Category: FOOD
Heirloom N8 a Crouch End Gem
Restaurant Heirloom – cooking with rare-breed meats
heritage vegetables & fruits
(an heirloom is an object, usually an antique possession of personal value, that has been passed down for generations through family members)
Crouch End, London N8, was not my dining destination for a proper, well cooked meal by any standard, as a matter of fact there was nothing to write home about the “food joints” of the neighborhood.
Crouch End claim to fame is a legend that Bob Dylan used to be spotted in Crouch End, when he came to reco
rd at The Church Studios on Crouch Hill. There’s a legend that he even dined at Banner’s restaurant (not my kind of place but probably the only eatery in the area at the time, after all a man’s got to eat…), there is even a plaque there that proudly commemorating his visit. This is good enough for me, I like Legends and I certainly love Dylan, my kinda poet my kinda music… but well before Bob’s visit, strolling Crouchy in the early 80’s, the neighborhood which was a bit desolate, I could not but hymn to myself :”how many roads must a man walk down before he can find… “ (a decent restaurant…), cheeky??…well I did not actually do it but it goes well with the theme innit? and if Bob is just another name here’s some other music stars to adorn the neighborhood: Dave Stewart, Radiohead, Elvis Costello Depeche Mode, and David Gray and lately U2.
Now, since my grand daughter Eliya, was born, about 20 months ago (she resides in Crouchy) I find myself walking the streets pushing her in her pushchair watching the wonder of a neighborhood awakening, in a triangle around the Crouch End Broadway’s clock tower, new dinning options appear like mushrooms after the rain, increasing in quality and diversity to meet a demand of young families who flock the hood.
The Clock tower, btw, was erected in 1895 in memory of a local politician, Henry Reader Williams (1822-97), who actually saved Highgate Wood (a 28 hectare area of ancient woodland) from urban development (bless his soul), Green Party of the 19th century!!
My daughter Daphne keeps me posted regarding new culinary venues in the area and about 20 months ago, I was told of a new restaurant serving British style modern food using mainly British traditional products; ‘Heirloom’. Here they serve Rare-breed meats and heritage (Heirloom) vegetables (these are as you know, old-time varieties, open-pollinated (not hybrid), that are saved and handed down through multiple generations of families, fruits and vegetables on the verge of extinction) Heirloom products are “homegrown” by the restaurant’s Produce Director / co-owner David Macintosh in his farm in Buckinghamshire, and some of the other fruits, vegetables, herbs & leaf, which form the major part of their daily changing menus, are collected from small farmers still growing oddities which can not be found in your local supermarkets.
Heirloom is a stylish looking rustic restaurant with wooden tables and a (not much used), nice wooden sturdy bar, I bet you that when it was envisaged, it was intended to be a focal point of the restaurant busy with drinkers having wine or beer with some of the nibbles on offer, alas, this is not so yet, (I love sitting on a robust Bar). Here at Heirloom, they are serving daily specially sourced products from Dexter beef, wild boar, or game birds: Pigeons, Guinea fowl, Partridges season’s grouse and wild ducks, odd traditional vegetables and hand picked wild mushrooms in season.
These guys take what they do seriously, no pretensions just good and honest cooking, very good products and a lot of imagination. It seems they don’t have set timing for cooking products so at times they will release (especially game poultry) a bit on the rare side… even on meats that can be served on the medium side… (A kitchen is all about pressure especially on days the place is fully booked so, I say, it’s OK to foul on the fowl, seriously!!!!). But Head Chef Liam Murray and The Chef Director Ian Macintosh (elder bro of Farmer David), are inventive and caring, and are very good at pairing products on the well presented plates. The Menu changes almost daily (not an easy task), It feels they enjoy and like what they do and with James Galton’s the general manager, Maitre D. and sommelier caring touch in looking after every guest they form a good solid team.
As for drinks, their wine list is sensible, fairly priced ,and selected between producers mainly from Old world affordable wine producers from: France, Italy, and Spain that can still be priced fairly, reading their wine list makes me think maybe they should go for a wine tasting of wines from Portugal there’s a new generation of Portuguese winemakers especially from Dão and Douro region in Portugal, some of these wines pair perfectly with their style of cooking.
We opt for the less familiar to us: British craft beers and Ales, and what a delight, the beers of Saltaire, Harbour Brewing Co., Bath Ales and Wild Beer Co. are delightful, smooth, multilayered with aromas and flavours of apple, pear, and other notes of coffee toffee and bitter herbs.
