Ed Smith's Blog, page 4

Master Wei

Just a quick doodle and mention, really, of what appears to be an excellent addition to London’s Xi’an-style cuisine — i.e.  flour-based foods from the capital of Shaanxi province in north-western China, such as hand-pulled noodles tossed in an intoxicating chilli and garlic oil; thick skin dumplings in sweet-sour broths; and meat-filled unleavened ‘murger’ baps.

There are a few places devoted this region’s dishes and flavours in London, including Murger Han’s restaurants in Euston and Mayfair, and most notably Xi’an Impression in Highbury, which has spawned two further noodle dens: Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles in Whitechapel, and now Master Wei in Bloomsbury. (Read Fuchsia Dunlop being knowledgable about Xi’an Impression, its dishes, and the cuisine in general here.)

Specifics of who’s done and now doing what are a little complicated, though I think it goes something like:

Xi’an Impression in Highbury was set up by Wei Guirong and her business partner Zhang Chao, with Wei’s husband Song Yong in the kitchen;
Zhang Chao and another chef Li Liang opened Xi’an Biang Biang noodles in Whitechapel (and I think Sichuan Grand in Stratford); and
Wei sets up Master Wei as her solo project, with husband still installed up in Highbury.

Could be wrong.

On first visit to Master Wei, and after a bowl of Wei’s pulled noodles with minced pork and some intriguing, doughy, cigar shaped pot sticker dumplings, it felt like this was a “nice that this is central and convenient for my next appointment at the Hospital of Neurology, but still pretty pleased I’m a short cycle to Highbury“.

However, sharing a bunch of other dishes over lunch a few weeks later suggested otherwise.

Has the epicentre of Xi’an food has moved with Wei Guirong to WC1? Quite possibly … with the strong caveat: if you choose well.

Highbury regulars will feel at home with Master Wei’s menu, given the hits are all there — beef biang biang noodles, sour and hot sweet potato noodles, cold chicken in the house chilli sauce and so on. But I think there’s possibly a bit more on offer, some of which muddies rather than improves the menu. Ignore, for example, various spring rolls, special fried rice with bacon, sweet and sour pork ribs and a very weird mixed salad of wilting (wilted?) lettuce, wood ear mushrooms, tomato and strawberries. I’ve also now tried a murger burger at every restaurant mentioned, and remain unconvinced.

BUT should you go as table of 2-4 people and order in the 2-4 cold starters; some dumplings; and then 1-3 noodles depending how many you are formation, you will eat very well.

Try something like: the cold boneless chicken in ginger sauce, smacked (sliced) cucumbers macerating in layers and layers of sesame, chilli, garlic and chinkiang vinegar, and the more-ish, textural cold Xi’an LiangPi Noodles (or the shredded potato salad — difficult to choose). Follow that with pork dumplings in a hot and sour broth of nuance and vigour that you might cry with joy. And then hand pulled, bouncy, biang biang noodles of your choosing (be it beef like up in Highbury, or an intriguing pork and egg option). Maybe some Qishan noodles with pork in sour and spicy Sauce if there’s enough of you.

It’ll be a feast, and if you get it right, each of the dishes tie together — with crossovers of chilli oil, sesame, garlic and vinegar — while still balancing those seasonings in differing ways. The main unifier being the straw you’ve sneaked in to make the most of the sauces.

Second time round the dishes presented such character and exacting seasoning, they seemed on an unquantifiable but definitively higher plain to my most recent visits to the Highbury and Whitechapel outlets. This is where I’ll head next time I get a Xi’an craving.

Master Wei in 3 Words

Hot. Sour. Masterful

The Bill

£20-30 a head

Master Wei — 13 Cosmo Place, WC1N 3AP — 02072096888 — broadly Mon-Sun 11:30-10, but check website for variances

… and if you like noodles, and particularly ones of numbing tendency, I whole-heartedly recommend Liu xiaomian  in the basement of the Jackalope pub between Oxford Street, Marylebone and Regent’s Park. It’s street food in comfortable surrounds, and worth a diversion imo. Here lies an enticingly focused menu with just three options: spicy xiaomian (wheat) noodles with ground pork, chickpeas and Sichuan-ish numbing oil; sweet potato starch glass noodles with the same seasoning; and wontons in a hot and sour broth. You should absolutely select the extra hot option, then mix your noodles (or broth) thoroughly and enjoy the sweet, sharp, savoury and numbing characteristics develop as you eat your way through the bowl.

