I’ve recently had two rather spiffing artworks created for or about me and I’m thrilled with both. The first is by the truly talented irkafirka – Nick Hilditch and Chris Bell. Irkafirka take inspiration from the millions and millions of wonderfully random utterings on twitter, choosing one a day to illustrate in the unique and ... Read more »
Happy Diwali!
Today is Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Happy Diwali! The name itself means “a row of lamps” and describes the traditional ghee-filled earthenware lamps which are traditionally lit in their hundreds and thousands. An unforgettably beautiful sight. There are a number of different reasons and stories behind the festival which you can read about ... Read more »
Maison Touareg
The 25th anniversary of a restaurant in the heart of Soho might be taken to signify that it’s a good restaurant. If that means attracting customers, serving them something edible and taking their money, then certainly Maison Touareg succeeds. Unfortunately, based on our recent experience, it seems to rely almost entirely on the custom of ... Read more »
Pete Bakes: Chocolate & Porter Cake
Last week saw me doing more baking than drinking, as I found myself entering the Great Chocolate Cake-Off taking place at Chocolate Unwrapped. Although I thoroughly enjoy baking, in recent years it’s tended to be more bread based, so the prospect of coming up with a chocolate cake worthy of being eaten by anyone other ... Read more »
Plum Jelly: Sunshine In A Jar
Although we’ve not achieved as much as we’d hoped over at the new allotment (which we took on this time last year) we have enjoyed harvesting fruits from the existing trees and bushes. Our plum tree gave us a fair crop of juicy sweet fruit. I’m glad we picked nearly all of them on one ... Read more »
The Bull, Highgate
The Bull is now a proper brew pub. It’s owned and managed by Dan Fox, a London pub veteran who ran the popular White Horse in Parsons Green for four years. And Steve Grey has stepped up from cellarman (at the White Horse) to head brewer, after picking up experience at Redemption and Ascot breweries. ... Read more »
Baked Vacherin With Crusty Baguette
Bravo! Ouais! Le Vacherin Mont d’Or est arrivé! In France, there’s quite a celebration when the season of availability for this fabulous cheese rolls around once again. Officially known in France as Vacherin du Haut-Doubs this soft, unpasteurised cheese with a pale yellow salt-washed rind originated in the Jura mountains that cross France and Switzerland. ... Read more »
Abergavenny Food Festival 2011
For some years now, I’ve heard fellow food lovers proclaim Abergavenny as the most enjoyable food festival in the UK. And for almost as long as I’ve been hearing that, I’ve intended to find out for myself. This year I finally did. And they were right! I absolutely loved the festival and can completely understand ... Read more »
The Satisfaction Of Home Made Pasta
People assume that because I’m so obsessive about food, I must surely be an experienced cook who has turned her hand to most of the common recipes and many of the more unusual or elaborate ones besides. Truth is, I am neither as adventurous or experienced a cook as you might think. I love eating, ... Read more »
Touring By Twitter | A Day In Bath
When invited by Bath Tourism Plus to spend a day in Bath, taking our advice on what to visit from twitter, Pete and I jumped at the chance. We started asking for suggestions in the run up to our visit and by the day itself, the advice was flowing in at a great rate. Both ... Read more »