Parmesan Biscuits with Parmigiano Reggiano. A wonderful hunk of 24-month old Parmigiano Reggiano arrived on my doorstep. It was wrapped in cellophane and tied with a ribbon. What a perfect gift for a foodie under lockdown. Just looking at its craggy edges and deep hue told me something about how it was going to taste. […]
The Perfect Homemade Pizza
Easy Homemade Pizza. I can’t think of another time I’ve been excited about a small sheet of metal! But, as someone who loves cooking but who doesn’t generally use a lot of gadgets, I’m seriously impressed with my new Pizza Steel. It came with two ‘slides’ – fine stainless steel sheets that you use to […]
Pasta and Bean Soup Recipe – Fit for his Excellency
Pasta and Bean Soup from 4 Grosvenor Square – A Cookbook by Danilo Cortellini. The background to this Pasta and Bean soup comes from a reception held to celebrate Danilo Cortellini’s new recipe book, 4 Grosvenor Square. English people of a certain age often smile when being offered a Ferrero Rocher sweet and will often […]
Mele e Pere Revisited
Mele e Pere Review – Soho, London: I was lucky enough to take part in the Cicchetti Trail during last year’s London Restaurant Festival. And, one of the places I visited was Mele e Pere in Soho where I was both fascinated and enthralled by the homemade vermouth that we were offered along with our […]
Terra Terra Swiss Cottage – Review
Italy by way of Swiss Cottage – Terra Terra. If I were an estate agent selling property in Swiss Cottage, London, I would take prospective buyers for lunch at Terra Terra. I once lived in the area and had there been a local restaurant such as this I might never have moved. Terra Terra is […]
Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding – A Sinful Leftovers Treat
Ultimate Comfort Food – Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding. One of those superbly easy yet beautifully comforting dishes – once you’ve tried my Panettone Bread and Butter pudding I know you’ll want to make it again and again. Do you like LOVE bread and butter pudding? For me, it’s one of the ultimate comfort foods, ridiculously […]
La Polenteria – Now Leggero – Soho – Simple Italian Food with a Difference
Old Compton Street – La Polenteria: I like Polenta – Italian comfort food that you can keep in your store cupboard and cook up when you want something warm and filling. Wiki has an amazingly prosaic description. Polenta is cornmeal boiled into a porridge, and eaten directly or baked, fried or grilled. The term is of Italian origin, derived from […]
Mercato Metropolitano – Bottles and Battles Italian Wine Bar
Italian Heaven in Elephant at Bottles & Battles A stone’s throw from Elephant and Castle Tube Station, opposite the Southwark Playhouse there’s a gateway manned by security guards in the evenings. A club perhaps? In a way, Mercato Metropolitano has become just that. Despite being just three years old, this massive space of indoor and […]
Stecca Italian Restaurant – Review
Big Flavours in Little Chelsea Hollywood Road in the fashionable Kensington enclave of Little Chelsea has recently morphed into a foodie destination. The latest addition is Stecca, an Italian restaurant serving regional and seasonal cuisine with a ‘light and contemporary touch’. Chef/patron Stefano Stecca grew up in Rimini, a coastal town in Emilia Romagna which […]
Pasta Alla Norma
Pasta Alla Norma – Sicily on a Plate: Perhaps this recipe would be better called Spaghetti alla Norma, since that’s the pasta I used. But, this is a classic Sicilian dish with a story. One of the most famous people from Sicily, Vincenzo Bellini was a great composer, particularly of Bel Canto Opera. A signature […]