October 17 2022
places to go, food to eat
The week in the papers in food was dominated by the Observer Food Monthly Awards and the complete list of award winners is here. I was struck by four of the winners all female; the Icon Award for Delia Smith, whose TV programmes and books taught me how to cook, the Editors’ Award Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina, for their ongoing work on Cook for Ukraine, and Georgina Hayden for Best Cookbook with Nistisima.
Travel
UK
There are 30 of the best pubs for Sunday lunch in The Guardian including The King William IV, Mickleham, Surrey which I want to try out soon, the Bull Inn in Totnes, which has been on my little list for a long time and the Hare & Hounds, Aberthin, near Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan. For a change, they do encompass all parts of the UK.
The Times went to Gothenburg for a weekend break and The Guardian had a local’s guide to Copenhagen.
Both The Independent, here, and The Guardian, here, went to Berlin.
The Independent gave a car-free way to visit the Loire in France, by going by train and bike.
Restaurants
In the Daily Mail, Tom Parker-Bowles went to the Fox at Oddington, in the Cotswolds. This is a pub owned by the Bamfords, of Daylesford fame and big donors to Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party. He stayed the night and liked it a lot. But he says that people danced after their dinner. I don’t know what puts me off more; the Bamfords or the dancing.
In The Guardian, Grace Dent went to the Aroma Buffet in London W12, which seems like a very good deal.
In The Independent, Lucy Thackray went to Amethyst in Mayfair London.
In The Observer, Jay Rayner visited Nottingham to go to Kushi-Ya , which he deemed a blissfully good place. Worth remembering.
In The Standard, Jimi Faruewa enjoyed the Speedboat Bar.
In The Sunday Times, Marina O’Loughlin loved Long Friday in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne which she called a little life enhancer. It’s run by Anna Hedworth who also has the Cookhouse and the review made me proud to be a Geordie. Well, I lived there for the first eight years of my life.
In The Telegraph, William Sitwell finally caught up with Roti King. Where’s he been all these years?
In The Times, Giles Coren fitted in three restaurants, Miznon in London, W1, Ayam Zaman in London W12 and the pub The Seven Tuns in Chedworth, Gloucestershire
Recipes
It’s gone peak autumnal recipes this week.
Lots of lovely ones in The Guardian including Thomasina Miers’ recipe for fragrant lamb and quince tagine, Rachel Roddy’s recipe for gnocchi with gorgonzola. There was a double bonus of Nigel Slater’s recipes for sauerkraut galette and for pappardelle with greens and yoghurt in The Observer and other recipes in Observer Food Monthly that make the most of your oven. These included baked ham, miso and honey, apple and cream cheese tartlets, smoked haddock and parsley mash as well as smoked haddock risotto with broccoli and his much loved ginger cake recipe, this time with a lemon frosting.
I have two cavils; I would cook smoked haddock for these recipes in the microwave and not put the oven on. When are food writers going to recognise that the microwave exists along with air friers and the pressure cooker? Excepting Catherine Phipps from this rant. And secondly, what am I supposed to do with the bit left from a pack of cream cheese in some of his recipes as it comes in 250g packs? I don’t live anywhere to buy it in the requisite grams from a cheese shop.
Rahul Mandal had a caramel cardamom and mango Swiss roll recipe in the Times and there was a pumpkin and spice loaf cake recipe from Honey & Co in the FT.
Diana Henry was back in The Telegraph with lovely autumn roast vegetable recipes including roast autumn vegetables with aligot, roast leeks, beets and spiced chickpeas with tahini and Gochujang-roast pumpkin and aubergines with Korean cucumber.
Finally, The Independent had a recipe for roast pork tenderloin, apples and shallots and The Times had ten easy vegetarian recipes that non-veggies would like too including a fennel and goats’ cheese tray bake.
Books
The Joy of Snacks by Laura Goodman was excerpted in The Times with recipes for dips, and toast toppings amongst other snacks.
Nistisima by Georgina Hayden
won Best Cookbook in the Observer Food Awards and there was an interview with her as well as her recipes for shchi, a cabbage and caraway soup, kolokithopita, a pumpkin and raisin pie with harissa and grilled squash with herbs and dukkah.
Small Batch Bakes: Baking Cakes, Cookies, Bars and Buns for One to Six People, by Edd Kimber
had his recipes in The Guardian for sticky prune teacakes and biscoff-stuffed brownies
Recipes from Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook by Melissa Thompson
was featured in The Telegraph with a lovely interview with the author as well as her recipes for ginger beer prawns, peanut and sweet potato stew and chicken corn soup and spinners.
Foolproof Veggie One-pot by Alan Rosenthal
was featured in The Sunday Times with his butternut squash, goats cheese and gnocchi recipe, parsnip, chestnut and sage crumble recipe and roasted pistachio-stuffed spiced pumpkin recipe and smoky baked potatoes with Lancashire cheese recipe.
The Little Library Parties by Kate Young
was in The Independent with hints for giving dinner parties and her recipes for sausage rolls, linguine al cecca and plum tart .
I just love your weekly posts Kate. As a non Microwaver I poach haddock on the stove top - I do need to put the fan on, or the whole house is eau d’ églefin! xxx
Another great summary, Kate. I really enjoy reading these each week. I nearly spat out my tea with this wonderful line "I don’t know what puts me off more; the Bamfords or the dancing." Love it! Also to add I might look at the new Kate Young - I have the first one and although I am in no sense a cook, I just love all the literary references. And also Roots did well in the OFM awards, I saw. I must actually go ... when I don't have a fussy pizza worshipping 9-year-old in tow!