December 19 2022

Christmas feasts and markets

Merry Christmas

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this newsletter this year as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. And that by sharing the knowledge from the papers, you’ve been inspired to plan a visit to a place, eat at a restaurant, cook a recipe or buy a book. The next issue of the newsletter will be on the 2 January 2023. Please do tell all your family and friends about it over the holidays and encourage them to sign up. It will always be free.

Travel

UK 

The Telegraph has Britain’s fifteen coolest neighbourhoods to visit, the ‘up-and-coming quarters’. I don’t know all the areas mentioned but I would say that Stockbridge in Edinburgh and the North Laines in Brighton have definitely been both ‘up’ and smart for quite a long time. The comments under the article are for once, not a binfire, but pithy and sensible.

We are on the theme of sustainable holidays again with favourite scenic bus rides and a car-free break around Exeter, Devon in the Guardian and on the trail of Gainsborough and Constable in Suffolk in the Times.

And one article, I am going to remember, a review of Kinloch Lodge on Skye and some other Hebridean articles as I have some of Claire McDonald’s cookbooks and have always liked the local and seasonal approach to the food.

Europe

It seems a bit late this year to visit by train the four best European Christmas markets which according to the Independent, are Dresden, Cologne. Vienna. Zurich. We’re going to Strasbourg the green way in the Guardian for its Christmas market and Arras in the Telegraph just an hour from Calais for theirs.

Vienna is a fairytale city to visit in the winter and they describe Andalusia as Spain’s best kept secret to visit in the winter, both in the Telegraph

Emily in Paris locations are in the Daily Mail, there’s a weekend guide to Lille in the Times and Lisbon’s foodie scene is also in the Daily Mail. There’s a Bari city guide, Puglia’s gateway port in the Independent.

I am fascinated by all the European rail journeys that are featured in the Guardian each week and by this round up of beautiful train journeys in winter in the Standard.

Restaurants

In the FT, Tim Hayward loved the restaurant at the Seaside Boarding House at Burton Bradstock near Dorset, website here.

In the Guardian, Grace Dent went to Saltie Girl in London W1 and didn’t make it sound appealing, saying, ‘there is something slapdash about this place’.

In the Observer, Jay Rayner liked the pub the Barley Mow in London W1 but pointed out that it’s expensive.

In the Standard, Jimi Famurewa reviewed Bacchanalia in London W1. All I can say is that he went there so we don’t have to. 

In the Times, Giles Coren asked why had so many excellent restaurants sprung up in Notting Hill and reviewed Caia in London W10, the Pelican in London W11 and Kuro Eatery in London W8 

Recipes

I liked this article in the Standard best this week as Skye Gyngell explained her way of celebrating a sustainable Christmas with tips on saving money and reducing food waste as well as her recipe for leftover turkey hash.

Eleanor Steafel’s recipe had an excellent idea for one-pot stocky pasta with cavolo nero and lemon mascarpone recipe in the Telegraph and and Rowley Leigh wrote a homage to Alastair Little and his recipe for Orvieto chicken, with fennel, garlic and lemon in the FT.

Phil Howard’s fish and seafood recipes were in the Sunday Time, cod with mussels, crème fraîche, new potatoes, leeks and chives recipe, crab mayonnaise with chargrilled sourdough and lime recipe, prawns with crushed pumpkin, chestnuts, brown butter and sage recipe and smoked mackerel pâté with pickled cucumber and horseradish recipe.

There was how to cook the perfect Pork pie by Felicity Cloake from last week’s Guardian now online, and this week, the perfect chocolate roulade.

Elsewhere, it was all desserts with a Christmas special in the Guardian. I liked Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for a festive bread-and-butter pudding with cranberries and marzipan and Rachel Roddy’s recipe for zabaione or zabaglione, as they seemed special but doable. Ottolenghi’s Christmas desserts included a caramelised fig Christmas mess, a chestnut and pecan millefeuille and a piloncillo egg custard tart, piloncillo being an unrefined, dark sugar from Mexico.

Monica Galetti’s favourite Christmas desserts were in the Times, blackberry treacle tart with marbled sour cream, orange marmalade steamed pudding, cinnamon apple and blackberry cake, dark chocolate and pear tart and baked caramel apple. 

Nigel Slater combined the savoury and the sweet with recipes for both a beetroot and feta filo pie and white chocolate and lemon truffles. 

Books

Joe’s Kitchen: Homemade Meals For A Happy Family’ by Joe Swash.

This is half memoir and half recipe book from the Eastenders actor, with an interview here in the Independent and then recipes for cheese and Marmite scrolls which sound excellent, mushroom risotto and white chocolate soufflés with raspberry sauce

Giuseppe’s Italian Bakes by Giuseppe Dell’Anno

with an interview and recipes here for rotoli di pizza ai pepperoni, amaretti and panna cotta al marsala in the Independent