I have visited there quite a few times, theres always something to please the palate and the mind, offering not your usual products with quite a few nice oddities as a daily surprise. Most cooked from fresh and some prepared in advance like home cured or
smoked meats o
r fish, all prepared on the premises to perfection, which for me is delightful. to have home cured goose ham, or Berkshire Venison or a wild Boar loin, Cornish Cod cooked to perfection, Cornish squid, or Devon Crab always with an array of samples on the side Violet artichoke, beetroot (they love beetroot here), Salsify, celeriac, fennel cooked in all fashions, an touches of wild mushrooms: Chanterells, girolles, and ceps.
this is not a starred restaurant this is a team of young chefs cooking good solid sensible food, adorned by good imagination and lots of love and care, after all what else do you need.
a collection of the fare on offer can be seen on their Instagram site:
https://www.instagram.com/heirloomn8/
Heirloom
35 Park Road, Crouch End, London, N8 8TE
Phone:+44 20 8348 3565
http://www.heirloomn8.co.uk
There’s also a local Fishmongers on Crouch End Hill (up the road from the clocktower) Walter Perkis & sons. For my taste they have a lot to offer, fresh monkfish Lobsters and Devon crabs at their best, they really know how to treat fish. The smoked salmon as other fish sold in the shop used to be smoked on premis
es in a traditional smoke house that is located in the rear the Crouch End Shop. This smoke house is a century old and in fact the oldest working fish smokehouse in London. If you don’t mind the occasional queue, (see on the right) you’re in for a treat.
17 The Broadway, London N8 8DU, United Kingdom
Phone:+44 20 8340 6281
http://www.walterpurkisandsons.com/
YOUR WINEGUIDE
The Fallacy of Restaurant Trends, Why can’t we just cook well?
In a recent Square Meal restaurant news (published 19 January 2015), there was an item by Dominic Rowntree titled : 2015 restaurant trends: what the insiders say ? The post stated: “…2014 was the year that the London restaurant scene was awash with a barrage of burgers, ramen and lobsters…” I must say that the “barrage of burgers” 
produced (since late 2012) is the worst, over cooked, dry, only burnt well-done burgers I had ever had in my life, presumably due to a Ministry of Health/Food Standards Agency (FSA) directive: that burgers should be served only Medium well or over or we will all die from mad cows salmonella E. Coli and other diseases?? “At present the guidance from the FSA is that for burgers the meat should be cooked at 158F (70C) for two minutes,” and so all, over zealous chefs burn our burgers to oblivion as if they are priest at a temple incinerating the meat as an offering to the GODS. (The “decorated burger on the right is what is left for you to do when you get a burned sole covered in cheese instead of a real juicy burger) 
Dominic Rowntree goes on asking: “But what does the New Year hold? We asked some of London’s top chefs and industry experts what to expect from 2015 – and here’s what they predicted.” . Surprisingly all chefs participating in the “quiz” were able to answer this difficult question and … surprise surprise they all thought the trend will be …what they are serving now (more or less)… For instance Robin Gill told us he thinks “fermented ingredients are going to be a big trend this year – kimchi especially”.
Come on, give me a break Kimchi is a 2000 years old Korean way to preserve vegetables. Is it possible to say that fruit comfiture (confiture in french “confit” means “preserved”) is going to be trendy next year, OK you have been to Korea and was impressed by Kimchi, a side dish at best or an additive to a dish, the fact that Koreans eat it as a main dish does not qualify it as a main dish in a London restaurant!!! So how can a dish, which is at best is the Korean equivalent of say sophisticated Gherkins or any other spiced pickled vegetable, be considered as the best next thing???? Kimchi photo From: http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/tongbaechu-kimchi 
Our next “delicacy” was “burnt kale”, I must admit that Kale is not my favorite veg. so burnt is fine by me, it is true it contains amazing nutritional qualities, but as a trend at a restaurant? Suggesting “simple and non-complicated classics” are making a comeback, is also problematic the fact they are classics means they’ve always been around and do not require a “COME BACK” The next best thing was the comment regarding “attention going to turn to a far healthier offering”?? Between us any food is already healthy, It keeps us alive innit? (or what is healthy for some is less healthy for others and vice versa) And just last month The US government’s top nutrition advisory panel has decided to drop its caution about eating cholesterol-laden food, a move that could undo almost 40 years of government warnings about its consumption. Do we really know what is health and what is not regarding food and its affect on our health? I think not! The group’s finding that cholesterol in the diet need no longer be considered a “nutrient of concern” stands in contrast to the committee’s findings five years ago, the last time it convened. During those proceedings, as in previous years, the panel deemed the issue of excess cholesterol in the American diet a public health concern. The finding follows an evolution of thinking among many nutritionists who now believe that, for healthy adults, eating foods high in cholesterol may not significantly affect the level of cholesterol in the blood or increase the risk of heart disease. The greater danger in this regard, these experts believe, lies not in products such as eggs, shrimp or lobster, which are high in cholesterol, but in too many servings of foods heavy with saturated fats, such as fatty meats, whole milk, and butter… (From: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/10/feds-poised-to-withdraw-longstanding-warnings-about-dietary-cholesterol/) 
The idea of moderation in the consumption of food was introduced by the third of the three ancient Chinese emperors began his rule in 2697 BCE. He was called: the Yellow Emperor, Huangdi is the best known of the three early rulers, and for a long time He was assumed to have written the Neijing: The Yellow Emperors Classic of Internal Medicine, although the work is now believed to have been composed in the 3rd century BC. 
