipe’. They are then cooked and jointed and offered in various sized servings - 3 Pieces (peckish), 4 Pieces (hungry), Whole (10 pieces to share). My guest ordered the hungry portion along with some double-cooked chips and house coleslaw, and that constituted a delightful lunch.

Perhaps ridden by misplaced guilt over those Crispy Chicken Bites I ordered the Chicken House Salad. This was a substantial bowlful of crunchy romaine lettuce with slices of green apples and much more chicken than I had expected. The crispy sage and onion balls added an almost festive note on this wintery day. This wasn’t the ‘I’m not a big eater so I’ll just have the salad’ class of dish. The Clockjack Oven Chicken Salad is a meal!

You will pace yourself if you want to make it through to dessert here. Granted it’s not a huge sweet selection but Lemon Tart with clotted cream ice cream will make a perfect end to your substantial repast. The ice cream is outstanding, rich with the flavour of childhood holidays in Devon. It’s déjà vu all over again at Clockjack Oven.

Clockjack Oven
14 Denman Street
Soho
London W1D 7HJ

Phone: 020 7287 5111
Visit Clockjack Oven here

Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason

London! What do we think of? Historic continuity, elegance, refinement – and tea. So much of what visitors seek in this capital city includes one or several of these qualities, and there are a few places that will enable tourist and local alike to enjoy all of them. Fortnum & Mason is just such an establishment.

Just as Elvis Presley was affectionately known as london restaurant review

‘Elvis’, Princess Diana will always be ‘Diana’, and the Singer Formally Known as Prince is still ‘Prince’, so ‘Fortnum’s’ will only ever be associated with Fortnum & Mason. It’s been around long enough to enjoy its own diminutive.

The story of this magnificent shop is illuminating. That is to say it started with candles. William Fortnum was a footman in the Royal Palace of Queen Anne and moonlighted as a grocer. He earned a little extra money by selling the Queen’s candle stubs to the ladies of the Queen’s retinue. He persuaded Hugh Mason, his landlord at the time, that here could be a new business and so in 1707 Fortnum & Mason opened its doors for the first time.

In 1761, William Fortnum's grandson Charles revived the palace connection when he went into the service of Queen Charlotte, and that association did the business no harm at all. The store flourished and attracted the very best class of shopper and has held Royal Warrants for the past 150 years. It’s now a ‘department store’ but its core business remains food.

For over 300 years Fortnum & Mason has been a purveyor of quality loose teas, and in 1926 the store added a restaurant that offered afternoon tea as well, and this tradition has remained. In 2012 the refurbished St James’s Restaurant was opened by HM the Queen and renamed The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon.

Fortnum & Mason offers a collection of afternoon teas to accommodate every taste and appetite. Each one is copious and, as one would expect, beautifully presented. One can take advantage of a tea tasting while considering which tea to settle upon for one’s event, for taking tea here is indeed an event. There will be four teas to try and they will be brewed and served as if you were a professional taster. Leaves are first steeped and brewed in white beakers, and then strained when the tea has infused sufficiently to give the drinker the optimum benefit of colour, aroma and flavour.

Chose your tea and your preferred sweets and savouries, and relax in this striking salon. The tables are well-spaced, the linen crisp, the cutlery gleaming. This was everything this reviewer had hoped, wanted, expected from Fortnum’s. The décor is classic with hints of light Regency creams and greens, and a scattering of iconic black and white photographs including a striking profile of Audrey Hepburn.

Fortnum’s Afternoon Tea is available from 12 noon and includes the expected finger sandwiches of cucumber but with the addition of mint butter, Coronation Chicken (which was appropriate for the setting), Ploughman’s (cheese), Rare Breed Hen Egg with Mustard Cress, and Fortnum’s Smoked Salmon with Lemon Dill Butter.

Fortnum’s scones are rumoured to be made with strong flour, which is generally what one would use when making bread. Well the departure is inspired, as these scones were light and fluffy and well-flavoured. They were served with generous pots of Somerset Clotted Cream and Fortnum & Mason Preserves.

The top tier of the traditional 3-plate stand held the individual cakes and patisseries and these showed the skill and the artistic flair of the pastry chef. They are airy fancies and perfectly formed but the purist will be eager to inspect the sweet bounty of the Coronation Cake Carriage. This offers the visitor a slice of Victoriana, as a cake to cut was always part of the afternoon spread enjoyed in front of a blazing fire with ladies in crinolines and men in moustaches. There will probably be a Bakewell tart, a chocolate cake and several other typically English confections. Have a glance at this display when you arrive: it’s a good idea to pace oneself!

Those of us with a less-than-sweet tooth are not forgotten at Fortnum’s. I can highly recommend the Savoury Afternoon Tea with Fortnum’s Savoury Scones of Ham and Cheese accompanied by an English Mustard Butter which was outstanding: saffron-coloured with real adult mustard bite.

The top tier, that more usually contains the éclairs and miniature sweet pastries, now displayed Smoked Salmon Blini with Cucumber and Herb Dressing, and Mushroom and Chicken Pie with Tarragon. This was an individual single-crust creation of delicate pastry and moreish filling. A triumph!

Rosary Goat’s Cheese on Walnut Shortbread with Beetroot, and Millefeuille of Tomato with Black Olive, london restaurant review

Mascarpone and Marinated White Anchovy all looked too good to eat but I was glad I made the effort. The combinations of taste, texture and imagination made this savoury tea a memorable meal, for that is indeed what Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason offers.

London is blessed with many good venues for afternoon tea, which is enjoying something of a revival. Fortnum & Mason presents one of the most thoughtfully constructed menus in a salon that, although newly refurbished, is bound to retain regular visitors and attract more.

Tea Salon Savouries & English Afternoon Tea
Monday to Saturday 12 noon to 9pm.
Sunday 12noon to 8pm.

Bank Holidays: The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon is open as usual.

Reservations: For weekdays 1 week in advance is recommended and for Saturdays, 6 weeks are advised to ensure availability.

To reserve a table please contact our Reservations Team on 0845 602 5694 between 9am and 6pm Monday to Saturday

Fortnum & Mason plc
181 Piccadilly
London
United Kingdom
W1A 1ER

Phone: 0845 300 1707
FAX: 020 7437 3278
Visit Fortnum and Mason here

House of Roxy – Putney

Putney has been a bit of a culinary wasteland, with a couple of exceptions – Ma Goa for Indian, for instance. But now it has a restaurant and speakeasy for late-night revellers, as well as those looking for lunch outside the office or for a break from shopping.

Now I had reservations about making a reservation. The name ‘House of Roxy’ conjures a vision of a seedy spot filled with slot machines, perhaps with a corner marked ‘Adults Only’. I knew about the speakeasy and that, I felt sure, would have a solid graffiti-garnished door partnered with a big bouncer with cauliflower-ear and intermittent teeth. The reality, I found to my relief, was a lot different.

Perhaps I should qualify ‘a lot different’. The graffiti was there but it was bespoke, classy and striking. Nobody seems sure how House of Roxy got its name – although it’s said perhaps to be from the Roxy Theatre in California – but it’s a nice romantic notion to believe that the painted lady on the wall might be Roxy, and she welcomes restaurant review

diners to the ground-floor restaurant as well as cocktail-sippers to the basement bar.

The menu here isn’t long but there are plenty of hot lunch choices and a well-crafted tapas selection during the evening. Yes, they do larger plates as well but the small dishes have, it seems, caught the imagination of the evening clientele. The House of Roxy has only been open a few months but a freezing Tuesday didn’t put off diners, who filled the restaurant to near-capacity from 7.30 onwards.

There are some stars on this menu, simple dishes that take advantage of good ingredients:
yes, that cauliflower puts in an appearance but in the form of a purée rather than ears. Pan-fried scallops served with cauliflower purée and a sun-blushed tomato vinaigrette. That shellfish was delicately treated and just introduced to the hotplate rather than taking up residence above the flames.

Grilled lamb cutlets with aioli and rocket salad were a delight – moist and simply seasoned and as tender as I have had in any restaurant.
restaurant review

Grilled asparagus with parmesan shavings is a classic. The spears sported grill marks and that filled me with dread. So often asparagus is tough and fibrous when cooked on the barbecue, but Roxy has employed a deft chef called Angelo Ottis. Those spears were almost buttery in texture, not watery or over-cooked.

The House of Roxy is relatively new and I am sure that their reputation will grow as will their menu. A conveniently located spot for an evening with friends, a few drinks and some light bites.

Monday - Thursday 12 noon till midnight
Friday: 12 noon till 02:30am
Saturday: 5pm till 02:30am

House of Roxy
141 Upper Richmond Road
Putney
London SW15 2TX

Phone: 020 8785 9203
Email: info@houseofroxy.com

Breakfast for Dinner

This isn’t as outrageous as it sounds – Breakfast for Dinner. Granted, the menu shouldn’t include cornflakes but there are so many dishes that do double duty – both savoury and sweet. Brunch straddles both and that’s an event that is increasingly popular at restaurants which have now appreciated our broad cravings.

Authors Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth have tapped into the notion that breakfast is good at any time. cookbook review

They have taken favourite morning items and have given them a spin. Somerset Maugham used to say that to eat well in England you should have breakfast three times a day. Well, I admit that he was referring to the abysmal standard of British food at the time (a situation that has, thankfully, been rectified over these past couple of decades) but he could just as easily have been referring to our general love of what are usually considered breakfast foods.

Breakfast for Dinner contains an eclectic collection of simple-to-prepare meals from across the globe. There are some classics as well as familiar favourites that have been massaged, in a culinary fashion, into sustaining meals that are appropriate at any time of day.

Shakshuka is a traditional Middle Eastern breakfast dish that, without tinkering, naturally works well for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Eggs are poached in a rich and spicy tomato sauce spiked with salty feta. The yolks of the eggs add a rich creaminess to the sauce. Nothing more needed with this, apart from some good crusty bread.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes might sound a little challenging but if one considers the popular North American breakfast of pancakes with maple syrup and a side of bacon then one can more readily appreciate that sweet-savoury combination. The cakes are flavoured with maple syrup and the buttercream icing with chocolate. So far so good. Candied bacon is the unforgettable garnish (recipe supplied), although some crumbs of crisp salty bacon would also work.

Habanero-Cheddar Bread Pudding is a punchy and sustaining bake that would work with sausages or bacon as part of an any-time meal, although this savoury bread pudding just needs a salad, a squirt or two of good tomato ketchup or some chutney for an economic dinner. It’s ideal for breakfast when one has guests as it can be assembled in advance and put into the oven to serve fresh for your visitors, who will doubtless be impressed by a hot and flavourful start to their day.

My pick-of-the-book is a Crepe Cake, a very classy confection that gives a nod to the celebrated Bananas Foster of New Orleans. This is a stack of 20 thin crepes sandwiched with a sweet banana paste laced with dark rum. It is another dish that can be made in advance so it’s ideal for entertaining at a breakfast buffet or as a striking dessert. This doesn’t cost much but it offers plenty of delicious impact.

Breakfast for Dinner is a delightful book full of inspiration. The recipes are thoughtful and unique and they will help to encourage the home cook off the beaten culinary track, and that’s got to be a good thing.

Breakfast for Dinner
Authors: Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth
Published by: Quirk Books
ISBN-10: 1594746133
ISBN-13: 978-1594746130

Reza’s African Kitchen

He is our very own flamboyant travelling food aficionado and this time he introduces us to the colour and flavour of Africa. Watch his delicious culinary adventure on Food Network UK - Sky 262 and Freeview 48. Not to be missed.

Episode 1: West Coast

Exploring the rugged Cape West Coast of South Africa, Reza Mahammad discovers that the people are as hardy and resilient as the landscape. Starting in the fishing village Paternoster, he meets a local chef who takes him foraging for mussels in the icy Atlantic waters. She then teaches him about a variety of wild flora that can be harvested for the table.

Reza then moves on to Velddrif where he visits a salt farm, goes to sea with local fisherman in a small boat and has a lesson in making West Coast-style fishcakes. Taking his West Coast experiences back to his African Kitchen Reza prepares “Mussels in a Spicy Tomato and Tamarind Sauce” and “Chilli Crab Cakes.”

Episode 2: Botswana

Botswana’s greatest assets are its natural beauty and abundant wildlife. Reza Mahammad explores the Okavango Delta on horseback and gets up close and personal with a few of the Big Five. He is also curious to find out how the local people prepare gourmet food in an oasis of winding water channels, open flood plains and small islands, where most produce has to be brought in via either plane or boat. Local women demonstrate an array of traditional cooking methods and Reza gets a first-hand taste of some international favourites, served the Botswana way. Back in his African kitchen, Reza uses his experience in the Delta to create a Spicy Roast Chicken and an Indian-Spiced Pizza.

Episode 3: Johannesburg

Johannesburg is a bustling city filled with exciting cuisine, from the traditional to the modern, and everything in restaurant review

between. As the commercial hub of South Africa, its food is influenced by the numerous peoples that travel here from all over Africa and beyond.

Reza Mahammad begins his exploration of Johannesburg at an inner-city artisan food market, where he gets a heady sense of what an eclectic and cosmopolitan city Jo’burg really is. He then travels to the leafy suburbs to a typically South African restaurant which specialises in meat. And then it’s off to Soweto, where he is invited into the kitchen of Xoliswa Ndoyiya, personal chef to South Africa’s favourite citizen, who gives him a taste of some of Nelson Mandela’s favoured dishes. Back in his African kitchen and inspired by his adventures in Johannesburg, Reza creates a Rib Eye Steak with Mango Pickle and a Borlotti Bean and Chickpea Casserole.

Episode 4: Zanzibar

Located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania, Zanzibar and its people have always survived off the abundant sea life its waters have to offer. Reza Mahammad begins his journey through the archipelago in a local village kitchen, learning how the locals prepare their simple, yet delicious seafood dishes. He then takes to the waters on a traditional dhow and challenges himself to try snorkelling for a first-hand view of the bountiful sea life. He then heads to a night market to experience urban Zanzibarian cooking, where the vibe is electric and the variety is plentiful.

With his inspiration overflowing Reza Mahammad heads back to his African kitchen to create a Calamari Salad with Mint and Coriander and his Spicy Prawns in a Coconut Sauce.

Episode 5: Karoo

The semi-desert area in the Western Cape of South Africa known as the Karoo has a histor restaurant review

y of lamb and ostrich farming, and more recently, olive oil production. Reza Mahammad is eager to experience these local specialities for himself. With its snow-capped mountains and breath-taking vistas, the Karoo has also become a sought-after area for those wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. In the Karoo, food is at the centre of good country living. Reza experiences farm hospitality first-hand and the finest home-cooked comfort food around. He even finds time to make a few feathered friends along the way. Overwhelmed by the generosity and simplicity of Karoo life, Reza Mahammad is inspired to create his delicious Rack of Lamb in a Saffron Sauce and an Ostrich Fillet with Ginger and Orange Sauce.

