Page 117 – A Little Bird

31st May 20171st June 2017

Violet Sessions Podcasts

It sometimes feels as if we’ve been cast adrift on a sea of podcasts – so vast, variable, unpredictable and often overwhelming is the choice. But bobbing up amongst our favorites (with such gems as the hilariously odd-ball So My Dad Wrote a Porno; the utterly compelling S-Town – the follow-up mystery from the makers of Serial; and the FT’s culture show Everything Else) is relative new kid on the block Violet Sessions. This beautiful audio bloom is a series of gloriously chilled out, celebratory, agenda-free conversations with interesting women doing brilliant things. Each takes place over coffee and cake, upstairs at East London sweet spot Violet Bakery, and is hosted by the bakery’s owner Claire Ptak and journalist and broadcaster Danielle Radojcin. The conversations brim with warmth, humour and affection, drawing back the curtain on the lives of women who inspire because of their trailblazing chutzpah, achievements, imagination, tenacity and grace. Favourites include those with fashion illustrator and feminist emoji – Femoji – creator Jo Ratcliffe, with Somerset House’s Marie McPartlin, a live chat with vivacious editor of The Gentlewoman Penny Martin and just downloaded, author Plum Sykes, whose new book Party Girls Die in Pearls is just out. We also recently went along and sipped a flat white while listening to co-founder Danielle Radojcin interview Christina Dean, the stylish woman behind Redress, the environmental NGO working to reduce waste in the fashion industry, the podcast of which which will be available to download soon – alongside future podcasts with Wahaca’s Thomasina Miers and the aforementioned My Dad Wrote a Porno podcaster Alice Levine.

24th May 201725th May 2017

The Curtain

The zeitgeist for hotel-meets-members club-meets-gastro hub-meets-co-working spaces might seem one hyphen too far, but The Curtain, the latest addition to Shoreditch’s hipster golden triangle – a stone’s throw from The Ace and Shoreditch House, hopes to set itself apart with New York style slick execution, courtesy of Gansevoort group hotelier Michael Achenbaum. We’re rather taken by the sound of its Moroccan-style rooftop heated pool and restaurant (with retractable roof for rainy days), Sunday brunch with live Gospel singing at Red Rooster (whose American comfort food specialities include devilled eggs with sea urchin mayo and candied bacon), tacos and margaritas at the relaxed Tienda Roosteria, and programme of cultural events for members – kickstarted by the panel discussion The Making of a Modern Food Business with Alan Yau, Patty and Bun’s Joe Grossman and Grill My Cheese’s Nisha Patel. See you on the sun-lounger after a booming rendition of He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.

24th May 201727th October 2021

10 Ideas to Steal from the Chelsea Flower Show

Gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show can often leave you in a dissatisfied, defeated heap when faced with your own garden but take a step back and there are lessons, tips and planting combinations that anyone can adopt whether you have a city balcony, a tiny courtyard or the luxury of a large outdoor space. Here are some of our favourite things from this year’s show.

The Power of a Dark Wall

We loved Charlotte Harris’ pitch perfect Royal Bank of Canada garden that drew on the rugged landscapes of Canada’s Boreal forests. Her light touch with the planting scheme showed how less can often be more; here Deschampsia cespitosa – the shimmering grass in this picture – mingles with the yellow zing of Zizea aurea – a combination that sings against a charcoal grey backdrop.

Plant a River

Just as impactful was another gold-medal winning show garden on Main Avenue, Breaking Ground by Gavin McWilliams and Andrew Wilson, where a river of amazing vivid purple Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ snaked through the planting of Stipa gigantea, valerian, angelica and catmint. It illustrates just how powerful a restricted palette, and one eye-popping star of the show, can be.

Cram It All In

At Chelsea this year there was a new grouping of ‘feel good’ gardens, each based around one of the five senses and named after a Radio 2 DJ. On the Anneka Rice Colour Cutting garden, designed by Sarah Raven and Tricia Guild, a sea of colour was divided into simple square beds with narrow brick paths in between. Anyone can recreate this fabulous tapestry in microcosm – each bed has a carefully restricted combination of colours, sometimes clashing but always complementary.

The Beauty of Edibles

On the Chris Evans Taste Garden, immaculate lines of cabbages and kale illustrate how a perfectly laid out veg patch can be just as beautiful as any border.

