Category: Mike

One doesn’t have to go as far as Nice to find fantastic fresh sea food, and I didn’t. I was in Torquay – or Torfu, as a friend once termed it – for a weekend, and my parents decided a visit to Number 7 Fish Bistro on Torquay’s harbour...

Bad news, everyone: Fitzbillies, home of delicious Chelsea Buns (and delicious Chelsea Bun ice cream) has gone into administration. It would seem that, once again, it’s the economy, stupid, that’s forced Fitzbillies to close after 90 years of serving Cambridge. Sadly, I think the time for independent bakers and cake makers...

Tedeschi, it would appear, is Italian for “German.” So, confusedly, pointed out my father when I presented the suggested wine for Christmas Day lunch. I unhelpfully explained the origin of the wine: I’d been at a graduate recruitment event a number of years ago and – at the end...

My father had also made a Christmas cake, but unlike the one I’d made, his followed the recipe more closely. Neither of us bother chopping the almonds or cherries, as in our family they’re generally preferred whole in the cake. It was similarly iced to mine, but had been...

So my Christmas cake this year followed my more-or-less standard recipe  – Delia’s – with a few variations. I added the whole tub of cherries (and kept them whole) and the whole tub of mixed candied peel. I also added extra brandy in the soaking stage, and about 200g...

As I’ve said before, when the weather is cold English food really comes into its own. There’s something to be said for a plate of warming, dense, food – with plenty of carbohydrates and lots of protein – that warms one from the inside out and protects against the...

My feelings on the subject of pies are, I think, well known. I had leftover turkey and stock from a Christmas dinner (of which more another time) and decided to make a pie. Standard pastry, with black pepper, was made and went in the fridge. Into a pan went...

So, for telling us that we’d never had it so good, Lord Young resigned from the government. My memory may be failing me, but I don’t remember having foie gras for breakfast before the recession started, so I’d contest that – certainly when it came to Saturday’s breakfast, I...

We headed to the St John’s Chophouse for dinner, and perused the menu over drinks (a pint of Sparta for me) by the bar. I opted for the venison heart and pork terrine for my starter. Sadly, the photograph didn’t come out well, but three round slices of venison...

The last time I went to d’Arrys, I was impressed. This time, I was disappointed. I’d signed up online as a “friend of d’Arrys” which entitled me to (and up to three guests) to two courses, and a glass of wine, for £9.95 – pretty reasonable prices. I took...