The discreet charm of Topsham
There aren’t many places you can go to these days which are unspoiled and I almost hesitate about telling you about this one. It’s a small historic town called Topsham…
Chestnut and fig couscous stuffing
I was agonising over the weekend what sort of stuffing to serve with roast guineafowl and remembered a dish I’d invented for veggies in my student cookbook Beyond Baked Beans…
Making tasteless tomatoes tasty
I know as a cookery writer I shouldn’t be advocating using produce out of season and by and large I don’t. I don’t want strawberries or broad beans in December…
Is this the greatest bread roll in New York?
As those of you who follow me on Twitter will know I’ve been in New York for the past six days with little time to breathe let alone blog but…
The croissant that thinks it's a pretzel
I don’t want you to think I’m fixated by carbs or anything (the truth is I am) but it’s hard to avoid them in New York. And my second great…
What kind of wine to mull
I’ve been looking out for a wine to mull and think I’ve found the perfect candidate. Not that it looks or sounds promising. It’s called La Maison de Michel and…
The perfect breadknife
I can’t say I’ve ever given a great deal of thought to bread knives. Occasionally I get frustrated because they’re not sharp enough to cut through a bigger than average…
Cooking with hay
One of the most appealing cookbooks I was sent just before Christmas was Pascal Aussignac’s Cuisinier Gascon so when I caught sight of his Christmas Goose stuffed with Hay (also…
Vacqueyras – our everyday red
Asking a winewriter what their favourite wine is usually results in a long explanation about how it depends on the mood, the food and the time of year and I’m…
Going To California (In A Food Truck)
This week I had lunch with a fat man called Boris. A few years ago I’d done a bit of freelance writing for a food mag and Boris was the…
How To Make The Perfect Stock
I’ve been cheffing in restaurants for the past few days trying to get my knife skills back up to speed before I head off on my cooking trip to California.…
Vegans And Starting A Raw Food Diet
At this time of the year, a lot of people give up the sauce for a month after the port and gin festive excesses. Some go on diets, or give…
Fish Restaurants And Mayonnaise
I am glad that Nathan Outlaw has been awarded a second star in the Michelin Great Britain and Ireland Guide 2011. The former Rick Stein acolyte has worked hard for…
Restaurant Boss Sacked For 'Ghetto' Email
Restaurant Rule Number 358: Don’t leave insulting messages about customers on the bottom of emails. Anyone who saw Michel Roux’s Service may have despaired at the idea of taking a…
Raw Food Smoothies And Live Frogs
Last week I told you about the green smoothies I’ve been making, which came about after I took a wrong turn at the end of the corridor and found myself…