24th February had been augustly designated as European day of Mozzarrella di Bufala Campana PDO. Its significance is to recognise and protect the provenance of this white soft cheese made from Buffalo milk in the Campania region of Italy.
Kick your high salt intake with Kikkoman’s umami effect
Soy sauce delivers all the flavour of salt, but at up to half the quantity thanks to the umami effect. This is good news as in the West we all apparently eat too much salt. At the Westminster Kingsway Catering College we find out more, come close to being asphyxiated by a radio host, eat a fine student made meal and learn how to make the perfect gravy.
El Pirata Detapas, Westbourne Grove, Paddington
What does the name mean? The Pirate of Tapas? Does the chef look like Johnny Depp and have a cutlass clamped between his teeth? Are the prices High Seas’ robbery? Do staff say ‘Ahh harr matey!’ in Spanish when chef calls a ticket? Who knows, what is certain is that this second branch of the Mayfair original is a modern tapas restaurant all the way from its cool interior to its Bulli boy food. Tapas reconstructed in a way that marks it out from the patatas bravas brigade so prevalent in London.
Letters to a young chef – Daniel Boulud
Boulud is a great chef, as London will discover later this year. Before he comes to the UK discover how he got where he is right now. A great read for the young chef in the title and a great read for food lovers, Letters to a Young Chef is a letter of love of cooking.
Mother’s Day. Tickle the old trout with some top restaurants
Yes it’s that time again, the old dear needs taking out for a treat. This year why not push the boat out a bit and take her somewhere nice? We have done a bit of digging about and present a selection of locations that will tickle her taste buds for sure
Chicken and Vegetable Laksa
Comfort food, for me personally, does not always fall into the usual British ‘stodge’ categories of mash potatoes, stews and pies etc. I love Asian and Oriental dishes like noodles and soups and stews and this week my recipe comes from the farthest reaches of Southeast Asia, brimming with goodness and totally satisfying to boot.
Plum, Almond and Elderflower Tart
A seasonal dessert with the tang of plums and a floral essence of elderflower.
The White Swan launches monthly wine dinners
Tom and Ed Martin are launching a series of monthly wine dinners at their modern British pub, The White Swan, on Fetter Lane, EC4. Taking place on the last Friday of every month at 7.30pm, with the next events on the 26th February and the 26th March, wine enthusiasts can look forward to a fun and interactive evening learning about wine and matching different vintages to dishes that showcase the finest, seasonal, British ingredients.
Reggae Reggae Sauce founder Levi Roots performs at Covent Garden to celebrate the launch of new fusion pasty
Yeh mon! To celebrate the launch of the new Reggae Reggae pasty from West Cornwall Pasty Co, entrepreneur and musician Levi Roots is going to be performing live in Covent Garden on Friday 26th February, with songs from his latest album ‘Red Hot’.
White Burger – Cod for Dinner
It was rainy, cold and grim and I was home alone. It was a perfect evening to cuddle up with a burger, a potato, salad and Alfred Hitchcock, a film not the man! The film could be Rear Window, Dial M for Murder or The Man who Knew Too Much and the burger could be red meat, poultry or fish. I decided on The Man Who Knew Too Much and fish.