I often struggle with lunch. Sometimes, there are too many meetings and it just slips by unnoticed, and other times, I fail to prepare and end up grabbing another mediocre sandwich here or there. Other times, my planning and effort collapses as I stare down dismally into a plastic box full of whatever was left after [...]
A few months ago, we were in town, and had lunch at the superb Trinity Kitchen. For those unfamiliar with the mighty city of Leeds, Trinity Kitchen is the food court attached to its big, shiny shopping centre. At this point, I’d expect most people with an ounce of self-respect to run screaming from any recommendation to eat [...]
There’s a quote on the front cover of Sumayya Usmani’s book, Summers Under the Tamarind Tree: Recipes and memories from Pakistan, from Madhur Jaffrey that states simply that “this book is a treasure”. It’s placed front and centre, right at the top, a badge of some considerable honour. It’s difficult to comprehend the thrill Usmani [...]
I’m a big fan of rotting vegetables. Perhaps i should rephrase that. I’m a big fan of vegetables that have been allowed to decompose in a controlled and safe way, that is, to ferment. Fermentation is a wonderful thing, a chemical reaction that changes matter from one state into another. It’s at the heart of [...]
When a group of diners sit down at the table after having enjoyed a range of pre-dinner drinks – a martini here and a glass of chablis or a pilsner there – the answer to the question about what to drink with the meal is, usually, wine. …and there’s nothing wrong with that, but there [...]