Posts Tagged “Italian”
Did you ever watch the movie ‘Moonstruck’ with Cher? It’s one of my top ten films of all time. Much of the action is set in the family kitchen – a room of significant proportions and a great deal of charm. We witness breakfast being made (in fact a couple of those) and dinner being…
From Whole Foods Market Serves 6 to 8 Packed with vegetables, beans and pasta, this soup is a meal in itself. Serve Hearty Minestrone Soup with crusty bread and a green salad. Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 1 cup…
The M.V.M. Cappellin Glassworks and the Young Carlo Scarpa is a new publication in the series “Le Stanze del Vetro”, a project on Venetian glassmaking in the 20th century, from a successful partnership of the Fondazione Cini and Pentagram Stiftung. This sumptuous book from the renowned Skira publishing company is associated with the autumn exhibition…
Here it is again! Seems like the pine needles from last year’s Christmas tree have just been extracted from the carpet, and mince pies are back in the shops! Where did that year go? Now, I am a lover of a good mince pie, and a Christmas would not be complete with out a box…
There are several popular varieties of cocktail cherry. Most of them are bright enough to read a book by and sticky enough to become the candy of choice of any 5-year-old with a sweet tooth. No, not all cherries are created equal, so it’s worth doing some homework and buying the best. That would be…
We had visited this delightful and intimate hotel before (read my reviews here). The Garden House is part of the Beaverbrook Estate and the smaller of the two hotels, the other being the lavish and imposing main house which was once the home of Lord Beaverbrook, one of the most influential men of the last…
We all, I am sure, remember our Nan’s cherry brandy on the sideboard at Christmas; and then there is the cherry alcohol one uses for fondue. They are very much part of the ‘spirit’ family of drinks. Then there is Maraschino Luxardo, which is a sweet liqueur, and an indispensable bottle behind any bar…
The Beaverbrook Estate is a one-stop resort for almost everything, and those everythings will be to a very high standard. The House, the more formal hotel, is large and from the outside looks rather imposing, but is in truth stylish and accessible. There is a smaller building on the estate and that’s the Garden House…
Ettore Sottsass (1917 – 2007) was an Italian architect and designer. His body of work included furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting, and strangely, office equipment, which later became iconic and collectable. Items such as typewriters were masterpieces of colour, form and contemporary styling. He also designed many buildings and interiors. Sottsass was born in Innsbruck, Austria,…
Ember Yard is the fourth restaurant from the celebrated Salt Yard Group. It has an enviable location off Oxford Street. Yes, ‘off’ is preferable to ‘on’ in this case. These streets are for those in the know rather than those who are lost on the way to Primark. There is great food to be had…
Anna Del Conte is, or so says The Times, ‘The queen of Italian cuisine’ and she is certainly an iconic writer. The original edition (1996) of ‘Classic Food of Northern Italy’ won both The Guild of Food Writers Book Award and the Orio Vergani prize of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina. This is an updated…
Both afternoon tea and The Criterion are icons. The first is quintessentially British; the second a long-standing London destination for fine food, and one which has been frequented by the great and the good for around a century and a half. Thomas Verity, a British architect, won a competition to build The Criterion; work began…
Many a cookbook reviewer will start their article with statements of impartiality, even-handedness and cool, professional aloofness. Not me. On this occasion, at least. I am pinning my culinary colours to Valentina Harris’s gastronomic mast with a degree of unashamed pride. This lady has been a supporter of Italian wine, produce and cooking for decades….
This truly is a ‘garden’ house with the intimate character of a cosy cottage. (Read more about the Garden House here.) It’s part of the Beaverbrook Estate and the smaller of two hotels, the other being the lavish and imposing main house which was once the home of Lord Beaverbrook, one of the most influential…
Discerning diners in Milan and the great and the good from the rest of the world will know of Savini. It will likely have been the venue for their international business meetings, smart lunches, family celebrations and perhaps a marriage proposal or two. It is, in short, a restaurant of impeccable pedigree and holding the…
This is a small independent restaurant with a remarkable Head Chef, Todd Higgs. He has daily specials using ‘fresh off the boat’ seafood. See the review here. And here is their recipe for Salsa Verde! Salsa Verde is a labour of love: all the herbs must be chopped by hand to achieve the best texture….
This classic Italian restaurant is on Lavender Hill. The street’s name comes from the lavender that was once grown in market gardens around here. After the opening of Clapham Junction station just up the road in 1863 the surrounding area was built up with terraces of cheap housing for the workers who moved there from…
This was my first visit to Southampton but finding good food wasn’t going to be a challenge: I had a recommendation! A French/Seafood restaurant called Olive Tree. But I knew nothing of Southampton. Southampton became a popular spa town in 1740 after the discovery of a spring of chalybeate (mineral-rich) water. It became a popular…
Mele e Pere opened in the heart of Soho in February 2012, but that neighbourhood dates back centuries. In the Middle Ages, what is now Soho was known as St Giles Field, land belonging to the Convent of Abingdon, with its leper hospital. In 1536, the land was taken by Henry VIII as a royal…
Talk about London and it’s likely a conversation about financial hubs (yes, even now after Brexit), the bustle of Oxford Street, the draw of Theatreland and the Tower of London will ensue. But London is actually made up of villages which remain far more charming and welcoming than the thronging thoroughfares more familiar to tourists…