A delightful surprise after a day at Primrose Hill. We went for a lovely last minute planned late lunch at Antonio’s (not a restaurant, even though it does sound like one; simple Antonio’s house). Lunch was great, but the big surprise was dessert: Norfolk County Passion Fruit Ice Cream.
Amazing stuff, goes really well with a strong chocolate tart (our actual combination). I could see some cocktail potential for it as well; maybe mixing it with a frizzante. More flavours at their website. Antonio’s told me he bought his at Waitrose, if that helps your quest.
It’s no secret this guys is simply one of my favourites. Hugh is simple, laid back, and pulls of amazing recipes. Tonight’s Summer Episode made me want to rent a house in the country side tomorrow and pick strawberries for the next month. While that remains a dream, I’ll stick with the strawberry coctails for this weekend.
The ‘tonic’ of the BBC program is simply brilliant. I’ve been watching The Supersizers eat… for quite a while, not only because of the obvious chemistry between Giles Coren and Sue Perkins, but because it’s simple, straight to the point, surprising most of the times, and hilarious. The new series just started every monday, 9pm, at BBC 2.
I thought they weren’t going to pull it off with the 80s era (check it in BBC iPlayer), since most of the previous shows rely on the bizare from (way past) eras for most of its gist. The music, the massive mobile phones and the coctail mixtures in excess make it work beautifully. But it’s all about hard core time travelling, and tonight they’re back to medieval times.
I must confess I didn’t know the work of Giles quite well before watching him on the tellie, but since then, he’s been one of my favourite food writers. Check one of his latests, on Gordon Ramsay.
My first Taste of London experience and I loved every second. If you’re in London, there is still time. I suppose weekend will be pure madness, but the flavours you’ll find along the way will make it worth it. Above, my favourite: honey-rum glazed pot roast of pork with sautêed Shanghai bok choy, fried plantains and enoki mushrooms, by Franz Schingal, from Asia de Cuba.
I’m not sure what do I usually do first, sharpen the knife or press play. It is true, there is no division between cooking and listening to music for me (you can through eating in the same pot). It is as much about rhythm as it is about flavour. You want something spice and nostalgic, go for a nice Sticky Fingers, by the Stones. If you need edge, why not try Discovery, by Daft Punk? The lovely record above, Steamin’ with Miles, will bring extra aroma your kitchen. That’s pretty much how (probably random) my decision criteria goes.
No surprise this is a ‘hot’ subject. Even Jamie gave it a go with his Cookin’ Jamie Oliver’S Music To Cook By. I must say it doesn’t all work for me: Gomez is super cool, Fatboy Slim works with many recipes, but Toploader is a little bit too sweet for me. Maybe it works with a nice company in the kitchen. I think Nigel Slater nailed it quite well in his Guardian article.
I decided to make my own collection available through Spotify, starting with my all time favourite: Jazz! It’s perfect for pasta or any kind of french bistro-like meals. The plan is to keep updating it, and post here my future cooking playlists.
For those around London, apparently D day has home (D days in fact). Taste Festival arrives in town with a variety of amusements for food aficionados. The festival is taking place at the beautiful Regents Park (fingers crossed for sunny sky), from 18 to 21 June. I’ve personally never been to one, but from the schedule, names and buzz around the event, it seems like a sure bet. In addition to shop for nice ingredients and props, the core of the magic is the tasting experience offered by some of the big names in town, including one of my personal favourites Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Tickets are not super cheap, but it’s worth looking for a possible deal (for those of you carrying a BA silver card, some premium offers are available). Some of my friends at UK Food Bloggers tell me going during the week is the best option for those truely into the experience. Apparently weekend becomes chaotic, I’d avoid. Enjoy.
I ran into this image the other day (by Lokesh Dhakar). Apart from revealing my other passion – design –, it’s a spot on representation of something that looks simple has actually a lot of craft and science behind. Art of coffee has been around for a long time but only recently it has received a place in the spotlight. That being probably the result of one of the trendiest thing to do in any corner of the world: coffee shops.
The barista, word coming from the italian ‘barman’ (and, to no surprise, currently registered as Starbucks brand), is the craftsman of such art. Once a year, baristas from across the globe get together to compete for precision, and creativity of course. The World Barista Championship aims to “truly helping to elevate coffee-making standards around the world”. Apparently it is also broadcasted over the web, the next date is not set yet, but I’ll try to put that in my calendar as soon as it’s out. I was quite happy to read this year’s champion comes from the UK: Gwilym Davies. In the Guardian article he describes the recipe of his signature coffee:
“It had butter, chocolate, orange peel, muscovado syrup and cinammon, which were all heated in one pan and then poured over the espresso with a little bit of milk on top. I want my customers to get to that level of enjoyment.”
Hard to tell only from watching the trailer, but Pressure Cooker seems like an inspiration already. Not very different from what Jamie Oliver does with his Fifteen foundation, Pressure Cooker tells the story of Wilma Stephenson, a passionate teacher that uses the culinary art to sweeten the tough lifes of the working-class kids of Philadelphia. The work and heart she puts into the project (again, from what I’ve seen on the trailer) is impressive (and let’s remember, different from the former example, she is not a celeb chef).
All my congratulations to her and the team (I still didn’t get how TakePart is involved in the project, but seems a beeautiful initiative).
The family is visiting Europe and we headed to Provence, France, for a dream week. Renting the house was fairly easy (or we’re just lucky), and everything is perfect so far. What is amazing around the region is the quality and quantity of fresh ingredients available. Any small market will have the best meat, vegetables and so on.
The week will be long, it will include a quick stop at Château La Nerthe, many restaurants (a few michelins stars in mind) and hopefully many recipes to try.
Above, a quick starter improvised with rosemary found around the house. The recipe will soon be available in our cookbook.
The kitchen wonderboy does it again. Not to hit on the same note on and on, but Jamie Oliver is indeed on of my top references on the current celebrity chefs list. Not only he puts on a good show, but he’s also (I think) a true food lover. From top cusine to everyday magic, he has always a point to make.
Ok, enough of praises, some facts to give my od some body. On the recent G20 encounter in London, Jamie was the one responsible for the menu. He opted for a genuine British set up:
Starter: Organic Scottish salmon with samphire and sea kale, and a selection of vegetables from Sussex, Surrey and Kent.
Main course: Slow-roasted shoulder of Elwy Valley lamb with Jersey Royals, wild mushrooms and mint sauce.
Dessert: Bakewell tart and custard.
Vegetarian option: Goat’s cheese starter followed by lovage and potato dumplings for the main course.
Like Tim Hayward, I’d also be honoured to experience such.
But ok, so far so good, cooking with the best ingredients is not fair, as some could say. However, not to my surprise, I run across a second menu set, also published on The Guardian, where the chef is challenged with a budget limit: to cook under £5. He presents us with another simple solution, that I’d, once again, be delighted to try (and might do so tomorrow). Check the article for the full recipe:
Classic tomato spaghetti
Evolution green salad
Strawberry and ginger nut ice-cream
Here you go then, Jamie Oliver for every taste and budget. Enjoy.
. I must say it doesn’t all work for me: Gomez is super cool, Fatboy Slim works with many recipes, but Toploader is a little bit too sweet for me. Maybe it works with a nice company in the kitchen. I think Nigel Slater nailed it quite well in his 
