Nick Harman

Sausage by Nichola Fletcher

We Brits tend to think we invented sausages, or at least have the patent, although back in the days before we all became primly  PC we used ‘sausage eater’ as a term of abuse when facing another football defeat at the hands of the master race. Of course their sausages weren’t as good as ours, much wurst in fact.

North African Cooking by Arto der Haroutunian

So here we have a collection of dishes in twelve chapters and 300 dishes. From chorbat (soups) through salads, the ubiquitous grilled meats, couscous and tajines, everyday dishes, pickles, pastries and desserts. Dishes from what are today Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.

Enoteca Dalla Terra

Enoteca Della Terra seems to have passed by the taste mongers of Twitter, perhaps it’s too grown up or even, in its rejection of finger food, old fashioned, yet it has the makings of a place I’d go to regularly for drinks and a tasty bite. Perhaps it’s rather secret location works against it, as does nearby Jamie’s Italian (Jamie’s Italian what?) hoovering up all the tourists. The wine bar maybe dead, but Della Terra suggests it’s not lying down.

Eat London 2 - Terence Conran and Peter Prescott

Conran and co-author Peter Prescott are fair about the chain restaurants when they see merit; they don’t go in for the knee-jerk rejection as less-experienced eaters tend to do. Credit is given where credit is due and nor do they bow to popular opinion, possibly because it’s unlikely either of them use Twitter that much and so can make their own minds up.

Make every second Comté

Raymond Blanc sings the praises of his home Departement, the Franche Comté in France and he's a particular fan of the eponymous cheese. Nick Harman goes out to see how Comté cheese is made in this region of mountains and Montbeliarde cows

J'Aime Paris - Alain Ducasse

The other side to Dubai dining. No stars in sight.

First taste of Greg Malouf at Petersham Nursery

7 chefs,12 Michelin Stars, 8 Courses. Welcome to Sofitel Dubai Food, Stars & Art

Sofitel's Stars, Food & Art is an unique worldwide event where 7 chefs, with 12 Michelin Stars between them, cook one unique meal together as a team. It's coming to London Sofitel St James in September 2012 and we were lucky enough to get a tasty preview when the food stars came out at Sofitel Dubai last week. 

The arctic flavours of Finnish Lapland

If you’re a foodie looking for more than the usual Italy/France/Spain experience and you love fresh fish, fresh air, stunning scenery and gentle exercise and fun then the Kuusamo experience is one to go for. It’s very, very ice.

Simple French Cooking for English Homes (Classic Voices in Food)

Anecdotes and advice fill the book, as does Boulestin’s engaging personality. Pretention free and a good read into the bargain, Boulestin’s lovely little book deserves to be discovered by home chefs and budding recipe writers alike

Hop and Spice

It’s not often you get to eat dinner in the same spot you once had your tyres changed. As Balham has gentrified, the old shops have gradually disappeared to be replaced by bars and cafes all catering to the monied young overspill from Clapham. There’s even a Waitrose now, a poor replacement in my view for the old open air market now a shadow of its former self.

Snow Queen Vodka. Pretty smooth stuff

Cream of the crop? Glenilen dairy on test

No Place Like Home. Rowley Leigh

Slightly cheaply printed, and with the odd typo creeping in, this is not a book for the coffee table. Instead, petit, precise and packed with sensible classics it’s a book the true home chef can turn to again and again for reliable recipes that will always hit the spot.

Sticks n Sushi - we try a preview of the Danish delight

Japanese food via Denmark? Why not? After all we happily lap up their crime drama and snap up the mosses and lichens of the ‘world’s best restaurant’ in Noma, Copenhagen. Can sushi also bow to the mighty power of the Viking warriors? Let’s see.

Tea Growers’ Afternoon Tea

Anna Hansen, she of the Modern Pantry and an MBE to boot, is serving afternoon tea at her pleasantly Georgian townhouse restaurant in Clerkenwell Square.Boutique tea traders Lalani & Co have hooked up with her to create a unique taste experience- Tea Growers’ Afternoon Tea

Hot and handy. The Thermapen cooking thermometer is a must-have in any kitchen

Cheaper probes take longer, which makes them not all that useful, but the Thermapen uses a K thermocouple, which James May will tell you is a good thing and only found on the better probes. It can measure from -49.9C to +299.9C, and if your chicken ever reaches that higher temperature you can safely assume that your BBQ has already melted and the fire brigade are about to axe down your front door.

Boqueria

Acre Lane has changed since my time. The houses around no longer boast the 70s front doors so often fitted in that flared and flawed decade, instead Victorian doors, white plantation shutters and other classic signs of gentrification indicate that the local demographic is not what it was.Boqueria is another indication.

Hot in town. Vivek Singh talks Cinnamon Soho

Vindaloo pork pie anyone? That’s a big fat yes from us here at Foodepedia, especially when it’s been cooked by Vivek Singh. He’s been West at Cinnamon Club and he’s been East with Cinnamon Kitchen, now he’s going central with Cinnamon Soho. We visited the building site to meet Executive Chef Vivek and find out more