This is weighty book, not just in the way it makes my IKEA ‘invisible support’ shelf adopt a distinct downward incline, but also in the weight of knowledge inside it. Katie spent three years travelling all over Italy to talk to chefs, old ladies, producers and experts in food fields to put it all together.
The Fat Duck Cookbook – Heston Blumenthal
What makes this less than perfect tome remarkable? The production values for a start. There’s the sumptuous food photography of those singular, world famous dishes such as Snail Porridge (complete with live snail); the iPod-tastic Sound of the Sea and eye-poppingly opulent Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh with its gold leaf-wrapped bars of solidified langoustine bouillon
Tike
Ask the average person their experience of Turkish food and they will probably say ‘kebab’, that tasty post-cocktail treat that falls apart when you bite into it, leaving your salad on the pavement and both ears full of chili sauce. The Kebab house, with its elephant’s leg slowly spinning on a spit, rules the suburban multi-cultural high street.
Cosy up to the parlour in Canada Wharf
No we haven’t lost our spell check, the parlour wants to be lower case. Out in canada wharf, sorry Canada Wharf, this new spot offers food and drink all day to busy bankers with money in their pockets and time on their hands between major deals and the end of capitalism.
Trishna. Birthday menu is a gift for gourmets
One year old Trishna clearly intends to stick around to draw its pension and with the standards so high, and with no signs of slipping, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t. Join the celebration and fight for that booking.
More Hix than you can shake a stick at
Mark Hix will open his third London restaurant within Selfridges London as a new destination within the Oxford Street department store around March 1st 2010. Mark Hix’s other establishments include HIX on Soho’s Brewer Street, Hix Oyster & Chop House in London’s Smithfield’s Market and Hix Oyster & Fish House in Lyme Regis.
Galvin Bros. The Chapel opens for business
With Xmas coming up this new venue will want to be shaken down and seaworthy as soon as possible, so as not to miss out on the potential revenue. After Xmas there could be a big reckoning in the restaurant business, but we reckon if anyone can sail through it will be the Bros Galvin
Persian Walnut, Pomegranate and Chicken Stew (Khoreshteh Fesenjan)
Concluding my series of Persian cookery, my final offering is a wonderful and special dish from Iran called Khoreshteh Fesenjan (‘Khoreshteh’ means ‘Stew of’) Fesenjan is a rich, glossy ragout of walnuts and pomegranate syrup with chicken which is served simply with some basmati rice.
Bottlegreen’s Meringue topped Mince Pies
Nothing beats the flavour of homemade mincemeat; this recipe is spiked with Bottlegreen Cox’s Apple and Plum Cordial. Any left over mincemeat can be kept for longer by either freezing or adding a good slug of brandy.
Italian Master Class with Katie Caldesi
Katie Caldesi is peeling an orange. She slices off the skin all around, cuts between a segment and without pausing turns the knife so that she comes back the other way. The segment drops off neatly and the membrane between is left still attached to the fruit. By the time she finishes the remaining orange looks like a Rolodex.