Liu xiaomian — in residence downstairs at The Jackalope, 43 Weymouth Mews, W1G7EQ — Tue-Fri 12-2.30pm/6-9pm

Tasting Notes — March & April 2019

Sandwiches

We’ve touched on the subject of Good Sandwiches before; back in the summer of 2017 in the context of Monty’s Deli, Max’s Sandwich Shop, and a little bit of The Dusty Knuckle. Have a read. Though I also think it’s worth revisiting the theme two years on as we seem to be taking another leap forward. We are witnessing the gourmet sandwich reclaiming the lunch ground currently claimed by ‘street food’ wraps, pizzas, burgers and rice bowls.

The aforementioned makers remain at the top of their game (I had yet another unbeatable Meshuggener at Monty’s Hoxton at the end of March, and also enjoyed listening to co-owner Owen Barrett on The Kitchen is on Fire). But they’re joined now by Bodega Ritas (see January’s Tasting Notes, and also this oyster mushroom Banh-mi), and it seems Visions Canteen in Shoreditch, whose creative, global approach to sangers and baguettes is in line with and at least as good as Rita’s. My first from them was a stellar Thai-inspired chicken Grapow baguette, full of spicy ground chicken, Thai basil, peanut sprinkle, and with chipped potato crisps and gherkin on the side. Someone commented that a fried egg would’ve been both good and appropriate given the name and I agree. Regardless, it was super good and if you want me over the next few weeks you’ll find me working through the rest of the menu. Good times.

And there are other progressive sandwich makers joining the party soon. Watch this space.

Visions Canteen — 31 New Inn Yard, EC2A 3EY — Mon-Fri 8-4, Sat-Sun 10-5

Sticks

Peg opened a few months ago now; the sibling of the excellent P Franco and Bright. Like P Franco it’s heavy on the natural wine, slightly out on a Hackney limb and no reservations. But this time the cuisine’s firmly and unflinchingly westernised yakitori. SO chicken on sticks and house pickles.

I ate lunch there last week. And although I had a minor worry of  being unable to build a meal, in fact the main difficulty was working out what to not order.

In addition to the chicken thighs, hearts, wings on sticks, there are mighty inviting plates and bowls, too. Like mizuna leaf and turnip salad, white asparagus with an orange and fermented chilli dressing, set custard chawanmushi with crab (I’ve seen it done with uni (sea urchin) other weeks), and absolute best of the bunch, a very not Japanese (nor Chinese for that matter) ‘mapo tofu’: soy bean curd and chickpea flour blended, set and deep fried like a panisse. Cubes of this sturdy yet still silken treat sat on and under minced pork licked with spicy red bean paste and oil that I’m keen to order in intravenous drip bag portions.

The wine list looks good — as with all natural wines, there’s nothing much for anyone under £30 a bottle, but the £36-50 a bottle options are plentiful and interesting, often hard to get elsewhere and / or actually decent value and very doable if shared between 3-4. I was pretending to work in the afternoon, so on this occasion it was just a glass of vibrant, bouncy, juicy and pleasingly acidic Californian orange wine. Will go again.

peglondon.co.uk — 120 Morning Lane, E9 6LH — Wed: 6-11pm; Thurs-Sat: 12-3pm & 6-11pm; Sun: 12-4pm

Glam trattoria

One #invite of note over the last few months was a night at Gloria, the newish and very kitsch Italian trattoria (or Parisian vintage) on the boundary of Shoreditch and Old Street. The outside is so heavily adorned with plants that the place feels like it must’ve been in situ for years, not weeks. But actually it’s an indication of the attention to decor and atmosphere and ‘grammable interiors generated vibe. Eat upstairs during the day, downstairs at night, and enjoy the keen pricing of pretty decent, approachable Italian food.

