Chez Gérard’s consultant chef Colin John Bussey shares his secrets on how to cook great steaks at home, considering everything from selecting the perfect cut of meat, through to the finer details of cooking up an incredible Béarnaise sauce.
Namaaste Kitchen: lunch at the Chef’s Table
For lunch we worked our way through a range of tasting plates that had been specially selected from the Namaaste Kitchen menu. These were all very tasty dishes, bright and full flavoured, giving the taste buds a great work out, I absolutely savoured and enjoyed every mouthful.
Perrier Nights launch in Fitzroy Square
In the Georgian setting of Fitzroy Square, there’s a touch of time-travelling to publicise Perrier Nights, a planned series of exclusive mixology events in London.
Bettane & Desseaive’s Guide to the Wines of France
French wine; are you au fait or dans le noir? Do you know your Alsatian whites from your Rhone Valley reds? For anyone wanting to learn more about the many wines of France, this guide could well be the place to start.
Maybe I’m amazed?
Do we dare mention the ‘A’ word? No need, it’s done for us. One of the legions of men who pass by, almost all of whom mysteriously claim to be the chef at Maze, talks positively about the influence of Jason Atherton on the restaurant’s menu ethos. He seems almost wistful as he talks of the days when Jason and Big Sweary would stand around the Maze kitchen swapping ideas and possibly blows.
Choose a cheesy alternative to the Easter Egg this Easter
Cheese and chocolate may not be the most obvious combination, but with both made from milk, they are surprisingly tasty together. Following in the footsteps of strawberries and cream, salt and pepper, and fish and chips, could chocolate and cheese become the next culinary combination we can’t live without (provided it’s British, of course!)?
Bistro du Vin
Everybody needs good neighbours, apparently, and given the competition in this part of London, Bistro du Vin certainly has them. The area around Smithfield Market is home to Mark Hix’ Oyster & Chop House and John Terode’s Smiths of Smithfield. If one is in the habit of stone-throwing, St John is but a short one from BdV’s freshly polished threshold. In short, BdV needs to be a seriously good alternative to the well-established locals if it’s to be the first success for the group in London.
Good Godfrey opens at Waldorf Hilton
The Waldorf Hilton has once again found itself in the cocktail world with a brand-new bar that’s a nod to the Waldorf’s theatrical past.
Commemorative food and drinks for your own Royal Wedding party
If you’re having your own party for the Royal Wedding, here are a few commemorative things to get you started.
Hitting the Fruit Route in South Africa’s Western Cape
Sourcing food locally is fast becoming a mantra for those who care about where what’s on their plate comes from. Yet venture into any supermarket and it’s piled high with produce from all over the world. Fruit, in particular, has often journeyed thousands of miles before it gets to the checkout, much of it grown in South Africa’s Western Cape. Scandalous, you may think, but an environmental audit throws up some surprising results. Rupert Parker sets off to investigate