The roof terrace has been domed for Christmas and the view is spectacular. For one thing you’re a lot nearer to Nelson than you will ever otherwise be and can actually make out the expression on his face. He looks like a Londoner who has finally made out the number of the approaching red bus and it isn’t the one he was waiting for.
Jose Pizarro tries out the anchovies in London’s Iberica
Anchovies are like Marmite, loved or hated. We love them at Foodepedia and jumped at the chance of a comparative tasting under the keen eye and palate of Jose Pizzaro.
Sketch pop up cafe at the Royal Academy of Arts
From 2nd December to 31st January the food, art and fashion worlds will be colliding at the Royal Academy of Arts with Sketch’s Parisian pop-up cafe.
I Love Curry – Anjum Anand
The beauty of this book, apart from the tell-it-like-it-is photographs, is its simplicity. Anjum starts by explaining the secrets of making great curries. It isn’t just that there are five important stages; it’s the point of them and how to make them work – that’s what turns this book into a revelation.
Where to eat truffles in London
Snuffling for truffles? You don’t need a dog or even a pig. Here are some places where you can snuffle a truffle to your heart’s content.
Eating up north at Bar 166 & Bistro and Voda
I found myself returning to my motherland of Yorkshire to eat at two eateries owned by Matthew Jones, a local lad who makes encouraging noises about fresh food and local produce in all the marketing material. Voda, promoted as a bar & grill, is a stone’s throw from Huddersfield railway station, while Bar 166 is a bistro in Horsforth, a town north west of Leeds.
White truffle menu at Refettorio London
With white truffle selling for around 10,200 euro per kilogram – actually a low price relatively speaking as the harvest is good this year – you don’t want to be shaving your slices on any old dish. Only the best will do and at Refettorio they know exactly how to bring out every nuance of the ultimate luxury ingredient with a special truffle menu available while the season and supplies last.
The Giraffe Family Cookbook, well presented recipes for the whole family to use.
Against my expectations, I really liked the Giraffe Family Cookbook. It’s unfussy, well-presented and has a lot of interesting recipes. It would make an excellent addition to the family bookshelves, although there really is something here for everybody.
Bloom Gin & Sin – a great Christmas cocktail, fruity, tangy, with a hint of sweetness and great length on the palate using Bloom gin
If you are looking for a stylish cocktail to impress your guests with this Christmas, you might like to try Bloom’s Gin & Sin. It couldn’t be easier to make, so you don’t have to be a bartender to put it together.
Nescafe Dolce Gusto Piccolo on test
We’ve had a lot of coffee makers in the office this year and not all have been interns. Some we have plugged into the electricity socket to see what would happen. In the case of the interns it was a lawsuit, but the machines weren’t so fussy. The last one we tried this year was the Nescafe Dolce Gusto Piccolo. If the Nespresso is the George Clooney of coffee machines, this is his younger, racier, brother.