tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35609429614694365052015-12-03T03:05:49.016+00:00What Joanna AteWhatJoanna Atenoreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-80047304927049442882015-09-25T11:26:00.000+01:002015-09-28T10:17:41.605+01:00What Joanna Ate: Weekend of 26th and 27th September
This week has involved lots of lunches (more below). So the weekend may be rather more abstemious salads
for me. But a few tips for things for places
to go/things to bake:
Tuesday’s lunch was a fabulous visit to the newest Barrafinaaddition on Drury Lane. You can’t book,
but get there early to secure your stool.
You must have the crab bun and cuttlefish empanada. The first, pillowy briocheWhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-739092934473440632015-09-17T21:56:00.002+01:002015-09-17T21:56:43.409+01:00What Joanna Ate: Weekend of 19th & 20th September
A mixed weekend of fashion, fridge peering and 16th century jam tarts:
London Fashion Week starts
tomorrow. Moving from Somerset House to
the new show space at Soho’s Brewer Street car park. NCP to slightly more glossy catwalk. The street food van from nearby Hix will be
parked up for sustenance, but I would escape down to Mark’s Bar for a Hix Fix (Morello
cherry & Nyetimber English WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-54181828031244316162015-09-10T21:45:00.001+01:002015-09-26T11:39:44.744+01:00What Joanna Ate: Weekend of September 12th and 13th
A little binge book buying this week. A few on pre-order, including the NOPI book(out today, on the 10th). An
addition to sit alongside fellow Ottolenghi books, it’s the offering of their
glossy restaurant sister (with recipes from Yotam and NOPI head chef Ramael
Scully). I especially like NOPI for
breakfast, so hopefully a way to recreate their black rice with coconut milk.
As there’s an RWhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-84696996860184947562015-09-03T22:59:00.003+01:002015-09-04T10:35:35.002+01:00What Joanna Ate: Weekend of September 5th & 6th
Autumn is here. The
self-imposed tights ban hasn’t quite lifted, but the black opaques are close. It’s all apples, pears and plums.
A collection of something outdoors (for last straining sunshine) plus more cosy insides for this first September weekend:
It’s the last weekend of Kew Gardens Full of Spice summer
festival. I like the idea of spiced gin
cocktails and a massive inflatable WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-84416525677192901832015-09-03T19:54:00.002+01:002015-09-03T23:00:01.579+01:00Blog reincarnation. Weekend lists.
It has been a little silent here this year. I have still been in the kitchen, mixing, whisking,
spattering. Still leafing through piles
of books, folding the corner of pages to earmark next recipes. Still adding to an endless restaurant
to-visit list (ticking a few off along the way).
I wanted a break from longer posts. With a little time to think how people do,
and want to, consume food WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-18120404089323603422015-01-02T14:41:00.001+00:002015-01-02T14:41:52.494+00:00My favourite cookery books of 2014
My blog does has a few cooking
ideas, but is mostly taken up with London's great and good (I tend to leave out
the more mediocre). A lot more of my time is spent in the kitchen
though, sometimes testing out my own ideas, but usually working my
way through recipe books. The tiny flat
converted lift is very handy as a cooking bookshelf. I buy a lot of books, with a slightly
irrational fear of WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-69221240574947937152014-12-31T12:24:00.000+00:002014-12-31T12:27:58.136+00:00Primeur N5, Stoke Newington
I’m just catching up on a few
overdue December posts. Dinner at
Primeur was a few weeks ago, the visit overdue in itself. I’d meant to visit soon after the May
opening, but hadn’t quite made it (despite the rave reports by those who are
lucky enough to have it as their neighbourhood restaurant).
It sits in an old garage on
Petherton Road, the upstairs with an open hatch to the kitchen, WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-16261370463209735132014-12-29T15:25:00.002+00:002014-12-29T15:28:39.552+00:00Kitty Fisher's, Mayfair
As the nursery
rhyme goes, Kitty Fisher found Lucy Locket’s lost pocket. Not a penny in it, only ribbon round it. It’s suggested this Kitty Fisher is the famed
18th century courtesan, penned as a kind of first celebrity. The new Mayfair restaurant takes her name;
the Shepherd’s Market building Kitty’s address.
A fuller name of
Kitty Fisher’s Wood Grill gives a little more on the menu from WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-54785229036388755272014-12-28T21:15:00.001+00:002014-12-28T21:15:36.071+00:00Mincemeat Waffles (a simple Christmas leftovers recipe)
In the post-Christmas slump, a
quick leftovers recipe. No cold turkey
in sight. Instead, a simple way to use
up any half jars of pie-less mincemeat.