Episode 6: Zambia

In Zambia, Reza Mahammad makes a go at trying to catch his own dinner. Fortunately a few locals are on hand to assist him and they treat him to a meal made entirely of ingredients sourced from the Zambezi River. Many of these old food traditions survive in Zambia today but alongside these, the growth in tourism has seen an influx of international influences. There is no better example of this fusion than on The Royal Livingston Express, a luxury fine-dining experience on board a steam train which travels along one of the most scenic routes in Southern Africa, through the Zambezi Valley and parallel to the river itself. Reza takes up the challenge of assisting Sous Chef Anuj Ovalekar prepare an Indian-influenced lamb dish, which Reza uses as inspiration for his Lamb Shank Rogan Josh Reza also prepares an Indian-Spiced Fish Pie.

Episode 7: Durban

Reza Mahammad is in tropical, heady, exotic Durban, home to the largest Indian population outside of Asia and he’s on a mission to find out how the local Indian food differs from that of the sub-continent. With local chef Deena Naidoo as his guide, Reza is never short of a new experience. Starting on the beachfront as spectators of the sardine run, Reza and Deena are able to get their hands on a few fresh sardines which Deena cooks up on the beach. After a visit to an Indian spice market where Reza is introduced to Durban’s finest spices with a few unusual names, Deena presents Reza with Durban’s quintessential dish; the Bunny Chow. Back in his African kitchen, Reza puts a spin on this Durban classic with his own Brioche Duck Bunny Chow. He also demonstrates his Chilli-Encrusted Sardines with Beetroot Salad, and his simple but delicious Steamed Rock Lobster with a Crème Fraiche Dressing.

Episode 8: Namibia

Although Namibia is home to the oldest desert in the world, it has a rich bounty of food. With the interior of the country dedicated to meat farming and the coastline brimming with seafood, there’s plenty for Reza Mahammad to sink his teeth into. On a farm owned by a Herero family, Reza is introduced to a variety of outdoor cooking styles including the potjie and the braai. He then travels to the coastal town of Luderitz where his host catches fresh rock lobster, serves him up fresh sea oysters and gives Reza his very first taste of abalone.

Inspired by both his meat and seafood experiences, Reza heads back to his African kitchen to serve up a Lamb and Potato Korma

Episode 9: Cape Town

Cape Town is South Africa’s oldest town. Originally known as ‘The Tavern of the Seas’, it was a supply station for weary sailors travelling between the East and West. With its history steeped in food and fresh produce it’s no wonder that today it has a vibrant food scene, celebrating a confetti of influences and flavours.

Reza Mahammad’s visit to Cape Town starts off with a bang at Signal Hill where every day a canon is fired to signal noon. He then heads to the Bo-Kaap to experience one of Cape Town’s strongest culinary influences: Cape Malay cuisine. Reza also learns a bit about modern trends that are defining contemporary food in Cape Town today. Armed with an array of influences, Reza heads back to his African kitchen to serve up his own version of a Spiced Bobotie with Apricot Glaze and a decadent Chocolate and Cardamom Panna Cotta.

Episode 10: Zanzibar

The Zanzibar archipelago, also known as the Spice Islands, has a myriad of cultural influences originally brought to the islands by the Arabs and Persians and later by the Portuguese merchants and traders who used the Islands as a base for their travels. These traders also introduced valuable ingredients, most notably the huge variety of spices that are still grown there to this day.

Reza Mahammad explores the island’s offerings by beginning at a spice plantation where he is invited to see where these spices grow. Reza then visits a local produce market and is given the opportunity to cook with two chefs, who demonstrate their use of these locally-produced spices. In his African kitchen, Reza uses the spices and experiences from Zanzibar to produce a Spiced Semolina Cake and a Spinach and Leek Pilau.

Tea Horse

I received an attractive box of quality assorted teas a few weeks ago and have been enjoying an exceptional beverage experience ever since. The teas are thoughtfully chosen, and the Tea Horse concept will fill every tea drinker with not only many a distinctive cuppa, but their hearts with joy at the prospect of more to come.

Yes, dear reader, horses have been much in the culinary news these past weeks. Be assured that no racehorse, rocking-horse, seahorse or equine character of any hue has been harmed in the production of Tea Horse blends. This company is offering selections of the freshest leaves, and opening your first brown paper envelope will convince even the sceptical that a treat is just a few minutes away.

From the first delicate sniff one will appreciate the difference between Tea Horse products and the usual teabag. Now there is nothing wrong with a tip of a PG: it’s a cup that cheers for many of us and it fits the bill for those times when we want a hot refreshing drink. If, however, one takes the trouble to savour the aroma of a sack of 2000 teabags (and why would you?) one will likely notice …nothing much. An envelope of a Tea Horse tea will start to excite your nasal passages and send a teasing invitation to one’s taste buds.
tea review

Winter Spice has been much appreciated over these cold days of snow, frost and grey skies. It’s a blend of Assam and Ceylon black teas with the addition of vanilla, cloves, orange peel, cinnamon, pink peppercorns, and cardamom and coriander seeds. If you like other commercial Chai blends then you will likely be impressed by Winter Spice.

A tea purist and Japanese food enthusiast will be drawn to Sencha Fukujyu. Japanese green tea is delicate but tends to become bitter if left to over-brew. Freshly made it’s a light tea and refreshing.

Gui Fei (honey) Oolong is a unique tea that can be infused several times. Each brew presents the drinker with different and more subtle flavours. It’s a rolled tea so the leaves are presented as little balls or pearls.

Each month Tea Horse chooses a tea-based theme to help collate a selection for their subscription boxes, an ideal gift for any tea lover. The box arrives with its sealed envelopes of teas along with tasting notes. It’s a mini masterclass every month.

In the box you’ll receive:
4 x 15g or 20g packs of some exceptional loose-leaf tea - enough to make at least 10 cups of each tea.
40 tea filters. These bio-degradable, unbleached filters are for brewing the loose-leaf tea without any mess.
Tasting notes and information on that month’s selection.

A Tea Horse subscription is indeed a gift in the best of taste.

Visit Tea Horse here

The Taste of Portugal – A voyage of gastronomic discovery combined with recipes, history and folklore

It’s a unique country that has long been popular with tourists, but those bronzing folks seldom stray from the Atlantic beaches, and their gastronomic daring drifts only as far as a grilled sardine and a custard tart. They are missing the true Portuguese culinary heritage.

Portugal has a rich history and its food has been influenced by both invasion and exploration. It has an cookbook review

abundance of produce from land and sea and centuries of practice of the art of turning some rather unprepossessing ingredients into classic and delicious dishes.

The author, Edite Vieira, has collected some of the best dishes Portugal has to offer. The ingredients are, for the most part, readily available to the non-Portuguese home cook and, equally as important, the dishes are economic to prepare. They take advantage of seasonal vegetables and often cheaper cuts of meat. One can produce a sumptuous and authentic spread for less than the cost of an economy airline ticket to the Algarve.

Tomato, Egg and Bread Soup is a light meal that uses the bounty of summer toms in something other than a salad. The addition of potatoes, bread and onions gives both substance and flavour. The author doesn’t mention it but one could use good quality tinned tomatoes in winter when the fresh ones are tasteless. The egg is presented as a poached topping.

Another way to spin out costly but flavourful ingredients is by making an Acorda. These dishes use bread to bulk out seafood. We are all familiar with bread and butter pudding so consider this as a savoury alternative. Use fish stock for a more pronounced favour.

Salt Cod in all forms is loved in Portugal. One can now find it in some UK fishmongers and any Portuguese deli. It’s easy to recognise, looking rather out of place amongst all the other goods that one would recognise as edible. The humble salt cod looks and feels like well-bleached driftwood.

Salt Cod Cakes are a Portuguese staple. They have a distinctive taste and texture from the preserved fish which must first be soaked and rinsed a few times before being cooked. It’s a simple process but necessary. Yes, fresh fish could be substituted but then you would just have, well, Cod Cakes, which would lack the prized flavour of the authentic recipe.

Portugal seems to have the highest ratio of pastry shops per head of population, of any country in Europe. Windows tempt the passer-by (typically not passing) with sweet tarts and cakes. Rice Patties from the Azores are made with common store-cupboard ingredients. They are filled with cooked rice, eggs, sugar and ground almonds and baked for a swift 15 minutes to dry rather than to colour.

The Taste of Portugal is a culinary journey through time. It shows the richness of Portuguese food and is well-garnished with anecdote. It’s a book for those who want to learn more of this undiscovered gem and for those who want to replicate fondly-remembered meals. A beautifully presented volume.

The Taste of Portugal
Author: Edite Vieira
Published by: Grub Street
Price: £20.00
ISBN 978-1-908117-40-3

Full of Flavour

Maria Elia is a celebrated chef. She has written several other cookbooks and has graced our TV screens presenting her delicious dishes that have been inspired by her Anglo-Cypriot heritage. Yes, she is an accomplished food professional.

Full of Flavour is something of a departure from the usual chef cookbook review

cookbook. They are often heavy tomes and metaphorically carved in stone. There will be, perhaps, the suggestion that any change to ingredients or cooking method will be viewed as culinary treason and would best be undertaken behind locked kitchen doors, never to be publicly admitted,

Maria offers us a masterclass in taste and flexibility. Full of Flavour is a unique cookbook that will help you evolve as a home cook rather than just expanding your list of recipes. She gives the reader permission, nay, encourages them, to change ingredients with the seasons and you’ll find yourself just tweaking, to your taste, Maria’s suggested spices and seasonings – and you’ll be confident that you have the chef’s blessing.

The recipes here are delicious but also practical. Maria turns the less costly cuts of meat into meltingly tender family dinners. There are dishes with which you will likely be familiar and others that are Elia-elevated, but all of them have that eponymous Flavour.

Spiced Carrot Puree with Dukka is a dish that will find its way onto all your Eastern tapas tables. Maria uses almonds in her dukka rather than the usual hazelnuts. It’s a mix that will work well as a seasoning sprinkle on almost any root vegetable puree, but I would also add it to the breading for fried chicken breasts, which are notoriously bland.

Brisket is a great joint for feeding a crowd without the need for a mortgage extension. Maria’s is an aromatic, slow-cooked dish with unmistakable Asian flavours from ginger, coriander and chilli. Just serve with rice and some green Asian vegetables. This recipe will be difficult to better, so make it in its original form before you even consider tinkering.

Pink Grapefruit Vodka shows Maria’s love of a good cocktail. This is a simple concoction of, well, vodka and grapefruit or at least the zest thereof. An easy method but waiting for a couple of weeks to allow the fruit and booze to infuse is rather taxing – start this just before you go away to Greece on holiday. When mature it has a distinct citrus flavour and would make a delightful vodka martini.

Full of Flavour is a cookbook, but there is another element. It teaches even confident home cooks that there is no need to be a slave to somebody else’s recipes. Maria Elia gives all of us the tools to adapt not only her recipes, but all others as well, to our own taste and to take advantage of fresh seasonal ingredients. A practical and charming book.

Full of Flavour
Author: Maria Elia
Published by: Kyle Books
Price: £19.99
ISBN-10: 0857830066
ISBN-13: 978-0857830067

The Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2013

America’s PBS TV channel has offered America’s Test Kitchen to its US viewers for decades. Now we can find PBS in the UK and it’s well worth investigating its programme schedule, to discover America’s Test Kitchen for yourself.

The Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2013 is the paper representation of the programmes and your very practical cookbook review

companion in the kitchen. It presents the year’s best recipes, equipment reviews and much more. There honestly is a test kitchen, and those recipes have truly been put through their paces, so the reader can be confident that they will work.

This is a book for those who not only want to cook better but also want to know why recipes work. The dishes listed are simple to prepare but you will learn why ingredients make good partners, as well as tips on cooking methods. There are lots of step-by-step pictures to aid the novice.

I am particularly impressed by the traditional American recipes. Country-fried Pork with Gravy is found on many a diner menu and is simple comfort food. The crust is the star here and it’s rather different from the usual breading that one finds on regular pork chops.

For those with a sweet tooth there are plenty of recipes to tempt one away from that New Year’s Resolution diet. Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies have the eponymous ingredient in both cookie and filling. The biscuits (cookies) are good enough to eat un-garnished but that filling is a delight and far too good for the kids.

The kitchen gadget review section is particularly interesting. There are products here that you might not find in the UK but those items recommended have a description of their important features and you can use these specs to find similar European pots, knives, cutting boards, oven mitts, etc. This is a handy book as reference when selecting kitchen-related wedding gifts.

The Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2013 is an encyclopaedia of food advice and all things appertaining to the kitchen. It’s a noble addition to any cookbook collection but it’s a book truly to use and from which to cook.

The Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2013
Published by: Boston Common Press
ISBN-10: 1936493306
ISBN-13: 978-1936493302

Port and the Douro

I would love to tell my readers that I am an expert on that full and iconic beverage but until recently Port was that festive tipple that mostly stayed in the sideboard unless Uncle Charles was over. I, along with most others, cookbook review

considered it a drink for ‘older’ folks, although as I am nearly 60 that pool of ‘older’ folks is shrinking by the year. However, the hitherto dusty baton of Port appreciation has been taken up and polished by a discerning ‘next’ generation who know a good thing when they taste it.

I did say ‘until recently’, as just last year I was re-introduced to Port by Natasha and Adrian Bridge. You might not recognise their names but they are considered by many to be ‘the first couple of Port’. They oversee Taylor’s Port and their vintages are far from sideboard fodder. This book Port and the Douro showcases Taylor’s along with every other notable producer and exporter. It’s a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of Port past and present. It’s a story of people and produce.

The industry pivots around Porto (Oporto) on the Douro River in Portugal and that is the focus of this outstanding book by Richard Mayson. It’s a volume that will appeal to food and drink lovers, travellers as well as wine professionals. Richard has not only passion for his subject but a talent for weaving a fascinating tale of characters who have peppered the history of this fascinating region.

Port and the Douro covers every aspect of the world of Port, from growing vines to shipping wines. It’s an essential companion for anyone visiting this marvellously unspoilt area if they have even the slightest interest in Port. And if one doesn’t at the start of the tour it’s likely one will by the end, and even more probable that one’s return journey will be slowed by the weight of a car-boot filled with bottles of Port that will illustrate in delicious fashion the variety, complexity and depth of this unique beverage.

