Category: London

‘Think of the Takeaway as your friend’

This was the advice of a friend on how to deal with being housebound while recovering from surgery.

It was good advice, and we started by ordering from our local restaurants.

 

Then some kind friends realised our predicament; they introduced us to Dishpatch, and we haven’t looked back.

 

Dishpatch is a service which offers menus from top restaurants, delivered to your door, and available nationwide in the UK.

Your order arrives on Friday, by courier, in an insulated box, and practically all packaging is recyclable. There’s a detailed list of contents, with step by step instructions on how to finish your meal at home.

Menus change frequently; typically there’s a starter and a main event with optional ‘add-ons’, which might be a pudding, or something for breakfast or afternoon tea.

Everything is carefully thought through to ensure you have all you need to complete your meal. You won’t go hungry. Some of the participating restaurants will provide their choices of wine or cocktails to get your dinner party started.

The advice for all perishables is to enjoy them during the course of a weekend, but with common sense you can extend any leftovers for a day or two.

 

The introduction was the gift of a feast from Angela Hartnett’s Café Murano.

 

First was a fluffy focaccia with antipasti, a pleasantly bitter, smoky aubergine dip, and pickled vegetables; then an outstanding starter, Broad Bean Pesto with pine nuts, peas, herbs and Parmesan.

It came with a whole Burrata cheese to serve on top (I don’t normally set homework, but if you haven’t tried Burrata, find some immediately to rectify your omission, or I will mark you down for carelessness).

There was a little tub of pangrattato too, crisp breadcrumbs to scatter on top, for crunch. Weeks later, we still had a few left in the fridge, they were a gift that kept on giving.

 

I feel I should apologise that the photos that follow are blurred and poorly lit. Or both, we were SERIOUSLY OVER-EXCITED!

 

Buratta, Pangrattato, Broad Bean pesto

 

Main course was the leg and breast of a plump chicken, anointed with spicy N’duja sausage, star anise, rosemary and cardamom.  There were roast new potatoes to serve alongside, with sweet cherry tomatoes and artichoke hearts.

 

Chicken, roast potatoes with artichokes & tomatoes

 

We finished with a sublime, intense chocolate ‘cake’, and a light pistachio cream.

 

Chocolate cake, pistachio cream

 

Emboldened by this success, we ordered my birthday treat from St John

 

I’m very fond of St John Restaurant. I know the white interior of the restaurant and the staff uniforms are reminiscent of an operating theatre, but it smells much more welcoming, and is infinitely more pleasurable.

Both the restaurant and the cookbooks have been a huge influence on chefs, particularly in Britain and the USA. They were the originators of ‘nose to tail eating’, a philosophy that respects the animals we eat by using every part.

Be reassured, any idea that you will leave the table up to your elbows in gore is misplaced.

It’s elegant, thoughtful and skilled cooking. By ordering from Dishpatch, you only have two jobs: to complete the process in your kitchen, and then polish off the results.

 

 

Chicken & ox tongue pie

 

 

A chicken & smoked ox tongue pie served two of us generously over two nights. It came with an enamelled pie dish, sufficient pastry for the top, and a length of marrow bone. The marrow enriches the gravy, while the bone serves as pie funnel.

(If you’re not a fan of tongue, the pieces are large enough to allow easy removal, once they’ve imparted their soothing smokiness to the pie).

 

 

Potted Pork with cornichons; tomato salad “model’s own”

 

 

As well as the pie, which we ate over two days, we ordered all the optional ‘add-ons’ to complete the treat: ‘anchovy gunge’ to nibble on, potted pork & cornichons to start.

There was ginger loaf, butterscotch sauce & clotted cream to follow.

There were Welsh rarebit and miniatures of Fernet Branca for the Morning After, and a chocolate brownie for tea. And an Eccles cake with Lancashire cheese. Just in case we got famished before dinner….

 

Our latest experiment? José Pizarro’s Paella Box.

 

You’ll find the full menu via the link below. The tapas provided were enough as dinner on Saturday, with some left over as a starter for the paella the following day. We chose the wild mushroom and artichoke paella, and were amazed by the intensity of flavour. The correct sized pan is included in the box, and can be re-used again if you’re tempted to reproduce the recipe yourself.

There was enough Alioli (garlic mayonnaise) for the Patatas Bravas as well as a transformative dollop to go on the paella.

 

Mushroom paella with artichokes; brown food, but in a good way.

 

If your tapas need deep frying, the instructions tell you roughly what size pan to use. There’s a tub of the right amount of rapeseed oil, and a little tin of Maldon salt, enough for a generous seasoning. There’s a chunk of sourdough bread in the box, for mopping.

Deep frying at home can be quite challenging, another time I (or, rather, The Carer) might try cooking the blue cheese croquetas in a hot oven, and using less oil for the Padron peppers.

