Travel tips-Restaurant reviews-Recipes
It was with great sadness I heard that Patisserie Valerie was going into administration and many closing down, including the iconic ‘original’ in Old Compton Street. In fact it wasn’t actually the original, which was opened in Frith Street in 1926 by Madame Valerie, a Belgian woman. When the cafe was bombed in World War […]
Read MoreIt’s quite a while since I last wrote one of these posts but they’re fun to do occasionally and a great way to mention favourite restaurants I revisit and recipes I cook again. It’s been a good week of friends, food and expeditions. Come and share it with me … Friday I had a […]
Read MoreTwo of my favourite things to do in London is to go to the theatre – which I do once or twice a month – and to go to an art gallery. Sometimes the gallery is to see an exhibition; sometimes to attend a talk, lecture or even a short course on art history. Then, […]
Read MoreFood has always been an important part of my life’s journey from small child to now. I grew up in a family that loved and appreciated good food and my childhood was filled with trips to Soho food stores on Saturday mornings followed by breakfast at the famous Maison Bertaux in Greek Street. Birthdays and […]
Read MoreAfter my ‘quick fixes’ yesterday, I thought it worth reblogging my guide to easy entertaining from 3 years ago. More time spent in the kitchen doesn’t necessarily translate to better food … and remember you’re supposed to have fun too!
Read MoreMy attitude to preparing meals is very ‘pure’ in the sense that I never buy ready-made meals, I buy good quality – mostly organic – ingredients and keep things simple; an emphasis on cooking Italian style with just a very few ingredients. When I was a young thing with a young family, I used to […]
Read MoreIt’s been ages since I’ve done one of these ‘my week in food’ posts but they’re fun to do occasionally, looking back on my week through the eyes of what I’ve been eating. They also give me a chance to mention somewhere I’ve already reviewed and still like a lot. For someone who thinks about […]
Read MoreI’ll confess immediately this is a stolen idea! Observer Food Monthly celebrated their 200th edition today and the Observer‘s long-in-residence food writer, the wonderful Nigel Slater, wrote a piece choosing his ‘desert island’ recipes over Food Monthly‘s life. That’s a fun idea, I thought. I’ll choose my ‘desert island’ recipes from the blog; I also […]
Read MoreMost people are fairly traditional when it comes to food at Christmas. The wonderful and great late cookery writer Jane Grigson wrote: ‘In my experience, clever food is not appreciated at Christmas. It makes the little ones cry and the old ones nervous.’ I think things have changed a little since she wrote that and […]
Read MoreI was delighted to be invited to another evening of Italian food by Brand Dialogue, who recently asked me to a Parmigiano-Reggiano event at Bocca di Lupo. This time we were to enjoy and celebrate Parma Ham. The event was held at the Good Housekeeping Institute Cookery School in Soho – and it sounded as […]
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