Port and the Douro
Author: Richard Mayson
Published by: Infinite Ideas
Price: £30.00
ISBN-10: 1908984171
ISBN-13: 978-1908984173

As Greek As It Gets

It’s a cuisine we love. Aromatic flavours, fresh ingredients, un-fussy and delicious dishes. It’s a mystery why london restaurant review

there are not more Greek restaurants and the few that we can find are not as impressive as this rather smart spot.

As Greek As It Gets is local to the whole of London! It’s just around the corner from Earl’s Court Underground Station so has a huge catchment area. This must be not only the best Greek restaurant in that postcode but likely the best restaurant of any culinary hue in the neighbourhood.

One thinks of Greek restaurants as those folksy establishments with shelves laden with models of blue and white fishing boats and plates printed with pictures of the Acropolis. As Greek As It Gets sports none of these dubious souvenirs (although the distinctive company logo is one of those chaps in white tights with pom-poms on his shoes). You already know it’s a Greek restaurant – the big clue is in the name. At this wintery season the only hint of blue is found in the garland of Christmas lights, and perhaps the flashing alert of a passing police car. This is London, after all.

It’s a cosy oasis with contemporary charcoal-black walls. The first floor offers views across the Earl's Court Road. Hardly a hint of its ethnicity until one reads the menu. It’s uncompromisingly Greek with a selection of classic dishes that you might well have tasted on your sun-scorched Aegean holiday isle, but it’s probable that those london restaurant review

pale in comparison.

The owner of As Greek As It Gets, Dimitri Karonis, opened the restaurant seven years ago after a bet with YO! Sushi founder, Simon Woodroffe, who said Dimitri wouldn’t be able to open a successful Greek restaurant in London. Not sure what the prize was, but perhaps it’s the undeniable success of the restaurant itself. Dimitri is deservedly proud of his achievements, making serious Greek food accessible to Londoners.

Yes, this restaurant has one of the best locations in town but 40% of the clientele are native Greeks. Now, these folks know more about authentic Greek food than I ever will and they choose to come here. They appreciate the food and ambiance and that must surely be an accolade. The reasonable prices must also contribute to the evident draw.

This restaurant deserves several visits. One scans the menu and selects a little of this, a dish of that, but it’s all so enticing that as soon as the waiter disappears one wonders if perhaps that cheese pie might have been worth a try (it would) or if that fish might have been memorable (it would). But that’s the beauty of being a local – one can come back and there won’t be any last-night-of-Grecian-holiday blues. It’s that colour again.

We settled on some traditional dips to start. Tzatziki - yoghurt, garlic and cucumber dip - is particularly thick and

rich here. Dimitri buys many of his key ingredients from Greece and even the bread is flown in part-baked. The Romano Peppers stuffed with feta and spinach are a speciality here. They are sweet, flavourful and the filling is substantial and well-balanced. A worthy signature dish.

Garides Saganaki - prawns cooked in ouzo, feta and tomato sauce - is probably one of the most moreish starters I have ever had. My advice would be to order one portion each rather than considering sharing. It’s bound to end in a fight or at the very least a grudging counting of prawns and harsh words. Don’t miss this dish of succulent seafood and tangy sauce.

For my main course I chose the delicious and attractively presented Pork with a cheese sauce. The rounds of meat were tender and juicy and the sauce gave a striking sharp note. A contemporary and light boardful.

The star of the meal was Arnaki lemonato - lamb in rich lemon sauce served with mashed potatoes. Dimitri says this is a reminder of his family dinners back in Greece when he was a child. This looks just what it is – a plate of home cooking. It’s a dish that reminds one why Greek cuisine is so appealing. This is traditional food and this recipe has been enjoyed for generations.

Galaktoboureko - home made milk pie - is a classic dessert. It’s a thick custard cooked with semolina and encased in delicate and crispy philo pastry. It’s not an over-decorated and elaborate confection but it’s easy to see why it’s on the menu. It’s a sweet pie of simple ingredients but it ticks all the ‘craving’ boxes. Worth saving a little space for.

As Greek As It Gets is remarkable in an understated fashion. It’s subtle, tasteful in every regard, and the prices will please. It’s a gem with dishes for every palate and you will enjoy Greek food that’s as good as it gets and As Greek As It Gets. For my next visitI have my eye on Tyrokafteri - spicy mixed Greek white cheese dip - and the chicken gyros plate with pita and tzatziki, and then just a little taste more of that Galaktoboureko; although it would be rude not to try Baklava…

Opening Hours
Mon – Fri:
Lunch: 12noon - 15.00
Dinner: 17.00 - 23.00

Sat - Sun
All day: 12noon - 23.00

As Greek as it Gets
233 Earl's Court Road
London, SW5 9AH

Phone: 020 7244 7777
Fax: 020 7244 7229

Visit As Greek as it Gets here

Soups for your Slow Cooker

How to make delicious soups for all occasions in your slow cooker

All enthusiastic home cooks have a kitchen stuffed with gadgets and gizmos. We have a little knife just used to make roses out of radishes, there is the spiky thing for baking spuds, and an electric carving knife that granddad uses on Christmas Day, or he would if it wasn’t lost behind that automatic sauce-making machine. cookbook review

I can live without all of those but ask me to give up my slow cooker and this mild-mannered old lady will likely let herself down with a sprinkle of bad language. It truly is a boon to anyone who cooks and you don’t even have to be good at it to prepare delicious meals.

Diana Peacock presents a book filled with ideas for soups made in the slow cooker and they are foolproof. It’s hard to overcook a soup and the slow cooker will allow you to create warming and delicious soups with very little effort. If you can chop and stir and put a plug in a socket then you are set.

It’s winter and money is tight but we still want to eat well. A hearty soup and some fresh bread will give you a memorable meal, and soup-making becomes addictive. All these recipes will give you a start but once you are confident with the techniques you will be writing your own recipes.

I write about authentic Indian food but I still appreciate those old-fashioned Anglo dishes that use curry powder. No, it’s not something you find in Indian homes but a bright yellow Madras curry powder is the indispensible ingredient in such dishes as Coronation Chicken and Curried Chicken Soup. The author suggests serving this with naan bread but one could consider stirring in some leftover cooked rice to make a very substantial soup.

Lentils are still cheap so Tomato and Lentil Soup will feed a family for very little cash. Use fresh tomatoes during the summer but I would choose good quality tinned toms during the winter when the fresh tomatoes are like pale bullets. Just flavour with dried herbs if you don’t have a supply of fresh.

It’s the festive season and we have the remains of that turkey. You can either keep it in the fridge till it goes fuzzy or you can transform the cooked meat into a meal to feed another crowd with just the addition of some seasonal vegetables.

Soups for your Slow Cooker - How to make delicious soups for all occasions in your slow cooker is a practical book and full of delicious ideas. Nothing cheffy here, it’s just recipes for good economic food. You don’t need skill, just that slow cooker.

Soups for your Slow Cooker
Author: Diana Peacock
Publisher: How To Books
Price: £7.99
ISBN 978-1-905862-20-7

No Need to Knead – Handmade artisan breads in 90 minutes

If you love cooking you will likely have wanted to try baking your own bread but it’s equally possible that you lost your nerve and didn’t bother. It’s baking and that is culinary alchemy; and then you add yeast into the equation and, well, how does that work?

I have never had any success with a bread-making machine. One cookbook review

isn’t in contact with the ingredients and I think that’s what’s important. The pleasure is feeling the dough come to life and having that comforting aroma of bread fresh from the oven filling the kitchen (I think estate agents have a spray for that!) Somehow a box with a buzzer never gives the same result and there is always that unsightly hole in the middle of the loaf.

No Need to Knead – Handmade artisan breads in 90 minutes suggests breads that are simple to make even during the week when you would normally reach for Mothers Pride (can you still get that?) Remember that 90 minutes doesn’t represent an hour and a half of work, it’s just the time it takes from flour in the bowl to bread on the table.

Pizza has been demoted over time to a cheap and nasty, and often bizarre, cooked open sandwich. In reality it’s not that cheap from the take-away, though still often nasty. Pizza base is simple to make at home and is bound to be more economic than the one arriving on the back of a moped. You will have your own bespoke toppings and can divide your pie to allow the kids to make their own sections, or why not encourage the children to make the bread from scratch and make small pizzas.

The author, Suzanne Dunaway, has included some delightful recipes using left-over bread and I am rather taken with her Bread and Cheese Soufflé. It’s another one of those dishes for feeding a crowd without breaking the bank. This would be a delightful summer lunch with just a green salad or with some roasted vegetables as a more substantial dinner.

My pick of the recipes is Fougasse de Collioure. This bread looks special and just the kind of loaf one would seek in a smart artisanal bakery, a delicious bread with that traditional shape that one finds in southern France. The crust is rich and glossy and the sprinkle of large-grain sea salt adds so much to the flavour. This is the bread to take on a picnic as it won’t readily dry out.

This book will be enjoyed by a novice baker who will gain confidence making these recipes, but it will be just as appreciated by the experienced cook who will find a battery of classic and contemporary breads to tempt family and friends.

No Need to Knead – Handmade artisan breads in 90 minutes
Author: Suzanne Dunaway
Published by: Grub Street
Price: £18.99
ISBN 978-1-908117-21-2

Restaurant Thirty Six at Dukes Hotel London

Think about Old London and what scene comes to mind? Fog, intertwined alleys and hidden courtyards, probably. london restaurant review

Iron railings, warm brick, brass plaques. And hotels: yes, every Edwardian writer seemed to talk about hotels. They were the acceptable places in which to meet friends and to dine, when restaurants were less numerous than they are today. But those hotels must surely have been swept aside by samey modernity, by cold grey cement and sheets of plate glass.

Well, the fog has gone, but Dukes is still standing and still sports those classic features, and it overlooks its own courtyard behind St James’s Place, off St James’s Street. It was opened in 1908 although the courtyard dates from the 1500s, and the hotel still retains that authentic air of class and propriety, although this is far from a starchy establishment. It’s celebrated for its Martini Bar and for mixing the original James Bond cocktail – shaken, not stirred – and the Champagne Bar is a cosy retreat from the throng of Mayfair.

Thirty Six is Dukes’ restaurant and was opened in September 2011. It has contemporary grey walls but it fits well with the traditional feel of the hotel as the architectural features have been retained, the tables are well-spaced, the upholstered chairs are in muted terracotta and there are dramatic black accents from lampshades. The silver chargers and classic cutlery have hand-made colour-marbled glasses as a striking counterpoint.

Chef Nigel Mendham offers British cuisine but with all the charm and flair that one would expect across the Channel. His menu takes advantage of seasonal British ingredients and a lot of imagination. The descriptions hardly do justice to that with which you will be served. Nigel seems to add value at every turn with a demitasse of soup here, some savoury spoon bites there, a pre-dessert when one thinks it is almost over, and then there are decadent petit fours to round off the extraordinary event. london restaurant review

Red Mullet and ‘All things Nicoise’ was my choice of starter and the reality exceeded my expectations, which ran along the lines of a bit o’ fish atop a French salad. The mullet was the best I have tasted, being moist and flavourful with a crispy skin which adds so much to the dish. The ‘Nicoise’ elements were little vignettes of the eponymous salad and were indispensible ‘sides’ to the mullet.

Rare-breed Pork braised Cheek, Langoustine and Granny Smith Apple was my guest’s starter. Offal and those previously discarded cuts of meat are appreciated these days although they often need greater care in preparation and cooking, but it’s worth that effort. Nigel has combined deliciously savoury pork with delicate langoustines, and apples have always been a partner to porcine products. My companion was delighted with his elevated ‘surf and turf’.

Goosnargh Duck, Sweet Potato, Chestnuts, Duck Samosa and Charred Sprouts was my main course and it was substantial. The duck was presented medium-rare and it was perfect – pink and tender. The miniature samosa and turned potatoes added texture and sweetness to the tapestry. The sprouts were going to be my nemesis but london restaurant review

they were a revelation. The charring gave flavour and the vibrant green vegetables still had bite; there was no hint of that unpleasant sprouty taste that has spoilt many a decent Christmas dinner.

John Dory, Aubergine, Spiced Mussels with Herb Quinoa took the fancy of my guest. This was a wonderfully attractive plate of yellow hues. The fish was mild and simply grilled, the aubergines were tender and smoky and the quinoa was nutty and well-textured, and an inspired accompaniment. It’s an ancient grain that is becoming more popular, although it has been appreciated in South America for thousands of years.

Pear Savarin, Poached Pear, Almond Custard and Pear Sorbet was my guest’s dessert – or more accurately his dessert served with two spoons. Savarin is a yeast-sponge cake that one often finds in the guise of over-sweet and sticky Rum Baba, but Nigel offers this cake as a lightly soaked confection that london restaurant review

didn’t upstage the fruit. The poached pears had distinct flavour and the sorbet was refreshing. That extra spoon made impressive in-roads into the dessert.

Chef Nigel Mendham (interview shortly) has a marvellous stage for his very evident talents. Dukes has been famed for its Martini Bar and it’s no surprise that this restaurant, Thirty Six, offers commensurate quality. It’s a joy!

Dukes Hotel
St. James’s Place
London SW1A 1NY

Phone: +44 (0)207 491 4840
Fax: +44 (0)207 493 1264

Visit Dukes Hotel here

Lets Cook Italian

We want comforting food. It’s cold and wintery and the economic climate isn’t that hot either. It’s time to get back to those old-fashioned values. Gennaro Contaldo introduces us to his Italian family favourites as they do travel rather well, and they are delicious. cookbook review

Gennaro often graces our TV screens, sometimes in the company of Antonio Carluccio, another Greedy Italian, or that young Jamie Oliver. Gennaro is a lovable character with a cheeky grin and a down-to-earth approach to food. Yes, he is a celebrated food professional but he has never lost his grasp of domestic kitchen reality.

To be a confident cook we need a battery of recipes that work. We need to feed family, friends and in-laws so a list of well practised flavourful dishes that please everybody will save time and worry. Impressive food doesn’t have to be expensive or even time-consuming.

Let's Cook Italian offers practical recipes for traditional dishes and a sprinkling of contemporary ones. There are, as one would expect, plenty of suggestions for pasta - dough, sauce and fillings - and some of those traditional to Gennaro’s family will likely be new to the British cook. Culurzones – Sardinian ravioli filled with cheese, potato and fresh mint - is one such recipe that uses a rich mix of cheeses pillowed by the humble and, as yet, cheap, spud. The sauce is buttery and perfumed with sage but I would love this ravioli with a herby tomato sauce.

