The Bougie Macaron & Tea shop in Covent Garden, is recently opened and primed to capitalise on the latest trends of afternoon tea and desserts in whacky hues. Wednesday night’s official launch provided an opportunity to see if macarons are worthy of all the hype and to judge whether the café on Russell Street is likely to become a success
Aussie Xmas Puddings from Pudding Lane
Pudding Lane puds are hand made in Australia then flown over to us. Forget Heston’s hype these are puds you can put your faith in.
Middle Eastern spiced and stuffed chicken
This chicken is stuffed with an aromatic mixture of fruit, nuts, citrus and spices. The soft fruits melt in the mouth, while pistachios provide texture. The best thing about this recipe though, is that the results far outweigh the effort involved. You end up with something much more exotic than a humble roast chicken.
Odette’s, Primrose Hill
The parade of shops around Odette’s sell ‘nice things’ to people with not a lot else to do during the day, although rather bizarrely there is also a bookies. Presumably they’re all in there betting on the Man Booker prize and not the 3:30 at Chepstow. ‘That Howard Jacobson loves it when the going gets rough, needs a taste of the whip though’.
The Harbour Master, Aberaeron , Wales
Having a cracking restaurant within a short car journey when you’re away from home is handier than a pocket on a shirt. That’s precisely what I have when my path leads me back to Aberystwyth. A short drive along a coastal road and you arrive in the seaside town of Aberaeron, once one of the main trading ports along the Cardigan Bay coast.
A Fluid State opens this week
Escape the cold wet weather this week with some food, drink and entertainment at A Fluid State Festival.
Camel Drool and Infinite Pool: Quinta do Crasto
Douglas Blyde gets high while watching his breath condense at leading Port and Portuguese table wine producer, Quinta do Crasto in the breathtaking Douro Valley.
Cherizena Coffee unveils its Christmas range
Coffee specialist Cherizena has launched a range of coffee-based gifts for the festive season. Costing between £2.50 and £20, their gift range is very reasonably priced, will suit most budgets and would appeal to coffee lovers anywhere. You might just want to stock up your own store cupboard for the festive season and beyond, as well as finding that perfect gift.
Locale, great food, now with live music
There have been a few changes at Locale in Balham since we were last there, about a year ago. The kitchen is now open, and there is – to A’s great pleasure – a Josper grill. Locale Balham are now featuring five acts on rotation every Thursday and we were there for Katie Verner and Laurence Pendrous. Being a West End performer, Verner’s delivery had a clarity that was very appealing.
Asda Extra Special – great food at competitive prices, restaurant quality dishes meals to serve and cook at home
I sampled several of Asda’s Extra Special range, following the instructions on the packaging to cook or reheat. These were all excellent quality dishes – I would hesitate to just call them ‘ready meals’ – for you to cook at home. They are competitively priced, quite substantial, easily big enough for two normal appetites.