Perfect Pines

There were pines everywhere at Chelsea this year and they made us totally reconsider these previously unfashionable evergreens. On Matt Keightley’s Texture Garden, pines were clipped into neat spheres – a textural and fragrant alternative to the normal box or yew.

Plant Hazy Grasses and Colourful Spikes

Matt Keightley also put together some of the most exquisite planting combinations in the entire showground. Here the rich burnished red spikes of Verbascum ‘Firedance’ mingle with bronze fennel, Stipa tenuissima and cirsiums.

Copper Tones

Just as harmonious was the coppery deliciousness created by Catherine MacDonald on the Seedlip garden. How gorgeous is this combination of ferns, geums and the gorgeous Euphorbia griffithii ‘Fireglow’ set against the rusty metal backdrop?

One Note Pots

On the Poetry Lover’s Garden, Fiona Cadwallader filled terracotta pots with dark moody spikes of Frittilaria persica. Plant a handful of these bulbs in a tall pot this autumn and you can recreate this display for next spring.

Add a Mirror

Each year the exhibitors at Chelsea, selling everything from greenhouses and sculpture to pots and cult tools, seem to up their game. A case in point this corner of David Harber’s stand where the white planting scheme with delicious white peonies and lush green foliage surrounded mirrored spheres.

Plant a Rose

Because quite frankly why wouldn’t you? We always make a beeline for the sublime David Austin stand in the floral pavilion and there are always a few new roses (this year it was a lovely apricot number named after Judi Dench). It’s almost impossible to single out a favourite rose because they are all exquisite but the Ancient Mariner, introduced a couple of years ago by Austin, caught our eye. A repeat flowering shrub rose with a heavenly musky scent.

10th May 201728th October 2021

TABLE by Skye Gyngell

If you’ve ever wondered what Skye Gyngell’s cooking tastes like but either never made it to Petersham Nurseries (where she picked up a Michelin Star) or can’t face the slightly more upscale prices at her first solo restaurant, Spring, then you need to know about TABLE. Held during the five days of Photo London (at Somerset House where Spring is also housed), it is an initiative to bring people of different backgrounds and social means together to eat well. Showcasing the ‘Scratch menu’ currently offered at Spring, a 3-course pre-theatre menu for £20 that is designed to combat food waste (but which isn’t available during Photo London), the dishes on the menu at TABLE will be made using seasonal scraps from Spring’s a la carte menu and ingredient donations from a select group of farmers, producers and chefs. The menu is named after the the expression ‘Scratch Tea’ from Skye’s native Australia, where the meal is made up of scraps from the fridge that otherwise would have gone to waste. Sponsored by patron Carole Bamford (owner of Daylesford farm and shops), diners can buy tickets for £20 for lunch (2 sittings with one dinner on the 19th May with a £5 discount for students and OAPs) and also a solidarity ticket, a gift ticket on behalf of Foodcycle that goes to somebody in the community – a move that Gyngell feels emphasises ‘communal dining that creates a sustainable future’. In other words, delicious dining for all and who can argue with that?

26th April 201728th October 2021

The Goodness of Nuts & Seeds by Natalie Seldon

We love the blog PrettyEdibleStylist from food writer, cook and food stylist Natalie Seldon. Seldon used to work for Alexander McQueen before she went on to forge a successful career as a food and prop stylist and writer, working with Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith and Nigella Lawson. She isn’t just about the pretty visuals, however, for her real passion is nutrition and for her debut book, Seldon argues that we should reassess the way we look at nuts and seeds – that we should use them as a basis for as many of our every day meals as possible. The Goodness of Nuts & Seeds is split into three sections: ground nuts; milk, oil & butter and chopped & whole and throughout, Seldon is incredibly informative. The recipes are delicious – our favourite so far are the orange, poppy and pistachio muffins (see the full recipe below) and we’ve got our eye on the peach melba cheesecake which we’ve been told is wonderful too. A lot of the recipes are vegan or vegetarian but don’t let this put you off – this really is a book for everyone.

Orange, poppy and pistachio muffins

100g pistachios, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped

100g almond flour or ground almonds

50g coconut flour

60g brown or coconut sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of sea salt

Zest and juice of 1 large orange

1 tablespoon poppy seeds plus 1 teaspoon

Approx. 60ml almond milk

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons almond oil

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Line 8 holes of a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases or wrappers.