A vibrant dish for the summer is Peperoni All’adrodolce – Tangy Peppers. Make these when peppers are at their best quality and price. You can use them at every meal and either hot or cold. The recipe calls for anchovies: don’t be tempted to leave them out. Your finished peppers won’t taste fishy, but those fillets give a distinct salty edge which is key to the success of the dish.

A spectacular and traditional dish is Porchetta – Stuffed and Rolled Pork Belly. It’s a striking centrepiece to feed a crowd. The most difficult step is finding a large enough roasting pan, but I can guarantee that you will feel it’s worth the investment in a new one. Gennaro has suggestions for side dishes with recipes provided.

Perhaps my pick of the book will be a surprise. It’s a pie, Sformato di Pane alle Verdure, and Italians are not famed for that form of savoury patisserie. Gennaro presents a variation of a family favourite that was eaten around Christmas time. It would be a vegetarian alternative for the festive season but even meat eaters would enjoy this robust bread-dough pie with its filling of artichokes, courgettes, onions and potatoes.

Let's Cook Italian is just what I would expect from Gennaro Contaldo. It’s charming and family oriented. The recipes have been thoughtfully chosen and should give no British cook cause for anxiety over technique or ingredient. A beautiful book and good value for money.

Let's Cook Italian
Author: Gennaro Contaldo
Published by: Anova Books
Price: £20.00
ISBN 978-1-86205-953-5

The Great Northern Cookbook

The author is Sean Wilson. Yes, that’s a familiar name, or at least it is if you have been a follower of that celebrated Northern institution, Coronation Street. He joined the cast of 'Corrie' in 1985 and stayed till 2005, and has since played in Waterloo Road. cookbook review

He has always had a passion for cooking and in 2009 Sean started a new career, the Saddleworth Cheese Company, which went on to win some coveted cheese awards. But his interest does not stop at cheese: he is a northerner and has a TV series to partner this book which promotes the best of northern food in general.

There are more than 90 recipes for dishes that are northern favourites. They are economic recipes and hearty. Lots of baked goods and pies but there are a couple of curries as well. It’s not a culinary history book but rather a snapshot of how we eat today.

The north of England is famed for its rhubarb, but Rhubarb Curd is new to me. This would make a delicious change from lemon curd or jam for breakfast, but only make it in small batches during the rhubarb season as it contains egg yolks so doesn’t keep more than a month. That is the joy of seasonal food, though, isn’t it? It seems like a treat and we savour the tang for just that month or so.

Although I am an enthusiastic home cook I might prefer to eat tripe cooked by somebody else. I have tried it in various guises and I can say it’s either delicious or a horror. The recipe for Deep-Fried Tripe is worth a go.

No northern cookbook could hold its head up in polite society if it didn’t include a recipe for a Lancashire Hotpot. This is simple and flavourful fare and ideal for weekends when you have guests. It’s easy to assemble and can be made in your slow cooker and finished in the oven, although the recipe here uses just an oven.

We do pies well in the UK. They are comforting and cheap but it’s just as much about the pastry as the filling. Cheese ’N’ Onion Pie doesn’t cost much to make but it’s loved by not only vegetarians but also those who would normally demand a slab of meat. It can be eaten at any temperature but I love it fresh from the oven.

The Great Northern Cookbook offers ‘proper’ food. These are dishes that won’t break the bank but they are tasty and will be loved by the whole family. It’s not about cooking innovation but a return to what has always been good. It’s a culinary reminder.

The Great Northern Cookbook
Author: Sean Wilson
Published by: Hodder
Price: £20.00
ISBN 978-1-444-76113-9

Style Me Vintage - Tea Parties - A guide to hosting perfect Vintage events

The author of this marvellously ‘vintage’ volume is actually Lulu Gwynne rather than Betty Blythe as one assumes cookbook review

from the cover. Betty was a sexy actress in Hollywood when it was new and when films were considered brash. She was born Elizabeth Blythe Slaughter but changed her name (probably a good idea) to the shorter version.

Lulu gives a very decided nod to that glamorous era with her tea room called, unsurprisingly, Betty Blythe. The staff dress the part and the tea and cakes make this a magnet for anyone looking for a classic afternoon tea experience.

Tea is enjoying something of a revival and it’s exciting to explore some culinary themes, and they are very pretty ones, too. Lulu has considered everything that’s needed for throwing a Victorian Tea Party, an Edwardian Breakfast, a 1920s Speakeasy, a 1930s Cocktail Party, 1940s Picnic and a 1950s Street Party. You will be able to dress the part, act the part and offer delightful food.

Style Me Vintage is full of recipes and they are a delight, but Lulu encourages the reader to plan events rather than just meals. They won’t be huge affairs but they can be held in your own home and they will be memorable. Vintage clothes can be found in markets and boutiques and they, above all, will set the scene. Consider a 1920s evening with those ornate flapper dresses and men in dinner suits and black bow ties. Throw in a couple of cigarette holders and gin in a teapot, and the queue at the door starts right behind me.

Style Me Vintage - Tea Parties - A guide to hosting perfect Vintage events is a beautiful book and an ideal gift for avid party-givers, throwers of sedate tea parties and anyone interested in hosting a summer bash with panache. It's priced at £9.99 (£9 19s 10d) so great value for money.

Style Me Vintage - Tea Parties - A guide to hosting perfect Vintage events
Author: Lulu Gwynne (Betty Blythe)
Published by: Anova Books
Price: £9.99
ISBN 978-1-86205-973-3

The Turkish Cookbook – Regional recipes and stories

Turkish cuisine is considered by many to be one of the classics. It has had a huge influence on food throughout Europe and encompasses all those elements that we praise these days: there is an emphasis on fresh produce, on seasonal vegetables, olive oil and fish but it also offers us those memorable sweets.

Turkish food is part the heritage of the cuisine of the Ottoman Empire, which encompasses Asian, Middle Eastern and cookbook

Eastern European influences and has itself had an impact on neighbouring cuisines.

Turkey is a large country which straddles Asia and Europe in both food and culture. The food, unsurprisingly, changes from region to region taking advantage of climate and geography. There is an abundance of fish along the coast while another area has favoured meat kebabs over seafood. Bulgur is a staple in some regions, while rice is ubiquitous in others.

Authors Nur Ilkin and Sheilah Kaufman present us with a delightfully personal Turkish cookbook that explains the history of the cuisine, and they introduce us to the diverse cooking traditions of each of the regions. There is so much covered here that this is almost as much an inviting Turkish travelogue as a recipe book.

There are a few dishes here that you might have tried on holiday and some that you may have tasted in restaurants, but there is much that will be new to the non-Turkish reader. Walnut and Red Pepper Spread (Muhammara) is a delicious dip and a change from the more common hummus. I would recommend that you roast the peppers before using in this simple recipe as it brings a richer flavour.

We know we should eat more vegetables so a dessert that has carrots and nuts must count as one of your 5 a day. Carrot and Walnut Slices (Cezerye) are similar to Indian carrot halva but the addition of coconut and walnuts, which once again put in an appearance, make this a unique sweet for using up Christmas leftovers.

A favourite savoury dish from this book is Stuffed Onions from the Black Sea region, another economic dish making the best of winter produce. The filling is of minced beef and rice seasoned with cinnamon and garlic with a little pomegranate molasses, which can be found in many Middle Eastern shops and some larger supermarkets these days.

The Turkish Cookbook – Regional recipes and stories is a gift-quality cookbook that will tempt any lover of vibrant food into the kitchen, and probably onto the next flight to Istanbul. The dishes are simple to prepare and not over-spiced, and they are less celebrated than they deserve. Thank you Grub Street for another stunning volume.

The Turkish Cookbook – Regional recipes and stories
Authors: Nur Ilkin and Sheilah Kaufman
Published by: Grub Street
Price: £25.00
ISBN 978-1-908117-38-0

The Modern Vegetarian – Food adventures for the contemporary palate

Maria Elia is a chef who has graced our small screens and headed restaurant kitchens, and she has also penned several delightful cookbooks. Maria isn’t a vegetarian evangelist but The Modern Vegetarian reflects her passion for flavourful food and in this case those dishes just happen to be sans meat.

We know we should all eat more of them - vegetables, that is - but we want meals that cookbook review

are delicious and tempting rather than just being healthy and nutritious. We want to savour food rather than having a ‘dose’ of dinner. Gone are the days of over-worthy dishes appealing to those clad in tie-dye, sandals and likely owning a bandana-wearing dog that would also be vegetarian. Maria presents us with recipes that will become regulars on your table.

There are more than 120 recipes here along with striking photography by Jonathan Gregson. It’s an attractive book that will enable you to make the best of fresh seasonal produce. Yes, healthy vegetables but also economic and that’s more of a consideration than ever. There are smart dishes with which to impress dinner party guests and others that are more for an evening in the company of the TV. Rosemary Popcorn could be your snack of choice for the next showing of ‘The Sound of Music’. Well, Christmas is just around the corner.

Talking of the festive season, I have been rather taken with the prospect of Christmas Pudding Brulée with Caramelised Blood Oranges. It's two recipes in one as Maria suggests that the oranges work well just garnished with some crème fraîche. The brulée element makes good use of left-over pud, and there is bound to be some of that.

Following that sweet note the Honey Dough with Greek Yogurt Mascarpone Cream is a must-try. These doughnut-like treats have more a cake texture than that of bread; it has plain flour with both bicarbonate of soda and baking powder for lift. These would be a delight as part of an exotic afternoon tea.

Beetroot has long been an underutilised vegetable but it is enjoying something of a revival. Maria delves into her Greek heritage to bring us Beetroot Keftedes. These are basically meatballs having the meat replaced by feta cheese and beetroot. They can be eaten hot or cold and would make a lovely addition to a meze or tapas spread.

There are also exotic flavours here. Ginger Beer-Battered Stuffed Tofu with Asian Mushy Peas is exciting. Tofu always needs help: it’s a bland and boring article when unadorned but this recipe allows it to soak up flavours. The assembled dish looks enticing and is a tapestry of flavour and texture. A must-try.

The Modern Vegetarian – Food adventures for the contemporary palate is a true contender for that much vaunted phrase ‘something for everybody’ but it is indeed a book to encourage even the most dedicated carnivore to delve into its pages and turn up recipes that they will cook again and again. Great value for money.

The Modern Vegetarian – Food adventures for the contemporary palate
Author: Maria Elia
Published by: Kyle Books
Price: £14.99
ISBN 978-0-85783-109-5

Thomas Jefferson’s Crème Brulée - How a Founding Father and His Slave James Hemings Introduced French Cuisine to America

We all know the name and his impeccable political credentials (he was an American Founding Father and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence; he was the third President of the United States). But Thomas Jefferson lived a full life of controversy outside the political arena. cookbook review

Jefferson served as a diplomat, stationed in Paris from August 1784 to September 1789. He didn’t arrive alone but took with him his eldest daughter (his wife having recently died) and his slave James Hemings. Jefferson wanted the 19-year-old Hemings to be trained in French cooking and he apprenticed James to Chef Combeaux who was a local caterer.

Well, that seems benevolent but one adds another dimension to the adventure when one realises that James Hemings was in fact related to Jefferson’s wife Martha. His father-in-law, John Wayles, was his slave's father, making James Jefferson’s half-brother-in-law. Jefferson inherited the whole Hemings family including James' younger sister Sally, with whom Jefferson is said to have had at least one child.

Thomas Jefferson loved the good things in life and was struck by the opulence of Paris. He admired the fine architecture and felt that his celebrated home, Monticello, (about 11,000 square feet) would have been considered more of an outbuilding by French aristocratic standards. He evidently wanted to return to the US with European style and to be able to dine in an impressive manner.

James must also have been impressed with France and quite envious of its small black population. They were all free, as slavery did not exist in that country. One wonders why he did not make a run for it as there would have been little that Jefferson could have done to retrieve his ‘property’. But it's possible that James also wanted to continue his training, as Jefferson promised Hemings his freedom if he would learn about French cuisine and if he would pass that knowledge on to others at Monticello.

Thomas Jefferson’s Crème Brulée isn’t a book of archaic French recipes, although they are mentioned. This is a fascinating snapshot of American social attitudes in that post-independence era, and of culinary customs of the French court and Parisians in general. It’s an enthralling read and will be enjoyed by food lovers as well as social historians.

Thomas Jefferson’s Crème Brulée - How a Founding Father and His Slave James Hemings Introduced French Cuisine to America
Author: Thomas J. Craughwell
Published by: Quirk Books
Price: $19.95
ISBN 978-1-59474-578-2

Brompton Bar & Grill

This has become, after just one visit, a favourite restaurant. Brompton Bar and Grill is a confident and classic establishment with all those attributes for which we search, mostly in vain, across the Channel. Phrases like ‘you can’t eat like that in England’ and ‘nobody does a steak like the French’ are oft bandied around by folks who have not taken a look at what we have in London. london restaurant reveiw

After the Second World War this site was The Brompton Grill, a Greek Cypriot-run restaurant the like of which is just a memory. It was the haunt of the great and the good and the not-so-good and offered the food that was in vogue at the time. After a few incarnations and a change of hands that original restaurant has become the Brompton Bar and Grill.

It has the ambiance of the best French bistros I have ever visited. It isn’t over-themed French but it manages to combine contemporary artwork with an imposing bar and intimate tables that will seem familiar to any Francophile. Yes, the staff are also authentically French so the accent continues.

The menu isn’t a mile long and that’s always reassuring. One wants to feel that one’s dinner is fresh from the chef’s pan rather than frozen and fiddled with. There are daily specials which are worth considering, particularly if you are a regular, and you will likely be just that after the first visit.

The starters are a delight with dishes that would seem at home on a menu in the Pas de Calais. I ordered Morcilla Black Pudding - Piquant Tomato Sauce, Fried Burford Brown Egg. This was a substantial tower of well-seasoned black pudding atop grilled bread. The tomatoes were a spiced foil to the rich and sunny egg yolk that bathed the whole dish. This was a well-constructed plateful with rustic ingredients. Don’t miss this one.

Ham Hock Croquettes served with Sauce Gribiche was my guest’s choice. The golden croquettes were hearty and the sauce a perfect partner. Sauce Gribiche is a classic French preparation and the sauce of choice for tête de veau (calf's head). It’s a mayonnaise-style cold dressing with chopped gherkin, capers and herbs, and garnished with hard-boiled eggs. Granted it’s not a thing of beauty but it works marvellously with the richness of the ham.

My companion chose from the Specials menu for his main course: Whole Roast Partridge served with celeriac and apple mash and chanterelle mushrooms. The meat was moist and not over-gamey, and the mash was a perfect sweet and earthy accompaniment.