The Basque cheesecake with lavender honey? We were speechless with admiration….

 

‘Beef and Liberty’ from Hawksmoor

 

Liberty? If only….

 

This was another gift, aimed more at the kitchen-weary carer, I suspect.

Hawksmoor is a restaurant group known for its beef; they offer their own service, delivering steaks, or in this case a Roast Beef dinner for two. The worry and stress of preparation has been lifted from your shoulders, just follow the instructions (intelligently!) and don’t get distracted!

The beef in question was a 35 day dry-aged rolled rump. Don’t be tempted to reduce the amount of salt they advise you to throw on it while searing before it goes into the oven – the end result won’t be over seasoned.

The rested beef didn’t throw out any blood or juice when carved. It was pink, moist and perfectly tender, with the aroma of well aged meat.

The meat cooked at 200° C, and conveniently everything else reheats at the same temperature, even the perfect (substantial!) Yorkshire puddings.

Everything on the plate tasted intensely of itself.

 

Roast beef with everything prepared and ready to finish in the oven

 

Potatoes were roasted in beef fat, with whole cloves of garlic that oozed mild sweetness when squeezed open.

Again, everything is included, the fat, the Maldon salt, even a piece of marrow bone to scrape into the gravy (don’t let it dissolve, just let it soften till the sauce ‘throbs’ on the heat). Chantenay carrots & buttered greens are provided, and a sticky toffee pudding.

We kept the cauliflower cheese to eat with the leftover beef the next day (it has no other part to play in a roast, in my opinion).

The meal reminded me very much of the fantastic restaurant ‘A.G.’ In Stockholm, where the steaks are generous, and you just want to keep eating everything. http://www.amaroandtwisted.com/2019/10/09/vegetarians-look-away-now/

 

Overview of Dishpatch

Dishpatch was founded in 2020 during the first lockdown. They work with London restaurants to create meal kits that can be posted anywhere in the UK. The restaurants do what they do best by preparing the food, while Dishpatch handles logistics, delivery and customer service.

Since starting, Dishpatch has delivered well over 75,000 boxes.

We’ve found their service excellent. On only one occasion we had a minor issue with a couple of products which we fed back to the support team at Dishpatch by email. They responded very quickly and professionally, with a partial refund as recompense, and a generous voucher to spend on a future order.

Prices are comparable with a local takeaway, ranging from around £25 for a one-course meal for two, to £70 for a complete dinner; if that sounds expensive, be reassured the contents of the latter will provide more than enough for a feast, or more likely two.

Our local restaurants do not include Mexican, Japanese or Korean among the options, to name just three of the cuisines in the Dishpatch portfolio.

 

https://www.dishpatch.co.uk/menu

 

Hawksmoor is not a participant in Dishpatch, you can find their menus on their website here: https://thehawksmoor.com/hawksmoor-at-home/

‘Twas the night before lockdown

I was walking in the local park on Sunday 1st November last year when my mobile rang.

It was Laura calling from the 606 Jazz Club.

I had booked tickets for Saturday 7th to see Brandon Allen. I knew booking was a risk, we were expecting to hear that a third lockdown was due to be announced any day.

Sure enough it was announced on Monday, and the Lockdown would start on Wednesday 4th.

 

“I’m ringing round to say we’re trying to juggle the schedule. If we can make the numbers work, Brandon’s available to play on Tuesday….

 

“Would you be interested? We’d like to go out with one last hurrah!”

 

I said yes immediately, we had little else in the diary that week…..

 

The 606 promised to call me the next day to let me know the outcome. In fact they rang again about an hour later – the show was on!

 

The Brandon Allen Quartet

 

The Brandon Allen Quartet on stage, November 2020

 

‘Brandon Allen is arguably the most exciting tenor player in Britain today’  Jazzwise

 

We knew Brandon Allen as the saxophonist with the Kyle Eastwood Band. An expat Australian, he’s a highly regarded jazz musician in his own right, and the 606 was showcasing his own band, the Brandon Allen Quartet.

He’s played with many big names, and has also had an occasional side hustle playing with The Blockheads.

This show would take as its subject another sax player, Stanley Turrentine, featuring his work on the Bluenote and CTI labels, along with Turrentine’s renditions of rock and pop hits of the 60’s and 70’s.

 

 

The 606 Club

 

My first time at the 606 was almost exactly two years before, to see two more members of The Kyle Eastwood Band: Quentin Collins on trumpet and Andrew McCormack on piano.

 

Quentin Collins, 2020

 

Quentin Collins described the 606 as ‘the most authentic jazz room in London’, and he’s not wrong.

Even with social distancing in place we couldn’t have been much more than two metres from the stage. It’s all you would expect a jazz club to be, an intimate space in a basement.

 

Waiting for showtime at 606, 2019

 

This time the club staff were very welcoming, and handled all the restrictions and precautions really well and without fuss.