This ancient book (be it 4700 yers old or 2350 years old already talks about moderation and balance in the food we eat: “Eat breakfast like an Emperor, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper!” It is not difficult to balance the ill effect of all food including fatty offerings by balancing the ingredients within the dish, fatty foods have a warming affect on the stomach (which is warm to begin with) so greens served with fatty meats will balance the ill effect of the fat, or greens which have a cooling affect when served on their own will be thrown into boiling water for a few seconds to “break up” their cooling ill effect on the stomach. (or Blanching in western cooking terms) Blanching is a cooking process wherein a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into boiling water, removed after a few seconds and finally plunged into iced water to stop the cooking process. José Pizarro agrees that healthier foods will come to the fore. In particular, he mentions that pulses will be big this year. “They are wonderfully cheap, 
versatile and super good for you. Back in Spain we use lentils, chickpeas and beans as the basis for most meals and they are no longer seen as a peasant staple.” All around the Mediterranean Pulses have been used as part of the diet/food for Thousands of years from before the Ancient Greeks to date (mainly as supplements or side dishes or part of the Mezze and not as a concept on it’s own). These are not a peasant staple, when prepared and spiced correctly and accompany the correctly while pairing ingredients, they indeed can be served to Kings, Aristocracy, Princes and Paupers alike. Between us, Food at a restaurant is not sustenance it is an event and as such it must be filled with fun, surprises, a celebration of tastes, colours, twists and indeed sinful. Such “Sins” that derive from luxurious or even “decadent” ingredients, the restaurant’s décor, exquisite wine, and eager company. we do not attend a restaurant every day, why can’t we have something special, out of the ordinary, almost regal, on our visit to a restaurantwhy can’t we be spoiled on the day with delicacies which are not on the “allowed list” good chefs serve balanced dishes anyway containing a variety of ingredients that end up together in a crescendo of tastes. 
It is therefor “free” from social “Trends” of the hour and relies solely on the artistry and imagination of the chef! “…see fewer gizmos and gadgets in the kitchen???” I say: use whatever is available for you to reach your goal : excellence in cooking.
This goes on and on with various ideas and no real cooking. How about: Please excite me with proper cooking this year when I walk into your restaurant, for me this will suffice.
YOUR WINEGUIDE
New Year’s Eve dinner – 2014
Another year have passed and I got ready for our yearly celebration, this year we had some cancelations and a dinner for 8 is not a difficult task.
For my own sake and the sake of my regular 3 invitees I had to come up with a menu not too difficult to execute and yet still grand and surprising as a dinner to celebrate the New Year should be.
