Food
Why don’t more people bake beignets?
Beignets are one of those unusual foodstuffs that are on the one hand wildly popular in their birthplace, even going…
Why are there suddenly so many dessert cafés in London?
Fifteen years ago, if you were eating at 239 Brompton Road in Kensington, just over from the Oratory, you may…
‘I wanted to like it more’: Cloth Cornhill, reviewed
In 1757, the same year that Admiral Byng was executed pour encourager les autres, Simpson’s Tavern opened in the City…
It’s the season of short ribs
I hereby officially declare autumn open! I am picturing myself bedecked with a wreath of perfect autumn leaves. The bright…
‘The best roast duck in Birmingham’: Look In, reviewed
You know what, I was looking forward to Reform’s party conference in Birmingham. Up there as a journalist, not a…
For me, cornbread will always be romantic
My early days of baking coincided with the early days of dating the man who became my husband. It is…
‘In a word: go’: Kid, reviewed
Well, I’m still full. That’s the first thing to know. -Probably will be at the time you read this too.…
Blackberries wait for no woman – so make jam
My kitchen is not ready for blackberry jam. I am not ready for blackberry jam. The heat of summer is…
Taking on the Cornish culinary mafia: Four Boys reviewed
‘Expect David Cameron to be there.’ This was the main thing I had been told before I went to Four…
How to do a salade Lyonnaise justice
Salade Lyonnaise is often translated as ‘bacon and egg salad’ and I can’t stand it. Not because it’s inaccurate –…
Who was the real Anthony Bourdain?
When did Anthony Bourdain decide on his future career? If you take him at his word in his memoir, Kitchen Confidential,…
‘If you’re a lamb chop ultra, then start your car’: Koyal reviewed
One of the things I find most confusing is the practice of going for a curry when you’re hammered. Having…
The wisdom of Anthony Bourdain
Tony is a biopic of Anthony Bourdain, the late, great chef who, in fact, considered himself a writer first –…
Grasshopper Pie is like a teenage fever dream
Grasshopper pie is an unlikely dish: bright green, mint-flavoured, combined with obscure liqueurs and set with marshmallows, all sitting in…
‘Right-wingers know better food’: Rosina reviewed
The worst areas to eat in London are the best places to live. Hampstead, Chelsea, Chiswick, St John’s Wood: all…
My quest for the perfect muffuletta
Everyone knows the story of the Earl of Sandwich: keen not to interrupt a late night card game at his…
‘I hope Keir Starmer comes for the pints, not the food’: The Pineapple reviewed
It’s a Saturday afternoon and I’ve just walked into The Pineapple in north London, thus becoming the 4,825th journalist to…
‘A contradiction in terms’: Zylia reviewed
Can there be, in Britain, such a thing as a destination Greek taverna? There are some cases where proximity is…
Chicken Milanese is the king of homemade fast food
When it comes to home cooking, we’re obsessed with optimisation. Today this manifests itself in reels on Instagram offering a…
‘Through ecstasy I say: it’s perfect’: The Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop reviewed
The obvious thing to say about themed restaurants is that they are usually bad. The Rainforest Café in London, for…
Britain must finally embrace gene editing
Around the turn of the century, the world embarked on an experiment. The Americas embraced the genetic modification of crops;…
Embrace the squidge of a custard slice
Ihad a culinary revelation this week. I like to think I’m an egalitarian when it comes to food – I…
Beef olives – classic comfort food, without an olive in sight
We all did mad things during the first Covid lockdown. For some it was getting a dog or starting up…
‘It feels subversive to eat so much carbohydrate in Mayfair’: Claridge’s ArtSpace Café and Bakery reviewed
Claridge’s grew nine storeys in the last decade: it’s a metaphor. The ornamental 1897 castle on Brook Street has expanded…