2. Place 100g pistachios in a food-processor or a high-speed blender and process until very fine. Place the nuts into a large bowl and stir in the almond flour, coconut flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, orange zest and poppy seeds.

3. Squeeze the juice of the orange into a measuring jug, then add the almond milk to make up to 175ml. Pour over the dry ingredients and add the beaten eggs, almond oil and vanilla bean paste or extract (or put all the ingredients into an electric mixer). Process or stir until smooth and combined.

4. Spoon the mixture into the cases and top each one with the remaining poppy seeds and chopped pistachios. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden, cooked through and firm to the touch.

5. Leave the muffins to cool slightly in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5th April 201728th October 2021

Our favourite Easter treats and decorations

An egg decorating kit from Meri Meri, £10 from Scandimini

An egg holder, 70 Euros from Svenkst Tenn

Meri Meri Surprise carrots which contain a yellow chick, a temporary tattoo and a joke, £11 from Scandimini

Hand painted dark chocolate hare, £37 at Rococo Chocolates

And we can’t decide between the Easter Egg Biscuit tin, £35 from Biscuiteers

Or the Beatrix Potter Biscuit Tin, £45 from Biscuiteers

Easter cookie cutters, £9 from NiddleNoddle

Small basket for Easter Egg hunting (keep it for berry picking later in the year), £8.50 from Divertimenti

Hot Cross Bun chocolate, £6.50 at Fortnum & Mason

Carrots, Bunnies & Biscuits box, £15 from Fortnum & Mason

And finally Silver hen on nest, £54.95 from Emma Bridgewater

22nd March 201723rd March 2017

The Thoughtful Gardener by Jinny Blom

It’s impossible to read Jinny Blom’s debut book, The Thoughtful Gardener, without stopping every few minutes to gasp at yet another mesmerising image. Blom has an incredible ability to create gardens that look as though they have been there for hundreds of years, whether it’s through planting a vast castellated yew hedge around the parameter of the garden or sourcing and then importing an entire orchard of gnarly old fruit and nut trees to a new project. She has a creative genius for wildly romantic landscapes with mossy roofed outbuildings, old walls dripping in roses, topiary lawns and magical meadows.

In one chapter Blom describes a project that was inspired by Dame Miriam Rothschild’s house, Ashton Wold in Northamptonshire. Rothschild allowed nature to run amok, shrouding her house in wild rambling climbers while the lawns had been left to grow long and was subsequently dotted with wild flowers. In a similar way, Blom takes a picturesque clapboard cottage on the Sussex Weald and then adds layers and layers of magic with espalier trees and daisy meadows, nutteries and rampant roses. A garden yes, but one that sits tantalising on the edge of wilderness.

As well as being very thoughtful, this is such a generous book too, with Blom giving a deep insight into her thought processes and including lots of her beautiful hand-drawn sketches so that we can really study how she approaches each project. It’s unlikely you could ever recreate her magic – but it’s very nice to dream about it.

8th March 20179th March 2017

The Great Dixter Cookbook

Anyone who has visited Great Dixter will be familiar with the sprawling kitchen gardens – and certainly with the enormous compost heaps that are strewn in late summer with a web of pumpkin plants. So it’s no surprise that the debut cookbook from Dixter’s resident cook and kitchen gardener Aaron Bertelsen, is first and foremost a celebration of robust and seasonal ingredients. In his introduction, Bertelsen explains how the kitchen garden was created when the parents of Christopher Lloyd (the gardener and writer who made Great Dixter world-famous) first moved to the house; a century on the house and gardens hosts an endless stream of visitors, students and guests and the kitchen garden feeds them all. As you’d expect from a gardener cook, there are plenty of hearty, soulful recipes here including soups and pies, quiches and cakes. There are recipes from Christopher Lloyd himself – including a delicious mackerel pate served with crispy baked potatoes – a novel idea that we have already adopted. But this is such a useful book for growers too with lots of recommendations on which varieties to grow and how to get the best crops. All of which is lavishly illustrated with Andrew Montgomery’s beautiful images. This is already one of our kitchen shelf favourites – and, we suspect, will be referred to often.