The welcome dish required the prep of fresh potato Blinis, to go with the last Caspian Beluga Caviar in my fridge, which I saved for this occasion. A real treat on Crème fraîche with our welcome champagne: the wonderful Larmandier -Bernier Tradition Extra Brut 1er Cru NV. The delicate Caviar on home made Blinis requires a true wine that bubbles, a champagne made with the LOVE, blood sweat and tears of Pierre Larmandier who manages to produce a champagne of this quality every year. It has it all: an elegant citrus fruit beauty, a true Brut. The Brut Tradition (80 percent Chardonnay, 20 percent Pinot Noir) is a premier cru from Vertus, at the southern base of the Cote des Blancs It is extremely dry and very pure, a delicate latticeworkbetween the minerals and citrus zest with a nice hint of yeasts. Or in the words of Jancis Robinson : “Larmandier-Bernier, Tradition Extra Brut Premier Cru NV Champagne: Restrained nose that suggests great delicacy. Real race, spine, and structure. Very grown up champagne”
But I still needed a “surprise” to kick off the dinner which will go well with the sumptuous Champagne, an amuse bouche came in the form of a takeoff on an appetizer I had at Restaurant Story London Bridge in June 2013, there we had a sublime Crispy Cod skin, cod Roe and carrot tips, but cod skin is not readily available round my neck of the woods so I opted for Salmon skin “crackers”, dotted with vongole and home made chipotles mayonnaise served with a Shot glass of hot, Yuzo scented clear vongole stock/liquor. The “crackers” were crispy and their harsh salmon flavour was balanced well with the mayo and the light lemony stock, exactly the way I imagined it, it did take everyone by surprise!
Our first course was Thai Pumpkin coconut cream and shrimps soup Topped with Mint Pea soup and a panko coated shrimp. A totally delightful combination of colours and contrasting texture on the palate of the crunch and cream, the intended touch on the palate was achieved to my utmost satisfaction.
I planned to serve it with Saint Romain T&P Matrot 2007 (as written on the Dinners menu), but!!! with BOTH bottles corckey???, what are the chances this will occur from the same case??? My cellar “offered” 2 bottles of Simon Bize Bourgogne Blanc Les Champlains 2010, with it’s wonderful nose of green apples, with some peaches citrus and acacia and some tropical fruits blossoms was at the end a more suitable wine for this dish with it’s south east Asian touches.
Our Mid course was Risotto ai frutti di mare, a traditional style risotto, made only with shrimps, Langoustinesand Vongole without the shells. The risotto was cooked with shrimp heads and fish stock, and some of the vongole stock in butter white wine, garlic and parsley and a hint of chilly,the other half of the vongole stock was strained than refreshed with lemon and Yuzo and used for drinking with the salmon skin crackers. The Mascarpone gave it the final attractive creamy touch, which makes any risotto so alluring… I could not resist “decorating the dish with Langoustine heads. (tacky me)
This dish went with the creamy still fresh Chassagne Montrachet- Les Caillerets 1er Cru, Domain Morrey Coffinet 2002 with its pear skin and lime scent and minerals on the palate a touch of butter brioche to complement the dish in a nice manner.
For the main course I must admit I planned Breast of duck in cream morilles sauce (Morilles à la Crème) but the duck skin was completely torn off the breasts and could not be served in style, luckily my dedicated butchers Nir & Avi Ofer (of the Delicious 
“Delichess butchers” in Tel-Aviv, without a doubt, the best butchers in town…) offered me instead some wonderfully marbled pieces of Wagyu beef (the last bits in the Land of fresh wagyu) which were cut to my specification to make my homage to a dish I had at Zuma London : Seared Wagyu Tataki Black Truffle Ponzu I decided to serve it as a duo one with the Morilles à la Crème the other scented in black truffle oil, and diced 
black truffles in a Japanese chilly salad oil, decorated with coluored seaweeds. The duo was served with Joel Robuchon style potato puree and a green salad of Salnova lettuce and Figs.
To celebrate the new year and ourselves, our main dish was served with the still fresh and deeply fragrant Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1970 , I doubt if I could pick a better wine to match this wonderful Wagyu dish whose success was mainly due to the excellent product (Thanks Nir)
Now the wine… every time you open a 40+ year old bottle the content is an enigma, will it be drinkable? Will it fulfill the promise of its ability to mature and still reflect the balance of fruit, freshness, secondary and tertiary aromas? Will it go the full monty? To be as grand as intended when served. Well my deciples this one did it was a young 43 years old wine with all the nuances : it had the fruit to keep it fresh some young black fruit not only cooked dried fruits figs, prunes, even dates, those were ample, but well balanced with the soft but still apparent tannins, and with them the full array of sweet spices cloves, cinnamon, coffee, depth of black truffles in a concert of well orchestrated flavours which gave the “concert” a well deserved crescendo. As it is now it will drink well on it’s 50th birthday, and I will report!
For desert we had my sister’s Dana special Cream Caramel (CC) which has become a ‘”tradition” for these dinners especially
served for Osnat a CC expert, who gave it two thumbs up for the extra burnt touch of the caramel. Served with a 1983 ‘Chateau Suduiraut, Sauternes’ which was a bit of a disappointment, lacking all the great sauternes characters, but did not cloud the joy and enjoyment of the whole meal.
