We’re treated like so many Shahs from the off, which is always nice. A table laden with cocktails greets us- with the appropriately-monikered Maharaja Fizz amongst their number. More often than not, ‘fusion’ and ‘cocktail’ are two words that have no business being in the same room, let alone sharing glass space. Curry leaves? Fruit chutney? You sure?
Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
Like no other jilted capital Istanbul engulfs visitors with its razzled charms, the musk of rose petal tinged with rancid fish-heads the prelude to your renewed affections. Important things have happened in this city of minarets; here the past isn’t so much a passive resident but a restless dervish whirling down the backstreets off Taxsim square, where men smoke the hookah and sip coffee as thick and loamy as compost.
Bacon week is on its way
The power of bacon should not be underestimated. Cooking it releases an intense odour that has the ability to kill off the most horrific human hangover. In fact, the overwhelming inducement of continuous cooked, crispy bacon even convinced me that going to Telford was something to relish.
It’s Chablis o’clock
‘Fishmonger’s Clock’ is basically a crafty method of cooking and serving a wide variety of fish for the enhancement and enjoyment of Chablis and, while pretending to be a rather grand dish, it is in fact very quick and easy to prepare.
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
Cocktail Masterclass at La Pont de la Tour
Cocktail Masterclasses at La Pont de La Tour with Mr Popovic are a splendid way to enjoy a Monday evening. A perfect way to enjoy a quiet drink with a friend and learn a thing or two from someone who understands the mysterious way of the cocktail.
Thermapen cooking thermometer
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, A new tapas restaurant in Acre Lane, London
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.
Holi menu at Dishoom
‘Hooray, hooray, it’s a Holi, holiday!’… For the uninitiated, Holi is one of India’s maddest, most colourful festivals- a chance for mad March hares to fling brightly coloured powders at one another, eat copiously and brilliantly, and in general, just have a rum old time. And ‘Bombay cafe’ Dishoom is celebrating in style.