Remember that phrase ‘nobody does a steak like the French’? Well, you can have one of the best steaks outside La Belle France at The Brompton Bar & Grill. I felt sure it was going to be good before I ordered. The restaurant is correct in every regard so they would surely excel at the cornerstone dish of any self-respecting Grill. Ribeye steak was simply presented and perfect. The meat was juicy, tender and flavourful, and blessed by delicate cross-hatching from the eponymous grill. And, yes, chips – chunky, golden, piping hot! A glass of merlot and I was content. The waitress asks “Would you like ketchup or mustard with that?” Appreciative guest: “Mustard please – make it ‘French’!”

Open
Mon – Fri Lunch: 12noon – 3pm
Sat – Sun Lunch: 12noon – 3.30pm
Mon – Sat Dinner: 6pm – 10.30pm (Sunday closes at 10pm)

Open all Bank Holidays
Closed Christmas Day only

Brompton Bar & Grill
243 Brompton Road
London
SW3 2EP

Phone: 020 7589 8005
Email: reservations@bromptonbarandgrill.com
Visit Brompton Bar & Grill here

Modern Twists on Classic Dishes

Andy Bates is a Food Network UK chef and is known for his love of street food. He has followed the best carts and stalls in the UK and in the US, so some might be surprised by his latest book, which has its focus on foods traditionally cooked in a static home kitchen. cookbook review

This book offers vibrant contemporary recipes reflecting how we want to eat in Britain today, but there is just as much that will be familiar to those lovers of old-fashioned fare – comforting dishes that we crave in this cold climate of financial woe.

The first chapter showcases Pies, and I believe we do these better than any other nation. There are recipes here for the pastry for raised pies, and sweet and savoury shortcrust pies. You can obviously use these doughs with your own fillings but Andy’s suggestions are inspired. Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Pie is a striking pie that takes advantage of ripe summer peppers, courgettes and aubergines. The layered vegetables make colourful strata when slices are cut.

Scotch Eggs are another British staple and they can be a marvel of good-quality and well-seasoned egg-stuffed sausagemeat, or the more common pale, bland and bready articles. Black pudding is enjoying something of a revival and here it’s used, mixed with pork mince meat, as a replacement for the original sausage. This combination results in a richer taste and, I think, a lighter texture.

Perhaps the simplest recipe is for Fromage Fort. This is like a cold fondue made with garlic, leftover strong cheese, white wine and butter. The garlic is processed until fine and then all the other ingredients are added and blended till smooth. This makes a creamy dip that would be a delicious addition to any spread of tapas or a cold meat platter.

A must-try from this book (it’s one of many) is Blueberry Bakewell Tart with Raspberry Chantilly Cream. I am not usually keen on chefs tinkering with much-loved favourites but the addition of these dark berries to the almond filling adds a fruity edge and moisture to the sponge, and elevates the regular Bakewell Tart from an afternoon treat to dinner-party fare.

Modern Twists on Classic Dishes is a delightful melange of old and new, and a culinary snapshot of some of the best British food. The recipes are simple and practical, familiar and surprising.

Modern Twists on Classic Dishes
Author: Andy Bates
Published by: Accent Press
Price: £14.99
ISBN 9781908917706

Modern Twists on Classic Dishes can be bought at www.foodnetwork.co.uk.

Ivy Roost Cottage – The New Forest

My first taste of self-catering was as a 7-year-old and it did rather taint my expectations of that style of holiday hotel review

for the following half-century. It was a ‘chalet’ (3-metre square prefab) in Sackets Grove. It had a wealth of ornithological interest, being situated next to Clacton’s municipal dump which was the feeding ground for seagulls.

Ivy Roost Cottage is a world away from that first experience. This idyllic place has modern luxury writ large. It is thoroughly contemporary but retains its 400-year-old charm. It sleeps up to 9 people which make this an ideal retreat for a large family group, or for several couples who want to enjoy all the tranquillity of the New Forest.

The New Forest is an expansive and ancient area of woods, heath and pasture in the south of England and isn’t ‘new’ at all. It was a royal hunting estate and was created in 1079 by William the Conqueror, who won the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It was first recorded as "Nova Foresta" in the Domesday Book in 1086.

Those historic acres begin just beyond the garden wall. A cattle grid keeps the famous roaming ponies and cattle away from the roses, and the views of unspoilt heath are memorable. There is truly nothing between you and the wildlife, and the rejuvenating country walks start at the front door. hotel review

Ivy Roost is a large thatched cottage dating back some 400 years. It has secluded gardens that are immaculate with lawns, borders and fruit trees. There are paved terraces for sitting and taking traditional afternoon tea, corners for enjoying some sun in the company of that best-seller, and a delightful al fresco dining room shaded by a leafy pergola. A swing will be fought over but the losers of that confrontation can cheer themselves with a soak in the hot tub. That’s a worthy consolation prize!

This cottage has been extended and restored to the highest of standards. It takes advantage of all its original features and they add so much to its character. There are beams, doors and alcoves that have remained part of its fabric throughout the centuries but there is nothing gloomy and dusty here. The walls are an oyster-white and the woodwork is in various shades of pale heritage neutral colours. Yes, contemporary finishes but they work so well with the rustic walls and windows in the older parts of the cottage.

One might worry that all those guests would feel a little confined in a cottage. There are no such concerns here. hotel review

It has a wealth of rooms to suit every purpose, even on those days when the weather does not cooperate. The younger members of the group will gravitate to the first floor: the upstairs living room is light and bright with doors onto a striking furnished roof terrace with the best views in the house. That terrace will allow you a closer look at the iconic thatch. The kids might not be so interested in the scenery when they realise that there is a play station indoors, with a library of games.

There is a study on the ground floor for those who can’t afford full work disconnection. The cottage has wireless internet access so you will be able to keep a finger on the business pulse, although the view of the garden from the desk will tempt you away from emails.

Next to the study is an intimate sitting room that will be the magnet for adults on chilly evenings. Ivy Roost is a cottage for all seasons. It has an inglenook fireplace and a box of logs. There is nothing like the flicker of a real fire to create a calming ambiance and sense of wellbeing, but there is fully functioning state-of-the-art central heating in this and all other rooms. This ‘snug’ provides your after-dinner late-night-film-watching sanctuary although it’s likely you will be dozing before the end credits roll. There is a surround-sound system for the TV, DVD/CD, iPod dock and radio tuner.

You will have cooked the aforementioned dinner in one of the best-equipped and most thoughtfully designed hotel review

kitchens. I am a food writer as well as a travel writer and I was taking notes: high-end appliances, practical features and plenty of space. The two ovens, a microwave, a 5-ring hob, dishwasher and full-height fridge make this a kitchen to give joy to even seasoned food professionals.

The dining table seats a dozen and is at the heart of what makes this cottage work. It has triple-aspect windows looking over the garden, and a high beamed ceiling. This is a true entertaining dining room providing a venue for your most memorable celebrations.

So you have had some lovely walks and enjoyed all that the local villages have to offer. You have tucked into a sumptuous cottage-cooked dinner and it’s time to retire. All of you will have well-appointed bedrooms; there are four of them and each one is different but all are stylish and comfortable.

The master bedroom has views over the New Forest, a dressing area and en-suite shower room. There are two further double rooms with their own shower room on the first floor, as well as a three-bed room and full bathroom on the ground floor. Everything has been carefully chosen to create rooms that are attractive and restful. hotel review

Ivy Roost Cottage sets the benchmark for self-catering accommodation. It has quality of furnishings and attention to detail that is hard to find even in 5-star hotels. It presents a luxurious home-from-home for relaxing and entertaining, and I recommend it highly.

Info:
Ivy Roost Cottage is found on a quiet country road in East Boldre in the New Forest, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. East Boldre has a village shop, an organic butcher and farm shop, and two excellent pubs are within easy reach.

It is only 90 miles from London and the journey is usually accomplished in about 1½ hours.

The Isle of Wight ferry is 5 minutes away.

The cottage is only a short drive from the small town of Lymington on the coast.

Beaulieu village and Motor Museum are just a few miles away.

For more information visit Ivy Roost Cottage here

Careys Manor Hotel in The New Forest

This is one of the most beautiful and unspoilt corners of the British Isles. The New Forest is an area in southern England with an expanse of open pasture, heath and forest and it covers south-west Hampshire, south-east Wiltshire and on to east Dorset.

The New Forest was created as a royal hunting ground by William I, the chap who came over in 1066. His dedication to sport has allowed these acres (380 km2) to remain relatively unchanged, and the roaming cattle and horses add to the charm. Yes, those animals are fearless in the face of traffic, adopting a strategy of making eye contact with car drivers whilst continuing to nibble the grass verge with a minimum of two hooves on the tarmac.

Two of the top hotels in the New Forest National Park have been awarded the Tripadvisor Certificate of Excellence 2012: Careys Manor & SenSpa in Brockenhurst and its sister hotel The Montagu Arms in Beaulieu have both received that honour, and one can see why.

The Careys Manor we see today was built in 1888 on the site of former buildings named after John Carey, who was given the original Manor in the mid-1600s by Charles II as a reward for his service. The present owners restaurant review

bought the hotel in 1975 and later the pub at the front of the hotel which was renovated and transformed into Le Blaireau, the French Bar and Bistro, giving hotel visitors even more dining choices.

This casual dining option tempts locals as well as hotel guests. Its menu offers French classics in an informal setting that will raise a smile. The walls are covered with Parisian tiles, the tables are marble-topped, there is a 2CV embedded in the wall, and an alley from Marseilles has been imported for your Francophile delight.

The changes didn’t stop with the bistro. In 2004, the Health Club underwent extensive updating and was transformed into the award-winning SenSpa. It has a pronounced Thai theme with teak carving and mirrors in the exercise studio, black fabric and bamboo in the areas dedicated to meditation and quiet. One doesn’t even have to move far from the swimming pool to enjoy authentic Thai food: the Zen Garden Thai restaurant has hand-decorated columns and exotic foliage that will convince the visitor that they have stumbled upon a rather classy corner of Bangkok. restaurant review

Back in the main hotel, the Manor Lounge has a wood-vaulted ceiling and was added to the main building in 1983; it is the area of choice on cold wintery days. The huge fireplace and soft sofas make the lounge perfect for, well, lounging and reading the papers, and possibly dozing near those blazing logs.

The main entrance of Careys Manor is just what one would hope for in a former Victorian hunting lodge. Its reception is oak panelled with an inviting open fire. The imposing staircase sweeps guests up to their rooms, which are well appointed with all the amenities befitting the Manor’s 4-star status. The Victoriana is picturesque, but one will appreciate the electricity, TV, hot showers, and all the other benefits of the 21st century. There is something comforting about staying in a country house hotel: one finds a timeless quality and a genteel elegance. Careys Manor is one of the finest of these characterful hotels, and it’s the attention to detail that has guests returning.

Quality continues in the dining room. Low ceilings, cornice mouldings and wall-lights contrive to make this an intimate experience. The tables are well-spaced, the service friendly but unobtrusive, and the food is outstanding. The menu changes frequently to take advantage of the freshest of local produce from land and sea, and all dishes are presented with flair and a touch of innovation. This is British food with a little French je ne sais quoi, each dish prepared by executive chef Chris Wheeldon, who deserves his two AA Rosettes.

Careys Manor is a hotel for all seasons and for all occasions. Its setting in the New Forest is ideal for long walks and for visiting Beaulieu and other historic villages, as well as Lyndhurst with its traditional high street and tea rooms. But the Manor has the advantage over other hotels in the neighbourhood: it has its celebrated SenSpa which is a destination in its own right. I have visited many excellent spas in the UK, Europe and Asia but SenSpa is outstanding with its pool, steam rooms, treatment rooms, and gym. It’s available for the enjoyment of hotel guests but it’s also appreciated by non-residents who just want day membership.

Careys Manor is whatever you want it to be – restaurant review

relaxing, vibrant, healthful, or indulgent. Its setting is striking but it will be hard to pull yourself away from these superb facilities; so come for a few days and then you might even find the time for an outing to visit the wildlife.

Careys Manor & SenSpa
Brockenhurst, New Forest
Hampshire, SO42 7RH
Phone: 01590 623551
Fax: 01590 622799
Central Reservations: 01590 624467
Email: stay@careysmanor.com

Visit Careys Manor here

Balans Soho for Sunday Brunch

It’s a chain of restaurants and has branches in both London and Miami. The menu in the UK is slightly different from that found in Florida but the style is the same, as are the majority of dishes. london restaurant review

It’s situated on Old Compton Street, named after Henry Compton who raised funds for a local parish church in 1686, although this area was later to become known for less-godly pursuits. This corner of London is geographically and historically a long way from those sunny neighbourhoods of Florida; it does, however, have one common ingredient in that it became a refuge for immigrants through the ages. The area in general and this street in particular became home for French refugees after Charles II gave protection to that country’s fleeing Protestants in the early 1680s.

The ground floors of those original houses have become shops and restaurants. Balans makes its home in one of these with a small facade which hides a sizable restaurant stretching back in Tardis fashion, offering different and defined dining spaces for its clients, who can enjoy Balans for almost 24 hours a day. There are few places in London, or indeed the UK, where one can enjoy some food and perhaps a cocktail at almost any time.

Balans Soho was warm and welcoming on a cold and wet Sunday morning. It has the casual air of a French bistrot with a high bar at the front and booths with red leather, velvet curtains and that distinctive gold-marbled mirror glass that reflects a rich light. That description of the front section is accurate, but if it makes Balans sound rather French-classic the staff and clients contrive to make this a truly contemporary and animated restaurant.

The daytime menu has those comforting and substantial dishes london restaurant review

that Sundays deserve. A full English Breakfast is here and will likely be the plate of choice for those early-morning risers and for those who have not yet made it to bed – this is Soho after all. But this is Balans and it would be a shame to stick to the traditional British fare. Steak and eggs is a hearty start (skirt steak, potatoes, and two free-range eggs) and appealing if you are a truck driver, but another choice for those craving some Americana are pancakes with either fruit or bacon; or cinnamon-sprinkled French toast served with strawberries and banana. It’s a rib-sticking start but the fruit will make you feel noble.

We ordered pots of tea and toasted crumpets (yes, real crumpets with the holes on top to catch melted butter) and scanned the menu for dishes that would set us up for a day of walking. My guest was tempted by corned beef hash with poached eggs and fire-roasted tomatoes. The meat was proper corned beef cut from a cured joint rather than the sort that was ubiquitous a while back – mushy and from a square tin. Lots of onions in this version of hash, and a manly portion.

Ham and eggs was my breakfast and it was a considerable plateful london restaurant review

of gammon steak cooked on the grill, Balans roast potatoes garnished with chillies and spring onions, and two free-range eggs fried over-easy. They don’t short-change the morning diner here, it’s quantity and quality.

