Do people laugh when you put food on the table? Are you ashamed of how your leeks look? Fear not for here coming at you like an embossed invitation to Abigail’s Party, is Food Presenting Secrets featuring all the Creative Styling Techniques you never knew you needed.
Delima Malaysian Restaurant, London
Tucked away on Southwick Street in W2, you’d be forgiven for not knowing about Delima, a new Malaysian restaurant. A few minutes walk away from the bustling hub of the Edgware Road and Paddington Station, the locale of this eatery may prove to be its secret weapon, along with its impressive cuisine served at affordable prices.
All rise! Gizzi Erskine’s masterclass in baking real bread
‘It’s like squeezing a baby’s bottom,’ says Gizzi Erskine talking about how a well-risen, knocked back piece of dough should feel. I’m thinking of something else entirely but as the majority of people at this demonstration are women I decide to keep that to myself.
Befriending Mr. Dimbleby
Over lunch on Carnaby Street, Douglas Blyde resolves an online spat with Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of Leon restaurants.
The Greenhouse, London
Antonin Bonnet has held a Michelin star at The Greenhouse for the four years he has been working there, and it is thought by many that he should have been given a second this year. It certainly fits the French two star mold – silently swooping waiting staff who pull out your chair before you have a chance to reach for it yourself; a seriously priced tasting menu (£80 per person) and a bulging wine list that includes such treasures as a double magnum of Château Lafiteâ€ÂRothschild 1er Grand Cru Classé from 1959, which will set you back a tidy £15,500. Certainly one for a special occasion.
Toad in the hole
Last week my recipe came from the exotic far flung reaches of Southeast Asia and this week, I am bring it back to ‘Good Old Blighty’ with one of the nation’s dishes, Toad in the hole. Yorkshire pudding batter enveloping as many plump and juicy sausages that you can fit into the dish, with a generous ladleing of meatylicious gravy.
Chocolate Chip Date Nut Cake
After yearning for her childhood treat ten Carole Egbert sees a recipe for a chocolate, date cake in a newspaper column. “With minor adjustments, this is the cake I have baked for many parties. I always use a Bundt pan and slather the cooled cake with unsweetened, heavy cream that has been beaten to stiff peaks. Last week, I topped the cream with sliced strawberries and promised our guests that I would share the recipe. Here’s how I did it”
Two Michelin Stared Chef, Pino Lavarra, joins the Brunello Restaurant team at The Baglioni Hotel for 5 evenings only.
Throughout 2010 Brunello is planning a series of special, fine dining events planned to delight the most demanding gourmets. For the first in this series of seasonal guest chef events, much acclaimed chef Pino Lavarra of Rossellini’s at Palazzo Sasso, in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast, where he holds two Michelin stars, will present dishes from his menu.
Aubrey, South Kensington, London
Aubrey has a nice atmosphere for a hotel restaurant, cosy, intimate, leathery and old time. American tourists must love it. It seems a shame that it may only attract hotel guests because the food while not aiming to be an artistic statement is certainly what I like to eat on a regular basis.