clb
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Posts posted by clb
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Apparently the Belsize Tavern has been taken over by the owner of the Great Eastern Dining Rooms and is due to open in summer. I recently ate there and thought that for a mid priced meal in Shoreditich it was quite good.
Yes, the hoardings are up in Belsize Lane, announcing that XO will be opening late 2006. Pan-asian; owned by Will Ricker, owner of e&o and 8 over 8 (he evidently takes the view that no one who lives in Belsize Park will ever have heard of Shoreditch
).clb
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Actually I reckon St John Bread and Wine (the Spitalfields branch) would be pretty good for kids.
It's been great for my two (4 and 6): excellent for parents and children alike and you can potter around Spitalfields and the market afterwards.
clb
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My sophisticated cousins and their 11 year old son will be in London next week, and I'll meet them for a lunch. I'm open to any mid-priced (I know, I know) suggestion. Is Belgo Centraal a good candidate? Are there other spots a grown up kid would enjoy? I'm sorry if this is a boring, old topic... I'm new to eGullet so forgive me.
Hakkasan: v expensive for dinner but a bargain - for the quality - for lunch. Children love it - the darkness, the glamour, the amazing loos - and the dim sum is the best in London.
clb
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I agree that the Keller recipe from Bouchon rules! I've tried a few others but this one is my favorite. Do try an splurge on the crust with pinenuts at least once (it's only 1/3 of the crust recipe anyways, so it is not that much). It really makes a big difference.
I would love to try the Payard or Robuchon recipe. Are there any copies online of these two?
You are correct in that it calls for only 1/3 of the crust recipe, however, that recipe calls for 2 cups of pine nuts! and Keller discourages making a smaller quantity of the pastry. Around here I could probably buy a bottle of Armagnac for the same price as 2 cups of pine nuts. So I am wondering if it would be at all feasible to substitute hazelnuts? I'm no baker so I have no idea if this would work or not but it seems possible. Anyone care to comment?
I substituted ground almonds and the crust and filling/pastry balance worked fine. I don't like pinenuts; I don't think I've ever bought a packet without at least some rancid nuts in it. The tart was wonderful
.clb
All right! We love almonds so I will give that a try until I get to check out the cost of pine nuts at Costco. Did you substitute weight for weight (10ozs) of ground almonds for the pine nuts? Many thanks.
Yes.
clb
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clb- have you tried toasting the pinenuts before using them? usually toasting offsets the rancidity of nutmeats, and I would think it will release the full flavor of the pinenuts, just like with toasting different nuts and spices.
I have, but I'd still prefer to use another nut. I don't have any problem finding fresh almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts etc and keeping them that way for the few weeks they survive in this household (I keep them in the fridge).
clb
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I agree that the Keller recipe from Bouchon rules! I've tried a few others but this one is my favorite. Do try an splurge on the crust with pinenuts at least once (it's only 1/3 of the crust recipe anyways, so it is not that much). It really makes a big difference.
I would love to try the Payard or Robuchon recipe. Are there any copies online of these two?
You are correct in that it calls for only 1/3 of the crust recipe, however, that recipe calls for 2 cups of pine nuts! and Keller discourages making a smaller quantity of the pastry. Around here I could probably buy a bottle of Armagnac for the same price as 2 cups of pine nuts. So I am wondering if it would be at all feasible to substitute hazelnuts? I'm no baker so I have no idea if this would work or not but it seems possible. Anyone care to comment?
I substituted ground almonds and the crust and filling/pastry balance worked fine. I don't like pinenuts; I don't think I've ever bought a packet without at least some rancid nuts in it. The tart was wonderful
.clb
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My 2006 list includes Minibar, Gilt, Manresa, TFL, the Oval Room in DC for places I haven't yet been and repeats to Alinea, WD-50, Gary Danko and Jean-Georges. Unfortunately I don't have any high end plans outside the US, although I expect to eat very well during a trip to Mexico City. I would also love to get to Brinkley's in Phoenix.
Anyone wanting to try out Manresa in 2006 might want to mosey over to Pim's blog where, in return for a pledge of as little as $5 to help earthquake victims in Kashmir, you could win a $200 gift certificate for dinner at Manresa.
clb
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Might be too late but perhaps Anchor & Hope at Waterloo...or somewhere with a communal table, there's an Italian place also near Waterloo (near County Hall perhaps) that serves high quality antipasti etc. etc. the name of which escapes me, Jon Tseng help me out here...
clb
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I brought a bag of Kenyon's Corn Meal home to London from Massachusetts this summer. Just made the Bittman pancakes: thank you, they were much appreciated, especially by two small children.
clb
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I'm looking for quinces - I've seen the lovely big Turkish ones in Waitrose just before Xmas in the past, but if anyone spots any in shops near central or southern London (W1 for preference), please let me know.
