Malbec in Bordeaux and in Burgundy bottles to boot: The new label extraordinaire going against the grain October 4, 2016 France has always been a nation of revolutionaries, whether they are political ones like Robespierre and Danton, scientists such as Marie Curie, or philosophers like Descartes or Jean Paul Sartre. So I suppose I should not be surprised to find a genuine wine revolutionary living next door to my new home in Gascony, who is [...]
These are quite possibly the eight best bottles of cognac in the world October 3, 2016 All cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac. The real stuff is distilled in a small and highly protected wine-growing region around the town of Cognac in the south west of France and, like many wines and cheeses, it must meet the strict requirements of the ‘appellation d’origine controlee’ before it can be [...]
Our resident chef Mark Hix on why these orange giants should be eaten all year round September 27, 2016 Pumpkins and squashes aren’t just for Halloween. We should eat them like we do other more mainstream root vegetables, because they are equally delicious. The pumpkin and squash family, collectively known as cucurbits, are actually a fruit. They have hundreds of relatives; nearly a thousand to be precise, including melons and cucumbers. Years ago you would [...]
Dinner at The Twits at The Vaults is impressively immersive, but the food is as bad as it looks September 22, 2016 Dinner at The Twits invites you into the dining room of Roald Dahl’s most hideous creations, with the chef’s special being lashings of nostalgia. The Vaults at Waterloo has a revolving door of left-field productions, but this is the best use of the space I’ve seen, with real attention to detail in the creation of [...]
Our resident chef Mark Hix on how British farmers are extending asparagus season to incredible new lengths September 21, 2016 Traditionally, the asparagus season is a brief one, running from late April until late June depending on how our British weather behaves. But thanks to milder winters and clever growers, that season is getting longer. One producer who’s really put some thought into fighting the overseas competition is the Chinn Family, who grow asparagus in [...]
The six best hot dogs in London: From huge poles to dirty dogs, it’s our pick of the best sausages-in-a-bun September 20, 2016 1. The Polish Dog The Diner, Strand Proving it’s possible to give a hot dog a name you’re not embarrassed to say in front of your grandmother, The Polish Dog is a beef and pork wiener with caramelised onions and French’s mustard. Good job, The Diner, for not submitting to the childish temptation to call [...]
Six of the best places to go for a power breakfast in the City of London September 14, 2016 Hawksmoor Guildhall Basinghall Street, open from 7am Set in the hallowed Hogwartian halls around Guildhall, a breakfast at Hawksmoor comes with a side plate of gravitas. Forget flimsy, streaky rashers and come face-to-face with a pork chop in the morning, or a rib eye steak, or lobster benedict. Hawksmoor’s brunch means business. And meat. Lots [...]
Our resident chef Mark Hix on how pheasants shouldn’t be roasted, but smashed into escalopes before cooking September 13, 2016 Pheasant is the most common bird to shoot and grows relatively quickly, and so by the end of the season the demand is almost non-existent and the gamekeepers are very keen to get rid of them. Pheasant is also a notoriously tricky bird to cook. It roasts a bit dry, even when cooked to perfection. [...]
Eneko at One Aldwych review: the Ronaldo of chefs’ new restaurant Eneko is a poor relation to its Basque sibling Azurmendi September 13, 2016 Azurmendi, a short drive from the centre of Bilbao, is one of those restaurants food groupies plan holidays around. Eneko Atxa’s three-Michelin star venue is like an epicurean Bond lair, a glass cube squatting in its own lavish herb garden, which guests are obliged to peruse before they begin their multitude of courses. Atxa himself [...]
Our resident chef Mark Hix on why we should make the most of our British plums September 6, 2016 I'm a bit fed up with seeing rock hard, imported plums on sale in supermarkets. What’s the point? They sit in the fruit bowl taking ages to ripen, then they go off after a few days. What’s wrong with our home grown plums? We grow plenty of varieties here, from the well-known Victoria to the [...]