I thought carbonara mixed in a Parmesan wheel in front of us was an unsuccessful gimmick. Ditto a lemon meringue tart that demonstrates why your menu shouldn’t actually be built around social media likes: tart and custard were fine, but a literal mountain of meringue (which by definition is 50% sugar) was actually gross. Way, way more successful were supremely good (and good value) beef carpaccio salad, strong antipasti, truffled pasta and first class Neapolitan-style pizzas. Also, as mentioned, the prices, which are very fair indeed and ought to ensure queues continue long after the pot plants and climbers start to wilt / die back in the face of Great Eastern Street’s fumes.

A good edition. And the people behind it are quickly following up with a large site on similar theme, just off Oxford Street.

Gloria — 54-56 Great Eastern St, EC2A 3QR — Open through the week at varying times, some bookings possible but generally walk-in (see website)

Custard tarts

If you’re on trend, you’ll follow your glam pizza or global-cuisine-inspired baguette with an of the moment Portuguese custard tart — or pasteis de nata.

There are a couple of nata focused places opening in Covent Garden, including Santa Ana, which looks as though it’s aped (for good reason) Lisbon’s standard bearer Mateigaria in the way it’s set-up: counter bar at which to neck an espresso and eat your still warm tart, and pastry makers on full display through the day. Assuming there’s enough demand for them to keep making.

They look promising. And yet if any of the new tarts come close to the quality of nata on offer at A Portuguese Love Affair on Hackney Road I’ll eat my hat (and quite a lot of nata). Seek them out: they’re the very best example of just set, not-too-sweet custard, and multi-layered, buttery crisp pastry shell. Perfeição. 

Also, lots of good savoury things on the menu at this low-key, high-love cafe. Worth keeping in mind when wandering East.

A Portuguese Love Affair — 326 Hackney Road, E2 7AX — Tue-Fri: 12-10; Sat: 11-11; Sun: 10-7

Eggs in Purgatory

Here’s another recipe linked to my series for Borough Market about different styles of cured meats. The latest post touches on the subject of cured fat, as well as salumi specifics to two regions at the extreme ends of the Italian boot — Alto Adige and Calabria. And it finishes with a recipe for Eggs in Purgatory, which uses one of Calabria’s most celebrated and Britain’s most woke ingredients: ‘nduja. Highly recommended …

These baked eggs are a feisty breakfast, brunch or lunch option, differentiated from the ever-popular Middle Eastern ‘shakshuka’ because of the inclusion of ‘nduja as its base, as well as the top notes that come from fresh basil (instead of parsley or coriander).

Below are alternative ingredients to serve one and two people. Four people (eight eggs) would require a surprisingly large sauté pan and I would suggest splitting between two vessels if you’re feeding that many (or more).

Eggs in Purgatory

For 1

1 small heavy-bottomed sauté pan or skillet, suited to holding 2 eggs
25g nduja
300g cherry tomatoes
1 large garlic clove, finely sliced
10 basil leaves
1 teaspoon golden caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 medium eggs
Sea salt and black pepper
Light olive oil

For 2

1 medium sauté pan or skillet, suited to holding 2 eggs
40g nduja
500g cherry tomatoes
2 large garlic cloves garlic, finely sliced
15-20 basil leaves
1 heaped teaspoon golden caster sugar
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
4 medium eggs
Sea salt and black pepper
Light olive oil

As garnish / to accompany

Extra virgin olive oil
Sourdough or similar, toasted
More ‘nduja

Put the sauté pan or skillet over a low heat, add a dash of light olive oil and the nduja. Allow the nduja to warm for 60 seconds and begin to melt (not fry), poking the paste a little and spreading it around the pan while the fat turns from solid to liquid. Add the garlic slices and cook for 90 seconds, softening rather than browning the garlic. Then put the tomatoes in the pan, along with 50ml of water. Increase the heat to medium and place a lid on top, leaving for 10 minutes so that the tomatoes start to release their juices, split and sink down a bit. Stir after 5 or 6 minutes to check the tomatoes are boiling, not burning, and squash them with a fork to encourage their collapse.

