European cities, the best art exhibitions and blood orange cake

February 27 2022

Jane Lovett’s bacon, blue cheese and spinach gnocchi from her book ‘Deliciously Simple’

This Substack will always be free for as long as I do it. Its intention is to inspire me to go to new places and to cook new recipes. I’m always telling friends what to cook and where to go and this is to share that knowledge more widely.

When I started, I thought I was going to cook dishes from the papers over the weekend, but due to logistics and life getting in the way, this hasn’t always happened. This week, I’ve added in photos of two dinners from Jane Lovett’s book, ‘Deliciously Simple’ which I made during the week, from the last edition of ‘The Cook’s Edit.’ In January and the first half of February, I felt a jaded, tired cook and these recipes, which are absolutely both simple and delicious got me cooking more enthusiastically again. I don’t style a picture in any way but just take a photo with my phone on the kitchen table as I dish it up. Travel

UK

On Saturday night, at dinner with friends, I was expounding on my well known antipathy to Eastbourne while drinking Rathfinny Classic Cuvée made on the nearby South Downs. Then I picked up the Sunday Times the next morning to find it was called the UK’s most under-appreciated town. There are very nice walks nearby, all of which I have done over the years, and the Towner Gallery is hosting the 2023 Turner prize and has a Barbara Hepworth exhibition coming up.

Don McCullin, the war photographer, tells how much he enjoys Somerset, his adopted country in the FT, including Hauser and Wirth, At the Chapel, Osip, etc at Bruton and other places in Frome.

Colchester and Essex were in the Daily Mail for the delights of their oysters and incredible seafood.

Olafur Eliasson, (he of the big sun at Tate Modern) won a competition to create an art work and plans an outdoor tide-trapping sculpture, a sky mirror for Cumbria coast called ‘Message to the not yet’. Details were in the Guardian.

Europe 

The Guardian goes beyond Prague, to other beautiful towns and cities in the Czech Republic, Kutná Hora, Cesky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary and Brno. It says these are lovely places to visit that are only a train ride away from Prague.

The Standard is on the same theme with the best second cities for a weekend break including Aarhus, Milan, Rotterdam, Marseille, Valencia, Hamburg, Zagreb, and Thessaloniki. I am wondering if the journalists been to these places or have they just had a good Google and looked at a Lonely Planet guide?

The Independent explains how to spend an arty weekend in Veszprem, Hungary. It’s one of three European Capitals of Culture for 2023. The others are Elefsina in Greece and Timișoara in Romania.

The Guardian has afascinating account of getting on the Arctic Circle train to northern Sweden to see the Northern Lights, as well as travelling to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania for high end eco-tourism.

Information on the 30 greatest holidays in Spain in the Telegraph which may be a stimulus for ideas for places to go, if nothing else, as it seems to be assembled form press releases

Arras is in the Daily Mail and is cited as the city the French would love to keep for themselves. ‘They think ‘it has all the ingredients for an ideal short break; it's just a shame most Britons drive past it ‘. La Fete de L’Andouillette is in August and the squares are lined with long wooden tables where diners feast on tripe sausage.’  This is one reason I would drive straight past, More to my taste are itineraries to the perfect holiday in Provence in the Telegraph. 

25 of the best breaks for art lovers, seeing the best shows of the year in the UK, Europe and the US and advice on where to stay in the Times, including Gwen John’s female portraits, in Chichester, Yayoi Kusama in Manchester, and in Paris, Paul Smith at the Picasso Museum, a Matisse exhibition at the Orangerie and Manet/Degas at the Musée d’Orsay.

Finally, the obligatory Paris article on a restored art deco public loo in the Guardian, apparently worth every centime of its 2 euro charge. It’s always handy to know where they are and this one is the Lavatoire de La Madeleine.

Restaurants 

An expat’s guide to the best Japanese restaurants in London in the FT.

In the FT, Tim Hayward went to Mount Street Restaurant, in London W1, website here, and has a different take from previous reviews, concentrating on the food history, saying it is ‘historic fare with a modern twist in a sumptuous, Bond villain-ish setting.’

In the Guardian, Grace Dent went to Beckford Canteen in Bath, website here which has just opened. I got it confused with Beckford Bottle Shop where I went a year or so ago. It was a rave review, saying the menu was a delicious paean to modern British classics and comfort foods……. I want people I like to be fed there. No hype, not a place to see or be seen, just a charming place where the food is dead good.’

In the Observer, Jay Rayner went to Mormor, a temporary residency at Kino, website here, the restaurant attached to English Opera North, in Leeds. It’s a Levantine based street food business which he loved.

In the Standard, David Ellis used the shag, marry, kill metaphor to review Doppo in Soho, London W1 and although he gave it four stars, he decided it was not yet true love.

In the Telegraph, William Sitwell travelled to Heaneys in Cardiff, website here, and had an excellent lamb saddle. 

In the Times, Giles Coren visited Humo in Mayfair London, a Japanese restaurant, website here, said it was ‘a posh one’ and seems to have tired quickly of his policy of only reviewing places under £40 a head.

Recipes

An extra bonus- this wonderful and mind boggling article on pantries in the FT.

I couldn’t think of an overarching theme for recipes this week so I’ll start with winter fruit recipes from Diana Henry in the Telegraph, Poires Belle Hélène with hazelnut meringue, rhubarb and custard tart and a blood orange cake I am going to make this week. White chocolate, saffron and pistachio pedha by Ravinder Bhogal in the FT

Great one pot recipes from Ottolenghi including lamb meatballs with fregola and feta, (another one for this week) as well as ricotta stuffed conchiglioni in pumpkin sauce, and passatelli with kale pesto and caramelised shallots as well as one pot Malaysian recipes by Abby Lee in the Guardian who is chef/owner of r of Mambow, in London SE15.  Ikan ssam pedas, or hot-and-sour fish stew, babi chin, or braised dark soy pork belly, chai buey, or mustard green stew.

Speedy supper recipes using store cupboard staples from Rosie Birkett’s last column in the Sunday Times with chilli chickpea orzo pilaf, Sicilian-inspired tinned sardine spaghetti, and tinned mackerel kedgeree.

Benjamina Ebuehi’s salted honey and sesame custard tart, broad bean and fennel soup by Rachel Roddy and vegetable pulao by Meera Sodha in the Guardian 

Nigel Slater’s recipes in the Observer for yoghurt, wheat, spinach and lentil soup and beetroot, orange and yoghurt salad

Pommes anna with fennel, lemon and mozzarella salad recipe from Eleanor Steafel in the Telegraph sounds excellent.

Books 

Baking Bible by Mary Berry

In the Times, there were extracts from her new book including cake recipes for Victoria sponge, coffee and walnut cake, crunchy top lemon cake, rich buns, mini jam and mini jam tarts. 

A Table Full Of Love by Skye McAlpine

There’s an interview here where Skye McAlpine says ‘Some couples have songs, but we have recipes’ and recipes for rhubarb and cheddar tart, pollo alla pizzaiola and white chocolate and pistachio tortini in the Independent.

Desi Kitchen by Sarah Woods

Five Indian twists on classic British recipes in the Times, including roast tandoori chicken, onion bhaji Scotch eggs, hasselback potato shaak and Peshwari bread and butter pudding. 

Jane Lovett’s chicken, mustard and lemon orzotto from her new book., ‘Deliciously Simple’