Sipsmith Sloe Gin Showdown
As you may know I've a bit of previous with the Sipsmith boys. I interviewed them for Waitrose Kitchen (read it here) as well as my book, needless to say I'm a big fan, their setup and their product. So much so that last Christmas when the snow was deep and crisp and even the...
A man of appetites: Herbs go bananas
This week on AOL I take a European grand tour looking at the history and culinary uses of summer herbs. Historically herbalists can't seem to agree on the uses and effects of basil. The English botanist, Nicholas Culpeper (1616 – 1654) says of it 'all authors are together by the ears about, and rail at...
A man of appetites: the secret history of the meringue
This week Louisa and I got 'all white' as we got stuck into the meringue. There's a lot of history to this simple combination of eggs whites and vinegar. Larousse goes on to say that the French chef Marie-Antoine Carême - the king of chefs and the chef of kings – was the first to pipe the...
A man of appetites: Bloomin’ tasty
Despite Uncle Monty's assertion that 'I think the carrot infinitely more fascinating than the geranium. The carrot has mystery. Flowers are essentially tarts. Prostitutes for the bees' flowers do have there place in the kitchen. It is to them, that Louisa and I have turned our eyes this week on AOL lifestyle Most of the...
Guide to buying local on ITV’s 10 Mile Menu
Here's something I wrote for ITV's new food show, Ten Mile Menu. If you've ever wanted to see Bobby Davro let loose in a kitchen, this is the show for you! We're all used to relying on our local supermarket for the food we eat every day. But with a few small changes,...
A man of appetites: Fish and chips
This week Lou and I have looked at the joy that is fish and chips. Which as everyone knows somehow taste better when eaten at the seaside. Indeed apart from a picnic, which is essentially the inside taken outside, there are few hot meals that we eat in in full public view. The exact origins...
A man of appetites: Berries and cherries
This week Lou and I look at summer fruits, the hard to find gooseberry and the wonderful cherry. They both have a long history in Britain, Gooseberries shows were once a top day out for Northern workers, while cherry fairs were held in southern counties. Both events used the fruit as an excuse to meet...
Interview on The Food Programme BBC Radio 4
A few weeks ago Tim Hayward and producer Maggie Ayre popped by my house for a cuppa and a chat about new food entrepreneurs. Tim was interested in people who had started new food businesses in the midst of a economic downturn. I've met many of these small businesses on my travels, indeed my book's...
wine and tarragon make it French
Ah the French, they have given the world of food so much. French cooking techniques run through the art of preparing food like the radiation from the Big Bang runs throughout the Universe – they are omni-present. However I would proffer that theirs is not so much a star in descendence, but that others cultures,...
A man of appetites: confusing kedgeree
This week Louisa and I travelled to India – or maybe Scotland, for breakfast – or perhaps dinner. It's all a bit confusing when it comes to Kedgeree. The dish has an interesting history and is perhaps a perfect example of how recipes are pasted from culture to culture, changing not only their ingredients, but...
A man of appetites: Ham, ham, ham
This week on AOL's lifestyle channel Lou and I looked at heroic ham. It's one of the best forms of meat that works for breakfast, lunch and dinner, yet all too often is poorly made watery reformed pap. One of my favourite ways to eat a nice hand sliced piece of cold ham is with...
A man of appetites: Stop messy about
This week Lou looked at simple summer puds, while I went back to school in search of Eton Mess. The beauty of Eton Mess today is that it's three simple ingredients that have formed a brief 'menage a trois'; meringue provides structure, fruit brings sweetness and cream offers its cooling milky flavour – all in...
