Category: Mike

We’ve talked about the Boathouse a lot on this blog, for the simple reason that it’s a decent pub with a great river view. A recent trip threw up an interesting surprise: Old Bob, from Ridley’s. Ridley’s is one of the breweries purchased by Greene King in 2005: a...

In the Pickerel, a lovely little pub in Cambridge opposite Magdalene College, they stock Woodforde’s Wherry and Nelson’s Revenge, along with a variety of guest beers. At the moment they’re carrying Robinson’s Flash Harry. Now, I have to confess I’ve not heard of Robinson’s before, but I rather liked...

I’ve been doing the rounds of various colleges recently for Formal Hall and recently found myself at Selwyn, at the invitation of friends in the Choir. The starer was a butternut squash soup, which had an intriguing texture – midway between smooth and lumpy – but was nevertheless rather...

Dinner with a friend called for something quick and unusual, after a trip to Waitrose. Into a rather hot pan, some finely chopped banana shallot was fried till brown. To this I added fresh black pepper, and the contents of a Waitrose game caserole pack – a mix of...

A quick and wholesome supper was called for recently. Into the oven (190C for 40 minutes) went a jacket potato, sliced into wedges (unpeeled), each wedge coated in a mix of oil, pepper, paprika, mixed herbs, and garlic. Under the grill, for 9 minutes each side, whole rainbow trout,...

Whilst Madsen may soon be hosting a port party – for a guest-list of one – Cambridge University’s Conservative Association is legendary for it’s bi-termly Port and Cheese parties. The port is sourced from Cambridge Wine Merchants, and is sweet – without being sickeningly so – and a beautiful...

After last week’s disaster, I was somewhat nervous about taking guests to Trinity’s weekly graduate dinner. Fortunately, my fears were broadly misplaced, and a good evening was had by all. Importantly the wine didn’t run out: Fortant’s 2003 Grenache and 2006 Sauvignon Blanc were good and balanced well the...

Leftover veg from pervious cooking adventures were crying out to be used in a quick supper last week. I diced up potato and boiled for 20 minutes till soft. I prepared my faux-marinaded tomatoes, and fried up mushrooms and spring onions till soft and brown. Under the grill I...

There still is an Ugly Duckling in Cambridge, and it’s still a good restaurant. Dining with a friend recently, we opted for a surprisingly maritime selection. Starting with squid and chilli sauce for my companion – deep friend battered chunks, with a meaty texture unlike the chewy little rings...

I cooked in a small college kitchen recently for a friend’s 22nd birthday. The menu was a three-course spectacular, parts of which I’d prepared beforehand in my own kitchen. For starter, I baked (whole) a small goats cheese, serving it alongside crudites of carrot and chopped mixed lettuce leaves...