After that time remove the lid and let the tomatoes cook for 5 minutes more, reducing and thickening a little. Add the sugar, vinegar and a heavy pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, then stir half the basil leaves in.

Once the basil leaves have wilted, create 2 (or 4) areas for the eggs to be cooked in, by pushing the remnants of the tomatoes around. Crack the eggs in and put the lid back on top. Cook for 3 minutes.

Garnish with the remaining basil leaves and a good glug of peppery olive oil, and serve with toast spread with ‘nduja (for those who like things hot).

Spinach and prosciutto gnudi

This recipe is linked to a new series I am writing about Europe’s regional cured meats for Borough Market. An introductory post (on cured meats more generally) can be found here; and the first of two posts about Italian salumi (the one that this is tied to) is here. Have a read and then give these a go!

Gnudi are pillow-light, ricotta-based dumplings that are poached and traditionally served with browned butter and sage. And that’s the case here, though I’ve added prosciutto to both the mix and finished plate, which I think adds a nutty and sweet touch.

The salt and umami of the meat makes it an alternative to a dusting of Parmesan, and to my mind the taste, textural and indeed temperature contrast between the meat and gnudi is really pleasing. Certainly it’s an excellent way to make the most of a few slices of quality prosciutto di Parma or San Danielle.

Gnudi are best made at least 3-4 hours in advance of eating, not least as time in the fridge allows something of a skin to develop. I also think they’re better as a starter or light lunch, rather than scaled up and depended on as a main course.

Spinach and prosciutto gnudi

Serves 4 (as a starter or light lunch)

70g salted butter
200g baby spinach leaves, washed
10 slices of prosciutto (ideally good San Danielle or Parma)
250g ricotta, drained
2 large egg yolks
50g tipo ‘00’ flour
25g finely grated parmesan
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
¼ nutmeg, finely grated
50g (approx) fine semolina flour, for dusting
20 sage leaves
Sea salt and black pepper

Melt just a small amount of the butter in a large frying or sauté pan set over a low-medium heat. Add the spinach leaves and wilt gently for 3-5 mins, until completely cooked down. Drain through a sieve, pushing the spinach with the back of a spatula or similar to remove as much of the moisture as you can, then run a knife vigorously though it until the spinach might be considered very finely chopped. Spread over a small plate and leave to cool. Chop 2 slices of prosciutto similarly finely and set to one side.

Put the spinach, ricotta, chopped prosciutto, egg yolks, 00 flour, parmesan and lemon zest in a mixing bowl and use a spatula to thoroughly mix and combine the ingredients. Season with just a little salt, a good few turns of a pepper mill and the nutmeg. Stir again—perhaps with a fork if the spinach or prosciutto look like they’re clumping.

Decant 4-5 tbsp semolina into a small baking tray or other flat-bottomed container that will fit in your fridge. Wet your hands, then form an amount of ricotta mix into a ball a little smaller than a golf ball. Roll onto and around the semolina, then repeat until all the ricotta mix has been used—you should have 20 gnudi. Leave in the fridge uncovered for at least 3-4 hours. Overnight is fine.

When ready to eat, put a large pan of heavily salted water on to boil. In a separate frying pan, melt the rest of the butter and add the sage leaves. Remove the leaves when crisp and set aside. Turn the heat off once the butter is browned and smelling nutty. Once the water is at a rolling boil, drop the gnudi in and cook for 3 mins—give them a gentle nudge from time to time to ensure they do not stick to the pan or each other.

Remove the cooked gnudi from the saucepan with a slotted spoon, putting them into a sieve or colander held over the pan as you do so. Turn the heat under the butter back on to low and gently tip the drained gnudi into the pan. Roll them around the browned butter then serve up, laying 4 bowls with 2 pieces of prosciutto each, dividing the gnudi and sage leaves between the bowls and spooning any remaining flavoursome butter from the pan over the gnudi.

