Category: Paul

Recently opened, I thought it’d be a good idea to try out Jamie Oliver’s new restaurant in Cambridge. The immediate impact is the astonishing beauty of the place itself. It’s in part of one of the council buildings (tidy profit for the government, no doubt) and it must have...

Another excellent Cambridge feast. One of the great advantages (sorry to make some of you jealous) of being involved with Cambridge University at any stage is absolutely, without any doubt, the magnificent dinners the colleges put on. Some are private affairs, some are official college functions, and some anyone...

It was a scratch lunch, and I wanted to keep it light, so I put a few non-fattening things together in something of a hurry (as I was being impatient, trying to think something through, but hungry at the same time). These included: a slice of goat cheese; a...

This was an Ash Tree Estate Shiraz/Monastrell blend, made by Freixenet and therefore Spanish. It was from 2008 and a decent 13.5%. Its predominant features are blackcurrant and spices. It had full and firm tannins (perhaps one to save), but wasn’t too dry for immediate drinking. The nose really...

I’ve never understood the fuss with egg-poaching. All I do is take a small pan (as small as I have), put in some water up to about one and a half inches, make sure it boils, then turn it down to simmer level. Then I take a shallow cup,...

I opened a tin of tuna, put half of it onto a plate, then added balsamic vinegar and olive oil, to my usual tastes. I then mixed these things together. To this mixture, I added freshly-ground black pepper, then diced cucumber and tomato and some red pepper. Pumpkin seeds...

Good recipe if ingredients to hand: Half a tin of tuna, one diced tomato, pumpkin seeds, almonds, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and freshly-ground black pepper. Change proportions to suit temperament. Toss. Serve. Done. (Smacks back of right hand into left.)...

I enjoy making massively customised salads out of whatever I have left in the fridge. Otherwise, I’m sufficiently disorganised when I go shopping that there would be huge amounts of waste. This time, it was the following collection of entertaining treats: Two pieces of ham, served, of course, with...

I roasted a chicken. It was excellent and lasted for three days. Here’s how I did it, and the stuff I did with it: Firstly, I defrosted the chicken from the freezer. This I started in the fridge for 24 hours, but this wasn’t long enough, so I turned...

When I read the name on this bottle, it reminded me immediately of Milford Sound (not that I’ve ever visited), so I looked up that precise thing. It’s named after Milford Haven in Wales, so not too far from home, as origins go. However, this wine was from Marlborough,...