Balans offers this same bill of fare for every day but Sundays are special. One has time to meet friends and enjoy food together but the occasion is so much more relaxed when it’s not you doing the early morning cooking and the inevitable washing up. Balans is an ideal place to take guests who can choose their brekkie favourites, but Balans could also be your regular haunt if you are looking for a cosy banquette to nestle with the papers and perhaps some luxurious smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

Opening Times:
Monday to Thursday - 7.30am to 5am
Friday to Saturday 7.30am to 6am
Sunday - 7.30am to 2am

Balans Soho
Old Compton Street
London, W1D 4UG
Phone: 020 7439 2183

Visit Balans Soho here

Leon - Family & Friends

This is the fourth volume in the Leon series, but it isn’t a traditional restaurant book. The clue is in the name, and then in the recipes.

Leon - Family & Friends offers a diverse and eclectic collection of recipes in a book that has that old-fashioned cookbook review

feel of a Christmas Annual. You remember that bumper bump in your stocking (most likely a pillowcase) at the bottom of the bed? It’s the book that you started to read while surrounded by wrapping paper and you didn’t put down till the day after Boxing Day, apart from surfacing for meals.

Yes, those much-loved Annuals are a thing of the past, but Leon - Family & Friends is the adult, food-lover version. Light-hearted graphics, plenty of short stories and instead of washing-up-liquid-bottle projects there are recipes that will remain with you far longer than that something-like-a-rocket ever did. Or perhaps it’s more of a food family album with all those old pictures of parents and far-away places. Our strongest memories are around food, after all.

Leon is an 8-year-old chain of restaurants. It’s not your archetypal fast food concept but it’s about rather good and healthy food rather quickly. These 200 or so recipes are from friends and family of the co-founder, John Vincent and of food consultant and cookbook author, Kay Plunkett-Hogge, although the duo also have their own dishes and food memories.

Kay has a culinary heritage that would be the envy of any food writer. She is steeped in traditional English food simplicity because her parents were British. Her dad now lives in Malta, introducing a sprinkle of Mediterranean seasoning, and she is perfectly at ease with vibrant Thai spices as she was born and brought up in Thailand; and there is a hint of delicious Americana as Kay lived in the US for a number of years. Her husband, Fred, adds to the mix with his own Caribbean connections. Yes, this couple can cook a bit, and meals chez eux are always exciting. You won’t know what to expect but you can guarantee it will be a delight, and if it’s Friday dinner there is sure to be a Martini as garnish.

There are a host of Thai recipes here but Kay has ensured that they are all simple to prepare and these days the ingredients are readily available. Pad Krapow Neua is a flexible recipe which can take advantage of prawns, duck, tofu, chicken, or beef. The finished dish is topped by a deep-fried egg. That might sound a little eccentric but eggs cooked this way are, in my humble Western opinion, superior in texture to the European single-side fry with a bit of a baste.

If you are in the mood for less exotic fare but with flavour then Oven-fried Chicken with Collard Greens might have your name on it. This isn’t an apologetic poultry preparation but the sort that makes a statement, and it could easily become a favourite. The coating is what makes this an outstanding meal, but it’s economic and ideal for hectic weekends when you have a house full. Collard Greens are the side dish (a classic Soul Food vegetable staple) but if you are a stranger to a collard, and most of us are in the UK, then use baby spring greens.

Perhaps my favourite dish from the book is Lamb Boulangère. It takes its name from the baker who would cook roasts in his oven for the local folks. Popping over to your nearest Greggs and asking if they have a corner to spare might not be practical so just use your domestic oven. The secret is to roast the meat directly on the oven shelf, allowing the drippings to anoint the spuds below. Nothing needed with this apart from a bottle of red and some crusty French bread. This could be the easiest Sunday lunch you have ever made.

‘Has something for everyone’ is one of those sugary phrases that’s right up there with ‘what a lovely baby’ and ‘you don’t look a day older’ but Leon - Family & Friends truly has that mass appeal. Its recipes are accessible and tempting and the family anecdotes bring the subject to life. Cooking isn’t just about processing ingredients. It’s personal and a reflection of who we are. You might find that some of these recipes become your own culinary heirlooms, with this well-thumbed book giving memories of its own after another half-century.

Leon - Family & Friends
Authors: Kay Plunkett-Hogge and John Vincent
Published by: Conran Octopus Ltd
Price: £25.00
ISBN 978-1-84091-609-6

Salt Sugar Smoke – How to preserve fruit, vegetables, meat and fish

Diana Henry is an accomplished food writer, and Salt Sugar Smoke does justice to her evident skill and passion. It’s a book you will intend to just dip into but you will likely find, as I have done, that it’s a culinary page-turner of inspiration and striking photography.

This book is pertinent to the times. We want to make the best of ookbook review

produce when it’s cheap (more realistically, a little less expensive) and especially when there is a glut of fresh fruit or vegetables from the garden. Growing your own is always best value, but find a good greengrocer and buy a whole box of veggies and you could have a bargain on your hands. But you’ll need to do something with that seasonal bounty.

We have a siege mentality chez nous when it comes to food – it’s a family trait. There is a strangely addictive element to the process of preserving. I am never happier than when the shelves are full, and particularly with jars sporting my marvellously well-designed home-made labels advertising the sweet or tangy treats inside. Condiments can make the simplest of savoury foods into an exotic feast and there is a hint of smug contentment at the breakfast table when guests ask for more toast for more jam. All that fruit-preserving sounds very noble but then there is that other section to the book, which is less W.I. and more Woo Hoo!, offering recipes for making those slowly-maturing bottles of alcohol hidden at the back of the larder.

Diana Henry has penned a beautiful and practical book that will enable you to fill jars and bottles with foods and drinks that are good enough to share as gifts for family and friends, but are in fact so good that you might not want to. Diana offers recipes for some traditional goods, but lots of her preserves are contemporary and international – something for every taste.

The recipes for cured fish are noteworthy. Pickled Lox are pickled salmon fillets and were a mainstay of Jewish homes in old New York. Diana offers a serving suggestion of these fish with waxy boiled potatoes, but the regular snack for those in the Big Apple was lox partnered with a bagel.

My favourite recipe from the fishy fare is Beetroot-cured Gravlax. It looks spectacular as a centrepiece for any buffet but especially at Christmas, as the colour is so vibrant and festive. This recipe would feed more than a dozen people but it could be reduced if you don’t have that many friends! It’s a handy dish for entertaining as all the work is done well in advance, although I would counsel spending a few moments sharpening your best knife just before your guests arrive: the slices of Gravlax need to be thin and regular.

Scarlet Pepper and Chilli Jam is similar to a condiment I first tried about 20 years ago on a friend’s farm in California. It’s that sweet and hot combination that is mouth-watering. This is a wonderful recipe for those few summer weeks when red peppers are at a reasonable price. Find a chilli that works best for your taste – there are so many around and they vary in potency. This jam also works using green chillies, which will give the jars a bejewelled shine.

The drinks chapter has a host of Vodka-based recipes and there are a couple that I’ll be making right away. Krupnik is delicious and a spirit that I first tried years ago at Baltic restaurant in London, which had a display of gallon demi-johns filled with flavoured vodka, and it would have been rude not to try. Krupnik is sweet, comforting and moreish.

Another one to make for Christmas is Gdansk Vodka. This has complex and rich flavours that would be warming on a winter’s night. It’s said to be best after four years but I would think it would only last that long if you had forgotten where you put it.

Salt Sugar Smoke – How to preserve fruit, vegetables, meat and fish is a book to use and one of the best on the subject that I have come across. There are a few of the usual suspects and the book is no worse for their inclusion, but there is so much more that is new and enticing.

Salt Sugar Smoke – How to preserve fruit, vegetables, meat and fish
Author: Diana Henry
Published by: Mitchell Beazley
Price : £20
ISBN 978-1-84533-564-9

Tiny Food Party

This is an amusing book that offers tiny food. You will likely not have heard of that term, but think bite-sized portions of a whole variety of dishes, including some that you didn’t ever think could be reduced to one or two mouthfuls.
cookbook review

Tiny Food Party offers suggestions for tiny food, but the party can be for as many people as you like. Most sophisticated gatherings these days have trays of delicate, attractive and delicious nibbles that can be enjoyed at a leisurely pace while talking to one’s friends and sipping champagne (or beer or cola or Continental mineral water). Food helps to create an ambiance.

Jenny Park is a food stylist, Teri Lyn Fisher is a photographer and their professional partnership has resulted in a delightful volume that offers practical recipes for small bites that taste as good as they look. This isn’t just food for posh ladies at cocktail parties, although there is plenty that will tempt those demanding palates.

There are nibbles in Tiny Food Party that range from the dainty and beautiful to the robust and substantial. There are finger foods for every occasion, from the smartest of gatherings when you might want to impress your guests, to those evenings when you want a variety of well-presented snacks that will look more complicated than they really are.

There are four main chapters: Tiny Snack Party, Tiny Dinner Party, Tiny Dessert Party, Tiny Cocktail Party – a delicious spread, but the authors won’t mind if you mix and match. Think of these petite dishes as additions to your meze or tapas repertoire. Baby Bolinhos de Bacalhau wouldn’t be out of place in the smartest of bars in Portugal. The recipe takes advantage of flavourful salt cod. Don’t try making this with regular cod: it needs the distinct taste and texture of the preserved fish.

Pajeon are in the Snacks section but they are refined enough to be included in the Cocktail chapter as well. These miniature shrimp pancakes are Korean and exotic without being over-spiced – the punch comes from the dipping sauce. The filling can be changed if you want to create a vegetarian pancake. The batter is simple and can be made in advance.

The Dinner Party menu suggests some small but rib-sticking options ideal for those times when a cheese straw would never be enough. Baby Shepherds Pies are a take on a traditional family favourite. Change that minced lamb to beef and you have the ever-popular Cottage pie. They taste just like the original but a pastry case keeps your fingers clean.

Dessert must be part of any balanced diet and Mini Mochi Ice Cream Balls will likely be new to your guests. The mochi wrapper contains green tea powder and are a Japanese sweet or dessert. It’s a confection that is prized just as much for its texture as its taste, and the addition of green tea ice cream makes this event finale still more striking.

Tiny Food Party has a wealth of ideas for imaginative miniature dishes. It will inspire you to come up with your own recipes. There is nothing too taxing, making this a book not only for the experienced home cook but it might even encourage youngsters into the kitchen. A gift to be welcomed by anybody who entertains at home – and the festive season will soon be with us!

Tiny Food Party
Authors: Jenny Park and Teri Lyn Fisher
Published by: Quirk Books
Price: £12.99
ISBN-10: 1594745811
ISBN-13: 978-1594745812

The America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook

We in the UK can now watch America’s Test Kitchen, hosted by Chris Kimble, on PBS. That’s a non-commercial TV station from the US and they are famed for their quality broadcasting. Yes, they offer programmes that will appeal to American viewers, but so much of that is equally pertinent to us on the right-hand-side of the pond. cookbook review

The America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook is a book to use. It is exactly the style of recipe book that can stay in the kitchen, will lay flat on the counter and provide recipes that won’t break the bank – and that’s important in these gloomy times.

This ring-bound and chunky folder offers more than 750 recipes that can be ready in 45 minutes or less. It takes advantage of fresh ingredients as well as some convenience products available across the US, but its strength lies in providing the inspiration to actually get into the kitchen to cook.

There is a page of ‘Putting Precooked Rice to Work’. There are packets of ready-cooked rice commercially available, but if you don’t have access to such products then just make extra rice when you are doing your regular cooking and put 2 cups-worth into bags and freeze them. The suggestions here are for Chicken Divan Rice Casserole, Asian-Inspired Chicken and Rice, and several others that take advantage of the aforementioned rice along with left-over chicken. Practical, fast, inexpensive and delicious meals for a family of four.

Salmon is a good buy these days and can be found in freezer cabinets: then it’s on hand when you have little time. Choose the best quality you can find. The America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook has Honey-Lime Glazed Salmon, but then it goes on to offer several variations, as with many recipes here.

Fish of every kind is quick to cook and you will be blessed if your homeward commute takes you via a good fishmonger or fresh-fish counter in your supermarket. Try Sesame-Crusted Tuna with Wasabi Dressing – you could serve this with rice or a salad. Very smart and very healthy.

The America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook is a one-stop every-day recipe book that doesn’t expect the user to know anything about cooking. It has a wealth of recipes that are simple to follow and step-by-step pictures to help the novice – soups, pasta, fish, meat, desserts – everything you will need to feed your family. This isn’t extravagant cooking but some of the dishes are stylish enough to serve to dinner-party guests. Every course is considered and 750 recipes will go a long way to providing plenty of choice for even those picky eaters at your dinner table. And it’s The America’s Test Kitchen, so you know those recipes will work. Great value for money.

The America’s Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook
Publisher: America's Test Kitchen
Price: £21.83
ISBN-10: 1933615990
ISBN-13: 978-1933615998

Cookbook: Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian

It’s every inch a limited edition book. In fact there are a lot of inches, oozing quality, artistry, style and delicious

food. Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian is a coffee-table book that is truly the size of a small coffee table, but will likely be more remarked upon than a four-legged piece of pine. This is the stuff of which cookbook heirlooms are made.

Satwant Singh ‘Sat’ Bains is chef-proprietor of the two Michelin star ‘Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms’ in Nottingham. He won, as so many fine chefs have, the prestigious Roux Scholarship in 1999 and was also one of the winners on the BBC show Great British Menu in 2007.

Chef Sat Bains doesn’t come from a family of restaurateurs or food writers, although you could say that his early career was associated with the printed word: he had a paper round. But by the age of 21, he signed up for a course at Derby College. It wasn’t what Sat would describe as a serious career move, as he says he only picked the catering course because it had lots of girls on it.

Chef Sat has worked for the best restaurants all over Europe and the experience has served him well. He became head chef at the Hotel des Clos in Nottingham, which was rebranded and relaunched as Restaurant Sat Bains with Rooms in November 2002. It was awarded a Michelin star in 2003, and a second star was added to that culinary firmament in 2011.

This first edition of Too Many Chiefs Only One

Indian is limited to 10,000 numbered copies. It arrives packaged in a printed mailing box which encourages a degree of anticipation before one even gets a glimpse of the book. The book isn’t actually the next design statement – there is a striking slipcase that protects the soft, black and embossed linen cover of this unique and sizable tome. Face Publications always manage to present something daring and cutting-edge.

