I wrote last week about the new Starbucks stealth cafés that are springing up in Seattle, and as an afterthought added that Opposite in the Victoria Quarter probably serves the best coffee in Leeds. This doesn’t do Opposite justice. Opposite’s original branch is opposite the Parkinson building at the University of Leeds, tempting academics out [...]

Photo: www.psfk.com Most people have an opinion about Starbucks, and it’s generally one of two polar opposites. Not many people sit in the middle. Starbucks have expanded rapidly over the last decade or so from a small, cultish Seattle coffee chain to a global coffee behemoth, with over 16,000 stores in forty-nine countries. The credit [...]

Main crop rhubarb is everywhere right now, it’s huge umbrella leaves weighing down thick, green and red stalks. In a month or so, the stalks will taste bitter and old, so now is the time to pick it and use it. This cake is a superb way to do just that. It’s excellent with coffee. [...]

A superlative cake from a cooking legend. Melt 115g of good quality chocolate, along with a splash each of black coffee and rum, in a bowl placed over a simmering pan of water. The quality of the chocolate is key. High cocoa content, at least over 70% is vital. I swear by Green & Black’s, [...]