New York meal #8: Truly 'fine' dining at the excellent Torrisi, 24th December

26 December 2011

Torrisi had come highly recommended by many chefs in London when I mentioned we were going to NYC and we were not disappointed, in fact, we were utterly impressed. Unfortunately, the room was too dark to take any decent photos but the food was so exceptional so I thought I would take you through our culinary journey in this minute dining room in Downtown New York.

- Blue Point oysters

- just made, literally, mozzarella with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil accompanied by cheesy/herby 'croutons'. The mozzarella was still warm which meant it was stringy rather than wet but oh so delicious!

- pickled and fresh root veg including Jerusalem artichoke and carrots

- thinly sliced tripe and crispy tripe

- 'fish and chips' - creamy bacalao with roe & slices of crispy potato

- duck ragu with homemade strozzapreti pasta

- 'deviled' chicken, brined chicken with a hit of chilli

- dessert was a selection of sweets including sweet potato squares, tri-coloured marzipan and chocolate mint

http://www.torrisinyc.com/

Spoilt for choice with destinations to bring in the New Year.

9 December 2011

Whether you like to guzzle Champagne in a glamourous destination or simply enjoy a lovely meal with friends on New Year's Eve, then here are the choices for you.

Feel smug in the warmth with Champagne in hand at SKYLON as you watch fireworks over the Thames and dine on dishes such as Tournedos 'Rossini', pan-fried foie gras, winter truffle and pomme puree from Executive Chef Helena Puolakka.

Celebrate with Yotam Ottolenghi's bold and colourful creations at his Soho restaurant NOPI with dishes including slow-cooked pork belly, coco bean cassoulet and salsa verde and chocolate rum financier, chestnut cream and glace chestnuts.

Or feast at THE MODERN PANTRY in Clerkenwell and choose from a selection of Anna Hansen's finest dishes including venison Wellington, shitake and shimeji mushrooms, cavolo nero, roast parsnips, prune and horseradish compote.

Neighbourhood Italian restaurant ILIA will have prosecco on tap and a menu that begins with mussels and clams fricassee and beef tartare.

And for those not in London, head to Folkestone to enjoy a panoramic view over the sea at Mark Sargeant's ROCKSALT restaurant where his menu commences with celeriac and white truffle soup, a choice of Kent and Sussex breed beef or fillet of turbot and Black Forest Gateaux.

Please contact me directly to receive complete menus, further information and photos.

A very 'Modern Christmas Hamper' from The Modern Pantry of course!

2 December 2011

This Christmas allow The Modern Pantry to remove some of the stress of cooking with their ‘Modern Christmas Hamper’. Chef patron Anna Hansen has created two hampers to choose from each containing everything needed to wow friends and family without having to spend Christmas Day slaving away over a hot stove for hours on end. With helpful and easy to follow cooking instructions, the dishes will be ready just to be finished off in the oven or on the hob.


The Modern Christmas Hamper menu:

 
Turkey Schnitzel & Bread Sauce
or
Roast Pork Belly & Green Pepper Relish


Accompanied by duck fat roasted potatoes, spiced roasted parsnips and carrots, braised red cabbage, sautéed cavolo nero, chestnut and nutmeg puree and Oloroso jus.

Also included in the hamper will be a selection of cheeses served with pear and fennel chutney, za’atar crostini and oatcakes, and of course to finish, The Modern Pantry mince pies.


The Modern Christmas Hamper is priced at £30 per person and can be ordered online via enquiries@themodernpantry.co.uk or in person by visiting The Pantry Monday to Friday 8am – 3pm. Payment on ordering is required, last day of orders on Tuesday 20th December by 3pm and collection on Friday 23rd December between 3pm – 6pm.

Possibly the best mince pies in the world?

25 November 2011

They might well be! These beauties are made by the uber talented Anna Hansen at The Modern Pantry. They are extra special because the mince meat filling is packed with , yes, that's right, sloes that have been soaked in gin for a very long time indeed!

Enjoy them in the ground floor cafe with a glass of Kammerling's or for a healthier option, a Matcha latte with manuka honey. They can also be bought from the Pantry to take away.

www.themodernpantry.co.uk

Where to eat over the Festive Season

25 November 2011

ROCKSALT, FOLKESTONE

Mark Sargeant’s stunning restaurant with panoramic sea views in Folkestone is open for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, celebrating their first Christmas since opening in June this year.

