Author Archives: Matt

About Matt

Food writer, television presenter and big eater.

Savour Flavour

Posted on April 26, 2013

‘And soon, mechanically, dispirited after a dreary day with the prospect of a depressing morrow, I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm … Continue reading →

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Sweet reason

Posted on April 24, 2013

When it comes to coffee, I am something of a purist. I am a man for a single espresso. I’d rather drink two single espressos than a double. I’m also happy with a ristretto, but only in Naples, and preferably … Continue reading →

Posted in Food for Fort | 4 Comments

Brasserie Chavot

Posted on April 23, 2013

Suddenly they’re everywhere. After years of rigorous suppression in favour of Italian/Spanish/Modern European/Contemporary British/Ersatz Japanese-effect pastiches, French brasseries and bistros (or is it bistrots?) are back in force. In the last fewish months the Brasserie Zedel and Cafe Colbert, Balthazar … Continue reading →

Posted in Eating Out | 1 Comment

Taste Test

Posted on April 15, 2013

I’ve been contributing a column about taste and flavour to an admirable new on-line magazine called Flavour First (see http://www.flavourfirst.org). I thought I would recycle them in this blog just in case some faithful followers might have missed them. At … Continue reading →

Posted in Food for Fort | 3 Comments

The Incredible Lightness of Being a Restaurant Critic

Posted on April 10, 2013

What is a restaurant critic but someone who a) can get a table in a restaurant when no one else can; and b) has someone else pay the bill? It’s a mystery why restaurant critics strut like peacocks and peahens … Continue reading →

Posted in Eating Out, Food for Fort | 9 Comments

Soldiers on parade

Posted on April 8, 2013

SOLDIERS ON PARADE It was the usual spring weekday breakfast – soft boiled egg; soldiers + unsalted butter; coffee; blood orange juice (freshly squeezed, naturally) – and I started mulling over the question of soldiers – what is the proper … Continue reading →

Posted in Food for Fort | 5 Comments

Leaves from my mother’s recipe file – 1: Haddock Scramble

Posted on March 12, 2013

In an earlier blog I wrote about my mother’s recipe file and the treasures in it – Beetroot Soup (Armenian), Biscuit Tortoni (frozen), Bent Biscuits, Blackberry Granita, Bloody Mary which includes a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters., fennel a … Continue reading →

Posted in Eating In | 2 Comments

The effect of rapid, slow or medium growth on fruit and vegetables

Posted on March 1, 2013

The article below. appeared in the Geelong Advertiser in 1850. It should appeal to all veg and fruit gardeners. It’s full of sound advice and common sense, expressed in a somewhat idiosyncratic style. I found it while researching another piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Food for Fort | 1 Comment

National Gallery Offal Dinner

Posted on February 19, 2013

Oliver Peyton caught me at a weak moment. It was during a long day’s filming of the latest series of the Great British Menu. He said. ‘Why don’t you do one of our Friday Night Socials?’ ‘What would I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Eating In | 4 Comments

To horse, to horse!

Posted on February 11, 2013

Of course it’s scandalous. Foul foreign horsemeat instead of good,decent beef in burgers and lasagnas. Is nothing sacred any more! But should we be surprised? It’s not as if this is the first time this has happened. Remember when Panorama … Continue reading →

Posted in Food for Fort | 4 Comments