Archive For November 2009
I am not a lover of any particular ethnic cuisine. I have no national preferences. It’s all about taste. I do, however, find myself drawn to the food of India (we in Britain have had a love affair with food of the subcontinent for generations), North African food (my years living in France have introduced…
It’s that time of year again when we start to think about heavy-duty cooking and baking for friends and family. We plan the Thanksgiving menu (if you hail from the US) and the Christmas meal and we even consider a nice bit of baking. Somehow the holiday season brings out the Martha Stewart or Delia…
The author of this marvellously ‘vintage’ volume is actually Lulu Gwynne rather than Betty Blythe as one assumes 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…
This London hotel was opened in 1975, and reopened in 2006 after a £76m refurbishment. In the restaurant, natural materials are used to great effect. Wood veneers with metallic finishes complement tan leather upholstery; there is an “English grass” motif in frosted glass as well as coloured-glass vases artfully displayed in a subtly-lit slot. All…
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…
Life was easier back then. A bottle of sherry for Christmas or when the vicar was coming to tea, some brown ale for dad on Saturday night and a bottle of Hirondelle wine to drink in the kitchen at parties. Now we have choices and viticultural aspirations …but what to buy? I offer you two…
London is celebrated as perhaps having the most vibrant and eclectic theatre district in the world. Yes, going for an evening of roaring grease paint and smelly crowd is still a treat but it’s never been more accessible. Tickets are easy to book and you won’t need to mortgage the kids to finance the trip……