A 5-course menu will be served on Christmas Day for £85 per person that will begin with a selection of canapés, swede and honey soup with walnut pesto, a choice of starters including the Rocksalt prawn cocktail, followed by Kelly Bronze Norfolk turkey classically garnished or Rump of Salt Marsh lamb with gratin potato or baked filet of turbot with mussel and vegetable broth. A blood orange sorbet with local Gusbourne Blanc de Blanc sparkling will cleanse the palate before moving on to Ada Sargeant’s Christmas Pudding or caramelised pear tart with cinnamon ice cream or passion fruit and banana pavlova.

A 3-course Boxing Day lunch will be served at Rocksalt for £40 per person.

For more information and to make a reservation visit www.rocksaltfolkestone.co.uk

SKYLON, SOUTHBANK

Skylon Restaurant, Bar & Grill sits in the Royal Festival Hall and takes on its iconic 1950s architecture and design with vaulted ceilings, giant oblong columns and triple-height wall of glass giving unparalleled panoramic views of the Southbank and River Thames.

This Christmas, Skylon’s Finnish Executive Chef Helena Puolakka will be serving a special 5-course dinner on Christmas Eve for £65 per person –

Cream of Jerusalem artichoke, horseradish cream

Butter poached lobster with cashew nuts, pink grape fruit chilli and mango

Pan-fried foie gras, smoked eel and granny smith salad, poppy seed dressing

Ballotine of turkey, cocotte potatoes, chipolatas, cranberry sauce

Simply Christmas pudding with brandy butter

Skylon will be closed on Christmas Day but will re-open on Boxing Day Boxing Day for lunch and dinner.

For more information and to make a reservation visit www.skylon-restaurant.co.uk

NEW YEAR’S EVE – watch this space for news of parties and menus for New Year’s Eve this year at The Modern Pantry, NOPI, Skylon and Rocksalt restaurants.

Nuno Mendes launches 'The Long Table' in Dalston

22 November 2011

Creative chef extraordinaire, Nuno Mendes, is about to launch his latest project with Bootstrap Company. "The Long Table" is a night time food market set in a covered car park in Dalston, Hackney, offering a hand picked selection of London's best street food, bars and music. The Long Table is a very, very long table - diners are invited to select their food from one or more of the stalls and then join the long table for dinner amongst fellow diners.

Restaurateurs and street vendors taking part include - Hawksmoor, Moro, Yum Bun, Big Apple Hot Dogs, The Loft Project, London Fields Brewery, Lucky Chip, Rejina Sabur and lots more.

The first night is this Friday 25th November. The Long Table will take place each Friday until 16th December.

http://www.thelongtable.net/

COVENT GARDEN MARKET’S FIRST ‘RESTAURANT IN RESIDENCE’ - invites guest chefs to cook for one night only.

4 November 2011

Canteen is delighted to announce that three of Britain’s most exciting chefs will be serving exclusive menus to guests this December in Covent Garden Market’s first temporary ‘restaurant in residence’. Acclaimed chefs Angela Hartnett and Mark Sargeant are joined by rising star Neil Borthwick, each offering one-off menus.

Angela Hartnett & Emma Duggan 1st December 2011

Mark Sargeant 8th December 2011

Neil Borthwick 15th December 2011

Please contact me directly if you would like the complete press release, any photos of Canteen Covent Garden, guest chef menus or details on how to book places at one of these dinners.

Inspiring wine pairings at NOPI

28 October 2011

The wine list at NOPI has been thoughtfully and skillfully put together by sommelier Honami Matsumoto; exploring the more unusual wines from far flung regions as well as featuring wines from recognised and respected wine makers. Headings include 'Going Natural', 'The Outsiders', 'Mountain Wine', 'Volcanic Wine' and 'Without Words'. The list squeezes on to just 2 sides of A4 so Honami is very picky when deciding which wines make the list.

On Wednesday 26th October Honami was joined by Gal Zohar and they, along with NOPI's Executive Chef Sarit Packer, hosted a 5-course lunch with 11 wines to match the 10 dishes (yes, there were 2 Chilean wines for the Miso Quail dish!). One of the 'wines' was actually a Sake, 'Hoyo, Kura no Hana' was a beautiful match to the Roasted Cauliflower, ricotta, golden raisins and capers dish.

It was a spectacular and memorable lunch with wonderful, and some unexpected, flavour combinations which certainly stimulated conversation around the large table opposite the kitchen.

All the wines featured on the menu below are available on NOPI's wine list, so speak to Honami on your next visit and try a wine you may not have heard of before, you'll be in for a treat.