The large pages are a showcase for stunning photography by John Arandhara-Blackwell. It’s food but it’s also Sat's passion: he is a real person and a great character; he is easy to warm to and identify with. The recipes might be a little challenging but if you break them down into their constituent parts then you can cook remarkable food. It’s about practice and confidence. Sat presents seasonal produce with flair.

Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian offers the enticing opportunity of being able to order dishes featured in the book at Restaurant Sat Bains even when they’re not on the restaurant’s current menu – that might save you the trouble of investing in a Thermomix or a pint and a half of liquid nitrogen. You can actually taste the food that so marvellously decorates the pages of this book. I’ll be ordering Mutton, Onion Textures or perhaps Ham, Eggs, Peas ...or both. And then there is pud: I would go for Buckthorn with a chaser of Peach, Thyme, Gingerbread. A few visits are in order, and if Michelin were not disappointed then I know I won’t be.

I have been a cookbook reviewer for the past six years and I am always happy to suggest books to suit families, home bakers, those who want budget meals or a touch of the exotic from time to time. They will remain the cornerstone of my reviews but it’s refreshing periodically to have the joy of leafing through an exceptional book that won’t ever be propped up on the kitchen counter. Yes, it’s unashamedly cheffy and there is the odd gadget that you might not have in your domestic kitchen, and a few ingredients that aren’t available at the corner shop.
sat bains

Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian is about inspiration and innovation but it’s not a dry and technical masterwork. Sat has a great sense of humour and the contemporary format is engaging. It’s gift quality and noteworthy, and stands a chance of becoming a gastronomic collectable ...I certainly won’t be giving my copy away. I might be getting a more substantial coffee table, though.

Too Many Chiefs Only One Indian
Author: Sat Bains
Published by: Face Publications
Dimensions: 360x270x40mm, boxed: 460x290x60mm
Price: £75.00
ISBN: 978-0955893025

Further information:
This book is only available through Face Publications and at Restaurant Sat Bains.
www.facepublications.com. For further information please contact Anthony Hodgson on +44 (0)113 203 7378 or anthony@facepublications.com

Chef Maria Elia

She is attractive, petite and has a smile that seems a permanent fixture. Her warm and relaxed demeanour is

indeed a genuine facet of her character, but so is her consummate professionalism and thirst for excellence. She is a successful chef and she just happens to be a woman.

I asked Maria Elia about her childhood memories. “My earliest memory is in fact of food. My dad had a restaurant in Richmond, Surrey, and I remember being there and tasting things, absorbing the atmosphere. Mum, who ran front-of-house, would pick me up from nursery and take me there and I would sit in the kitchen and watch him cook. He would let me do little jobs like grating the parmesan, or feeding potatoes into the rumbler, and at four years old that had a great effect on me.”

What were Maria’s most memorable childhood meals? “I can think of some awful dishes!” Maria laughs. “My sister used to make chili con carne from a packet. Mum used to make shepherd’s pie and marrowfat peas. My best friend at school, her mum used to make a really nice shepherd’s pie with baked beans in it. My auntie in Wales used to make corned beef Cornish pasties – I loved going to Wales! When we were home my dad used to bring in a take-away of souvlaki in a lovely pitta bread – my favourite!”

Maria’s dad is Greek Cypriot and his culinary heritage has provided more food memories. “We would go to Greek weddings on Sundays because my dad always knew someone who was getting married. At the reception I would marvel at all those tables full of food! The best bit was at the end, when we left, and we were all given a little bag of sugared almonds or macaroons, and mum would give me hers, too – I loved that! So on Mondays my school lunchbox would always contain things like Greek stuffed vine leaves and those macaroons.

“So I’m lucky that I had a Greek dad and an English mum. She would cook traditional dishes like roast dinners, and my dad Greek meals, so I got the best of both worlds. I think that what you eat as a child shapes your appetite for the rest of your life. These days, of course, we are exposed to many more influences. My dad wasn’t from a family of chefs, but in his village in the mountains everyone knew how to cook the local produce, the pigs, goats and sheep – there were no ‘chefs’.”

Did having a chef and restaurant-owner father prepare Maria for her hectic life in the professional kitchen? “There were times when my dad was not running a restaurant, and instead he was cheffing for somebody else or he had a butchery round, so I was always exposed to food and restaurants, late hours, everyone always at work, busy – I liked that. When I left school I maria elia

was interested in taking a hotel management degree course, but I was a bit impatient and didn’t want to wait five years before I could be doing what I wanted to do. I found a scholarship at Trusthouse Forte, who at the time had the Café Royal, and a hotel in the City called City Yacht – fine-dining establishments. So I was really lucky to be one of eight taken on that year.

“I knew, at sixteen, that front-of-house was just as important as the kitchen, having done some waitressing, and I wanted to be qualified in both. I went to college, I think, with my eyes wide open, although the cookery part of the course was quite hard: they wanted to teach us, say, the French way which would take four hours, whereas in a restaurant kitchen you learn how to do it in maybe one hour!

“As an apprentice, of course I didn’t earn much, but then I was always at work: pushing the fat from saddles of lamb through the mincer, cutting the fins off what seemed like 250 trout with iron-age scissors that gave you blisters! You couldn’t complain, or show any signs of weakness, or else...

“In 1998, while I was working as a sous-chef at Delfina, I was lucky enough to get a stage at El Bulli, and that had a big impact. When I walked in I thought, ‘This is the show-kitchen, where’s the real kitchen? Oh, this is the kitchen!” I’d never seen a place like this before – all rounded edges, induction hobs, and there was no gas! Chef Ferran Adrià told me, ‘Nothing’s impossible; just open your eyes and start to think outside the box. Everything you thought you knew, throw out of the window, this is a different way. If it works and it tastes good, why not?’

“So when I came back from Spain I was made head chef at Delfina. I wanted to start afresh; I was trying all sorts of things, saying, ‘Taste this, taste this...’, and my goal was to create ‘food with no boundaries’. At the same time I became aware of the concerns over the sustainability of fish stocks around the UK. I looked at the balance between that and the air-miles involved in bringing fish like barramundi in from Australia, and decided that it was better to introduce guests to more unusual and plentiful fish, rather than giving them fish that they might eat at home.

“I was there for ten years, and every week was different. We turned Delfina into a dining ‘destination’. When it changed hands it seemed like the end of an era. I continued to work for them for a while, but I went for an interview for another job, and we were about an hour through the interview before I learnt that it was going to be a vegetarian restaurant! This would be a really big challenge. I went on holiday to Morocco and was really excited by the food there; I filled a notebook with ideas. When I returned, I found an email from Kyle Cathie inviting me to write my first cookbook – and it was to be vegetarian! (The Modern Vegetarian, published April 2009.) That was a great coincidence, and I got quite excited about the idea of the vegetarian restaurant. I worked out menus, costed everything, but in the end that project ran into planning permission problems. maria elia

"While doing a tour of Billingsgate fish market I was introduced to somebody connected with the Whitechapel Gallery; later I got a phone call asking if I would consider opening up the Whitechapel Gallery Dining Room and Café. Things do happen for a reason. Every morning we met in the boardroom to discuss things as a group, which was a totally different way of working for me, and it was refreshing. Whitechapel was more ‘modern British’, with great seasonal produce, totally different, so I took it as far as I could." The restaurant received positive reviews and was awarded 2 AA Rosettes along with a mention in the Michelin Guide.

“I did some consultancy work while writing my book, and have been working with the Joseph stores at Joe’s Café helping to rebrand it. I finished my latest book last week, and now I feel like writing another one, and perhaps opening another restaurant!”

What kind of profile would you envisage for your own restaurant? Maria muses on the future: “It needs to be pitched at the right price – à la carte at £28 for a main course is not going to do it. I want people to sit down in my restaurant, take the first mouthful and say, ‘This really is something! Wow, I’ve never tasted this before! I want to come back.’

“Working at a restaurant I normally use the kitchen door, of course, but at least once a day I walk in the front door to see the place as customers see it.” And I look forward to one day walking through that door to Maria’s own restaurant, where I will be assured of a delightful meal with just a hint of Greek herbs and a huge portion of warm hospitality.

Visit Maria Elia here

London restaurant review: Hummus Bros – Fun family fare

An invitation to review Hummus Bros! Aren’t they a tailoring company? Posh morning coats for hire, wedding togs? Perhaps dinner jackets – it’s a restaurant review site, after all. No, dear sartorially inclined reader, Hummus Bros are a couple of lads (although not actually brothers) who have opened three rather unique casual restaurants with take-away counters.

london restaurant review

Well, there are lots of casual eateries strewn across the length and breadth of London, so what makes Hummus Bros so noteworthy? It’s the food on offer. No sign of a cool-cabinet stuffed with under-stuffed iffy sarnies. No aroma of greasy burgery bits in buns, and the food here is a world away from dubious cheap ethnic lunches.

So what do Hummus Bros sell? Hummus! We have all bought little tubs of this from our local supermarkets where it’s presented as a delicate spread, an addition to a summer buffet table rather than any sort of main event. We just don’t quite know what to do with it but we buy it because it makes us look cosmopolitan.

This chickpea confection has not, until now, been part of the UK culinary tradition. Only a few of us have fond memories of the hummus our grandmothers used to make. But we would have said the same of Indian food a few years ago.

Hummus Bros presents the eponymous dish as a real meal and although that’s new to us here, it is very much a part of the Middle Eastern fashion of eating. It’s a food that ticks all the practical and epicurean boxes for me. It’s typical comfort food with a creamy texture and mild flavour. It’s natural and healthy and it’s easy to eat – in fact so easy that you don’t even need cutlery, although those nice brothers do provide ecologically sound wooden forks for the overly genteel. london restauranr review

Hummus is converted from a snack into a meal by the addition of flavourful toppings. There are selections of standards that are advertised on the menu and there are weekly specials to keep the regulars engaged. For those who want to perk up the paste there are bottles of garlic and lemon to sprinkle. Mixed vegetable salad, tabouleh (bulgar wheat with finely chopped red peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, coriander, parsley and mint – authentic with lots of herbs), Greek salad, smoky barbecued aubergine, falafel salad are all offered as side dishes.

There are two sizes available: a small bowl of topped hummus constitutes a light lunch, and a regular portion is a dinner for the seriously peckish. The mushroom topping with caramelised onions is a sweet vegetarian option for those who want a hearty and flavourful meal. All bowls of hummus have brown fluffy pitta bread included: delicious, and acting as your edible scoop.

Committed carnivores will note that Hummus Bros is not a preachy, worthy, tie-dye, sandal- toting kinda place. The food isn’t about feeling noble it’s about feeling full, so chunky beef – a seasonal, slow cooked stew of tender meat – is one of the suggested toppings, and it’s truly melting. There is also chicken and that, along with guacamole, is the most popular of garnishes.

I am a collector of cookbooks so a 5,000-year old recipe was bound to grab my attention. Fava beans with slow-cooked free-range egg is a popular breakfast dish in Egypt. I had heard about it but here was my chance to try it. Anything that’s been on the menu for that long has evidently got something going for it. After one bowl I am hooked. It’s a must-try signature dish of smooth hummus and rich, soft beans with slices of tinted eggs, the addition of which turns a sustaining meal into a feast. I agree it might not sound a stunner, but it will likely turn you away from those golden arches.

Talking of fast food outlets... nothing wrong with them, the problem rests with us, the buying public. If we eat those burgers in moderation then we have nothing to fear. They provide a meal on the trot and we have all enjoyed them from time to time when those hunger pangs kick in and a Mcwendyking is all that’s handy. But we want to encourage our kids to adopt good eating habits, healthy foods that they will be keen to eat. Hummus Bros could take the place of burger bars and huts of pizza. Hummus is kid friendly. The texture is appealing to even the fussiest of toddlers. The standard dish of hummus with a helping of chickpeas is fun to eat, with no strong seasonings. Tiny fingers will grab the peas and little hands will dip the pitta. No crusts to chew so that’s yet another hurdle out of the way. This food isn’t dumbed down for children but you will find that they will love to eat just the same dishes as mum and dad; and mum and dad will love that the kids are eating! Good for most folks with allergies, as well.

Hummus Bros is keen to stress its eco-friendly philosophy but you won’t become a regular here for that reason. You’ll return for the food.

Hummus Bros
88 Wardour Street, Soho, London W1F 0TJ
Phone: 020 7734 1311

Victoria House, 37-63 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4DA
Phone: 020 7404 7079

128 Cheapside, London EC2V 6BT
Phone: 020 7726 8011

Email: info@hbros.co.uk
Visit Hummus Bros here

London restaurant review: Penny Black for Dinner

The Fulham Road isn’t my usual hunting ground, although it’s well served by public transport and easily accessible, but after my recent dining experience I may well become a habitué of that neighbourhood. Penny Black sits at number 212 as a tastefully understated icon of real British Food, and is unique in several regards.
The name comes from the stamp, or more accurately some prints of that philatelic classic. It wasn’t a long-lived symbol of Victorian communication but it was a trail-blazer, and the eponymous restaurant might well become just that for the culinary scene in this area. Tony Ho and his two partners have 3 life-times worth of experience in opening restaurants, so longevity can reasonably be assured. london restaurant review

The facade is in fact quite muted: a vision of charcoal grey and simple frosted windows. Those windows do hide the interior somewhat, but I rather favour the anonymity and those windows could become a trade-mark for future restaurants – well, I can imagine that anything this good is bound to become a small and classy chain.

There were a couple of tables outside and those were already occupied by diners enjoying a glass of British fizz chosen from the quite remarkable wine list, in fact a chunky catalogue offering many noteworthy wines, almost all by the glass. Tony Ho has a passion for wine, and that’s proving to be an asset now that he has his own establishment.

One enters to find that mysterious interior is in fact contemporary and welcoming. A small lounge area has become popular for pre-meal drinks, and for leisurely coffees after what is sure to be a copious and full-on feed. Hospitality is generous here and one is bound to linger. Tony explained that they wanted to create a home-from-home for their guests – the foodie equivalent of the old-fashioned pub for the drinking fraternity. A place to bring the family for Sunday lunch (soon to be reviewed here).

The décor is tasteful and unfussy with aubergine and white walls which sport not only those Penny Blacks but other pop-art prints and a rather rude Salvador Dali. (Sit your granny under that and she will never notice, although she will wonder why everyone is smiling at her.) Crisp white linen reinforces the impression that this is probably going to be a fine dining restaurant – traditional food but a high-end experience. london restaurant review

I would describe the menu as British, comforting, vibrant and inspiring. It’s not retro but it is definitely traditional. The ingredients are fresh and seasonal, and showcase the best from these shores and inland as well. Favourite and simple dishes, and some innovations.