(We enjoyed a chicken curry with a bottle of wine – remember those days?)

Between sets we were able to browse some CDs and were advised by the manager to choose Brandon’s ‘Gene Ammons Project’, the closest to the style of music we were listening to that evening.

The last year has been a tough time for musicians who want nothing more than to play for a live audience, and for the venues that exist to enable them to do just that.

 

In the meantime, the 606 are broadcasting a series of state-of-the-art streamed performances.

To view their upcoming Live Streamed Performances, click here:

 

https://www.606club.co.uk/account/videos/live/

 

606 Online Premium Membership costs £12.95 a year, and allows you to access an archive of past performances, and a discount on 606 Live Streams.

The Brandon Allen Quartet live stream is showing again tomorrow, Saturday 20 February at 8pm, and will cost you the princely sum of £5.95.

You can also access his concert from August 2020 for just £3.50, and all Pay to View fees go directly to the musicians.

 

 

Brandon Allen, 4 November 2020

 

 

I’ll be there to enjoy some ‘swing, invention and stunning instrumental technique’ from saxophonist Brandon Allen…. 

 

 

 

 

‘You can’t furlough fish’

ChalkStream Trout first appeared at Twickenham Farmers Market on 7th November last year, which was the market’s 20th Anniversary. I’m pleased to see they have started to attend regularly.

Unlike many other traders, Arthur was standing in front of his stall, engaging with anyone who showed an interest in his product.

He explained that the main thrust of the business had been to supply restaurants, which of course was impossible in the first lockdown, and was extremely erratic in the following months.

They had to adapt quickly to the changing circumstances.

As Arthur memorably put it:

 

‘You can’t furlough fish’

 

ChalkStream Smoked Trout Pate

 

 

Chalkstream Trout set about selling their products directly to consumers at farmers markets around London. They also sell online, and you can subscribe to their newsletter on the website https://www.chalkstreamfoods.co.uk/

As well as smoked trout, you’ll find fresh sides, whole small fish, fishcakes and a lovely paté.

 

 

A “Totally Swedish” Moment – putting together a simple Smörgåsbord: https://wp.me/p7AW4i-HE

 

We’re fortunate in Twickenham that we have Sandy’s Fishmongers, who were already a stockist. It was there that I first came across Chalkstream Trout, and mentioned the product in the post, ‘A “Totally Swedish” Moment’, where I suggested it as an alternative to salmon when curing your own gravlax; the fillets are not as thick as salmon, so the cure penetrates the flesh more quickly.

 

 

 

On that first encounter, Arthur asked for our thoughts about the market.

We’ve become increasingly supportive of the market since lockdown, in fact it’s usually the highlight of our week.

 

Twickenham Farmers Market

To make a good food market, you need the right mix of stalls, giving niche products their opportunity to shine without too much competition.

It should represent the staples of a weekly shopping expedition for fresh food: fish, meat, fruit & veg, baked goods, cheese & dairy. Most traders at Twickenham attend weekly, others come once or twice a month. Alongside the core products we have a stall dedicated to wild game, occasionally a local beekeeper with honey, garden plants in the summer, and at Christmas even an award winning English sparkling wine.

 

How can you get fish from a Haggis?

As well as having the fishmonger on Twickenham High Street, we’re doubly lucky to have a fish stall at the market.

The choice there depends on what the fisherman has caught that week in his day boat, the ‘True to the Core’, in the North Sea off Walton-on-the-Naze, on the Essex coast. You can be assured that the fish is as fresh as it can be, unless you live near a quayside.

The stall is manned by the fisherman himself, Gary Haggis. He usually has a queue, waiting patiently while Gary deftly fillets and trims to the next customer’s requirements.

 

Favourite Stall

Customers are invited to vote for their favourite trader in February each year. In 2020 this was awarded to Lee House Farm, who have attended since the market opened; Twickenham is now their main retail outlet.

 

Queuing in an orderly fashion for Lee House Farm

 

The farmer in question is Grant Roffey, who brings his organic lamb, beef, chicken and eggs to market, ably assisted by his sidekick Tom.

Grant raises feisty chickens, slow grown to maturity to maximise their flavour; they produce outstanding eggs which sell out quickly; it’s worth pre-ordering online. It’s pleasing to see local restaurateurs carrying away trays of eggs.

There’s also competition for less obvious products; you’ll have to join the queue early in the morning if you’re looking for chickens’ feet!

They make a wonderful jellied stock, rich in collagen. Freeze it in cubes to add body and flavour to your cooking.

 

If you’re squeamish, look away now!

 

Grant’s feet (so to speak….)

 

 

 

Food Unlocked: A Pub, a Club and a Caff.

In the heady days of July, after lockdown lifted, we cautiously put our minds to where we might like to reconnect with the pleasures of….

Now, what was it called again, that activity we had been looking forward to for months?

