Monthly Archives: January 2012

French Cricket

Posted on January 31, 2012 by

Battle of Plassey. 27th June 1757. As every school child used to know. Robert Clive (aka Clive of India) biffs the Nabob of Bengal, and his French backers. Result: the effective end of French influence in India. We give the … Continue reading →

Posted in Food for Fort | 2 Comments

Pheasant Ham

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

What happened was this. My hostess said “Would you like some pheasants?’ ‘Why, yes,’ I said, and picked up a brace. They looked very handsome in their feathers. ‘Please take some more,’ pleased my hostess. “How many?’ I said. ‘As … Continue reading →

Posted in Eating In | 7 Comments

Jean Fort, 1915-2012

Posted on January 24, 2012 by

The evening before her 90th birthday, my mother cooked dinner for 12 of us. There was full-bodied venison and chestnut stew followed her incomparable crème caramel and an orange salad, and a good deal to drink and the usual wall … Continue reading →

Posted in Food for Fort | 21 Comments

Frying Aubergines

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

Q. Can suggest the best way to fry aubergines? As everyone knows, they soak up loads of oil, and if you try using less they don’t fry properly (I find they end up raw in parts the oil has missed … Continue reading →

Posted in Kitchen Queries | 4 Comments

Sicily Unpacked

Posted on January 18, 2012 by

Perhaps it’s a bit late in the day to draw anyone’s attention to it, but at last a tv series about food that manages to be perceptive, informative and diverting (aside from the Great British Menu, of course). Sicily Unpacked … Continue reading →

Posted in Food for Fort | 9 Comments

Consummate Scrambled Egg

Posted on January 17, 2012 by

It may seem heretical, but I think scrambled egg should taste of egg. So no cream, no milk, no flavourings, aside from and tiny amount of butter, salt and pepper. Ok, chopped parsley, tarragon or chives, if you must. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Eating In | 13 Comments

Jeremy Lee at Quo Vadis

Posted on January 16, 2012 by

‘Lead, kindly light, amidst the encircling gloom, lead thou me on,’ goes the hymn. If ever there were a kindly culinary light, it’s Jeremy Lee, tall, genial, eyes beaming and sparkling behind gig-lamps, generous in mood and manner and on … Continue reading →

Posted in Eating Out | 5 Comments

Q. Have you ever come across a recipe for making a boczek?.

Posted on January 9, 2012 by

A. Boczek is that delightful Polish variation on cured/smoked belly pork theme. It’s very good sliced and lain on top of a slice of rye bread thickly smeared with mustard, as my old mushroom mentor, Adam the Pole, used to … Continue reading →

Posted in Kitchen Queries | 3 Comments

Brasserie Terminus Nord

Posted on January 6, 2012 by

It’s the same as it has been since I’ve known it, just across the street from the Gare to Nord, the Brasserie Terminus Nord. It’s all there, the art deco posters, wall decorations and lights; the tiled floor in flower … Continue reading →

Posted in Eating Out | 4 Comments

Q. We are advised not to re-freeze thawed frozen food. Is it safe to freeze soup made with stock from the freezer?

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

A. The British Frozen Food Associations (http://www.thenewiceage.com) advises not to on the grounds that ‘that each time foods are prepared germs can enter the foods and each time these foods are frozen at home, the germs are preserved with the … Continue reading →

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