Dish of the Day: Salt Yard’s Ben Tish on the perfect strawberries and cream August 6, 2014 There’s nothing like the sight and scent of perfectly ripe, red strawberries to get summer spirits soaring. My take on the quintessentially English classic of strawberries and cream is quick and easy to prepare, making it a great choice of pudding for a spontaneous barbecue or al fresco lunch. Macerated simply means you’re throwing it [...]
Mix it up: Take a victory sip of the cocktail created by the UK’s best bartender August 6, 2014 For centuries, we got along just fine making cocktails without the need to turn it into a competition – the winning was in the drinking. But in recent years, drinks companies have been putting on more cocktail competitions than you can shake a shaker at. Don’t let the thought of competitive drinking lure you in [...]
Dish of the Day: Vivek Singh’s lamb and sweetcorn curry July 29, 2014 I’ve been executive chef with the Cinnamon Group since 2001. That was at the start of the wave of modern Indian cuisine in Britain. The Cinnamon Club in Westminster was the first restaurant in the group to open about 14 years ago and it’s a temple of gastronomy. It’s very close to the House of [...]
Abandon your prejudices and drink rosé this summer July 29, 2014 It’s high summer and that can only mean one thing: death by rosé. At the barbecues and on the patios of England, pink wine is being served by the gallon. We all smile politely and neglect to tell our hosts that most of it is barely drinkable. Like others I have always been a rosé [...]
The Angel bar proving cocktail creation is an exact science + terroir cocktail recipe July 22, 2014 Alongside New York, London is just about the best city in the world for eating, drinking and partying. Whether you want to glam it up in Chelsea or slum it down in the East End, every taste, style, price and perversion is catered for. But no area is all things to all men (or women). [...]
Restaurant Review: Ten Room July 22, 2014 I wonder if Ten Room at Café Royal saw it coming. A multi-million pound restaurant in an iconic London hotel… If you listened carefully in the days leading up to opening week earlier this year, you could hear the faint, metallic screech of knives being sharpened. And by all accounts, it was more than deserving [...]
Club des Chefs des Chefs members won’t say, but we’ve had a look at our world leaders’ eating habits July 8, 2014 Every year, a select group of people get together to swap state secrets. I’m not talking about the nuclear codes, trade agreements or defence budgets. These are secrets of a more intimate kind: how does Obama like his steak? What does the queen have for breakfast? Does Angela Merkel prefer ketchup or mayo? Club des [...]
Mix It Up: Why the creme de la creme of cocktails are from London July 8, 2014 IT’S tough at the top. Whether you’re a CEO, musician or bar manager, you’re only as good as your last set of earnings, song, or cocktail menu. There’s always an upstart ready to take your crown. Artesian has been voted the world’s best bar for two year’s on the trot. Last week Alex Kratena and [...]
Dish of the Day: Learn how to make Chicken Shop chicken at home July 8, 2014 Learn how to cook a bird like Ronnie Bonetti, the mastermind behind Soho House's food "WHEN Soho House decided to open a Chicken Shop, the owner Nick Jones asked me to make him the best chicken in London. I went into kebab shops, fried chicken shops, I tried supermarket rotisserie chicken and I [...]
Restaurant review: Blanchette July 2, 2014 Blanchette, 9 D'Arbly Street, W1F 8DR Tel: 020 7439 8100 Food: ★★★★☆ | Value: ★★★★☆ | Atmosphere: ★★★★☆ There's a little cinema in Soho where journalists go to see movies for free before they’re released. It’s one of the perks of the job and it fills the time nicely between eaves-dropping on your voicemails and pestering the [...]