Spooned into a plain waffle batter, a couple of dollops adds a spicy sweetness,
sticky with dried fruit. Perfect with a
drizzle of maple syrup and dollop of crème fraiche/Greek yoghurt, maybe a few
crumbled walnuts or flaked almonds, even a few WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-53296981707755398802014-12-20T23:57:00.004+00:002014-12-20T23:57:51.719+00:00A couple of Christmas pop-ups: Le Chalet and Skandilicious
My trip to Oxford Street this week was definitely not for
the madness of Christmas shopping.
Escaping the Selfridges crowd to the roof, to the Le Chalet Alpine takeover,
instead of the open roof/fake grass of the summer, twinkly lights, check
blankets and snowy tree wallpaper.
The
menu has hints of the slopes, with raclette, schnitzel with cheese
fondue, and meaty slow-cooked plates.WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-31568836815318430572014-11-30T23:43:00.004+00:002014-12-01T08:25:12.458+00:00What Joanna Ate Top 3 November 2014
After mild neglect in a busy
November, I’m just sneaking this post in.
Before December 1st and Christmas taking over, my top three
list of Thai barbecue, new favourite Bar Termini and one of the ugliest but
nicest root vegetables.
Smoking Goat & Som Saa - Thai
in London is looking up, with two new places bringing smoke and spice with
barbecue/charcoal. Smoking Goat on
Denmark Street is a WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-11174125852969337522014-11-26T21:24:00.000+00:002014-11-26T21:32:52.283+00:00Mission E2, Bethnal Green
A brief brunch post. An escape from torrential rain at Mission,
complete with its leafy palm stretching up to the top of the railway arch
ceiling.
The second place from the people
of Sager + Wilde (the wine bar on Hackney Road, with delicious snacks too) is just
down the road from the tube station, a bit of a dubious view of flats on
Paradise Row. There’s a fabulous wine
rack behind WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-12561951850002088322014-11-19T22:27:00.000+00:002014-11-19T22:36:25.925+00:004 days in Marrakech (sausages/slippers/souks/spices)
4 days in Marrakech last week
were generally made up of the following 4 things:
Souk/Medina rage. The seemingly impossible to navigate
terracotta roads/lanes/alleys, which made no sense to my general feeling of
direction. One day it took us
approximately 2 hours to find our Riad.
We then couldn’t even find wine to ease said rage.
Lots and lots of round loaves of
bread. Most white, some WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-12150788958345791792014-11-03T20:11:00.002+00:002014-11-03T20:11:55.644+00:00Forza Winter, Peckham
Bus people-watching
balances out the slightly unglamorous mode of travel. Friday’s 11pm route home on the 63 provided
excellent examples of terrible (i.e. too small/tight, rather than scary) Halloween outfits (lots of teeny mini-skirts and fake blood). Starting at Peckham Rye and stopping nearly
outside the front door, on the way back from a night of Fonduta at Forza
Winter.
Forza WinterWhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-32500022370111842442014-10-30T13:49:00.002+00:002014-10-30T14:01:42.557+00:00Spring, Aldwych
Apt for its name, Spring is very
pretty. All pastel/blush shades, graphic white floral installations on
the walls, a glass-roofed leafy courtyard tucked to the side. Even
beautifully pink floor tiles in the toilets. Looking at my photos after,
there's a kind of girly glow to the place. But all set in the slightly
austere and imposing high ceilinged corner of Somerset House, along with WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-89577570497908154272014-10-22T09:10:00.004+01:002014-10-22T09:12:42.199+01:00The Colony (at The Beaumont), Mayfair & Fischer’s, Marylebone
Breakfast at The Wolseley was an 18th birthday treat. I felt fancy, sitting in
the plush room (a converted car showroom), all gilt, marble and silver tableware. Eight years later (living in the city for nearly five), I’m
less easily impressed. Yet it’s still one of my favourite places to
return to, for morning scrambled eggs and smoked salmon, or tea/cake in the
afternoon. Chris Corbin and WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-60901872378847289242014-10-15T20:42:00.001+01:002014-10-15T20:47:34.847+01:00Brussels (with a little Ghent too)
Holiday eating/drinking lists
are important. Research is key. Going off-list can sometimes
work (stumbling upon somewhere fabulous looking). But this is
risky. Going off-list is more likely to end in disappointment, at worst crappy food in a sneaky tourist trap.