A very HAPPY NEW YEAR to all, my sous chef Amos, Head sommelier Yair, Varda as best gaffer, Osnat & Nir, Lala and Prof. Yahoo
and to my followers and incidental visitors alike.
YOUR WINEGUIDE
A Perfect Party
Perfection of any party or anniversary celebration is measured without a doubt by the quality of the invitees, and the products served to celebrate the event.
We had yet another anniversary, this one, we celebrated in a very “minor” fashion: Just us and one more guest a dear friend of old, 3 people enjoying a perfect company with some food and excellent wine to accompany the occasion.
A celebration always calls for Champagne and we opted for Roederer Cristal 2004 (55% Pinot Noir 45% Chardonnay), the one to suit our “humble” niblets :
Royal Beluga Caviar on home made Potato Blinis,
Best of Scottish smoked salmon and Crème fraîche,
Pâté de Foie Gras with Black truffles, Fresh figs and homemade fig confiture and butter Brioche.
All of these, took us into a realm of delight and joy which could only be described by the ease and delight in which they were consumed.
As the large black eggs of the Huso Huso (the scientific name for the Beluga or European Sturgeon), kept popping between our teeth were washed down by the 
wonderful yet slightly young Cristal , with its light straw golden colour and delicate small bubbles with a whiff of freshly baked bread nose, and elegant perfumes of citrus, and fresh red apple. On the palate, high acidity intensifying the fresh fruits and a red grapefruit finish, Elegant fresh but young. We spoiled ourselves with three of the world’s most prized and exclusive luxury foods and wine.
The niblets went quite a long way, much longer than the one bottle of Champagne and so we opted to leave aside some of the champagne for a final toast and 
opened a more mature white Bourgogne, a Meursault Les Chevalieres Jean–Philippe Fichet 1996, with it’s golden colour of deep yellow center with clear rims and complex nose, still lively with its distinctive minerally and notes of herbs and marmalade of citrus. At it’s 17th year of age it was still fresh with now with a complexity that evolved with time. The palate was fruity with flavours of tangerine, apricots and apples touches and a lovely nutty, touches with lemon marmalade and pear touches as well as herby vegetable characters. A really beautiful nose, Very intense and roasted nuts flavours with buttery toast notes. The high intensity nose offered rich almost tropical fruit scent.
As expected, the wine was quite ripe and rich in the mouth. However, it also showed nice acidity to keep it in balance and provide length. It had good complexity showing an evolution of almost a fine red wine in its complexity and structure.
Genuine caviar refers to Beluga (Huso huso), Osetra—with two Osetra varieties, Russian (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) and Persian Osetra (Acipenser persicus)—and Sevruga (Acipenser slellatus). All three types of sturgeon originate in the Caspian Sea. (from Wikipedia)
The Caspian Sea’s Beluga sturgeon lives predominantly in the wild and only a small number can be caught from the Sea annually, making it an extremely rare product. (and that is exactly what was served to the joy of all present. (BTW some delicacies should be served and shared only within a small group of consumers 3 is perfect!!) …and that refers to our Caviar and the Champagne.
We finished the Party eating the “left overs” of our niblets with eggs and coffee for breakfast the next morning. Delightful!!!
Real Potato Blinis recipe: (from Chef Israel Aharoni)
2 Large potatos cooked and smoothly pureed
3 eggs
1 cup (200grs) self raising flour
3-4 spoons of (sweet) whipping cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
a bit of ground nutmeg
Butter for frying
Puree the potatos with some of the cream until smooth, add the rest of cream, flour, eggs, salt pepper and nutmeg to reach a smooth mixture if too thick add a bit of cream (it should resemble a pancake mix), butter your frying pan well make small rings 8cm diameter, fry on both sides till golden with brown spots, serve warm.
Fiori di Zucca – Zucchini Flowers from seed to plate
The Orange crowns of courgettes
…and the pleasures of one of the most delicate of Italian dishes: Fiori di Zucca Friti.
What happens if you feel like serving stuffed Zucchini Flowers for you guests (My daughter Daphne and Udi), arriving for a visit from the UK to Tel-Aviv? and zucchini flowers are hard to impossible to get by? Here in the Mid East
most zucchinis are of the Lebanese summer squash type (Kusa in Arabic) which are often lighter green or even white, and are sold fully matured with no flower in sight, not as baby courgettes or courgette flowers.