I have an urge to make quince jam. We used to live in a house with a quince tree in the garden, but now we're renting, and I can't plant a quince until we've bought a place.
Neal's Yard Dairy in Covent Garden had them last week - may be worth calling to check first.
clb
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Is the game wild or farmed?
Depends on the game and what you mean by farmed. The "wild" boar is conventionally farmed (in the open), pheasants and partridge are raised as chicks by game keepers then released in to the wild (but there are a lot of wild breeding birds as well, especially the Grey Partridge), the red grouse, ptarmigan, snipe, woodcock and ducks are wild birds, although in the case of grouse their habitat is managed to some extent.
The Roe deer in this butcher is wild, but there is farmed deer in Scotland as well.
The ducks are often fed by the keepers too, in my experience.
Fascinating blog, Adam. I shall be using that bit of info about sweet potatoes.
clb
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On another wine related subject, I was skimming over past Champagne topics (OK, I'm a lady-who-lunches and when the Girls get together, only Bubbly will staisfy!) and am curious to try Jacques Solesse. I googled it up specifying UK and London, but can't find a supplier. I also checked out the Berry Brothers and the Bibendum wine sites and they don't stock it (ditto Majestic and Oddbins). Where, oh where can I easily purchase just one or two bottles of it (Don't wan't to commit to a case yet)?
It's Jacques SELOSSE. I googled it and the second reply was Berry Bros again (no, I'm not on their payroll).
clb
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This is more of a question...I'm from California and have been in London for 2 years and haven't been able to find anyplace that sells a good selection of California wines. As I live in Canary Wharf, don't know the UK internet wine sites, and don't have a car, I'm looking for places in London where I can find a good selection easily. Many thanks in advance for your responses.
Bibendum's Californian list looks quite extensive (don't know much about Californian wine, I'm afraid). They're in Primrose Hill.
Berry Brothers in St James's might be worth a look, too.
Geoffrey Roberts used to be the main importer of good US wine, I think, but since he's died I don't know who's taken over. Clarke's restaurant and deli in Kensington Church Street always have a very good selection of Californians which they used to source from him.
Certainly no need to settle for Gallo.
clb
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Maybe a little so, but I just don't tell them what the ingredients are. It is difficult to sell 'pigs blood and liver, with chunks of fat and stuffed into a large intestine' as yummy.
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The biscuits were eaten with Oloroso, but I would and have eaten them morning, night and noon just as they are.
Yes, there's a shop at the end of my road which sells them, and when I buy them they are indeed eaten morning, noon and night - but not by me.
That dinner sounds amazing - do I take it your friends have got slightly more adventurous in their tastes over the last few years?
clb
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Adam, did you take any pictures of what you made with all those sausages? And what did you do with the fennel/sugar biscuits?
clb
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The Ledbury is open daily for lunch and dinner. Reservations can be made on 020-7792 9090.
A warning: it wasn't open for lunch when I called in yesterday.
clb
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A note for any UK readers enjoying this thread: I got a copy of CDPH for £9.99 at Bookthrift by South Ken tube earlier today. There are three left.
clb
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Clarke's serves afternoon tea (downstairs in that part of the restaurant they term a cafe during the day): excellent cakes, scones and jam, good tea. Near both Notting Hill Gate and High St Ken tubes. Nice and quiet (certainly at lunchtime; I can't imagine it becomes full of loudmouths by tea).
Have you thought of Sketch - the ground level room, can't remember what they call it? Lovely patisserie and, unlike the restaurant proper, not horrifyingly expensive.
clb
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Veal in the hot terrine? It sounds utterly delicious.
What are the little red diamonds with scalloped edges in the banqueting stuff?
What were your sources?
And I'd love more details on the quinces with orange cream and ypocras. I've a couple of quinces in the fruit bowl which need using...
Lucky, lucky, LUCKY guests.
clb
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Blimey, Adam.
That looks quite astonishing. How did the flavours work?
clb
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If that's the case I probably found the wrong St John on line - will re-investigate.
I think there's a gastropub in Archway somewhere called St John.
You want the restaurant on St John Street in Smithfields (or its sibling St John Bread & Wine in Spitalfields)). Here you go.
clb
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and now st. johns bread at "me grocer".
And where is this?
clb
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Very useful info, Andy.
clb
San Marzano's in the UK?
in United Kingdom & Ireland: Cooking & Baking
Posted
I like those a lot, despite the awful cost. You can get them from Solstice.
I'd be interested to know what you think.