Tasting Notes — January 2019

Coal Drops Yard

I’ve returned to Coal Drops Yard a few times already this year (see mention of Barrafina in October’s Tasting Notes). One lunch, at the heralded Coal Office, was utterly mediocre. Set in a slightly cramped, long and thin room that acts as a furnishings lookbook for the Tom Dixon store below, we found most of our Israeli-style food unremarkable — a forgettable extension of Soho’s overrated Palomar (which involves the same chef). I suppose I should go into detail about the dishes, but aside from a decent spiced lamb beef kebab, there’s little of note.  The best meals in places like Tel Aviv are shouty assaults of flavour, but this was stifled and tepid. Style over substance.

Head, instead, to Bodega Rita’s where I demolished a baguette overflowing with vibrant mapo tofu (minus the pork), pumpkin seeds and crunchy bean sprouts. It was a fizzing, fresh and vibrant 5 napkin sandwich. I’d have one every day, tbh, though there’s plenty more on the menu that entices: chill and sesame oil chicken baps, devilled egg on sourdough, pork carnitas with pickled onions and a cumin tomato dip. Here are inventive, flavour-first sandwiches without borders — to go, or to have in with a glass of natural wine or craft beer. Breakfast (good things on toast or in baps) is also an option. Rita’s founders Gabriel Pryce and Missy Flynn are seasoned operators now, with a number of well received projects behind them. This feels like the spark of something that’ll stick.

RitasDining.com —Unit 114, Stable St, CDY, N1C 4DR — Mon-Sat 09:30-18:00, 12:00-17:00 (evenings to follow in warmer months), walk-ins only

Bún Bún Bún

A craving for Vietnamese food felt particularly apt for the start of a year — fragrant, enlivening, and comforting in equal measure — and I’m sure it was prompted by photos from other people’s holidays too. For a brief moment I pondered sating that craving by running a methodical audit of the Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsland Road, starting at the Geffrye museum and working down. ‘Twas a brief moment, though, because I’m basically stuck at the top, at Bún Bún Bún, thanks to their supreme Bún chả Hà Nội — cold rice vermicelli, loads of herbs, crunchy deep fried spring rolls and a bowl of grilled pork and spiced pork patties sitting in a sweet, sour, salty, garlicky, fish saucy broth. Despite name, there’s plenty of variation to the menu (pho, banh mi), though I’m working my way through their other bun dishes (apparently the Bún chả cá lá vọng (monkfish and dill) is excellent). Confirmed as a goody by people who know a lot more about Vietnamese food than me. They’ve a second site in Dalston too (though I was less enamoured when I went there).

bunbunbun.co — 134B Kingsland Road, E2 8DY Mon-Sun 12pm-11pm (mostly), bookable

Holborn Dining Rooms

I attended a (press invite) pork pie making class with Calum Franklin in his Pie Room at The Holborn Dining Rooms; which was excellent and completely demystified hand raised hot water pastry pies. We stayed for dinner in the same room (bookable PDR for 10) and can confirm the pastry-themed mains really are super — whether superlative beef wellington (Wednesday only) or the Comte and potato pithivier that I had. Calum’s mixed, folded and shaped himself a now well recognised niche, which is absolutely worth sampling for yourself. Also worth noting that the restaurant is a very smoothly run, very safe central London bet. Just the right amount of glitzy hotel shine, but still convivial and London appropriate. Always buzzing. Great desserts too.

holborndiningroom.com — No. 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN — Mon-Sun, bookable