Well I guess you have to start at the local nursery, buy a bag of courgette seeds. These come in a large variety, and since I am not in Italy where these are sold in the market (in season, April – June) I have to go for the fastest growing period 2-3 weeks from sawing the seed till the huge Male flowers (mainly) grow with all their Orangey Yellow regal glow, so attractive to look at and large enough to stuff with ease with any stuffing of your choice, than fried in light tempura style batter and Bob’s your Uncle… (Bob’s your uncle’ is an exclamation that is used when ‘everything is working according to plan…’ with simple means of getting a successful result after following all instructions – English slang)
So at the nursery I chose The Best of British F1 Hybrid, which has the largest male flowers (easier to stuff) and fast to mature to their flowering state.Other variety to contemplate is Courgette Nano Verde di Milano (High yielding squash Flowers seeds).
So…Three weeks prior to the meal I saw the seeds in a small sawing pot and than move them into an outdoor large pot, where thereafter they seem to be growing by the minute (rather than the day) you could almost hear them growing into the summer sun and soon enough after two and a half weeks flower stems of green orange and yellow started to sprout, what a delightful sight… So bright yellow with a hue of dark orange, zucchini flowers are so alluring to look at, that you get your cooking ideas just as you look at them.
I did not expect all the 11 seeds to sprout or to get so many flowers off each plant, but there you go, all sprouted on time and yielded an enormous amount of flowers daily, for several weeks, which lasted us for, quit a few meals, Heaven!!!
Growing Guide (from the Sutton directions on the pack)
Soil preparation: Zucchini likes well-drained, fertile soil that’s been amended with lots of compost, give your plants a lot of room to spread out and grow. Plant them well apart in rows. (That I did not do)
Planting: Plant seed outdoors when the soil temperature has reached 15°C (60°F), not to worry we are in the Middle East the average outside temperature is around 30°C and over.
Watering: Zucchini like consistently moist soil. To prevent problems with disease, always water from below.
Fiori di Zucca are irresistible when you shop at farmer’s markets around Italy. My favorite way is to deep-fry them stuffed with goat cheese stuffing in a very light beer batter.
Choose freshly flowers picked early in the morning (these ones are tightly closed and bug bug-free). Do not rinse them and let them open with their stems in a water pot like any ordinary flowers if the petals do not spread out separate the petals gently with your finger. Male flowers only have a stems, no squash attached, female flowers with baby zucchini attached are delicious as the baby zucchini need very little cooking to become tender and 4 minutes frying is just right.
If you store them for a later time Zucchini flowers should be refrigerated and tightly sealed, they will keep as fresh for about 24 hours.
One of the pleasures of summer in Italy are fried stuffed zucchini flowers, thin, crisp fiori stuffed with melted Mozzarella cheese sometimes “spiced” with anchovies or various cheeses, or spread over a pizza.
Always use the blossoms as soon as possible after picking, as they will start to wilt after a day.
The Beer Batter:
1 egg wisked
some flour to thicken the batter
salt to taste
3-4 table spoon of beer to achieve consistency (light)
Whisk a bit of flour with one egg until thick, than add beer slowly (it foams at first, and dilutes the batter fairly quickly so add flour if needed to thicken the batter) to a consistency of light cream. Dip the flowers in the batter, give them a twirl to get rid of any excess batter, and deep fry them in hot oil constantly turning until they turn golden about two to four minutes.
The stuffing:
The aim is to achieve a solid thick enough stuffing that can be rolled to small sausage (right photo)
Grated left over dry goats cheeses
1 ball of fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese cut to small cubes
2 spoons of fresh goats cheese
1 egg
freshly cut oregano or thyme
Anchovy fillets, cut into small squares (optional)
20 large Zucchini blossoms
Directions:
In a small bowl, stir together the egg add some 2-3 tablespoons of flour and the salt. Add the beer and whisk just until blended.
Combine the cheeses; egg and herbs the anchovies to a thick consistency easy to role and stuff each blossom tighten the tip s of the petals together to prevent overflow into the cooking oil.
In a deep frying pan, pour enough oil to a depth of 5-7cm. heat the oil until a bit of the batter sizzles when dropped in.
4-5 at a time, dip the flowers into the batter dish, carefully turning to coat each flower completely. Lift out and let the excess drip off. Slip the battered flowers into the hot oil and fry until crisp and golden on all sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer the fried blossoms to paper towels to drain and season with salt. Serve immediately.
