http://www.jpost.com/FoodIndex/Article.aspx?id=200697

The Jews have always adjusted the “local” cooking with their dietary requirements e.g. Eastern European Jews, Jews living in India etc.

This is with Tunisian cooking! Interesting

E

Dec 2010

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/8230280/Mead-popular-again-for-first-time-since-Beowulf.html

But!!!!! Being modern it is made from fruit not just honey!

Best mead I have come across in the last few years  is from New Quay Honey Farm (Wales)

http://www.thehoneyfarm.co.uk/

E

Dec 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/30/port-wine-food-and-drink

Sums it all up including history in 10 minutes.

E

Dec 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/dec/30/cookery-books-of-the-year

The usual mention of Nigella and the new number 1 restaurant – Noma.

The article also raved about Momofuku  and gets it wrong – ok Korean ingredients are used but its a fusion of USA, Chinese, Japanese and Korean food not just korean fusion. Don’t forget, Bottles and Cooks recommended Momofuku a year ago!

E

Dec 2010

Bollinger Grand Anee 1995 – absolutely superb. Wish I have more!

Corton-Charlemangne 1998 and 2001 (Domaine Charles Thomas) – very light and delicate for Corton-Charlemangne.  Not the right choice for salmon!

Ch Lescombes 1990  -beautiful!

Tignanello 1999 – another great wine!

Pensees de Lafleur 2000 – slightly too woody. Better with beef!

Ornelleia 2000 – surprisingly sweet . Better with cheese.

Dow’s 85 – excellent

and a polypin of Loddon’s Ferryman Gold – wonderful beer - cold!

Smoked wild salmon from Foreman and Field – worst choice. Completely over rated. It was dry and did not ooze omega 3 oil. Better off with Waitrose smokede salmon at 10% of the price!   NOTE: My family thinks that the smoke salmon was wondercful as it is not as oily as the normal ones. OK! Everyone has a different taste.

Bronze Turkey from Peach Croft Farm – pot roasted with breast down. Good taste and not dry. Still eating it.

 Leg of Shropshire Black Ham from Dukeshill – fantastic taste. Well worth getting up at 5 in the morning to roast it. Took 6 hours + 1 plus for resting!

The Christmas pud is Waitrose’s The Carved Angel Pud (suposed to be based on Burton-Race’s recipe) – ok but nothing special!

Cheese from Lightwood (Elgar) – again, not all that impressed. It was mature but doesn’t have the creamy taste or sharp bite – perhaps too mature!

Colston Basset (Stilton) – ok but nothing special!

Have a great New Year !

E

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/the-ashes/the-ashes-series-stats-dont-lie/story-fn67w6pa-1225978117021

Well, as I am off to Australia – just one exception!

E

Web site: www.joelrobuchon.co.uk

Telephone number: 02070108600

Date of visit: 23rd Oct 2010

Approx. cost per head: £70 (see review on 23 August 2010)

Comments on wine list/beer: Premium and extensive list – see 23 August 2010

Review:

We returned to the L’Atelier last week, to La Cuisine on the first floor, with some friends. Happily our experience on this occasion was vastly different from our previous visit to the ground floor and the whole evening was delightful.
First of all, the decor was bright, elegant and uplifting. A stark contrast to the dark, eerie feel downstairs. We had a tasting menu with matching wines. Amongst the courses we had was the crabmeat with spiced turnips then the scallops carpaccio, where the seafood was very fresh and accompanied well. The quail with foie gras and truffle mashed potato was a fantastic way to prepare us for the array of desserts that followed.
We could have been at a different restaurant from the previous visit! The service was both charming and efficient. The sommelier, who seemed to be able to speak English in several accents, was a real charmer. The wines were well chosen and spanned parts of the world where only his accents could reach!
Based on our second visit, we would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant.

Ken

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/28/essential-malaysian-ingredients

and

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/dec/29/malaysia-travel-food-and-drink

Well worth a read.

E

Dec20109

http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2010/12/22/2010s_essential_cookbooks_make_great_reads_any_time/

Again, no Nigella or Jamie!

E

Dec 2010

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/8196108/Japanese-chefs-head-to-Britain-to-stamp-out-Europes-second-rate-pseudo-sushi.html

I entirely agree with this. Some of the so called conveyer belt sushi in the UK and USA are poor. However, they are still better than supermarket sushi which is a waste of food. To start with, the rice should not be dry ………..

E

Dec 2010