Archive For February 2012

First Preserves by Vivien Lloyd – review

First Preserves by Vivien Lloyd – review

Times are tough and we crave security, old-fashioned values and comforts. We are more likely than ever to eat at home rather than going to a restaurant and it’s said that we are spending more time in the kitchen as a result of our changed eating habits. There is a lot of interest in vegetable…

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Marshmallow Madness by Shauna Sever – review

Marshmallow Madness by Shauna Sever – review

There is cooking. There is baking. And then there is culinary alchemy. There are several dishes that fall into that mysterious category. There is cinder toffee – you will likely know this better as honeycomb or the filling for those Crunchie bars, a tooth-achingly sweet confection made from sugar and raising agent that produces golden…

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Taylor’s Port and Fladgate Hospitality – travel review

Taylor’s Port and Fladgate Hospitality – travel review

Port is enjoying something of a revival with the addition of both white and pink varieties to its classic styles. It’s a wine with a unique history that has almost as much to do with politics as grapes. Taylor’s Port is at the centre of the story. With the exception of Port, Portuguese wine has…

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Bubbleology – Soho – café review

Bubbleology – Soho – café review

I have long heard of bubble tea, and have read the descriptions and seen the pictures, but it had been an exotic mystery … until now. Bubble tea is the name for a ‘pearl’ tea drink with milk or fruit juice that originated in tea shops in Taichung, Taiwan, during the 1980s. There are plenty…

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Complete Indian Cooking by Mridula Baljekar – review

Complete Indian Cooking by Mridula Baljekar – review

No complaints from this cookbook reviewer. This is just the kind of book that I seek out and enjoy. Practical, that’s the word. Colourful and informative and presenting easy-to-follow recipes. Southwater (an imprint of Anness Publishing) offers the style of books that will be used and enjoyed and that should surely be the very reason…

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Grafton Hotel, Tottenham Court Road – review

Grafton Hotel, Tottenham Court Road – review

It’s the location of Grafton Hotel that is part of its appeal. Many hotels boast “good transport links” but The Grafton could hardly have a better position. Some guests at the hotel might be fortunate enough to have a suite with a view over an iconic London Underground station. Warren Street tube is right next…

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