If you want to hear Bertelsen talk more about Great Dixter then head to the V&A on April 11th where the gardener/cook will be giving a talk on the history of the great house and its amazing gardens.

8th March 201728th October 2021

Documentary about Gertrude Bell from Tilda Swinton

Voiced and executive produced by Tilda Swinton, Letters from Baghdad, is the story of Gertrude Bell: a British spy, archeologist, explorer and political figure, who was sometimes dubbed the female Lawrence of Arabia. Bell travelled widely in the Middle East before being recruited by British military intelligence during WWI to help draw the borders of Iraq and shape modern Arabia. The story is told entirely in the words of Bell and her contemporaries with excerpts from letters, private diaries and official documents together with original, early film footage (you can watch the trailer here.) Catch Letters from Baghdad at Curzon Soho on 27th April when it will be followed by a panel discussion from the female in film advocates, Birds Eye View.

22nd February 201728th October 2021

Our favourite new restaurants

There are so many delicious restaurants to choose from in London that it’s hard to keep up with all the latest and greatest openings. Here are our current favourites:

Sardine is a lovely restaurant specialising in Southern French cooking from chef Alex Jackson in association with Stevie Parle of The Dock Kitchen (whom he trained with). It’s small, so booking is advised and the food is baked or wood-fired. Dishes are generous, delicious and if you’re the sort of person who wants to eat cassoulet for breakfast (we have been known), then this is the place for you. 15 Micawber Street, N1 7TB

If you’re fans of The Palomar, you’re sure to love The Barbary. Not only is it from the same owners, but some of the food is definitely reminiscent of their first opening with hits such as Baba Ganoush on offer again and, like The Palomar’s popular walk-in bar, you sit around an open kitchen on bar stools. The food here though is from the former Barbary Coast (Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia) with highlights such as the wonderful Jerusalem bagel and lemon chickpeas. The food is mouth-wateringly good and the service excellent. 16 Neal’s Yard, WC2H

We’ve quite a soft spot for The Hart Brothers and their brilliant tapas restaurant, Barrafina (not to mention Quo Vadis) so we were super curious to see their take on the tortilla. The name El Pastor is taken from the ‘al pastor’ taco that Sam Hart and friend Crispin Somerville (who also co-owns the restaurant) enjoyed when they ran a nightclub in Mexico City during the late 90s. Like Barrafina, you can’t make a reservation but, trust us, you won’t mind queuing for the 24 hour marinated pork tacos or the roast squash quesadillas. 7a Stoney Street, Borough, SE1 9AA.

Former head chef at Pitt Cue, there isn’t much that Neil Rankin doesn’t know about grilling and barbecuing meat. He’s certainly put that knowledge to good use at Temper, where you sit around a smokey open kitchen and see the cooks hard at work. We particularly liked the aged cheeseburger taco and the Lincoln Red beef but whilst there are a few veggie options on the menu, this restaurant is definitely for the meat-minded. 25 Broadwick Street, W1F 0DF

Such was the success of the Indian pop-up restaurant Kricket, set in a tiny 20-seat shipping container in Brixton, that the two British owners have now opened up in Soho. You’ll find the same tasty, dense Indian dishes (inspired from working in Mumbai) served tapas style as you sit around the bar – it’s primarily a walk-in restaurant, although you can make reservations for parties of 4 or more downstairs. Our top picks? The duck leg kathi roll and the butter garlic crab. 12 Denman Street, W1D 7HH

22nd February 201728th October 2021

Gatherings by Flora Shedden

In the history of the Great British Bake Off a few contestants always stand out, even if they weren’t crowned the winner. Flora Shedden, the runner up to Nadiya Hussain in 2015, is most definitely one of those cooks. She was the youngest baker in that series, having just started her degree at St Andrews, and her cakes were always charming and witty and very pretty. So we were interested to see what her debut book would hold and we were not disappointed. Gatherings, as the name suggests, is about recipes for occasions from indulgent breakfasts to spring lunches to summer feasts and beyond.

It’s beautifully produced and shot and packed with exactly what we like to cook and eat – unfussy food that puts great ingredients centre-stage – including the beef with quinoa, lentils, radishes and parsley dressing below. The sort of things you want to serve on enormous platters for very relaxed lunches and suppers. There are still plenty of delicious bakes here too – the chestnut and pear frangipane for example and we love the classic-with-a-twist strawberry and hibiscus sponge which is sandwiched with a Pimms-laced jam. Here’s a taster of this lovely book.

