French food, Parisian restaurants and Hebden Bridge

February 13 2022

Calder Valley near Hebden Bridge

Travel

UK

I am away for a week so apologies that this newsletter is later than normal. At least, I now have a current photo to use as I am staying near Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire where Happy Valley was filmed which was the subject of an article in the Telegraph.

Keeping to the North of England, the ten best restaurants in Cumbria in the Guardian which includes my favourite, the Dog and Gun at Skelton.

The Hebridean Way, a 156-mile walking route connecting the islands of the Outer Hebrides, was featured in the Independent.

Europe

The Guardian continued its railway theme with the best hotels near Europe’s major stations and slow scenic railway journeys round Europe. 

I like reading about idyllic sunlit holidays such as this one in Paxos in the Telegraph and their two week itinerary around Andalucia including Malaga, Seville, Granada and Córdoba when it’s cold and wet at home.

And finally, the best article I’ve seen on Paris restaurants for a while in the Times and you’ll all be pleased to know that yesterday, I finally booked to go there in March and will be using this article to plan out meals.

Restaurants 

Maybe the most important news is that Padella in Shoreditch is selling £2 Negronis from Monday to Friday from 5pm to 6.30pm from today and the Standard revealed the best pizza in London, from sourdough to by-the-slice, 

In the FT, Tim Hayward went to Fallow in Mayfair, London W1, website here and thought ‘it was the absolute functional definition of a central London modern British restauarant. He advised the first time, ‘try to get the seat on the corner of the Chef’s Counter. Sit, watch, eat and take notes.’

In the Guardian, Grace Dent went to Samphire in Lymington, Hampshire, website here and was of the opinion that there was ‘there is skilled, judicious cooking happening here, but there are also a lot of slightly old-hat ideas.’

In the Observer, Jay Rayner has been to New York which technically is outside the remit of The Cook’s Edit but I’ve put it in anyway, in case you wondered where he had gone.

In the Standard, Jimi Famurewa visited Eline, in Hoxton, London E2, website here and thought being set in a swish residential development, Eline boasts a purity of intent and obvious talent.

In the Telegraph, William Sitwell visited Notto Pasta Bar in Piccadilly, London W1, owned by chef Phil Howard and found the pasta expensive but there was elegant service, website here,  

In the Times, Giles Coren went to Pot and Rice in Elephant and Castle, London and his chicken was bland.

Recipes

I made this Prune, amaretti and apple tart by Rowley Leigh in the FT , thinking it would be a nice photo of the newletter but the sabayon filling burnt. Looking at a similar Jeremy Lee recipe, he cooks the filling on a much lower temperature.

Bee Wilson’s article in the FT, on dried mint, which she deems the unsung hero of herbs, made me see the ingredient in a new way including making dried mint oil, from frying a tablespoon of dried mint in half a tablespoon of olive oil for a minute. And to dry fresh mint, she recommends the method from the book, Herbs and Spices by Jill Norman and putting a handful or two of washed mint leaves on a double layer of kitchen paper and microwave on high for two and a half minutes. 

Nigel Slater’s recipes for aubergine, lemon and parsley couscous, and for pear, walnuts and Gorgonzola are recipes I know I will make when I get home. 

Two articles on cooking French food, one in the Telegraph with Mark Hix’s classic three course menu of moules Marinière, steak tartare and crème brûlée and then French recipes made easy by Mark Sargeant who used to work for Gordon Ramsay and now runs the Brasserie MS near Folkestone in the Sunday Times. These were almon provençale, duck à l’orange with braised chicory and Îles flottantes with banana and passion fruit, flavours which he thinks are made for each other. 

I thought I didn’t believe in Valentine’s Day until just now when I found a bar of chocolate and a note from my husband in my suitcase. Cooking is always an act of love and Ottolenghi had a Valentine’s meal in the Guardian including beet-ing hearts salad, seafood in saffron and cascabel chilli broth and chocolate fondant with tahini. Diana Henry was going to cook vegetarian dishes that you can share for friendship tomorrow with vegetarian recipes that will impress meat eaters including the ultimate mushroom lasagne, a winter vegetable pie with dill cream and Spiced pumpkin with lentils, cavolo nero and smoky yogurt, all of which sound delicious.

Rahul Mandal’s spiced Black Forest trifle was in the Times. As usual, the Guardian had a lot of excellent recipes including José Pizarro’s recipe for roast garlic and almond soup with jerusalem artichoke and mushroom migas, Ravinder Bhogal’s cheesie recipes for potato and greens dauphinoise with fontina, lime pickle chilli cheese toastie and curried cauliflower cheese pie and lastly gnocchi with pancetta and pecorino Romano from Rachel Roddy.