Venice, Somerset and autumnal recipes
21 October 2024
Introduction
What else to do on a dreich Sunday afternoon but cook? Propitiously, it was the day of of Nigel Slater’s robust autumn recipes in Observer Food Monthly. I made the bean, sherry and sausage stew as it was a change for me to not instantly add a tin of tomatoes to a stew. I’m not keen on cabbage so I shredded a fat leek and steamed it in the microwave before adding it at the last minute. We really liked it and would make it again.
I also made the red lentil soup which has ginger, garlic and spices in it and was a change from the normal lentil soup I do. Grating the ginger from frozen was a gamechanger for me. I had it today for my solo lunch with Helen Goh’s carrot and Vadouvan quick bread from Ottolenghi’s et al Comfort. I found the Vadouvan spice mix in Waitrose. Now I want to make the mushroom bourguignon with mashed carrots and the braised tomatoes with tahini sauce, although there’s probably enough soup to last the week.
Books
Cheese by James Martin
in the Sunday Times with recipes for chicken stuffed with herbs and ricotta, cottage pie and poached pears with Dolcelatte
Restaurants
On Saturday morning , my elder daughter took me to the Wolseley in London’s Piccadilly for a late birthday treat where I ate the full English breakfast and she had Eggs Royale. I had never been there before despite walking past it so many times, it being another place on the bus route home. I loved the space, the buzz, the excellent service as well as of course, my food and now I feel I want to get the bus there every Saturday for my breakfast.
In the FT, Tim Hayward drew conclusions on a month of fine dining
In the Guardian, Grace Dent went to Leydi in London ECI, the new restaurant from Turkish-Cypriot chef Selin Kiazim, formerly of Oklava. It’s in a hotel but she liked it despite that.
In the Observer, Jay Rayner wrote what he admitted was a angry negative review of Maroto, a Brazilian restaurant and ‘concluded it’s a terrible restaurant and I really can’t recommend.’
In the Standard, David Ellis was at Sael, the latest restaurant by Jason Atherton in St James’ London SW1 and thought it was ‘somewhere to explore bit by bit... In other words, it is a restaurant for anyone, at any time, on any occasion.’
In the Sunday Times, Charlotte Ivers went to Keep Chaating in Covent Garden, London WC2 and said, ‘it’s delicious, and wonderfully good value. for any zone of London. But it was empty and there were’ people coming in to pick up food via Too Good to Go rather than to sit down for dinner.
In the Telegraph, William Sitwell
went to the The Waterman’s Arms in Barnes, London SW13 and thought’ it was a grower’ after a shaky start.
In the Times, Giles Coren was at Oriole’s, Johnny Greens and Mary’s in London which all made him cross as they allocated him the worst tables even when the restaurants were empty. It was good to know it happens to other people too, even famous restaurant critics.
Travel
UK
Somerset in the Telegraph and ten reasons why Autumn is the best time to visit, a foodie tour of Somerset and Wiltshire by train and on foot in the Guardian.
A weekend in Sherborne in the Times. They say ‘it’s not cool like Bruton, which is smaller, or boho like Frome, which is bigger, but it does have incredible history, beautiful heritage buildings in golden hamstone, a buzzing high street, a fizzing antiques scene and an amazing community oozing positive energy and inclusiveness.’
Europe
A treasure trove of articles on Venice which are all free to read in the FT to book mark including My Venice, by Diane von Furstenberg
Venice in three ingredients, artichoke, duck and eel by Valerie Necchio
and how to snack on cicchetti with Emiko Davies
It brought back memories of Pasticceria Rizzardini in Campiello di Meloni which they call a little jewel box of a pastry shop and of cicchetti in Cantinone Già Schiavi and Campo Santa Margherita.
The Times says Parma, halfway between Milan and Bologna, has all the elegant hotels, culture and irresistible artisanal produce you need for a perfect autumn weekend break
Carolyn Boyd’s recent trip to Paris in Sawdays’ newsletter
Barcelona and family tapas in the Guardian and SE Spain’s own Camino trail in the Times.
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. And occasionally, I ask a friend to save an article for me.
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 read Observer Food Monthly yesterday through the app from Wandsworth Libraries. .
Please do give this post a like if you’ve enjoyed it. I write this for fun and it will always be free.
This is brilliant Kate, I want to bookmark everything. So glad you got to The Wolseley. As you know its my favourite. I could eat breakfast there every week too!
Informative, helpful and nostalgic article. Thanks Kate.x