EATING
THE DISHES WE COOK
Quite often I am asked what sort of food my kitchen partner, Mary and I cook at PipsDish. After all how would you know what to expect from one of my pop-ups? It’s the leap of faith presented by cooking without recipes and which I write about in my book. We often genuinely don’t know [...]
PHEASANT WITH BREAD SAUCE
The season for pot roasted pheasant
I suppose one of the main influences that inspired me to write Cooking without Recipes was the seemingly natural instinct my mother had in the kitchen, as she moved effortlessly around her Aga, her sleeves rolled up, barking orders to a young boy standing on a stool, to wash dishes or peel vegetables. Sometimes I [...]
FARM DIRECT
When I first came across Farm Direct, I was looking for more something special. It didn’t take me long to realise that here was a unique service bringing fresh, seasonal, organic and free-range produce straight to your door. Meat, fish, dairy, vegetables, fruit, herbs, flowers, jams, breads, eggs, you name it, founder Robert Barker and [...]
NEAL’S YARD CHEESE
Always do as you please, and send everybody to Hell, and take the consequences. Damned good rule of life. N This was the advice given to Elizabeth David by her good friend and mentor, the writer Norman Douglas. Certainly taking on the stodge of British culinary traditions after the war was a bold endeavour. Particularly [...]
EATING IN PARIS
A wine drive to Calais turns into foodie Paris weekend
Some friends recently came for the weekend but committed a local London sin by remaining south of the river. After a day at Dulwich Picture Gallery, some serious spending in Lordship Lane’s emporia of pricey frippery and walking in the nearby woods on Sydenham Hill, they dined downstairs from their unlikely Church Street Hotel in [...]
HOW TO EAT CHEESE
Review of Androuet at Spitalfields Market
Cheese is like wine, so much is it an expression of the combination of where it comes from, the natural and human processes it undergoes, the maturation and ultimately the circumstances under which it is relished by the human palate. And no-one has enthused me with such passion for this noble product more than Alexandre Guarneri, the owner of Androuet in Spitalfields Market.
MORROCAN TRAVEL
It’s a far cry from the days of Paul Bowles writing in Tangier, the young Sebastian Flyte dying in an opium fug in Marrakech and Gavin Maxwell searching for a lost Berber boy amid a scandal of international intrigue. Today Morocco is both more tamed for the democratic tourist but has hardly lost its exotic [...]
PUY LENTIL DAL WITH PRAWN & CHARD
You can make your own fantastic garam masala with some cumin seeds, cardamom (take the little black seeds from the husks), fennel seeds, turmeric, curry powder, dried chillies, nigella seeds (add a touch of anise flavour) and little cinnamon. Blend them in one of your kitchen contraptions. Peel a dozen or so baby onions and [...]
MOROCCAN DISHES
An introduction to Moroccan kitchens
Morocco, what to say? The food more than anything for me is the great leveler here. The ingredients are democratic and available, more or less, to all. The cooking traditions still inherited, handed from mother to daughter. And here without fail, the Moroccan food in restaurants will be less good than home-cooking.
LE SEPT
French flair with food in Edinburgh
Le Sept on Blair St, just off the Royal Mile is a stalwart of the Old Town, that has been dishing up brilliant French classics for years with flair and at reasonable prices.
INAMO
Oriental food is perfect for the ingredientolgist because it concentrates on bringing flavours, colour and texture together in brilliant, starlit moments of mouth sensation.
FERNANDEZ & LELUU
Supper clubs come of age
As the number of supper clubs has grown in London (and now, in fact, all over the world), more and more brilliant, enthusiastic foodies have built followings of fans who trek across the city, armed with wine to find often humble homes and enjoy intriguing menus at great value.
BOCCA DI LUPO
Boca di Lupo, one of Soho's finest, has well-deserved recognition for serving simple, clean Italian provincial food as you might have it from a family table. The service and wine list are immaculate but bring your dictionary.
VIAJANTE
Nuno Mendes new incarnation in Patriot Square is a bold step in many ways. But it doesn't quite deliver on atmosphere or flavours. But he's a pioneer, who we should support. His work is an art form, you should go there for lunch to experience his style. And Bethnal Green.
