Warm Salad of Grilled Peach, Pancetta & Halloumi

Fruit is sweet and plentiful during the summer months and being the kind of ying and yang person that I am, wherever there is sweet, I tend to crave salt to go with it. This week’s recipe is a perfect example of bringing salt and sweet together through a simple fusion of fruit, cheese and smoked pancetta.

Alvin Leung cooks up a storm

I was invited to Alvin Leung’s cooking masterclass at L’atelier des Chefs in Wigmore Street recently to see how Alvin creates some of his X-treme Chinese cuisine at Bo Innovation in Hong Kong, where he holds two Michelin stars.

The Regent, Balham, London

We had a really good evening at The Regent, it felt like an old-fashioned pub (in a good way), but with interesting food, and a broad range of drinks on offer, it has a contemporary feel that makes for a good experience. At a time when pubs are reported as facing tough times, places like this deserve support and it certainly has ours.

2009 – A good year for Beaujolais

I have never been a real fan of Beaujolais, my experience has mainly been the race each November to get and drink your first glass of that year’s vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau as soon after its release as possible. So having been invited to ‘Fabuleux Beaujolais 2009’ in Paris, how fortunate that I accepted, my eyes were opened to the great diversity of the produce from this part of France.

The Duke of York, St Johns Wood

Nobody likes to dine alone, but there’s such a warm and friendly atmosphere in The Duke of York that it isn’t an issue. The staff are talkative and friendly without being overbearing. You can genuinely tell that they will go out of their way to make sure you have the best time possible. A really charming venue with a strong talent for cooking

The Bull Hotel Restaurant and The Stable, Bridport, Dorset

The Bull a double fronted Hotel on East Street gives the impression that it is a fairly modest establishment. However, apart from the nineteen guest rooms, there are two bars, a dining room and a rather impressive ballroom. There is also The Stable, which has its own bar, where cider is the focus, together with some interesting and tasty pizzas and pies.