Sienna, Dorchester

Chef Russell Brown is showing us a crippled lobster with one claw. Once a warlord, it now lives in an oxygenated tank in a fish processing plant. These mighty fallen are part of the Dorset fishing haul that makes up the Michelin-starred chef’s menu at his Dorchester restaurant, Sienna.

Pairing wines with Indian food – unheard of!

I was invited recently to Moti Mahal to attend a five course dinner, pairing their wonderfully tasty Indian cuisine with wines from Indian wine producers Grover Vineyards. I can tell you is that during the evening I tasted some excellent food, courtesy of Moti Mahal’s chef and some very good interesting wines from India, courtesy of the people at Grover, both of which I enjoyed very much.

Amico Bio, Farringdon

Amico Bio is billed as “Charming, friendly, welcoming and meat-free- everything you wouldn’t expect of a City restaurant” and although the food was a mixed bag, it’s true to say that the restaurant does feel unique.

Pong cheese – make it a smelly Christmas!

All four of the cheeses we tasted had great flavours and distinct character; the people at Pong are certainly bringing together some excellent products for their customers. So if you are looking for a Christmas gift idea that’s a bit different, why not get the cheese lovers among your family and friends like Dad, or Aunt Mabel, a gift pack from Pong, it’s a bit of a change from slippers and socks!

Food from Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros

Tessa Kiros is herself a Greek-Cypriot, which makes her the ideal food writer to bring the authentic taste of Greece into our boring English kitchens. Food from Many Greek Kitchens is divided into chapters including traditional food, baker’s food, there and then food, ready cooked food and fasting food and contains over 115 different recipes, all of which take a no-fuss approach.