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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Perfect Pesto
Italians do it better – Pesto World Championships, Genoa, Italy: It stands to reason that Italians should make the best Pesto in the World. A simple fusion of two kinds of cheese, garlic, basil, olive oil, pine nuts and salt sounds on the face of it like something that could easily be recreated anywhere. But, […]
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 […]
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 […]
Italian Style Canapes for the Festive Season
Easy Festive Canapes with Prosciutto di San Daniele and Grana Padano: It is coming up to that time of year. Christmas and New Year are approaching fast – the holiday season. Just as we are all really busy shopping for the perfect presents, preparing for Christmas lunch and cleaning the house ready for the Mother […]
Nice Italian Food Every Day – NifeisLife
Fresh Italian Produce to your Door – NifeisLife: It took me a while to work out where the curiously named NifeisLife originated. Nice Italian Food of course… It’s a sentiment which I am sure any expat Italian living in London will agree with; the food you can find in supermarkets and most delis simply […]
The Perfect Homemade Pizza
Pizza at home with Pizza Steel: 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 […]
Cooking for His Excellency:
Recipes fit for His Excellency – 4 Grosvenor Square – A Cookbook by Danilo Cortellini: English people of a certain age often smile when being offered a Ferrero Rocher sweet and will often quote a line from a cheesy 1993 television advert, “You’re spoiling us Mr Ambassador”. Rather tongue in cheek, we were actually served […]