Archive For October 2010
So many of us were brought up on mince. Grey and unappetising for school dinners, and brown and unappetising at home. Little imagination was given to this perennial staple and little thought. Mince was invariably beef but, done well, it could have been comfort on a plate. Favourite Mince Recipes honestly pushes the envelope and…
This is a sizeable tome for those committed carnivores who are truly interested in their food. Leith’s Meat Bible is a one-stop book for the meat-eater who cooks, or for anyone else who cooks for people with a love of delicious protein. It’s not a cheap meal option so you’ll want to make the best…
She was and still is one of our most celebrated food writers. Her first book was published in 1950 in those dark days after the Second World War finished and before normal life began again. One could liken her work to the equivalent of colour TV arriving in our sitting rooms. Yes, we had enjoyed…
The Real Greek was founded in 1999 by celebrity chef and author Theodore Kyriakou and his team. His books include A Culinary Voyage Around the Greek Islands, The Real Greek at Home: Dishes from the Heart of the Greek Kitchen, and other cookbooks promoting Greek food. The group opened the Hoxton branch and won “Best…
This should, in all honesty, be the shortest restaurant review you will ever read. Unbeatable for its genre. Go before the tables need to be booked months in advance. I’ll be returning. It’s well up to the standard of the competition. Yes, all true, but I guess my dear reader will want some padding on…
We have heard of Manchester, and it’s no surprise that there are lads from that fine city living in Croatia, but who is Paški Sir? It’s not a man but rather a hard-textured, distinctive sheep milk cheese from the Croatian island of Pag, and it’s the most celebrated of their artisanal cheeses. The unique flavour…
Raghu Rai may not be a name familiar to you unless you are a photography professional. He has, however, had a career which has been so noteworthy that he was awarded the Padmashree in 1971, one of India’s highest civilian awards. Raghu’s National Geographic article “Human Management of Wildlife in India” won him high praise…
You probably won’t recognise the name of the chef unless you are reading this in Japan. It’s no surprise, but our ignorance has everything to do with geography and nothing to do with lack of celebrity or talent on behalf of Chef Murata. He is a much-Michelined restaurant owner/chef as well as being a familiar…
Biscotti are cookies, cookies are biscuits and biscuits are biscotti unless you are from the US where a biscuit is a scone …if you are from England. This book concerns itself with small crunchy sweet and decadent treats that go well with a cup of tea, an espresso, a glass of wine or to accompany…
This is surely a prize-winner among this year’s food-related books. One would think that it would be a dry and worthy tome. The sort that many own and none read. The Flavour Thesaurus has the linen hard-cover of dusty library volumes, but a peek inside and anyone with even a slight interest in food will be…
Arto der Haroutunian died too young. His books have become collector’s items but thanks to Grub Street we can all have access to his collections of eclectic and fascinating recipes. He had a focus on Middle Eastern food but this particular volume, The Yogurt Cookbook, is ingredient-based and offers an insight into the uses of yogurt…
Cinnamon Kitchen is another of the restaurants in chef Vivek Singh’s empire. Cinnamon Club in Westminster has long been the classy and dark-polished-wood Indian restaurant of choice for the great and the good, and even politicians from the big house up the road. Cinnamon Soho has recently opened and offers a dining experience that’s fast,…