Notre-Dame, getting ahead for Christmas, and the best gastropubs.
9 December 2024
This week
Apologies for this being late but sometimes ‘stuff happens.’ I thought I’d do it anyway to keep up the series.
I’ve been ‘getting ahead’ with the help of Jane Lovett’s book, The Get Ahead Christmas Cook and her philosophy of doing as much as possible in advance. There were recipes in the Daily Mail including warm cheesy mini croustades which are made with Rahm’s croustade cases which I have never used before and I thought I’d have a tryout. We didn’t actually have a party, (for all those friends reading this who are surprised they weren’t invited,) but my husband ate them with sprouts for his dinner.
I have bought the book which is full of recipes I want to make, not just for Christmas but all through the year. I’ve already tried the creamy tarragon turkey with walnut and black olive crumble designed for Christmas leftovers, (but I did it with leftover chicken for now,) the tomato, chorizo and Boursin orzotto which is a great quick supper dish and the Wallaby cake. This is be the most simple cake recipe imaginable where you melt butter and brown sugar, add egg, flour and sultanas, and it makes the quickest tastiest cake.
I went to Café François in Borough Market, London and the two of us had charcuterie and French onion soup to start with, and then steak frites with an side order of Béarnaise sauce. Buzzy, busy and loud with good humoured , helpful staff and straightforward classics, expertly cooked was the verdict. What’s not to love?
Roast vegetables with burrata by Nigel Slater in last week’s Observer without the roasted breadcrumbs but with the burrata melting to make a dressing. One burrata was enough for two of us and it’s a welcome change for the winter from tomatoes and basil.
Mark Diacono’s home made Christmas drinks and gift recipes in the Guardianwith blackberry vodka, pear liqueur, limey limoncello spicy rum. And some non alcoholic ones as well, and a blueberry and lemon thyme shrub. I’ve made the non alcoholic ginger and rosemary cordial and it’s currently ‘marinating’ before I strain it. I’ll show you a picture next week
I liked the sage and sherry beans with a Parmesan crust by Eleanor Steafel in the Telegraph and intend to cook it later in the week to go with roast chicken. Another picture for next week.
Restaurants
The Estrella Damn top 50 gastropubs in the UK which as well as the usual suspects includes six to watch, Horse and Groom Free House, East Ashling, West Sussex, the Sussex Ox, Polegate, East Sussex,the Rum Fox, Grindleton, Lancashire, the Victoria, Mile End, east London, the White Hart at Fyfield, Oxfordshireand the White Horse, Holme-next-to-the-Sea, Norfolk. The winner of the one to watch is to be announced soon.
The Packhorse, Mapledurham as country pub of the week in the Standard.
In the Guardian, Grace Dent went to the Georgian on the fourth floor of Harrods in London SW1 which serves afternoon tea and pies by Calum Franklin in the evening. She thought it was ‘all rather lovely It’s neither cool nor hip, and it has a cruise ship feel that some will love and others will steer well clear of.’
In the Observer, Jay Rayner went to Hachi Japanese BBQ in London W1 which he thought was ‘proper fun.’
In the Standard, David Ellis went to Mondo Sando, in Camberwell, London SE5 with sandwiches and subs in the day and a proper menu at night. He wrote, it is charming small, but so good, so incandescently brilliant, that it deserves to be big. Very big.’
In the Sunday Times, Charlotte Ivers went to Lahpet Larder, the third Burmese restaurant by the same people, this time in Bermondsey, London SE1 and thought, ‘it’s all great.’
In the Telegraph, William Sitwell went to the the Shed in Swansea and thought ‘ it bursts with warmth, pride and a very decent wine list.’
In the Times, Giles Coren went to Osip in Bruton in Somerset, had a long lunch and thought it ‘a top place. You can stay the night, wander the gardens, tour the kitchen, do it all again for dinner and then breakfast. Sadly, we had to get the train home.’
Travel
UK
A dozen of the best pubs for a winter weekend in the FT including the Swan Inn Fittleworth near Petworth in West Sussex which has just reopened, the Bull’s Head at Craswall in Herefordshire and the Manor House Inn in Ditcheat in Somerset which is opening in January
The Telegraph advises to go and see a Somerset starling murmuration at sunrise, and not sunset when there are the crowds and the Guardian has a Christmas light trail in Hampshire and information on how to visit places that are associated with Jane Austen.
A foodie guide to Cardiff in the Standard where there are 12 Michelin starred restaurants.
Europe
Readers’ favourite places to visit in Paris and 13 of the best and most beautiful shops in Paris with the featured ones ‘having a history of exquisite craftsmanship, chocolatier, fromagerie, parfumerie in the Guardian.’
How to get tickets to Notre Dame in Paris now it has reopened after tthe fire four years ago in the Times as well as a report in the Sunday Times about what it’s like inside and other things to do while you are there.
Venetian food with places off the beaten track as part of a guide to Venice in the FT.
Granada city guide in Spain in the Independent; as well as the Alhambra, there’s ‘the patchwork network of medieval streets.’
Living in Zurich, a beautiful but misunderstood city in the Telegraph. ‘Switzerland’s biggest city seems staid and sensible, but you don’t need to dig so deep to discover its wilder side.
Nine things to remember when seeing the Northern Lights in the Sunday Times.
The Canary Islands, the seven winter sun islands, ranked and rated in the Telegraph.
Reading the papers
People ask me how I read all the papers. I believe in paying for quality journalism and my husband and I have digital subscriptions to the Times and to the Telegraph.
The Times gives you two free articles a week as a registered user and the Telegraph gives you access to one free article each week if you register an account. The FT gives a certain number of free articles
Local public libraries often have Pressreader which gives access to over 7,000 newspapers world wide for free or you can subscribe to it.
I love those croustade cups - one of my go-tos is filling them with garlicky cauliflower puree and topping with trout roe or seared scallops.
Thanks Kate x