Ah, yes! It was called ‘Eating Out’. 

We could leave home and go away for a few days. We would go to Norfolk!

We’d go the pub!

 

The Dun Cow, Salthouse

 

It’s a pub with a large garden, overlooking the marshes.

 

View from a window table

 

 

We booked a table for supper on the evening of our arrival; we unpacked the car, got ourselves organised, and then it was a few minutes drive away.

Norfolk had escaped the worst of the pandemic, so while restrictions were duly observed, the atmosphere in the pub was relatively relaxed.

We sanitised our hands on arrival, and waited to be shown to our table. The waiting staff weren’t required to wear masks then, but the menu and wine list were ‘single use’, and we were asked to order at the bar; there were no stools for customers to sit and drink there.

We had taken two or three bites from our starters when I put down my knife and fork. They were good, but I realised what was really remarkable: this was the first plate of food I had eaten in several months that had been prepared by someone who was not sitting at the table.

And behold, for it tasted good.

 

Carpaccio of Beef

 

Carpaccio of Red Poll beef with remoulade, truffle oil, Parmesan and ‘Blakeney leaves’

 

Crab and Cod ‘Bonbons’

 

Crispy fried crab & cod bonbons with chilli & coriander, lemon & sumac yoghurt

 

And to drink? It’s an interesting wine list for a pub.

 

Hungarian Furmint by the glass, anyone?

 

 

I met her in a Club down in old Soho

 

Back in London, to lunch at The Union, the members’ club in Soho.

After lockdown they asked their members to book twice, once in July and once in August. This would enable them to keep going through the summer.

We went during what then seemed to be the never-ending heatwave. The bar and dining room were empty, everyone had elected to sit outside on the small roof terrace.

We ordered a bottle of rosé ‘to show willing’, which came with glasses that had been frosted in the freezer.

Photography is discouraged in the club, but this is a view from our table, looking up.

 

 

Blue sky over Soho

 

I snatched another photo. 

 

The Upstairs Neighbour had gone fishing.

 

 

After a leisurely lunch we were able to repair to the cool shade of the bar (and enjoy the briefest snooze) before making our way home on an almost empty tube.

 

 

Inside The Union

 

 

 

….and a Caff (indulge me here)

 

During lockdown, many restaurants had asked regular customers to invest in vouchers which could be redeemed against lunch or dinner, when such activities became possible again.

We bought them for a couple of local independent places who we wanted to support.

A birthday was approaching, so we also decided to splash out at one of our favourites.

 

The River Café

 

Despite their masks, the staff were clearly enjoying being back in the business of looking after their customers.

The menus were disposable, and we had been encouraged to study the lengthy wine list online, and choose something before the Big Night.

 

I’m sorry the photos are a bit blurry; we were so excited!

 

Turbot, yellow pepper, gremolata

 

Simple and perfectly executed, as ever

 

Scallops, cod, clams, cannellini

 

After dinner, one of the floor managers made a point of coming over to ask how we had enjoyed our evening.

 

Words failed us.

 

 

Last week I did something extraordinary.

I went to the theatre.

 

Since lockdown eased, there are only two London theatres that have opened where I felt I would be safe.

One is the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park, where they are showing a ‘concert version’ of Jesus Christ Superstar.

I avoid musicals like The Plague.

The other is The Bridge, where I’ve enjoyed immersive stagings of Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Opened in 2017, it has a spacious bar area in the foyer, with access directly into the circle, and a wide staircase to the stalls – none of the narrow winding spaces typical of the traditional West End theatres.

 

 

Approaching The Bridge Theatre

 

 

Tickets ask the audience to arrive at staggered times to avoid long queues and overcrowding. Temperatures are taken at the entrance; look up at a monitor, and that’s it done.

 

The Bridge has reopened with a season of Alan Bennett’s ‘Talking Heads’, but this one man show was the one that intrigued me:

 

Beat the Devil

 

A play by David Hare, it’s less a talking head, more a cry of anguish and rage from someone with direct personal experience of Coronavirus.

Just before lockdown, Hare was working on a TV production of one of his scripts, in a tiny editing suite close to Oxford Circus. The editor made tea and biscuits….

Within 24 hours, the editor called to say that he had contracted Coronavirus, and with grim inevitability Hare does too. He describes the effects of the disease as like being possessed by a medieval demon.

His doctor speaks to him twice a day by video link, and urges him to go to hospital. ‘I don’t want to go there, the hospitals are full of people with Covid-19….’

Hare is portrayed by Ralph Fiennes in a mesmerising, powerful and bitter performance.

Over a period of sixteen days he experienced each of the recognised symptoms in turn, and one that was unexpected:

Everything he tried to eat or drink smelled and tasted ‘of sewage’. 

Alongside this terrifying account of fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, herpes and delirium, Hare’s parallel narrative recounts the government’s failures in its response to the crisis.