It was a hot evening so a salad was on the cards for this sticky reviewer. Ham, goat’s cheese and peaches garnished with mixed leaves was a substantial plateful. The ham was hand carved, moist and delicious, the cheese tangy and the peaches ripe, sweet and summery. A flavourful introduction to the high standards of both presentation and style.

My guest chose Potted Devon shrimps, watercress, and wholemeal toast. The shrimps had the real taste of the sea. The recipient of this bounty was born and bred on the coast and he proclaimed this seafood dish to be as good as his childhood memories of Sunday teatime. A must-try whenever it’s on the menu.

Toad in the Hole was my main course. This isn’t a dish with which to be cheffy. Real toads and a batter made with crushed Mongolian london restaurant review

blue wheat flour isn’t the way to go when preparing such a British standard. The reality at Penny Black was just what you would hope to find: an individual pud with three well-seasoned and meaty bangers, a garnish of lightly cooked carrots and broccoli, and gravy on the side. I would describe this as “right” and that’s just how it should be.

The Beef Wellington here is already a signature dish and it’s easy to see why. This was a manly meal of tender and pink-tinged meat encased in flaky pastry. This is the posh face of standard British cuisine. It is, in my experience, a difficult dish to do well at home and one best left to the experts. Meat isn’t cheap and you don’t want to ruin it so come to Penny Black instead. My guest was glowing with replete satisfaction... but he still had space for dessert.

What could be more comforting than Bread and Butter Pudding? It was a regular highlight for dinner at grandma’s. It’s an economic dessert and a comforting stunner. It should be custardy and unctuous and piping hot; this one ticked all the boxes.

Penny Black will stick longer than the stamp ever did. One can try and analyse the reasons it will, but it’s probably enough to say that it’s quite simply everything a good British restaurant should be. It has already attracted followers who first came out of curiosity, but who return because the food and the service will be predictably good.

Opening Hours
Tuesday to Saturday: 12 noon - 3pm Lunch, 6pm - 11pm Dinner
Sunday: 12 noon - 10:30pm Lunch and Dinner
Closed Mondays

London restaurant review: Penny Black Restaurant
212 Fulham Road, Chelsea, London SW10 9PJ
Phone: 0845 838 8998
Email: info@thepennyblack.com
Visit Penny Black here

London restaurant review:

Bavarian Beerhouse - Tower Hill

What can be more iconic than the Tower of London? Its imposing stones and gilded embellishments still have that wow factor. The building must have filled the local population with awe when first erected back in the early 1080s. William the Conqueror began to build a massive tower at the centre of his London home, and down the centuries successive kings have added to the complex.

So you have spent a day of leisure by the Thames. You have had a guided tour with a Yeoman. (Not to be missed: each of these gentlemen has had years of service in the army and has rafts of stories to tell.) You now need some food. A proper meal. Something hearty, reasonable price, not too exotic as Martha gets hiccoughs if she eats spice, and Abner likes a slice of meat that he can recognise.

Bavarian Beerhouse at Tower Hill (there is another branch at Old Street) opened in May 2010. It’s just 50 metres from Tower Hill Underground station and built under the railway bridge just to the right of the station exit. The previous tenants were Pitcher and Piano but it seems it was time for a change. It’s rumoured that the Bavarian Beerhouse tripled their predecessor’s revenue within the first month.

The Old Street venue was very much a party place but Tower Hill has loftier horizons... at least on the ground floor. This is a cool, contemporary restaurant space with Bavarian accents. There are some of the traditional benches and rustic touches but the ambiance, at least during the day and early evening, is of casual but calm dining.

The basement level boasts several adjoining rooms and has an atmosphere similar to that of the Old Street branch. This is more for the lads’ night out or for blokey gatherings to watch sports and the like. A stag-night london restaurant review

favourite, one would imagine. Those long benches again and low ceilings and its own bar. The basement is ideal for private functions.

We, an elderly and sedate couple, were seeking some food rather than a shot-drinking competition. I loved the food at Old Street and it’s just as good at Tower Hill. It’s a shame that German food is taken as something of a joke. These are real and unfussy dishes, and I am a fan. There are sausages aplenty as one would expect, and pork shanks to satisfy the most robust of rugby players, but I love Jäger Schnitzel - pork escalope topped with a creamy mushroom sauce and served with a mound of thin fries. One needs to come hungry to take advantage of these large portions.

May has a ‘special’: White Asparagus from Germany (Weisser Deutscher Spargel aus Deutschland). It’s an annual festival of this unique vegetable, thicker than the usual green asparagus and with a delicate flavour. There are various dishes showcasing these creamy white and chunky spears: a soup, or simply served with sauce and boiled potatoes, or with Black Forest ham. My companion chose breaded pork escalope topped with white asparagus and Hollandaise sauce, garnished with fried potatoes. A substantial plateful which was pronounced a winner.
london restaurant review

Too full for a dessert we did succumb to shots. No, we didn’t down them in one gulp and we only tried one each, as a journey the length of the District Line beckoned. My guest ordered the Oktoberfest Pudding Schnapps which was berry-based, sweet and dark – almost Christmassy. I was taken by the Apple Schnapps (Apfelkorn) because I reasoned it would constitute one of my 5 a day. This was a stunner and I could happily have consumed several more had time allowed. Perhaps I have an excuse for a return visit.

Bavarian Beerhouse - Tower Hill is bound to be popular. It’s evidently already the preferred staging post for local workers and couples heading West for evenings out. It’s a light, bright and friendly spot to enjoy good traditional fare. I wish it continued success.

London Restaurant review: Bavarian Beerhouse - Tower Hill
The Arches, 9 Crutched Friars, London EC3N 2AU
Phone 0844 330 20 05
Email: info@bavarian-beerhouse.co.uk
Visit Bavarian Beerhouse here

Bavarian Beerhouse - Old Street
190 City Road, London EC1V 2QH

Opening Times
Mon - Thur 12pm - 11pm
Friday 12pm - 1am
Saturday 1pm - 1am
Sunday 12pm - 9pm

Cookbook review: Rose Petal Jam –
Recipes and Stories from a Summer in Poland

The very title ‘Rose Petal Jam’ evokes shimmering heat-hazed visions of meadows, trees, clear sky, and perfume wafting on a warm breeze. One could be anywhere: England on an August afternoon, perhaps Italy when the world is quiet after lunch. But this book concerns itself with Poland, and it is enticing. cookbook review

Rose Petal Jam – Recipes and Stories from a Summer in Poland allows me to indulge my twin passions of food and travel. It masterfully charts a path between cookbook and travelogue, and is an illustration of how something can grow to be more than the sum of its parts.

Beata Zatorska had penned a cookbook, but wouldn’t it have been lacking something without those touching family stories? She has written a charming travel book about her beloved Poland, and food has always been central to the country, its culture and its heritage. Who could describe Poland and not mention a few of its celebrated dishes? Beata has achieved a balance that will enthral the home cook and have those with itchy feet reaching for the AA Big Road Atlas (now extended eastwards).

These are not just random Polish recipes. This book is an archive of Beata’s grandmother’s dishes. She was herself a chef and passed on her passion for food to her granddaughter. So many of the dishes included have a story – like the stuffed eggs that Beata’s grandmother served the anxious youngster on the day of her exams. Those exams allowed Beata eventually to become a doctor.

The Polish kitchen makes the very best of seasonal produce. There is nothing exotic here, but this book does present a raft of unique (to us in the UK, at least) ideas for using fruit, vegetables and meat. There are no extravagant ingredients. You will likely have everything you need already in your larder or at your local grocers. It won’t be necessary to buy ethnic kitchen gadgets imported from Warszawa.

Kisiel – Strawberry Fruit Pudding – is a good example of the style of practical, simple and economic recipes here. Few ingredients, and not a costly dish if one uses fruit at its summery best rather than making this for Boxing Day with southern-hemisphere strawberries.

The British climate allows us to take full advantage of wintery dishes for a full nine months of the year, so I have already pencilled in Potato Dumplings to garnish a rich and flavourful Polish Beef Goulash. This is a little different from the Hungarian version, which is traditionally more of a soup than a stew. A tablespoon of dill is the surprise ingredient here.

Pierogi are the Polish equivalent of ravioli and my favourites are those filled with potatoes and cheese. They are described as Russian Pierogi but they are ubiquitous at the Polish dinner table ...unless my Polish friends are really Russians. Serve with melted butter and a garnish of tangy sour cream or even crème fraîche.

We are becoming more familiar with Polish food in the UK. There are numerous supermarkets offering Polish delicacies in jar and tin, but we are finding more cafés and delis with shelves and counters laden with cakes and pastries and ready-made meals. I have not yet come across Rose Petal Jam but now I can make my own ...along with a few bottles of pepper vodka ...and perhaps a dish of sweet Angel Wings alongside. Buy two copies of this book: keep one on the book shelves as a travel guide for the food lover, and leave the other, soon to be butter-smeared, in the kitchen as a well-used cookbook and a reminder of the reasons you will want to visit Poland.

This is a sumptuous and heart-warming book with stunning photography by Beata’s husband, Simon Target. So this is a family food memoir that we are invited to borrow. The memories might not be ours but a trip to Poland will rectify that.

Cookbook review: Rose Petal Jam – Recipes and Stories from a Summer in Poland
Author: Beata Zatorska, Photography by Simon Target
Published by: Tabula Books
Price: £25.00
ISBN: 978-0-9566992-0-6

Restaurant review: Fusion Brasserie Worcestershire for dinner

One can search for Italian food in all the famous towns that boast true Italian or Tuscan culinary heritage: Florence, Siena, Hawbridge, Pisa, Grosseto. We take advantage of fresh produce, delicious dressed pasta and desserts fit to ruin any diet. The tourist soaks up the history of those Italian... but... Hawbridge doesn’t sound very Italian. Well, it truly is a long way from Italy but it can still be described as a culinary hub, and in our own very accessible Worcestershire.

This transplantation is not due to continental drift. It’s just the restaurant review

home of Fusion Brasserie and it’s the showcase for celebrated Chef Felice Tocchini, who has had a surprisingly long career. He got his first job in the food and beverage industry at the tender age of six – his parents had a bar in a Tuscan village and it was Felice's job to make the coffee.

The experience at the espresso machine obviously inspired Felice. At fourteen, he embarked on a three-year cookery course at the Ferdinando Martini Catering College in Montecatini Terme. He worked in hotel kitchens and ski resorts during his holidays. In 1988 he was invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Theatre restaurants as a Commis Chef. Later, Felice became head chef at the Seymour House Hotel in Chipping Campden and eventually became Chef Manager, remaining there for over 15 years.

In 2004 Felice and his wife Fiorinda opened their own restaurant. Fusion opened originally in Alcester; eighteen months later they moved to a more suitable site and that was the Bird in Hand, Hawbridge, Stoulton, Worcestershire, where they’ve now settled.

Felice now owns two award-winning restaurants in Worcestershire - Fusion Brasserie and Fusion Too. His wife and son Daniel work with him, Fiorinda as front of house manager and Daniel as a chef. Felice is passionate about local ingredients and works with growers and producers to promote even the least-adored veggies like the humble sprout. The menu changes with the seasons so every visit will offer something new. restaurant review

We were looking forward to good food in a casual and contemporary restaurant. Contemporary, yes, but Fusion isn’t stark and minimalist. The walls are painted and unfussy, but the muted maroon and cream were thoughtful colours that helped to create a cosy ambiance in an open restaurant space. I was very much taken by the unique salt and pepper mills on each table. These and other food-related products can be yours with no need to resort to theft. Fusion has its own shop displaying the chef’s food products and local crafts.

We had earlier enjoyed a good lunch and arrived less than ravenous, so settled on what we thought would be moderate-sized dishes. But this truly was a little bit of Italy and we soon realised that we would go home stuffed and contented.

We started with breads and dips – Pane casereccio – artisan breads, served with sun-blush tomato and fusion hummus. This was a considerable display of the chef’s baking skills as well as a presentation of simple yet flavourful spreads. Some fruity olive oil and balsamic vinegar wafted us back to a much less comfortable restaurant in southern Italy many years ago. No, the best Italian restaurants are not necessarily back in the old restaurant review

country. It has more to do with integrity of ingredients than geography.

My companion was tempted by the prospect of some beef - Filetto al Piatto. Thin slices of Aberdeen Angus placed on an extremely hot plate arrived sizzling and in theatrical fashion, aromatic with garlic and herbs. The chunky chips were indeed just that – chunky, crisp on the outside with fluffy interior. My guest was delighted with his meal and pronounced the meat to be tender and full of flavour. A deceptively simple dish that once again relies on the quality of the key ingredient. This is a restaurant that has confidence in its suppliers.

I felt a pasta was in order. Fusion is, after all, an Italian restaurant. Just a modest bowl of oil- and garlic-dressed pasta with some sweet sprouting greens was what I expected and that’s what I got. Well, not a modest bowl – remember, this is transplanted Italy. The pasta was cooked, as one would expect, to perfection – al dente. Oil, but just enough, chilli sufficient to create a glow, and garlic just for pure rich flavour. A classic dish and enough to defeat a rugby player.

Fiorinda tempted us with a little taste of dessert. Six little culinary masterpieces arrived and proved the rule that states that however full one is there is always a little nook available for something sweet. We nibbled sponge pudding, savoured sorbet, treated ourselves to just another bite of tiramisu... The list seemed endless but we enjoyed those sweets so much that we were glad it was.

We had intended an early night but in true Italian fashion the restaurant review

conversation with our hosts flowed freely. This chef is generous. Yes, the portions are substantial but his generosity extends not only to plates but to people. His passion and pride are evident. His skill is unquestionable and his enthusiasm contagious. A warm evening of marvellous food and friendship.

Opening Times Fusion Brasserie:
Lunch: Tues-Sat 11.30am-3.00pm (last orders 2.30pm)
Dinner: 5.30pm-close (last orders 9.30pm)
Sunday: 12.00 pm - 4.00 pm (last orders 2.30pm)

Restaurant review: Fusion Brasserie
Hawbridge, Stoulton, Worcestershire WR7 4RJ.
Phone: +44 (0)1905 840647.
Email: enquiries@fusionbrasserie.com
Visit Fusion Brasserie here

Updated May 2013

Books and Restaurants on this page:

Some favourite publishers

UK tableware and kitchenware online

From kitchen utensils to china tableware, stone grills to cataplanas . . .

It's all about food and a bit of travel, lots of cookbook, restaurant and hotel reviews. If you can't find a restaurant or cookbook here it's because I have either not yet reviewed or did not like it. Please look elsewhere for negative reviews.

Latest News!

Now published

Capital Spice by Chrissie Walker

Enter our free draw for a copy here

Competition Competition Competition Competition

Click here to enter all Competitions