Many of us have stories and anecdotes of group dinners gone bad. I've heard so many anecdotes from friends and experienced a few that this article could have easily been one I wrote. It might actually tempt me to share a few funny stories in the coming weeks about group dinners gone bad. So if you have any, don't hesitate to drop us a line. In the meantime, enjoy this article published in the Guardian. Most of today's top UK chefs have had stints with Marco Pierre White. He was the most influential and creative chef of his generation before he decided to retire from actual cooking in 1999. Here is a great interview with him in which he speaks about celebrity chefs. He also makes some interesting points about being able to do what he wants because he does not have 'three Michelin stars tying him to his stove'. We love Tokyo and hope to return as soon as this is feasibly possible. Noma's chef Rene Redzepi has been in Tokyo over the past weeks cooking at a pop-up restaurant. Here is … [Read more...]

We have come across a number of very interesting articles this week on food and wine. We hope you have time to read a few of them. It is always great to read inspiring stories and this one on French chef Anne-Sophie Pic in eater.com by Lesley Chesterman is fantastic. It is long but really worth a read. Noma's pop-up restaurant in Tokyo has served its last dinner this week. The Guardian has a stunning photo reportage of Noma in Tokyo, in pictures. We've come across a list of top five restaurants in the South of France published by Oliver's Travels as well as a list of 5 best value restaurants. While some like Mauro Colagreco's Mirazur Restaurant, who we interviewed for Food and Wine Gazette, are on our bucket list, others are extremely interesting to note. Bone broth is becoming more trendy according to this article in the Guardian. Bone broth has been made for centuries and is made by simmering animal bones (usually beef or chicken) for a very long time to extract maximum flavour … [Read more...]

The art of eating is a quarterly print publication that has been published since 1986. Edward Behr, the founder, likes to list the top food books of the year. Here is a list of 12 books including Massimo Bottura's Never Trust a Skinny Italian chef which we reviewed on this site. We are currently reading one of them, The Third Plate by Dan Barber and will also review it when we finish it. Anyone who has been to Japan knows that the food scene is exceptional and the quality of ingredients is out of this world. We have come across a very interesting blog by a doctor who is incredibly passionate about food.  We came across a splendid article on the sensational dishes of Japan in 2014. It makes us want to return to Japan. The photos are great, the descriptions mouth-watering. Japanese markets are special. This one is about the Nishiki market in Kyoto. And to keep with the Japanese theme, we have come across an article about the rise of Japanese chefs in Paris. Some chefs that have … [Read more...]

A photo of a 'live' prawn served at Noma's pop-up restaurant has been doing the rounds in the press and social media platforms this week. It was served with black ants which have also been used previously in various other dishes by chef Rene Redzepi in his Copenhagen restaurant. It is something rather normal in Japan (the actual shrimp isn't alive but it is so fresh that is is still twitching and moving because of electrical impulses). The moving crustacean is therefore just a piece of food theatre. You can read about it in this article. In another article, Joe Warwick explains the truth about the dish. There is something really special about artichokes served 'Jewish-style' in Rome. Here are suggestions of where to try some of the best in Rome. Neil Rankin writes about why we are so obsessed with food trends. He argues that when restaurants start obsessing over trends, they forget about what's more important, which is what people want to eat. We have written previously about Next, … [Read more...]

We have written many times about the subject of food waste but there is nothing more shocking than photos to show the extent of the problem. Rob Greenfield writes in civileats.com about what he calls America's food waste fiasco. He says that every year, Americans throw away $165 billion dollars worth of food. He has been hosting food waste fiascos in major cities in an effort to raise awareness about the grand scale of the food waste problem. The photos of waste he has rescued from rubbish bins are shocking to say the least. This morning we followed a very interesting debate about anonymity of restaurant critics on Twitter. This was partly related to the prolific LA Times critic Jonathan Gold who is making himself public one week ahead of the Sundance debut of an upcoming documentary City of Gold, which follows the critic over the course of four years as he eats his way through the city. The question being asked is whether there is such a thing as anonymity and what happens when a … [Read more...]

