Ok it was all about selling in the Kenwood kMix,their new rather cool looking stand mixer, but Sophie Morris found that getting a biscuit baking lesson from Miranda Gore Brown thrown into the mix, a protege of legendary Mary Berry, made the occasion a special one.
Enoteca Dalla Terra -London
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.
Dos Santos Foods- Unique Goan Speciality Items in the UK
Having held colonial status for nigh-on half a millenium, Goan cuisine is a melting pot in the truest sense of the word- indeed, so fiery it’s in danger of burning through the toughest cooking vessel. As Gregg Wallace might phrase it, ‘cooking doesn’t get hotter than this’.
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.
A Wine, a Gin and a Port. We raid the drinks cabinet for three current favourites
Ever on the lookout for quality, individuality and good value, I have three diverse springtime discoveries each of which has filled gaps in my shopping list.
Burgen’s new Sunflower and Chia Seed loaf
The newest Burgen loaf is a textural feast. The flavour is mild, but the seeds give it a heartier feel and make it perfect for sandwiches and toasted with soup.
Trattoria Masticabrodo
Out in the middle of the Italian countryside, there’s no one to impress; no tourists or rubberneckers to rip-off. The food is fresh, regional and sentimental, made by people who care deeply in what they do. It’s food you want to eat, the food of home.
Strawberry Tea, Breast Cancer Care
Get together with your favourite people this summer and host a tea party in aid of Breast Cancer Care. The charity’s Strawberry Tea campaign, sponsored by Seasonal Berries, runs from 1 June – 31 August and raises money to support the 50,000 people who are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK.
Devnaa chocolates- Indian-inspired confections
Rasgulla. Balushahi. Rajbhog. Jalebi. Gulab jamun. Halwa. Barfi. Malpua. Ladycanny. Chum chum. Kalakand. Laddoo. Imarti. Pinni. Mohanthal. Sandesh. Pera… Even the names are enough to send me into a sugar-fuelled revelry. The draw of the old fashioned ‘by the quarter’ sweetshops on every corner bear nothing of the lure of the Indian mithai wallah- whose counters are a haphazard rainbow at the end of which lies the ultimate pot of gold- a selection box, size large.
Donald Russell Launches Curry Ready Meals
A particularly noxious Indian takeaway lubricated with copious amounts of cheap cooking oil and redolent with raw spices left me feeling somewhat dirty and used. Heck, they didn’t even throw in a couple of poppadoms. So it was with due trepidation I took delivery of a large box of curry ready meals from Donald Russell- akin, if you will, to Superman handling a polystyrene crate of Kryptonite.