Archive For June 2011
Well the title The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion encouraged me to think that this was going to be a rather serious tome, probably penned in the 1930s by the aging bartender in some swep-up hostelry in Venice. The subtitle held out a bit more hope that this was going to be a rollicking good…
It’s been decades since a Sunday lunch just meant a huge roast with all the trimmings. We have travelled and our tastes are much broader. Some things remain the same though, at least for me. Good company and the Sunday lunch music with which I grew up. It’s family time. We gather a group of…
No, don’t just skip by this review. New Vegetarian Kitchen should not encourage shudders from meat-eaters. This book is a striking and mouth-watering showcase for dishes that just don’t happen to contain bits of fish or animals. Everyday meat-eating is a rare occupation in the 21st century, even for those who would not consider themselves…
Feasts are at the very centre of our best and most dearly-held memories. Christmas or Hanukah or other important festivals with all those traditions: the same dishes on the table, the best foods of the season, Grandmother’s crockery, and tales of past feasts. My Family Feast – A world of family recipes and traditions invites…
[This venue is now closed] There has been an Italian restaurant on this site in Curzon Street since the 1930s. Tempo is its latest reincarnation and it stands a good chance of staying just there for another 70 years. Even this early in its predicted long history, it ticks all the boxes, at least for…
The Pestana Chelsea Bridge Hotel is a 4-star hotel in one of London’s most iconic of locations. It’s conveniently placed just a few yards from the River Thames with views over Battersea Park. This is an up-and-coming neighbourhood with stylish apartment blocks giving an air of affluent big-city life. The hotel offers easy access to…
The title of Fuchsia Dunlop’s Chinese cookbook is intriguing. The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook might not immediately sound appealing. Is this food for revolutionaries? Perhaps dishes to be welcomed by malcontent student activists and probably served from huge vats dotted around government buildings. It is in fact a tome that could just as reasonably be entitled…
Fish cooking is still a mystery to many of us. Even accomplished cooks might not be too sure of their culinary ground. It is delicate; we think it will be a fiddle to prepare; will the kids like it? Fish, just as with any ingredient, needs to be treated with respect but it ain’t rocket…
Annabel Langbein is a name new to many of us in the UK but that will likely change with the publication of The Free Range Cook, her latest book, and the airing of a TV series. Annabel is a celebrity cook from New Zealand and she founded the International Culinary Institute of New Zealand. She…