Posts Tagged “American”
Italian-American diner. Picture this, dear reader: it’s early(ish) morning in the Strand at the foot of Waterloo Bridge. The weather is freezing, and our breath hangs in clouds. Time for a hot breakfast and a nice sit down, so it’s to Frankie and Benny’s we go. This restaurant is part of a small chain. Frankie…
Year-round protection. It was back in 1937 when Alfred Woelbing started making Carmex® medicated lip balm by hand. He poured the melted preparation into the now-classic little jars in his kitchen. Alfred had cold sores and the balm helped in the cold Northern States of the USA. I first came across Carmex® in the early…
Master the Perfect Crust and 255 Amazing Fillings, with Fruits, Nuts, Creams, Custards, Ice Cream, and More; Expert Techniques for Making Fabulous Pies from Scratch is the descriptive subtitle. In Short its Pie Academy! Pie Academy is a worthy tome which will bring joy to the hearts of all home bakers. Author Ken Haedrich has…
Where did that year go? Still getting the pine needles from last year out of the carpet pile and now it’s time to shed anew! Jelly Belly started as a confectionery company in the US in 1869. It’s still a family-owned company and since 1960 they have been famed for their jelly beans. They are…
Well, perhaps this is lucky timing for a review of a restaurant called POTUS! President Trump has been visiting London and POTUS Bar and Restaurant at Crowne Plaza London – Albert Embankment is just a stone’s throw from the new American Embassy. Perhaps Mr Trump will pop in to sample some solid American fare before…
It’s true! I am a Londoner and have never been, until now, to the Hard Rock Café. My guest boasted that he had been before, but that was back in 1975! Yes, this restaurant is iconic and although its food is quintessentially American there is so much that is British. Hard Rock Café was founded…
I was already an unashamed admirer of this classic steakhouse. Smith & Wollensky ticks all the gastronomic boxes for me, and with decor to bring joy to the very soul of this reviewer of ‘a certain age’. Yes, I appreciate quality, but it must be unintimidating. Yes, I want classic service, but it must be…
In the heart of Bloomsbury, not far from Russell Square Underground station, one finds a new area of restaurants, cafés and retail outlets. It’s popular every day but at weekends Brunswick Square comes to life! When the sun shines it becomes a magnet for those looking for a bite to eat and a convivial glass…
Malbec is a characterful red wine and is becoming more popular with restaurant goers and home sippers alike. This comes from the Bío Bío Valley in the southern part of Chile. The climate is cool and similar to that found in the Mediterranean. The soil is poor and clay-based and low in fertility, so ideal…
Cuba: The Cookbook is a stunning volume from Phaidon, who are celebrated for publishing unique international recipe books to tempt and inspire the home chef. This one is no exception. Cuba’s launch (the book, that is) couldn’t be more timely. News of the island is hitting the headlines at the moment, and people are taking…
Peanut Butter Fudge S’mores was a sweet star What a view! There can be few places more picturesque than the bank of the River Thames by the 18th century Richmond Bridge. It’s beautiful at any time but on a summer’s evening it’s memorable. A seat at Jackson and Rye will give you the best spot….
From Stop and Shop Get a taste of the Old West with this hearty casserole. Ingredients 1 pound ground chuck 1 medium onion, chopped 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained 1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chilies, drained 1 cup fresh or frozen corn 1 10 3/4 oz can 98% fat free…
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 a paper version of he series. This book is…
We in the UK can now watch America’s Test Kitchen, hosted by Chris Kimball, 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…
There is a little piece of London that will remain forever America. No, it’s not the US Embassy. It’s the award-winning Big Easy, which is an institution where you will be a lot more welcome, and staff are even polite! This casual restaurant is modelled on those American Gulf Coast crabshacks. That might not mean…
Bean by Bean, it sounds like a wholesome and perhaps hippie subject and when one notices the name of the author, Crescent Dragonwagon, then one will be convinced that one will have incense burning and tie-dye dishcloths as kitchen companions to this book. Take the trouble to actually open the cover and you will appreciate…
Into every cookbook reviewer’s life comes a publisher who says “I saw this and thought of you.” And so it was that I was the recipient of Little Old Lady Recipes. It’s a charming book written by the aforementioned sassy gals, and is evidently considered a book to be enjoyed by this Little Old Lady….
We don’t have months and months of good weather in Britain so we make the best of it when the sun does shine: DIY centres are targeted by those looking for charcoal, butchers are full of hunters of the great British banger or the ubiquitous burger, and fire stations are on alert. But there must…
For the edification of those barbecue virgins, I should explain that the Weber in question is the manufacturer of the celebrated dome-lidded barbecue which is considered by many to be one of the best. Jamie Purviance has sufficient confidence to ally himself to that grill by penning Weber’s Complete Barbecue Book, which bears both his…
Ahhh, those were the days when I could sit and watch American TV all day long. Hundreds of channels and about a dozen that any thinking person would want to watch. Harsh words, them, but true. My habitual viewing was the US Food Network. I drank in the programmes which introduced me to new recipes…