In these passages, Fiennes as Hare oozes contempt for the Conservative cabinet. ‘To call these politicians mediocrities does violence to the word’.

Towards the end of his illness Hare’s unable to eat, and has lost six kilos in two weeks. Then one morning he wakes up and tells his wife:

‘I fancy a croissant’

 

He calls his friend, the playwright Howard Brenton, who has also recovered from the virus; Brenton says it felt as if he looked up, and a demon left his body through his mouth….

 

‘I told you it seemed medieval’ 

 

Despite the grimness of the subject matter, it was a life-affirming tonic to be back in the theatre, and the 50 minute monologue passed in what seemed like an instant.

Much of the seating in the auditorium has been removed to allow social distancing, and the audience wears masks throughout.

 

The stalls at The Bridge

 

 

 

Ralph Fiennes is performing the piece three times a day to audiences of 250, making it viable to stage it in a theatre built for 900.

 

https://bridgetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/beat-the-devil/

 

Wine & food matching at Murano

Not everyone wants to know what I’ve been drinking (so to speak).

I usually post this sort of thing on what’s categorised by WordPress, the template that’s the framework of this blog, as a ‘Page’.

The page is called “And to drink?” and you’ll find it here: https://wp.me/P7AW4i-aV

I update it as a cumulative drinks diary, so if you’re interested in the world of beverages, it’s worth checking in from time to time.

This time, with 8 wines, carefully chosen to go with 8 courses, (plus canapés, and salumi and breadsticks in case we left hungry) I thought the liquid aspect of dinner at Murano warranted a standalone Post.

 

We were greeted with a glass (or two. Well, several) of Champagne.

 

  • Canapés: Parmesan churros (a savoury doughnut); Mushroom & mozzarella Arancini: Mackerel tartare; Pickled beetroot.
  • A. R. Lenoble, ‘Intense’ Mag 15 Brut, non vintage.

The cuvée is unusually 45% Pinot Meunier (for fragrance), 45% Pinot Noir (for body) and 15% Chardonnay; a crisp and appetising apéritif with the canapés.

 

  • Vitello Tonnato followed.
  • Angela Hartnett’s 2017 Sangiovese Rosato, a dry, pale pink Tuscan from Tenute Fertuna.

Creamy textured; strawberry, white fruit & sour cherry notes cut through the richness of the veal.

 

 

  • Artichoke fagottini, pecorino fondue, Perigord truffle.
  • 2018 Greco, Pietracupa, Campania.

Declassified Greco di Tufo; savoury, nutty, orchard fruits & citrus, low acidity. A successful match for the difficult combination of Artichoke and truffle. 

 

 

 

  • Halibut, carrot, buttermilk, fennel & Pernod velouté.
  • 2018 I.G.T. Marche Bianco, ‘Terre Silvate’, La Distesa, Marche.

100% biodynamic Verdicchio: medium bodied, aromatic, with fennel notes and a salty, funky character.

 

 

 

  • Rare breed pork (roast loin & smoked belly), fermented cabbage, quince, mustard.
  • 2012 I.G.T Toscana, Póllera Rosso, Fattoria Ruschi Noceti, Tuscany.

The sommelier Ali told us this was a rare & obscure grape variety from somewhere in Italy. Emboldened by the champagne, I asked to taste it blind. ‘Pelaverga from Piemonte?’ I ventured? No. ‘Corvina from the Veneto, perhaps?’ No.

‘I know! A Sicilian from Mount Etna!’ I said with (ill-advised) confidence.

It turned out to be Pòllera, a grape native to Maremma in Tuscany (I’d never heard of it). The pork brought out flavours of cherry & plum in the wine.

 

 

 

 

  • Selection of cheese from La Fromagerie (Isle of Mull cheddar, Vacca Blue from Piemonte, Epoisse and Fleur Marie).
  • 2016 I.G.T. Vinetti delle Dolomiti, Teroldego, Foradori, Trentino Alto Adige.

Biodynamic wine, Teroldego is a relative of Syrah. Fresh acidity and dark fruit made friends with a fine selection of cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

  • Caramelised Amalfi Lemon tart, with a texture like crème brûlée.
  • 2016, Jurançon ‘La Magendia’, Lapeyre, Southwest France.

The intense acidity of the lemons went head to head with the orange and lemon citrus in the wine.

 

 

 

 

  • Chocolate marquise, confit orange. Chocolate mousse, rhubarb.
  • 2007 Passito di Malvasia, ‘Vigna dell Volta’, La Stoppa, Emilia-Romagna. 

Chocolate is notoriously tricky with wine. This unfiltered wine (decanted) worked a treat: nutty and savoury, intensely sweet with refreshing acidity.

 

 

There. We made it to pudding.

Dinner in Murano

I should have been in Venice.

 

Our flight was booked for 27 March, for a short break before my operation that was scheduled for May 1st.