Food in the western world is now cheaper than at any time in human history. But this comes at a cost. A cost to our health and also to our planet. Over consumption also  means that 30 per cent of food bought in western European countries is thrown away. If you have only time to read one link, make it this one. Why do we have to distigust between 'real bread' and processed bread? To make bread you just need four ingredients - water, flour, salt and yeast. But have you ever looked at the ingredients in 'supermarket' breads? This is a short but interesting read about the difference between the two. It seems like this is the week for raising awareness. In the Netherlands, they have announced that they will start banning food ads for children under 13. The advertising code's age limit has been increased from seven years old to 12 years old. Have you ever wondered why in flight food tastes awful? There are a number of reasons for this. Although the food might not necessarily be … [Read more...]

This is our first weekly roundup for 2015 with some interesting articles from the food and wine world. From a 90-year-old who continues to make fresh pasta in an Italian trattoria, to the trends for 2015 and a controversy about whether prosecco served on a tap in a pub should be called prosecco or not, we hope you find something interesting to read. When I use fat in cooking, it is mainly butter or extra virgin olive oil. So I found this article about cooking real food with minimally processed unrefined fats and oils, one which reinforces my own thoughts. But it is worth reading It is essential for children to learn how to cook. Research continues to show that cooking is a path to good health. At a time when more and more people are not cooking at home, here are some tips about how to get children to start learning how to cook. It says that a child could be able to cook a meal within five weeks following these steps. Travel always brings out stereotypes and there might be … [Read more...]

We are fast approaching Christmas and for those regulars who like this weekly round-up of links to interesting articles I come across on food and wine, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a great week ahead whether you are on holiday or busy working. The Italian culinary world was shocked with a news which saw Massimo Bottura reveal that he may be moving his exceptional Osteria Francescana to London. The news was revealed by Bloomberg in an interview with the Modenese chef and took even the journalist by surprise. Gambero Rosso, the Italian food and wine publication called this a 'shock'. Bottura said that it is something he has been discussing with his wine for the past six months. "The most important ingredient I have is my brain and my brain is going to be very easy to take with me to London, or New York, or Tokyo, or Hong Kong, wherever," he says. On that count he is right. There is no question that French cuisine is feeling the pressure at least in the media. The … [Read more...]

We are just back from the amazing German town of Monschau and its splendid Christmas market. It was snowing throughout the day which adds to the charm and we made our way back home well stocked with mustard. But its now time for our weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine. As Christmas day is approaching fast, there seems to be a lot of writing about Christmas lunches or dinners. Both the BBC and the Guardian feature the two-Michelin starred chef Tom Kerridge. This chef is a television personality in the UK and his recipes are always exceptional so you might be tempted to try some of the these. These are his tips for a traditional Christmas from turkey to brussels sprouts. On the Guardian, there are 10 Christmas dishes prepared by Tom Kerridge. Since we are on the subject of recipes, here are 10 of the best recipes with wine. We have written about a Sicilian winery Azienda Agricola COS earlier this week. If you have missed it, take a look at this post because it … [Read more...]

Japan seems to be attracting great chefs at the moment. Three Michelin star chef Heinz Beck has opened a restaurant in Tokyo just in time for the festive season. Beck is German-born and has been based in Rome for 20 years.  He is the only chef to have three Michelin stars at La Pergola, in the Italian capital city. On the other hand, preparations are in full swing for the opening of Noma in Tokyo next month. Rene Redzedpi, the world famous chef was in Japan to source produce for the restaurant. He has been interviewed about the experience of opening a pop-up restaurant in Japan. He speaks about the overwhelming response they have received to date and also about the interesting produce he has found in Japan. It is very interesting and worth a read. Jose Andres has written a fantastic article on National Geographic about Changing the Way We Eat Meat. He says that while a piece of meat like a steak is a beautiful thing to eat, he believes that we should be thinking about eating … [Read more...]