Never let anyone convince you to take to the road on a bank holiday weekend; you’re asking for trouble if you live in a city like London, urban or suburban, it really makes no difference these days. Unless, of course, there’s a damn fine meal at the end of it; then, it’s worth the 15 miles = 1.5 hour schlep.
four o nine, Clapham Road, London
four o nine has its own discrete entrance accessed via an entry phone controlled door to the side of The Clapham North pub, inLandor Road. This slight quirkiness somehow lends the restaurant an air of exclusivity, giving you the feeling that you are entering a private dining club.
saf opens at Whole Foods Market, Kensington
Having been invited to its recent launch and not been able to attend, it seemed quite appropriate that I went along to this new food outlet during National Vegetarian week. An abbreviation of ‘simply authentic food’ saf, is a sister outlet to the restaurant in Curtain Road, East London.
Striking oil in Andalucia
These are no ordinary olive oils destined for the bulk purchase market, because as their creator Rosa explains, the total production of olive oil from her estate is but a tiny drop in the olive oil ocean worldwide. Instead these are fine gourmet oils, to be used as an ingredient in cooking not simply as a means to an end.
Green asparagus and artichoke salad with Castillo de canena arbequina pesto and pizza bread
One of three recipes using the fabulous olive oil of Castillo de Cana.
Grilled bonito tuna over escalivada and olive vinaigrette and castillo de canena picual oil
One of three recipes using the fabulous olive oil of Castillo de Cana
Thyme sorbet and Castillo de Canena Family Reserve Arbequina
One of three recipes using the fabulous olive oil of Castillo de Cana
Turkish’Gavurdagi’ Salad
This dish is traditionally an accompaniment for any kind of grilled meat, but what really made it so appealing to me was the unexpected presence of pomegranate syrup in the dressing; it provides a rounded acidity that elevates the dish greatly, transforming it into a mouth watering accompaniment worthy of being a main dish in itsel
Salumi Amo rolls its campaign into the UK
So, following my cordial invitation from the Italian Trade Commission and the Istituto Valorizzazione Salumi Italiani to a Press Conference on the subject of ‘A celebration of Italian Cured Meats in Europe’ I dutifully trotted along to the Haymarket Hotel in Suffolk Place and took my place among the myriad of foodie types from the disparate parts of this media.
BBQ at The Montague on the Gardens
Pack away the rusting, and frankly insanitary barbeque. If you fancy your food cooked to perfection and not flambeed to ash then The Montague on the Gardens has got the grill to thrill