Still, we can look back to dinner in Murano a couple of weeks ago; that’s Angela Hartnett’s restaurant in Mayfair, not the island.

 

View of the kitchen from The Chef’s Table, Murano

 

 

My brother-in-law Richard is a director at Smart Catering, where Angela is executive chef; a dinner at the chef’s table was his birthday treat.

 

 

Tuscan Rosato with the veal

 

 

The head chef came out of the kitchen to introduce herself, and the menu.

‘I’m Lauren; I’m not Italian, as you can probably tell’,

she said, deadpan, in a Scottish accent, before running through the meal: canapés, a starter, pasta, a fish course, a meat course, cheese, and no fewer than three puddings.

‘Let’s hope we get through to pudding’, said Richard.

 

 

Ali, the Sommelier, who chose the wines for the evening, loving her work

 

 

Between courses, a chef came out of the kitchen to explain his or her dish.

“I love it when the chefs have to come out and describe their dish, in fully formed sentences”

commented Ali, as Harry emerged with his outstanding Vitello Tonnato.

 

 

Vitello Tonnato

 

Lauren invited us into the kitchen to plate our own fish course: halibut, carrot. buttermilk, fennel & Pernod velouté.

 

Lauren setting us the Halibut Challenge

 

The pressure was on.

 

On the pass: ‘Yes, chef!’

 

 

Ali was wearing a gold bunch of grapes as a brooch. Asked if it was her sommelier’s badge,

“Yes, I bought it on eBay – it’s bigger and more feminine than the official one”.

 

 

Rare breed pork, fermented cabbage, quince, mustard

 

 

The pork was so good, I forgot to take a picture before getting stuck in.

 

 

We were presented with a menu at the end of the evening (to make sure we had been concentrating)
It was an outstanding and truly memorable experience.  The different dishes were subtle, concentrated, beautifully executed – and the wines were marvellous, and thoughtfully chosen.
I’ll write about the food and wine pairings in my page ‘And to Drink?’
The team, led by the terrific duo of Lauren and Ali, is exceptional.

Murano by Angela Hartnett, 20-22 Queen Street, London W1J 5PP.

A calm and happy kitchen, and a real sense of welcome and hospitality front-of-house.

 

https://www.muranolondon.com/

 

Café Murano: St James’s; Covent Garden; Bermondsey Street

The View from Here

I haven’t posted much here recently. I’ve been feeling a little apprehensive.

 

I was scheduled to have surgery on my arthritic foot on 1st May, after which I would be pretty much off my feet for at least three months, so pretty much confined to the house.

While I knew that an outbreak of Coronavirus was expected to hit the UK, I wasn’t really anticipating that the rest of the country would also be unable to leave home.

 

 

The local school anticipated social distancing

 

 

We made travel plans accordingly: a few days in Norfolk; a quick Eurostar trip to Ghent in March, to see the major exhibition devoted to Van Eyck (inventor of European oil painting), and his altarpiece; closely followed by a few days in Venice.

First on the list was Norfolk. I was planning to make a batch of demiglace on our return, so I bought an ox tail and some beef cheeks, which I find work well. On impulse, I bought enough cheeks to make a quantity of beef daube for the freezer. I am now the go-to ‘source of sauce’ in Southwest London, but unfortunately, no-one can come and get it….

 

 

Actually these are lamb bones, but you get the idea

 

 

My method for making demiglace originates in Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Les Halles Cookbook’.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-qk

 

Daube de Boeuf comes from Alastair Little’s ‘Keep it Simple’.

 

 

As the weeks went by, it became apparent that it would be unwise to travel, if not impossible. We started to dismantle arrangements.

 

We were expecting a Lockdown, but somehow it still took us by surprise when it came, and the implications sank in.

My archery club closed its doors on Wednesday 18 March.

 

 

Last shoot at the club for the foreseeable future

 

 

 

I brought my kit home, and have since set up a (very) short range to practise in the garden.

 

 

Needs must

 

 

Mrs C was possibly the last to play tennis at her club last Tuesday.

 

Our local farmers’ market is still going, as are food shops, but the staff are working shoulder to shoulder behind the counter, which is a worry, and some punters seem oblivious of the two metre rule….

 

Twickenham Farmers Market

 

I’ve made a quantity of Gravlax:

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-HE

 

And I’ve just ordered Prague Powder No 2 and casings for an experiment in making salami.

2019 – the Food Stuff

There’s a weekend to be planned here – nothing that couldn’t be achieved with the services of a private jet, and perhaps a bit of time travel.

You could have breakfast in Paris, take a coffee in Stockholm, then lunch on Torcello, or Borough Market in London if you prefer.

Dinner? Back to Paris, on to Amsterdam? Or (my choice) Stockholm again for a magnificent steak.

I’ll let you take in an hour’s TV to recover, then if you still have the stamina, we’ll head over to Venice for a nightcap.

