Travel
UK
Andrew Eames in the Times drove round the Mull of Kintyre, one of Scotland’s new driving routes.
The Guardian detailed ten of the best UK pubs with a view and then the Observer followed up with twenty of the best waterside pubs. I liked the look of the Cross Guns at Avoncliff in between Bath and Bradford on Avon with its straightforward short menu and the Anchor Inn near Lewes where you can hire a rowing boat and go up the river.
Europe
There’s a guide to Narbonne in France in the Guardian and one to Paris in the Times where Janice Turner was a guest of Le Meurice and went on tour inspired by Picasso. It’s useful information and you could stay somewhere a lot cheaper and visit the places yourself. She ate at Le Comptoir des Petits Champs which sounded more affordable. There was another guide to Paris in the Sunday Times which mentions a restaurant Derrière. I went there for Sunday brunch three years ago which was lengthy and excellent and in a quirky building that you can explore. Picture above.
In the FT, there was a guide to the world’s best ice cream stores which is worth look through if you are going to any capital cities.
Restaurants
In the Daily Mail, Tom Parker-Bowles went to Alium in Barry, Wales.
In the FT, Tim Hayward thought Upstairs at the George was almost perfect.
In the Guardian, Grace Dent thought that Tatale, in Southwark, London, a pan-African restaurant opened by the chef Akwasi Brenya-Mensa was one of the ‘most interesting and delicious new openings.’
In the Independent, Kate Ng like the Indian food at a gastropub, the Tamil Prince in Islington, London.
In the Observer, Jay Rayner visited Fallow in Mayfair, London which he thought had some of the best food in the capital.
In the Telegraph, William Sitwell was lukewarm about Apricity, in Mayfair, London.
In the Times, Giles Coren had been on holiday to St David’s in Pembrokeshire, Wales for a week and had eaten four meals at Grain, the Whitesands Beach House, Peter’s Plaice and the Cambrian Inn which are all worth noting and cost less in total than the one he had previously reviewed at Ynyshir.
In the Standard, David Ellis went to Zephyr, a Greek restaurant in Notting Hill, London but preferred other Greek restaurants in the capital.
In the Sunday Times, Marina O’Loughlin liked the Malaysian food at Mambow in Peckham, London.
In CN Traveller, there was a comprehensive article on seafood restaurants in Devon.
Recipes
The Telegraph had a useful quick recipe for a courgette fontina pasta from Angela Hartnett and Diana Henry gave three summer rice recipes including roast corn, pepper and tomato risotto with green chilli relish, prawn, fennel and olive pilaf with dill and garlicky tomato yogurt and a summer rice salad with mango, peanuts and hot lime dressing.
Melek Erdal gave some Kurdish recipes in the Guardian, a fried sardine pitta and baked pomegranate salmon with kisir which would be good for a midweek supper with friends.
Books
Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour.
The author was interviewed about her new book, in the Independent with the interesting fact that Persians don’t use spice like other Middle eastern cuisines but herbs, citrus and tomato, and there were recipes including harissa and lemon roasted chicken thighs, pomegranate-glazed aubergine with peanuts and spring onions, and tahini cinnamon swirls.
Small Fires by Rebecca May Johnson
The Times has a review of this and the recipe for sugo fresco di pomodoro by Marcella Hazan, a tomato sauce that the author reckons she has made over one thousand times.
Simply Chinese by Suzie Lee
There’s an interview with Suzie Lee in the Independent about how she learned to cook after her mother died and subsequently became the BBC’s best Home Cook as well as recipes from her including black and white sesame bars, Hong Kong-style chicken wings and veggie Singapore noodles.
Every Last Crumb by James Ramsden
There were recipes extracted in the Times to make with left over bread form this book, including a cheesy bread soufflé which I made. It was like my mother used to make. Other recipes included the chilled Spanish tomato soup, salmorejo and a chocolate and cherry bread and butter pudding.
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