Burrata, pink grapefruit, caraway, baby basil

Riesling, Verus, Štajerska, Slovenia 2010

Catalan Tart, Monte Enebro, Olive Tapanade

Garda Classico, Selva Capuzza, Veneto, Italy 2010

Organic Sea Trout and bulgar wheat tartar, preserved lemon salsa

Blanc 10, Domaine Ledogar, Corbières, France 2010

Roasted Cauliflower, ricotta, golden raisins, capers

Hoyo, Kura no Hana, Junmai Daiginjo

Seared Prawn, fennel, white oregano, feta

Les Vieilles Vignes, Domaine Roc des Anges, Roussillon, France 2009

Chargrilled Octopus, salmorejo sauce, morcilla

Chenin Blanc, La Négrette, Le Rocher des Violettes,

Montlouis sur Loire, France 2009

Miso Quail, grapes, verjuice, honey

Villalobos reserva, Carignan, Colchagua Valley, Chile 2010

El Pais de Quenehuao, Maule, Chile 2009

Braised Pig Cheeks, sweet corn puree, smoked corn and herbs

Vigneto Paradiso, San Lorenzo Marche, Italy 2007

Chocolate Hazelnuts Slice, mahlab, cherries

Fino “del Puerto”, Gutierrez Colosia NV

Vanilla Rice Pudding, roasted pistachio, rose

Jurançon "La Magendia", Clos Lapeyre, France 2008

Art & Afternoon Tea

17 October 2011

'The Return of the House of the Nobleman' is a specially curated art exhibition at no.2 Boswell House, a grand pillared building overlooking Regent's Park. Exploring ideas of the sacred in art, design and contemporary thought, the exhibition draws pieces from the most prestigious international collections, to be curated alongside today's most notable artists.

Although no one currently lives at no.2, it very much feels like a home; with luxurious sofas and armchairs in various rooms allowing visitors to contemplate the art as well as enjoy a light lunch or more decadent Afternoon Tea by The Modern Pantry.

The Afternoon Tea comes with a complimentary glass of Champagne - 

Tea smoked salmon, avocado, yuzu mayonnaise & pea shoot sandwich

Slow roast tomato, marinated feta, tahini lemon cream & watercress sandwich

***

Parmesan, mint & courgette scone

Matcha scone, gooseberry compote, clotted cream

***

Orange & almond cake

Rosewater & sour cherry chocolate brownies

The Return of the House of the Nobleman runs until Friday 23rd October. For more information and to book an appointment please visit http://www.houseofthenobleman.com/

iphone collection: #3 Francesco Mazzei from L'Anima

12 October 2011

Next installment of iphone pics ... Francesco, his mother, aunt and daughter making pasta for our lunch.

Canteen Covent Garden - latest London venue for great parties.

7 October 2011

Canteen's temporary restaurant and bar in Covent Garden Market is now in full swing; pie n' mash, fish & chips, Meantime beer and lots more! It's a perfect venue for a party, we had one there last night with a hog roast and great live band. Please get in touch if you would like to know more about event booking.

Learn to make Sours at SKYLON tonight!

3 October 2011

Head to SKYLON Bar tonight to learn how to make the perfect 'sour' cocktail, 6.30pm - 9pm, no extra cost, just the price of your cocktail(s)!

http://www.skylon-restaurant.co.uk/bar/

iphone collection: #2 Nuno Mendes at The Loft Project

28 September 2011

This was at the first dinner I ever had at The Loft Project in Hackney, and one of the last times Nuno cooked at his supperclub before opening Viajante. It was an incredible experience from beginning to end.

iphone collection: #1 Francesco Mazzei from L'Anima

23 September 2011

I was lucky enough to go and spend a week with the amazing Francesco Mazzei from L'Anima and some of the Waitrose Kitchen team in Calabria, Italy, where Francesco is from. Here we are at a local restaurant with the best 'mama's cooking' I have ever had!

Love is the right word.

20 September 2011

Today on NOWNESS.COM Yotam tells his story of Ottelenghi, a beautiful film by Ben Ingham.

Thank you to all at NOWNESS.

www.nowness.com

Ottolenghi Islington looks like new!

19 September 2011

Ottolenghi Islington opened its doors in July 2004 and was immediately heralded as an iconic eatery serving familiar yet highly innovative food using exciting combinations of herbs, spices and ingredients. Now, after 7 years, Ottolenghi Islington has had a redecoration and is looking new and as beautiful as ever. From newly commissioned artwork to simple reconfiguration to create more space, such as moving the front door to make waiting for a table more convenient.