 

 

Best Breakfast of 2019?

It has to be The French Bastards, for ‘A croissant worth crossing Paris for’

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kj 

 

Best croissant in Paris?

 

 

Mid morning coffee

A seriously good cup of coffee is one of life’s great pleasures for me, and they don’t get much better than at Robert’s Coffee, in the Saluhall market, Stockholm.

The cinnamon buns are a bonus. (They take cards only, not cash, so you won’t even have to bother buying kronor).

 

 

Fika at Robert’s Coffee, Stockholm

 

What have the Swedes ever done for us?

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Cv

 

Lunch in the Lagoon….

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo on the island of Torcello; all the better for being unexpected.

Torcello is about an hour from Venice; you can reach it on a scheduled service, changing at Burano, using your vaporetto pass.

 

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo, Torcello

 

The ancient basilica on Torcello predates the city of Venice. To reach it from the quay, you walk along the side of a canal. The most famous restaurant on the island is the Locanda Cipriani nearby, but you pass three others on the way.

We weren’t looking for a grand lunch, but something to fortify us for the basilica.

The first place looked fun, but was packed with families queuing for pizza.

The second was a fairly standard Trattoria. We walked on.

The third had a big dining room with a covered terrace at the back, opening onto a garden. The menu looked as if we could find something suitable, so we went in and were greeted with smiles and shown to a table.

It was a good decision, even the bread basket was exceptional. We had a pretty antipasto of colourful steamed vegetables, all tasting intensely of themselves, served warm to bring out the fruitiness of the olive oil dressing.

Then black squid ink pasta, with crab, samphire and rosemary; orecchiette with turbot and cherry tomatoes.

We drank Arneis, a white from Piemonte.

After lunch we wandered round the garden and may have dropped off on a bench in the pergola. Just for a moment….

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo is open for lunch Tuesday to Sunday, and dinner on Friday and Saturday.

 

Contatti

 

….and at Borough Market

Closer to home but equally unexpected was discovering the new Brindisa Kitchen at Borough Market. It’s inspired by the bars in Spanish markets.

I saw it had opened the day before I’d arranged to meet a friend for a day of shopping and sustenance (Instagram has its uses).

 

A perfect scallop

 

A glass of Manzanilla with a single perfect scallop.

Hake & mussels.

I love watching chefs happy in their work, interacting with their customers, and the bar staff were charming.

 

The head chef, Brindisa Kitchen

 

Hake & mussels

 

https://boroughmarket.org.uk/traders/brindisa-kitchen

Dinner?

Honourable mention for the Sweetbreads at Frenchie’s Wine Bar, Paris.

So good, I ate them twice.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kh

 

‘Everything, I want to eat everything’

 

 

Caffé Toscanini in Amsterdam for the whole experience of food and hospitality; a perfect aperitif followed by an accomplished Italian meal, delivered with good humour and expertise.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kh

 

The bar at Caffe Toscanini, Amserdam

 

The prize goes to A.G. for the best steak of 2019. I’ll be lucky to find one as good in 2020.

Most of the tables were occupied by groups of men sharing massive steaks.

There were also a few couples on date nights, sharing massive steaks.

‘Vegetarians, look away now’.

 

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Oh

 

A.G. – ‘vegetarians, look away now’

 

 

TV Show: Remarkable places to eat, Episode 1, in which chef Angela Hartnett takes Maitre d’ Fred Siriex to her favourites in Venice.

It’s a full hour of television, so they have time to show you the dedication and hard work that goes into delivering the best ingredients and food experiences in the city. These are not cynical tourist traps. Nothing is done without effort: wading chest deep in the lagoon to harvest seafood; delivering vegetables by boat and trolley to Bruno Gavagnin, the quietly spoken but demanding chef at Alle Testiere; walking half a kilometre over bridges carrying boxes of perfect patisserie to Caffe Florian, from their production kitchen to Piazza San Marco – several times throughout the day.

At the time of writing it’s not available on BBC iPlayer, but it’s sure to turn up on your TV sooner or later.

 

Here are the fishermen:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006vw3

Here’s a clip:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07g3dkl

 

 

FANCY A NIGHTCAP?

 

Let’s head back to Venice, for a glass of wine at Vino Vero. 

You’ll find it here, on my page ‘And to drink?’

 

https://wp.me/P7AW4i-aV

My picks of 2019

My Museum of the Year:

The Vasa Museum in Stockholm, without question. Read my post here:

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-On

 

The Vasa Museum

 

 

Exhibitions:

Stanley Kubrick – I’ll come back to this one with a dedicated post. First seen in Paris in 2011, at La Cinémathèque Française, I didn’t realise it was on an extended world tour. While it finished at The Design Museum in September 2019, there’s a chance you’ll be able to catch it somewhere in the world in coming years.