Fiori di zucca are so delicate and delicious you could / should be “creative” with your stuffing of choice. Stuffing with mozzarella will melt inside the fried blossom and ooze out as you bite on it, what else could you want.
For the same meal I have also prepared:
*”Conserved” white Tuna following an old Italian tradition of preserving cooked fish in brine covered by olive oil, salt and herbs called conservata.
*A salad of roasted Endive, Arugula, white peach, Figs and Roquefort.
*Carpaccio of fresh scallops in Yuzu, Lime, Black Caviar and Nasturtium flowers.
*”Sashimi” of white Tuna in Yuzu, chili oil and wasabi sesame.
Tomato Salad with Tulum cheese and oven roast eggplants with chili and garlic
The wines:
This is the midst of summer
Refreshing Champagne, and light white wines are in Order and so we had:
E. Barnaut Grand Reserve, NV Grand cru Champagne (from Bouzy) that was sublime and perfect with the scallops and “Sashimi” a real gem of a perfectly dry but fruity (citrus) champagne, with over 60% Pinot Noir you can actually feel the “traces” of strawberries and cherries on the nose and palate from this little known small champagne house. 
We proceeded with a sip of the wonderful Egly-Ouriet Brut Tradition Grand Cru NV Champagne (from Ambonnay), which was equally refreshing still more complex with glorious golden colour, with nice touches of toasted brioch, roasted hazel nuts, peach and apple peel. Delicate bobbles and well balanced; this is turning into a summer feast…
The 2012 Cloudy Bay which in theory was the perfect wine for the occasion but turned to be on the floral side, with very little sauvignon blanc characteristics and leaning too much to the sweet side lacking the expected 
crispiness.
Don’t despair we don’t have to pop into a far away wine shop or even the local corner shop to find a good replacement for this “disappointment” just a few steps down to the basement and into the cellar where we gamble on an eleven years old Sancere: 2002 Domaine Roger Champault 
Sancerre Le Clos du Roy, Loire, France. Another go on a Sauvignon Blanc, this time left us surprised, after all this wine is over 10 years of age but the distinctively smoky, gunflint character of Loire Sauvignon Blanc from this area is so well defined here, this is a classic Sancerre palate that is described by Loire locales as: “pierre a fusil” – The aromas and flavour of Gun flint which define this wine (some say the pronounced minerality reminds the taste of the fossil stone, though the spelling should go like “pierre a fossil”, well in any case it had these qualities I guess I am drawn to wine through these oddities of odd flavours, its usual brilliant pale gold turned to deep gold and it felt more ripe than the crisp side, citrus aromas were felt with enough acidity to keep the wine fresh and appealing. The wine is round and by now lacking the sharp edges of youth, yet if felt fresh on the palate with a nice long finish. I guess that this wine was described as: “almost unripe” when tasted (by others at 2003), actually helped it to survive and our “patience” paid off a decade later.
Today is Jewish New Year’s Eve. So Happy New Year to all (of all persuasions)
SHANA – TOVA
Your WINEGUIDE
Zuma London and the spirit of Guy Bourdin
An Invitation to ZUMA
My 60th birthday is imminent, (again?, no it’s the same one fron June 11th 2013) & one of the emails reads:
When r u 60?…Can Shelly and I take U, Daphne and Udi to Zuma one eve?
…OK, Table already booked. Kobi.
I must confess I have not been to Zuma since it opened (with a Buzzzzzz) at 2002, it just kept slipping through my restaurant visits in London.
Now Kobi is my legendary “culinary tours” partner at restaurants all over Europe since the late 1980’s, we used to travel all over France in search of the culinary wizards of their times, and found them, tours that left us with everlasting memories. He is a great cook, and an amazing judge of good cooking, and good food, be it haute cuisine or simple street food, a lover of tastes, delicate cooking, a master of light touches that make food 
great. (I must say I have learned a lot from him regarding approach to cooking). Shelly his wife (on the other hand), she is a great friend of mine and the true celeb of our group tonight. She is the “teacher /mentor & right hand” of the talented and shy Alber Elbaz, the chief fashion designer of the house of Lanvin, we are talking the top of Haute Couture. (Have a look at Alber Elbaz on truth and fashion Video) it is a fascinating piece on anything but fashion on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5BUFFpZC5s ) (I like this guy).
