Lucky old Seven Dials, not only do they have the most fashionable steak and burger place in town in Hawksmoor, they now have another foodie magnet arriving in the shape of Kopapa, Peter Gordon’s newest restaurant, next Tuesday. Bloggers! Charge your camera batteries!
Luvvie for the day, with the Come Dine With Me iPhone app! An application to help you plan your dinner party and allow you to play come dine with me with your friends.
I arrived and was introduced to the crew and fellow contestants, before being asked if we would like to sample some of the Hardys wines that we would be able to select from to go with our individual courses. As you are probably aware, Hardys sponsor Come Dine With Me and of course, my fellow contestants and I were more than happy to taste the wines.
The Roof Gardens’ Tanqueray Live Lounge launches a great venue with live music and cocktails
The Live Lounge is situated in the Tudor Gardens on the sixth floor of the building, on the corner of Kensington High Street and Derry Street, where the entrance it opposite the old Barkers building. It promises to be a unique experience for visitors, both the gardens and the lounge are stunning and will undoubtedly make for a special night out.
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.
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.
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.
Road-testing Jamie’s 30 minute meals by Jamie Oliver
As the book that accompanies Jamie Oliver’s Channel Four series of the same title, Jamie’s 30 minute meals has received a lot of publicity. Lots of people have tried cooking along with the show, and failed. Qin Xie too has watched in awe as Oliver apparently peeled and chopped an entire tray of fruit in about two minutes, gawping at the impossibility of the task at hand. And yet here she is testing out the paper version.
Willie’s Chocolate Bible by Willie Harcourt Cooze
When Willie Harcourt-Cooze first burst on to our TV screens in 2008, immersed in a bath of chocolate, it was the stuff of children’s books. This was a man so passionate about chocolate that at the start of his journey, he sold his home in London and moved to Venezuela where he bought a cacao farm – Hacienda El Tesoro. Qin Xie reviews his latest book.
Willie’s Chocolate Recipes
Recipes taken from Willie’s Chocolate Bible, published by Hodder & Stoughton (£25)
Hard Rock Cafe 150 Old Park Lane, London W1K 1QZ
Before the burger became fashionable and big steaks become big draws, you only had one choice for a for a fix of American easy-eating. The Hard Rock Cafe. Joanna Biddolph fails to find her flared jeans to wear for the occasion but otherwise enjoys travelling back to the 70’s for a plateful of nostalgia.