A couple of weeks ago I was kindly invited along with Cook_inc. magazine to a fund raising dinner. Money raised will be used for scholarships young given to young Italians keen to become professional cooks and to train with chef and educator Niko Romito. The dinner took place in Locanda Rocco, a beautiful, boutique restaurant […]
Read more
.The Lucca restaurant making its point through innovation
Chefs have a choice. Run with the new, the unknown and the experimental, or fill their menus with dishes that cemented their early reputation. Yes, the favourites remain on the list – why would you want to disappoint long term fans of the dish seeking out signature dishes – think Riccardo Camanini at Lido 84 […]
Read more
Designs for life with Rochini’s table top architecture
There are subtle forces at a play when a table is laid, food plated and served, and ultimately enjoyed. Long before the table is prepared, chefs and craftsmen and women skilled in ceramics have been creating backdrops for your meal. Before the table is prepared, there are questions to be asked. How deep should the […]
Read more
Time to rethink Grape Britain
Grape Britain may be a catchy quote for a newspaper headline or social media post, but it also suggest an intriguing change in climate, attitude and opportunity for the British, notably English, winegrowers. Longer, warmer summers over the past 20 years have finally seen bottles filled with English, mostly sparkling white wine, winning prizes. English […]
Read more
Snap the peel to make the perfect Martini
Want to make the perfect Martini? Well it’s all in the squeeze, apparently. Get a sliver of fresh lemon or orange peel about 4-5cm long and about 1.5cm wide at the middle, pinch the longer edges in you fingers and ‘snap’ over your cocktail, says Richard Ehrlich, martini aficionado, prolific food writer and stalwart of […]
Read more
French cooking with Le Cordon Bleu and Parma ham
Tucked away in a quiet London square close to the British Museum is the UK headquarters of cook school owned by the achingly famous French cooking school Le Cordon Bleu, which aims to teach students the culinary arts and French-style cooking techniques. There’s always something new to learn about cooking and with this in mind […]
Read more
Bergamot and cucumber combine to refresh gin and summer
When four young friends fresh from a couple of years international travelling as digital nomads settled down in a small town in the south of England they found the UK in the midst of a gin frenzy, with hundreds of new varieties on offer. From hand bottled, small batch offerings such as the citrusy Sacred […]
Read more
Salcombe Brewery infuses history with a slice of citrus
Catch the light on the right day and the south Devon, England port of Salcombe could double for a town hugging a coastline in the Caribbean. Vivid blue and green seas, soft yellow sand and wind battered trees leading up to whitewashed houses create an atmosphere of beach life. Indeed, the relationship between south Devon […]
Read more
Making marmalade at Menton’s Maison Herbin
Holding a giant wooden spoon Nicole Bineau stirs huge copper pots full of simmering, boiling fruit in the back of a shop that welcomes the curious cook. A passionate jam maker, Nicole works in the kitchen at the back of her family shop Maison Herbin, in the southern French town of Menton. She works behind […]
Read more