BEEF WITH QUINOA, LENTILS,

RADISHES AND A PARSLEY DRESSING

This is one of the first recipes I thought of when I sat down to write this book. It very much embodies the style of eating and cooking I have adopted and wanted to share – a big platter of good, honest, fuss-free food, for relaxed and easy eating. Fillet of beef is an expensive cut, but this big salad doesn’t call for a huge amount of it. It does really add to the dish, but you can use less or omit it if you’re on a tight budget. Also, I have a flatmate who would eat this beef dish day in, day out and would recommend serving it with nothing else. Feel free to omit the other elements of the dish and simply whack a few slices of the beef in some good bread with plenty of mayo. If it’s good enough for Thomas…

SERVES 6–8

2cm (¾ inch) fresh root ginger,

roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon pink peppercorns

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

500g (1lb 2oz) fillet of beef

150g (5½oz) quinoa (a mix of red and

white, if you can get it)

150g (5½oz) Puy lentils

850ml (1½ pints) water

big bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves

picked, stems and half the leaves

roughly chopped (reserve the whole

leaves to garnish)

100ml (3½fl oz) olive oil, plus extra

for the grains

juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 avocado, peeled, stoned and

roughly sliced

200g (7oz) radishes, finely sliced

4 spring onions, finely sliced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF), Gas Mark 6.

Use a pestle and mortar to bash the ginger, garlic, peppercorns and salt

together to form a paste. Add the oil and mix again.

Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat until smoking hot. Rub

the beef thoroughly with all the ginger paste. Once the pan is hot, place

the beef in the pan and cook for 1 minute on all sides, ensuring the outside

is completely sealed. Transfer to the oven to roast for 15–17 minutes for

medium-rare meat.

While the beef is cooking, weigh out the quinoa and lentils and water

into a deep saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for roughly 20 minutes

or until the lentils are soft. The quinoa will be ready at the same time.

Drain, then mix in a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Season lightly.

When the beef is cooked, transfer it to a plate, cover the plate with

kitchen foil and leave the beef to rest for 15 minutes at least.

For the parsley dressing, put the chopped stems and leaves in a food

processor (or in a jug if using a stick blender). Add the oil, lemon juice,

vinegar and avocado. Blitz on a high speed until smooth and a vibrant

green in colour.

Toss the radishes and spring onions through the quinoa and lentils

with the reserved whole parsley leaves.

Finely slice the beef just before serving and lay the slices on a large

platter with the quinoa and lentils. Dollop small amounts of the parsley

dressing over the salad and serve the remainder on the side for people to

help themselves.

1st February 201728th October 2021

Daylesford’s E-Book of Recipes and a Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil and Turmeric Soup

We’d gladly eat lunch at a Daylesford café every day if we could so we were very pleased to hear that chatelaine of the Daylesford brand Carole Bamford is releasing an e-book of recipes. We’re already addicted to the spiced pumpkin, red lentil and turmeric soup – there’s nothing we’d rather eat in this dismal February weather. It’s perfect for a cosy family supper but we’d happily serve it at a more grown up dinner party too. So we are sharing the recipe here and you can find more by following this Daylesford link.

Serves 2

75g pancetta or bacon, finely diced

2 tsps grapeseed oil

1 tbsp butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

250g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

2 tsps fresh thyme, picked leaves only

2 bay leaves

1 tsp fresh turmeric, finely grated

Salt and pepper

100g red split lentils

500ml organic vegetable or chicken bone broth

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

15g parsley, roughly chopped

2 tbsp crème fraiche, optional

Put the pancetta and 1 tsp of the oil into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and toss over a gentle heat until turning golden brown and crispy.

Next, add the the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil, butter, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, pumpkin, thyme, bay leaves, turmeric and seasoning. Sautee for 1-2 minutes before adding 2tsps of water and returning the lid to the pan. Turn the heat to down and gently sweat for 15 minutes.

Once the pumpkin is just beginning to soften, add the lentils, stock, and apple cider vinegar and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and all of the ingredients have softened.

Just before serving, stir through the fresh lemon juice and parsley adding the crème fraiche for a little creaminess should you wish.