We Liked... (December 09)
This is the page where we share our current enthusiasms (for those of you who - like Fiona S - have so far resisted Twitter. And besides we can ramble on for more than 140 characters about them...)
Bacon
THE US food craze of 2009 but we Brits have been scoffing it for
years. Only thing better than a bacon butty in the Fionas’ opinion are
the warm bacon rolls at the Ledbury and the gorgeous Game Consommé with
Bacon Cream and a s Small Game Hot Dog at Kitchen W8. Small game hot dog? That’s what they call it. Sounds like a new breed of hunting dog to us.
Warm cheesy things
Like molton Camembert, fondue and tartiflette (if there’s anything
better than cheese it’s cheese and potato). There’s a great recipe in
Fiona B’s new book Fiona Beckett’s Cheese Course (not that she's pluggin' it or anything...)
Stephen Markwick
And while we’re on the subject of Fiona B’s books check this: A Very
Honest Cook - a collection of recipes from the wonderful Stephen
Markwick who has cooked in Bristol for the past 29 years. Foreword by
Hoppo (Simon Hopkinson) who is also a big fan. Order direct from the restaurant. At £10 it's the perfect Christmas prezzie.
Sustainable caviar
Yes, it’s ok to eat caviar – if you buy it from Latvian fish farm Mottra. Watching a farmed sturgeon being ‘milked’ of its eggs
is not the most comfortable viewing, but it’s apparently painless for
the fish, and it gets to live a long life - and the fine, umami-rich
roe is so worth it. You don't have to go all the way to Riga to try it
either: Harvey Nichols stocks it for a very reasonable £36 for 30g.
(Hark at us!)
Polpo, Soho
Who would have thought that a Venetian-style bacaro would be an instant hit? Prepare to queue at Polpo Soho to rub shoulders with London's fooderati. The fritto misto is better (and cheaper) than many in Venice reckons Fiona B.
Herdwick mutton, kidney
and oyster pie
If there's one thing better than a steak and kidney pie we reckon
it's Hixy's new Herdwick mutton, kidney and oyster pie, on the menu at
his new Hix Soho
(another smash success). Don't on any account miss the accompanying
'specials' - thick slices of spud, steamed, lightly battered and
deep-fried. McCains eat your heart out...
Kimchi
Yes, Korea's rather pungent fermented vegetable side dish. It's
addictive, it boasts impressive healing powers and Fiona S is missing
it badly since she got back from Korea on a scoffing trip for British
Airways' High Life magazine (to be published in early 2010). Sweet,
sour, salty, bitter and spicy in equal measures - it's about balancing
the ying and yang. A meal in Korea is unthinkable without kimchi.
Healthy snacking
We reckon the boys at Bear
are on to something. Gareth and Giles used to work at Innocent Drinks
and they have big plans for their healthy Granola and dried fruit
nibbles. Sales have soared in one particular part of south-east London,
though stray crumbs are playing havoc with Fiona S’s keyboard...
For more on what we've been up to visit our Facebook page.