But it does mean that much of
the trip is spent traipsing around, in search of that perfect version of the
local WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-56030364925731415882014-10-08T22:23:00.000+01:002014-10-08T22:29:10.488+01:00What Joanna Ate Top 3 October 2014
It’s finally getting chilly and
dark. A plus point is the excuse for autumn
shopping (finally weather for coats). I’m
sat writing this, back wrapped in black opaque tights, thinking of cosy things
to cook in October. The list is a couple
of seasonal ingredients, plus a new London opening (perfect for holing up
inside with a martini, away from the rain).
Apples - The humble apple is
WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-44730473085275769992014-09-30T21:45:00.000+01:002014-09-30T21:48:51.595+01:00Simple Sourdough Pancakes
Other twenty somethings might
be acting all grown up with pets/houses/engagements. But my responsibility currently consists of my sourdough starter. A Tupperware box
of grey, sticky goo, with a rather strange smell. It just needs feeding every fortnight (before
being used for baking something). A bit
like a very low maintenance pet. Rather
less response, apart from helping deliver bread.
WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-14807852986234232752014-09-28T17:55:00.000+01:002014-09-28T18:01:06.754+01:00Hubbard & Bell (in The Hoxton, Holborn), Holborn
It’s a bit unfair to judge on a
soft opening visit. It’s the practice
run. The time to iron out any kitchen
kinks, or front of house chaos. It’s also
key for feedback, to ensure everything is smooth for full opening. So this post on the just opened
Hubbard & Bell is no critique. More
just information on a new opening. But
dinner last night was very good indeed, especially for day three (WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-17444722778200294942014-09-24T23:29:00.000+01:002014-09-25T09:21:21.513+01:00Bocca Di Lupo, Soho (plus my version of their sweet and sour onions with anchovy)
I’d suggested Bocca Di Lupo rather
wistfully for a few work lunches, with newly opened places winning instead. Finally dinner there last week; the fabulous
Italian food living up to the slightly high expectations. Pretty much based on the greatness of their
ice-cream in Gelupo, across the road on Archer Street.
The menu changes each day, across
regions (labelled Roma, Veneto, Parma etc).
WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-22738846296172870032014-09-13T16:56:00.000+01:002014-09-13T17:07:38.846+01:00What Joanna Ate Top 4 September 2014
Figs - I didn't use to be very keen on fresh figs. Just
childhood memories of fig roll biscuits. Squidgy and sticky in the middle, kind
of crumbly outside, in the rather squashed roll shape. I haven't had
these for years, and the plump dark purple fresh kind are now a favourite. If
perfectly ripe, crunchy seeds, beautifully fragrant (I love the scent of fig
trees - especially Diptyque's WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-35489942489868090752014-09-07T19:20:00.003+01:002014-09-07T19:44:43.789+01:00Dukes G & Tea (and a martini in Dukes Bar)
Yesterday’s G & T
was a little different. Rather G & Tea. A dainty cup and saucer of tea-infused gin (choose between black vanilla or earl grey), with a splash of tonic
syrup and a slice of lemon. It’s part of the special afternoon tea at Dukes,
tucked away in the quiet luxury of the Mayfair Hotel's rooms.
The first cup was
excellent alongside the neat sandwiches, with a perfect WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-61319968485107342082014-09-06T09:56:00.003+01:002014-09-06T09:59:49.941+01:0028 hours or so in Madrid
A work trip this week left me with a spare evening in
Madrid. The city still fiery hot; a bit more summer away from creeping
London Autumn.
One evening was still enough for a small scale hunt for excellent
tapas. A short post, but a few of my favourites as suggestions to find
delicious little plates in the city. I headed to La Latina, the snaking Calle Cava
Baja packed with bars – a good WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3560942961469436505.post-27498200332111266492014-08-28T21:33:00.000+01:002014-08-28T21:42:24.380+01:005 of my favourite restaurants for eating outdoors in London
I’m writing this at the tail-end
of August. Fingers crossed for a bit of
an Indian summer, with a few more chances for outdoor eating. Here are a few of my favourite spots to dine outside in London, from the very sleek to the bit more casual.
Beef carpaccio with black truffle at Toto's
Lobster tagliolini at Toto's
Toto’s – Toto’s is tucked away in Knightsbridge, the entrance
WhatJoanna Atehttps://plus.google.com/111449351576067551710noreply@blogger.com0