EATING IN VENICE
Eating out in Venice
My feeling is that in Venice you need to seek out dishes, rather than places. Equally determined to avoid the withering looks and contempt of waiters serving menus turisticos, I wanted something the locals would eat. The insider knowledge.
THE BOUNDARY
Off duty in the kitchen at Christmas
Christmas is unusual for two reasons this year. First I’m not cooking. Secondly I am spending it with family. Both of which anyone who knows me will understand are uncharacteristic. But I am thrilled on both counts. Contrary to popular expectation, I love being cooked for.
BARCELONA RESTAURANTS
Searching out the best food in Barcelona
That’s the truth of Spain. Both food and people. The rub of patience and reserve against passion and resolve. For me, particularly Barcelona. It’s a hugely social, sexy city. Where overpowering flavours of the past mingle with the exuberance of youth.
THE COMPANY SHED
The Company Shed is seafood heaven
Taking a spring walk along the estuary at West Mersea on the Essex coast is rewarded by a delicious lunch. Bring your own bread and wine.
FISH PIE
A simple dish for autumn suppers
When the weather is rough and you need some home comfort, Pips Dish fish pie is the best. Simple to cook and even easier to eat.
ARBUTUS
The food at Arbutus is clever and simple. The attention and enthusiasm for their ingredients is impressive. It’s a broad and engaging menu and they also price it reasonably. Arbutus has deservedly become a West End mainstay.
BURMA
The situation in Burma could be very different
Burma was the garden of Asia. More fruits and vegetables grow there than anywhere else in that vast continent. Rich in minerals too by all standards this should be a rich country, very rich.
CATALAN CUISINE
Searching out traditional Catalan food
An introduction to some paisos Catalan food prepared for a wedding banquet in Barcelona. Local dishes such as Escalivada, Xatonada with Romesco sauce, butifarra and faves.
IMM-OO-VATION
Few dinners have reached my top ten. Well only ten. But there is a new contender. A must eat. One worth the food miles. Moo is the restaurant in in the svelte, low lit Hotel Omm, just off the Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona.
AFTER THE CURTAIN FALLS
Eating out late in London
After the theatre in London, there’s nothing better than chewing the cud over supper. A bit of pocket analysis and critique and some wine.
FISH ON THE HOOF
Eating seafood at its freshest
The freshest fish lends itself perfectly to being eaten on the move. For me, the best Fish and Chips experiences in the world were from either Olley’s in South London or the Montgomery, just off Leith Walk in Edinburgh. But there are sustainable surprises in store these days at Fish Club in Clapham and Battersea.
STOCKING UP
Use the best chickens for stock
Once you’ve finished licking your fingers after roast chicken, one of the delightful moments for any cook is making a stock. It’s a replenishing moment. Leftovers ethos at it’s best.
OLIVIERA, NICE
In the most unlikely corner of Vieux Nice at Oliviera, Nadim Beyrouti and his wife combine a passion for the oils of the region with the simplest ingredients.
YOU SAY TOMATO
Squashed tomatoes and Bloody Mary sorbet
I have an on-off relationship with tomatoes. Mostly off. Being so often tasteless renders them largely pointless. Tinned tomatoes start in Italy and so some flavour is guaranteed. They are great when it comes to sauces and soups and there is no need to use those watery ragus or passata from a jar.
BRINGING HOME THE BOQUERIA
Stashing a few treats from the markets in your case
Whenever we come back from Barcelona, it’s always laden with anything tinned I can’t get here. One of them is the little baby squid in olive oil – chipirones. No comparison with the fresh ones but when in need.
READING
COOKING WITHOUT RECIPES
Do you envy people who seem to be able to cook with effortless ease. Have you ever wanted to cook like your mother, bringing an endless variety of meals to the [...]
COOKING
MARMALADE, BAKED HAM, DUCK CONFIT
Something about January marks the midset of winter. Cold. Wet. Miserable. Looking forward now to that wonderful March day when the light evenings return. But in [...]
EATING
THE DISHES WE COOK
Quite often I am asked what sort of food my kitchen partner, Mary and I cook at PipsDish. After all how would you know what to expect from one of my pop-ups? It [...]
CAMPAIGNS
KITCHEN TABLE PROJECT
For me, an integral part of business is to find ways to ensure that the community we work in somehow benefits from our success. This is not some sort of pious a [...]
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