Lyle’s

Into it’s sixth year, now (I think) and going as strongly as ever, there’s class across the board at Lyle’s: intriguing ingredients all at their peak, delivered with calm, deceptive simplicity and maximum taste. I was pleased to get a lunch in early this year, as two of us shared mussels and sprout tops in whey and mussel butter emulsion; whelks with mayonnaise and fennel salt; a brilliant dish of scallops, soggy bread, finely sliced cedro lemons and much browned butter; chewy, sticky Jerusalem artichokes topped with a nut paste, preserved lemons and raw, sliced Jchokes; smoked eel with calcots and various forms of burnt onion (probably my favourite dish; very funky aged mangalitsa collar with artichoke (pureed, fried, and steamed); and then three inventive and none-to-sweet desserts including a poached meringue on bay custard with blood orange, and cocoa husk ice cream and pears. Sound good? Too right it was. Along with Brawn, Brat, Quality Chop House, Lyle’s is right at the top of the list of lunch and dinners in London to recommend to all. Looking forward to the Borough Market outpost opening later this year.

lyleslondon.com — Lyle’s, Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JJ — Mon-Sat, bookable

XU

And finally, cheating a little as this was technically a February meal, but earlier this week I enjoyed a taster of XU’s Lunar New Year set menu (another invite, sorry). Their ‘Taming of the Pig’ menu is available for all of this month, but not beyond (hence mentioning it now), and for £39 you get: 3 snacks (poached oyster with soy pearls, firecracker spring rolls, and really super good steamed garlic cockles with chicken scratchings and pickled chilli oil); 2 more snacks (clever beef tartare and taro dumplings); and then lardo fried rice plus a choice of mains (go with at least one other, and one of you have the char siu iberico pork, the other steamed sea bass with fermented pineapple and Taiwanese olives). It’s clever, assured and (for London at least) unique. Calming vibe upstairs too (a good date night?).

XUlondon.com — 30 Rupert Street, W1D 6DL — Mon-Sun, lunch and dinner, bookable

Supplemental #194

Welcome, finally (!), to the first #Supplemental of 2019 …

… and as it happens, the last #Supplemental ever.*

Reading and distilling the weekend pages over the last five years has been a mostly fun and always rewarding exercise, but I feel it’s time to pause a few subscriptions and hang up my keyboard. The potential content’s continues to be produced, but other demands on my time have made it increasingly hard to keep up the Sunday evening browse, scroll, and summation. To be honest, I suspect nearly 200 posts on the theme have diverted about 200,000 words from my fingertips that might have gone elsewhere, and I’d like to claim a few of those now for other projects.

So with apologies for curtailing the service, here are a few things that have taken my fancy over the last month …

Recent recipes and words of note

Simon Hopkinson’s words in this Sunday’s OFM egg supplement are an example of the gold dust that’s often sprinkled on the weekend pages — 800 words of poetic pedantry on the craft of boiling eggs. See also Elizabeth David on the omelette Molière.

For anyone who’d like to see Simon Hopkinson back in the papers more regularly, (a) join the club and (b) console yourself with a weekly read of Rachel Roddy in the Guardian’s Feast. “The cabbage slumps further, its green fading and its porcelain-like ribs becoming indistinguishable in the muddle of meatballs and flecks of red” hints at the joy to be found in her most recent words and recipe. This is one of the columns I’ll (religiously) continue to turn and click on to.

Please, over the next few (cold) days, consider not just Nigel Slater’s recipes for comforting leek, haddock and mussel pie, but also his enlivening mussel and grapefruit salad.

On a similarly warming front, in Sunday’s Stella magazine, Diana Henry writes with much sense and clarity about what ‘comfort food’ really is: her aromatic chicken broth looks just perfect, and I’d take down a tray of the soft roast onions with chilli and fennel breadcrumbs. And, wow, her crab and orange salad with nam jim dressing from a couple of weeks back will be superb. Brown crab’s in season now too, I think, so it’s a good time to go shopping.

Also from The Telegraph’s pages, I’m very keen for Stephen Harris’ clementine surprise pudding from a few weeks ago (intriguing pinch of anise). Plus, 100% biased, but I endorse this roast forced rhubarb on thyme and ricotta toast recipe.

The Honey & Co duo are very good at meatball recipes. These beef and yoghurt balls cooked with chard and sliced tomatoes will be great. They’re also great at cakes. Grab the last (prob Turkish, now) quinces and hazelnuts and make this one. The signing of Itamar and Sarit has definitely been a boon for FT Weekend readers.