 

Stanley Kubrick, The Exhibition

 

Other highlights:

Sargent at the National Museum of Sweden.

Sorolla, Master of Light, at The National Gallery, London.

Hockney and Van Gogh, The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Ib

 

Film: The Two Popes

‘Two Welsh actors walk into a bar; they both start to pontificate’

I wasn’t expecting much of The Two Popes. It’s a fictionalised account of Pope Benedict’s decision to abdicate, and nominate his unwilling successor, Pope Francis. Both men have troubled pasts.

Anthony Hopkins plays the rigid German who adheres to Catholicism in its strictest form, but sees the need for the church to modernise. Jonathan Pryce plays the football-loving Argentinian who intends to resign as Cardinal, but is then summoned to Rome. Filmed in locations including the Sistine Chapel and Argentina, it’s a large scale film that centres on the relationship of the two men with great humanity.

The Traitor at The London Film Festival is also based on a true story, of a minor mafioso who is persuaded to return from anonymity in Brazil to become a central witness at the Sicilian Mafia Maxi-Trials of the 1980s. It’s a chilling insight into recent events in Italian history.

Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes is a documentary charting the history of the record label from its foundation in 1939 by two white German immigrants, Alfred Lion and Max Magulis. Unconcerned by commercial considerations, they loved the music, treated the artists well, and nurtured their creativity. From around 1947 the label embraced modern jazz. Changes of ownership followed Lion and Magulis’s retirement in the 1960s. Since 2012 it has been under the stewardship of its current president Don Was, who has overseen its revival, attracting a new generation of musicians.

The Favourite was a major disappointment. I really expected to enjoy it. Visually striking but dull.

The Souvenir was my Turkey of the Year. I’ll never get those two hours of my life back.

Theatre: two Shakespeares, two Wiltons

The Sam Wanamaker Theatre at The Globe is an intimate space, a recreation of a Jacobean theatre, illuminated by candlelight. An eerie production of Macbeth in January opened in darkness; a single candle was lit, the Thane of Cawdor encountered the witches in near-darkness, and was propelled towards his blood-soaked destiny.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Bridge was a mischievous delight. The central joke, that Titania should be bewitched to fall in love with Bottom, was playfully inverted; it was Oberon who fell for the ass.

 

Wilton’s Music Hall, Grace Alley

 

Sinatra: Raw at Wilton’s Music Hall was an enjoyable suspension of disbelief, written and brilliantly performed by Richard Shelton.

‘You all know Somethin’ Stupid, yeah? Well if you’re thinking of singing it on your way home, I’ve got some advice for you’

‘Doobie Doobie, Don’t’

 

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-ST

 

A Christmas Carol, also at Wilton’s, was rewritten as another gender inversion; Ebenezer Scrooge died young, and his sister Fan, played by Sally Dexter, reverts to her maiden name after she is widowed from Jacob Marley.

 

The bar at Wilton’s, Christmas 2019

 

Miss Scrooge resolutely resists the blandishments of the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, and in desperation the ghosts transport her to 2019, where she witnesses her female descendant running the family business, beset by all the pressures of 21st century technology.

Scrooge returns to her own time, committed to devoting her fortune to the empowerment of women, and to celebrate Christmas in a last act that owes a big debt to panto.

 

Music:

In February I anticipated that Booker T Jones might just be my gig of the year.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-FQ

 

Van Morrison at The Roundhouse was a strong contender in July. People complain he doesn’t play all the hits, but with a back catalogue like his, who can blame him? They say he only plays for an hour and a quarter, he doesn’t do encores, choosing instead to wander offstage mid-song.

He performs on his own terms. The Roundhouse was a perfect venue, and he and his band were on fine form. As a bonus, Chris Farlowe guested for ‘They Call it Stormy Monday (and Tuesday’s just as bad)’, and he’s still in good voice.

 

Van Morrison at The Roundhouse

 

But my pick of the year goes to Quentin Collins (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Andrew McCormack (piano) at The 606 Club, playing the music of Chick Corea and Woody Shaw.

They regularly perform with The Kyle Eastwood Band, one of my favourite acts, who we always catch at Ronnie Scott’s.

It was my first time at The 606 Club. It’s on Lot’s Road, in the wasteland of blocks of luxury flats beyond The World’s End in Chelsea. There’s an illuminated purple sign above the doorway – ring the bell and they buzz you in.

The club is in a basement, of course, with tables that seated perhaps 35 people on a Wednesday in November. Quentin Collins described it as ‘the most authentic jazz room in London’.

 

Quentin Collins

 

We couldn’t have been any closer to the musicians. Quentin came on stage after the break with a modest glass of red wine, and asked politely if he could put it on our table.

Steve Ruby, the proprietor of the club, joined the band on stage to play flute on ‘Bud Powell’.

 

Having a song named after you, wouldn’t that be cool?

 

https://www.606club.co.uk/