The long, white communal dining table still stands with lavish vases of flowers and the quirky plug sockets that spiral down from the ceiling for the toasters at breakfast. A wall showcasing wines on offer reminds those popping in to buy a cake that Ottolenghi Islington is a proper all-day dining restaurant open from early morning until dinner (reservations can be made for dinner only). The glass-fronted eatery still mesmerizes passersby with its cascading colourful cakes, swirled meringues and fruit-topped tarts.

Those behind Ottolenghi have a passion, or obsession, with food, whether it’s preparing it, indulging in it or gorging on it. The head chef at the Islington branch Tom Cately adds his own influence from this Thai heritage to the Mediterranean, North African and Middle Eastern flavours so evident on the menu. It’s these bold flavours, daring colours and use of the best ingredients that Ottolenghi is so famous for.

Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi oversee all of the food at Ottolenghi, however, they encourage all of their chefs to be creative and innovative with their own dishes. Styles are developed and flavours are tweaked and while firm favourites stay on the menu, new dishes are continually being created.

The new art that has been installed down the long right-hand wall of the restaurant is by artist Tamar Blum Zidon. Tamar brings a unique approach to a mundane and usually discarded material; using cardboard as her medium, she developed a specialized technique in which she lets her personal artistic style flourish. Her sculptures’ organic form seems to have originated from nature itself, they emulate the work of nature yet do not characteristically imitate it.

The converging of the layers creates textures that are hidden within tiny caverns; like crevices in a rock or air bubbles created in the basalt stone. These gaps create a feeling that the object is alive and breathing. For Ottolenghi Islington Tamar has painted the ‘shadows’ from the swirling sculpture in shades of red allowing the object to stand proud on the wall.

As always in Ottolenghi, the new design is from architect Alex Meitlis, who recently received the Conde Nast Traveller Design Award for Ottolenghi’s new Soho restaurant, NOPI.

Ottolenghi Islington is situated on Upper Street is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner and serves take-away dishes all day; closed Sunday evening.

Canteen is first 'restaurant in residence' in Covent Garden Market

15 September 2011

Bringing ‘Great British Food’ and British design to Covent Garden Market. Canteen are proud to announce the opening of an exciting new project in the heart of the Covent Garden Market.

‘Canteen Covent Garden’ is an all-day restaurant and bar celebrating great British food, drink and the best of British design, situated in the historic and elegant Grade II listed Garden Market building in the heart of Covent Garden. The all-day dining space serves breakfast, simple lunch and dinner set menus that showcase seasonal British classics Canteen is renowned for.

Meantime beer, artisan wines served by the glass and tasty snacks including toasted Welsh rarebit sandwiches, 'West country dusted' chicken wings and bags of doughnuts with seasonal jam or chocolate dipping sauce will be served at the bar, while the set menus will vary seasonally –  Eggs, bacon bubble and squeak, Beetroot-cured salmon with pickled cucumber and horseradish cream, Pressed smoked ham hock, piccalilli and toast, Fish and chips, Pie and mash, Gooseberry Fool, Hedgerow fruit jelly, ice cream and shortbread.

Showcasing Great British Design by Very Good & Proper - As well as the use of the Limited Edition ‘Canteen Utility Chair’, Very Good & Proper will be launching their ‘Covent Garden Club’ chair a new bespoke design for Covent Garden.

Canteen Covent Garden opens on Thursday 15th September, and further announcements will follow detailing guest chefs, exclusive menus, feasting events and Canteen’s involvement in the London Design Festival.

a few of my favourite iphone pics

9 September 2011

Over the last couple of years I have taken snaps on my iPhone when on press trips, photo shoots and with clients, and I thought you might like to see some of them. Here's Bryn Williams in Wales getting ready to shoot a few pheasants and pigeons.

Ready to launch!

5 September 2011

Well, here it is (at last! I hear many of you groan) - my website. It's been a long time in the making but thanks to the boys at Igloo it's here!

I hope that you will enjoy browsing my website and please check back so you can be kept up-to-date with exciting news from my clients and their restaurants. You'll hear it here first - the latest musings, menus and events from NOPI, The Modern Pantry, Skylon, Bond & Brook at Fenwick and The Loft Project in London, and Rocksalt and The Smokehouse in Kent.

I can also announce today that Canteen will be opening a temporary restaurant in the heart of Covent Garden on 15th September, the first 'restaurant in residence' in Covent Garden's Market building (please get in touch if you would like any more info).

the man with a thousand trainers, oh, and me!

16 August 2011

actually, Mark's a top photographer, and at the end of every shoot he takes a pic of himself in situ, and rather rudely I nudged my way in on this one taken at NOPI! (Mark also took the pics of me for this site, cheers Mark!)