This piece last week about Feast’s regular weekend recipe writers and their testers is a nice read. And, on a related note, as is virtually always the case the Ottolenghi team have come up with some stellar recipes of late. I loved all the ideas in the traybake column last week — a chicken, fennel and orange one reminiscent of one of his classic recipes, mushroom pasta bake, plus a really interesting braised chickpeas with carrots, dates and feta option. Note the butternut and sage galette with orange caramel from the Saturday just gone … chapeau.

I always feel cleaner, calmer, and (crucially) inspired when reading Anna Jones’ contributions. See, for example, this fresh turmeric root and ginger udon noodle soup.

Skye Mcalpine’s leek and thyme tart tatin for The Sunday Times Magazine would indeed be a stellar centrepiece, perhaps with a bitter leaf and soft cheese salad to support it.

Giles Coren’s choice of essential recipes in this Saturday’s Times Magazine included a number of appealing dishes from the Old Masters: Fergus Henderson’s boiled ham with parsley sauce, Claudia Roden’s cholent, and Elizabeth David’s cassoulet. There were recipes too from the dependables (Nigella, Nigel, Hugh). Though none from this whole new wave of woke millennial cookery writers (heaven forbid).

Last weekend, the collective voice of OFM favourites provided more variety in an otherwise similarly themed ‘recipes the chefs can’t live without‘. Plenty of inspo in there.

Not sure whether you’ve noticed, but there’ve been quite a few #veganuary recipes flying about. Each to their own. Personally, I continue to enjoy and admire Meera Sodha’s approach, in which so many of her recipes feel incidentally vegan, and something, frankly, that omnivores will enjoy as much as vegans. Tamarind-heavy red lentil rasam and red cabbage looked excellent. And I’ve faith that her recent salted white miso brownies will please a diverse crowd.

Finally on the British paper front, I still think it’s a shame that the Guardian’s Cook supplement died, but one thing that followed was Felicity Cloake’s Perfect column moving from the mid-week G2 to the new Feast magazine. Which meant I could include it here. This remains an invaluable resource; recent weeks have included a marmalade sponge, Irish stew and Beef Wellington.

From Elsewhere

On the UK Blog front, it’s not a recipe but Danny Kingston’s post about Nan Food Urchin is a great (and affecting) read. Food is memoir, isn’t it.

I’m still in love with the NYT’s Alison Roman. And her recipes. Did we cover The Stew in one of the December editions of #Supplemental? Well, that one went cookie level viral so I assume you know about it anyway. But (arguably) her three early January recipes were better. Salmon with tangy cucumbers and fried shallots. Cold noodles with chilli oil and crusty cabbage. Vinegar chicken with crisp roast mushrooms. If you like those, consider the recent whole fish with citrus and soy too. Always super cookable, and very ‘now’, in a lead rather than follow way.

Whether you’re accustomed to and a fan of gumbo or not, this piece by Brett Anderson — and the recipes linked to it — are essential imo.

Ok, That’ll do

I could pick out a few more dishes from recent weeks, and also toyed with plugging some ‘greatest hits’ from previous editions. But you’ll have different views to me and can dig those out yourself: the #Supplemental category will remain as a header on my website ,and I think it’s a pretty useful resource; though there are always a few very trend-led dishes or themes things that may have aged a little, by and large the rhythm of a year in newspaper food remains pretty steady and predictable. So continue to click on the archives, focussing on the relevant months of each of the last five years.

Cheers.

 

January 2018 menu

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Mussel and grapefruit salad

Nigel Slater, The Observer

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Butternut and sage galette with orange caramel

Yotam Ottolenghi, The Guardian ‘Feast’

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Clementine surprise

Stephen Harris, The Telegraph

—

 

*p.s EVER?! Of course never say never, nor that something similar won’t rise in a different format. But probably.

p.p.s. I’ll keep the blog going with (relatively) regular updates on eating out, eating in and new cookbooks. For a monthly email with general foodie news and links to those posts, subscribe to the Rocket & Squash newsletter through the email link below.