Having recently turned one, I’m in a reflective mood, so I thought I’d list my top 10 food highs and lows of the year. In no particular order.
Photo: MrLerone
Highs
1.Polpo – my new favourite restaurant. Very good Italian style tapas eating.
2.Sydney Breakfasts – just the bomb. I wish i could start every day Sydney style.
3.Whole Foods Market – the big one on Ken High Street is like heaven on earth.
4.Good Coffee – being shown what real coffee should taste like by Campos and Kaffeine.
5.Stuffed Courgette Flowers – still really chuffed about making these bad boys in France.
6.Engagement Dinner at Brasserie Balzar – the perfect Parisian place to pop the question.
7.Ramond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets – for my money, the best cookery show of the past year
8.The Santa Barbara Shellfish Company – one of the standout meals from our California road trip.
9.Good Mexican Food – from Benitos Hat to La Super Rica the Mexicans have been killing it. Me gusta.
10.Birthday Dinner at Scott’s – very special, and Michael Barrymore was in the house. What more do you want?
Lows
1.Tierra Brindisa – my once favourite Soho restaurant has gone down hill. Sort it out lads!
2.Cattle class – feeling like rushed, harassed cattle by the service at The Wolseley.
3.The Delicious Miss Dahl – no idea how this got commissioned. A truly terrible, patronising, fake show.
4.Just Falafs going out of business – really miss a decent falafel fix at lunch time. Please come back.
5.Borough Market Prices – its become a rip-off. Stuff there gets more expensive every time I go.
6.A.A Gill – Sunday Times food columnist. Self absorbed, pompous, objectionable, baboon shooting twat.
7.Sourdough skills – still not managed to make a good sourdough loaf yet. But I won’t stop till I succeed.
8.Byfords – supposedly one of the best restaurant in Holt. The deli cafe is good, but the restaurant is truly terrible.
9.Uncle Bens – this TV ad makes me want to murder people. Make it stop.
10. The Hairy Bikers – sorry fellas, but you continue to annoy the f**k out of me. How the hell did you get on TV!?!?
Tags: Balzar, Borough Market, Breakfast, Campos, Coffee, Courgette Flowers, Falafel, Just Falafs, Kaffeine, mexican, Polpo, Ramond Blanc, Scotts, Sophie Dahl, Sourdough, Sydney, The Wolseley, Tierra Brindisa, Whole Foods
Sourdough is pretty easy – if you like I can send you pointers including how to make an excellent Poilane knock-off using Waitrose Wholegrain spelt flour. No fancy kit needed really, though a good scale and a Kitchenaid style mixer help a lot if you want to bake routinely and a proofing basket greatly enhances appearance.