Archives for August 2010

Stirring stuff from Miles Davis

The Italian and I had no problem choosing this next album as one of our favourites, it’s a bit gorgeous. Miles Davis – Ascenseur pour l’échafaud (Lift to the scaffold), the soundtrack to Louis Malle’s film starring Jeanne Moreau, recorded in Paris in 1957. The story goes that Louis Malle had loops made up of […]

Crème flamande

Cream of onion and potato soup A simple to make but delicious soup from Elizabeth David. For 5-6 225g (½lb) potatoes 1 large leek 2 large onions few sprigs of parsley 85g (3oz) single cream knob of butter Cut all the vegetables except one of the large onions into large pieces and simmer them in […]

Bar du Marché, Soho

It’s a little bit of France in Soho, tucked away in Berwick Street, in the heart of the market. I’ve forgotten how many years I’ve been going there, but Bar du Marché became my second office. If you sit at the bar long enough your whole life will turn up to join you for a […]

Sausages and sawdust – a traditional butcher’s shop

McKanna Meats, Holborn What a find. A traditional butcher’s shop in an area of imposing office blocks on Theobald’s Road, just a few minutes from the heart of the West End. The staff are skilful and really know their stuff, there’s sawdust sprinkled on the floor. It’s how a proper butcher’s shop should be. Their […]

Potato Pancake Mountain

When I was small I couldn’t pronounce the words ‘Grandma’ and ‘Grandpa’, the best I could manage was Mama and Ba. This is how my grandparents came to be called Mama and Ba by everybody. Mama cooked wonderfully, but her speciality was potato pancakes. Nobody else in the family has ever been able to make […]