Elbaz studied fashion at Shenkar College (Ramat Gan) near Tel-Aviv. His teacher was Shelly Verthine, who remained Elbaz’s close friend and creative collaborator. “Shelly was my teacher and is still my teacher,” he says of shelly who remains an integral to his work and is often seen by his side. “The mythological teacher who brings things out of you”
Shelly is also the Author of several top notch fashion books / Albums 
Alber Elbaz, Lanvin– by Shelly Verthime and Pascal Dangin (2012)
Guy Bourdin– by Charlotte Cotton, Shelly Verthime and Collectif (2004)
Guy Bourdin: In Between– by Shelly Verthime and Charlie Scheips (2010)
by Nicolle Meyer and Shelly Verthime (2006), check them out they are fascinating. She is also the curator of the Guy Bourdin V&A exhibition and since then in many major museums all over the world, as I said a real celeb! A video of the 2012 show can be seen at : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0SFLvsYULs
But she is shy, always away from the limelight, I once asked her how come she is always wearing simple plain clothes with all the Haute Couture availabilities around her and so she honoured me with an “appearance” for my birthday…
As planned we all meet at Zuma as arranged, for my last night of fun Birthday weekend in London, my Home away from Home.
Around 11 years ago a German chef – Chef Rainer Becker, and his Indian business partner opened a super trendy & Modern Japanese restaurant – Zuma. Rainer Becker spent six years in Tokyo where he studied the secrets of Japanese cuisine. Was he in search of the secrets of Japanese cuisine? or its place in Japanese culture maybe? what I would call “The Tao of Japanese cuisine” (道– Dô. or the term Tao means “The Way”, “path” or “principle”). Did he find Enlightenment? Or rather the principles that fuse the esthetics and basic principles of Japanese cuisine with modern western culinary demands, a “needs” for Japanese food with a modern twist to fit contemporary tastes of modern restaurant goers. (As a matter of fact Zuma is now established as a global brand, with openings in Hong Kong, Dubai & Istanbul).
Zuma is about fashion, see and be seen, glamour, and celebrity, but above all it is committed to top notch cooking which they call: contemporary 
Japanese food. Zuma of London’s Knightsbridge, offers something different, a sophisticated twist on the traditional Japanese izakaya tradition of informal eating and drinking.
Traditionally Izakaya (居酒屋) is a type of Japanese drinking establishment, which also serves food to accompany the drinks. A places for after-work drinking, very much like a Spanish Tapas Bar. Here at Zuma they claim that: “The ethos behind zuma is to deliver an authentic flavour of the east while respecting the traditions of the past”
Indeed the menu presents the diner with a wide variety of traditional Japanese products, condiments and cooking methods all with the addition of some European additions like black truffles (in many of the dishes) and other “borrowed” trendy ingredients make up an alluring menu (the kind you want to say: ”one of each please”.
We ordered our wine although the Sake list looks impressive. (my understanding is limited on the Sake front, so I aimed wine wise at the general taste of the guests around the table and came up with a winner:
Moreau-Naudet, Forets, Chablis Premier Cru, 2010, (at £69 one of the best “deal” of the whites wine list)
This is a fruity, voluptuous wine with abundant citrus notes of lemon, lemon rind, sea salt, (that go well with the ample usage of Yuzu and sea weeds in Zuma’s dishes), a touch of floral scent of wild flowers and wet chalk touch. It’s beauty is in the balance between all the flavour elements. It comes from a small lot within the Montmains vineyard, which Stéphane calls: “…one of the greatest terroirs of Chablis.” Stéphane Moreau is though young is a very experienced winemaker and the wine reflects his deep understanding of Chablis winemaking expressing his new ideas into the final product.
The wine is available at https://www.justerinis.com/fine-wines/wine-details/burgundy/domaine-moreau-naudet/chablis-la-forest-1er-cru-2010-20498 buy it for £165.00 (for a case of 12 bottles (if you are at the UK, and make it your summer wine)
We started with the most amazing fresh, smooth and silky Home made tofu served chilled with condiments, not only it is beautiful to look at, but has a great consistency and touch on the palate, personally “spiced” by each of us with a choice of spices laid around the wooden square dish fresh grated ginger, wasabi, sesame and a fruit confiture, perfect!!
Another totally vegetarian dish arrived on the table Seaweed salad apple wafu vinaigrette & toasted pumpkin seeds, delicious and colourful, bring them on…
Than came the Thinly sliced seabass with Yuzu, truffle oil and salmon roe, very delicate, evenly spiced citrus meets the ocean, the truffle oil, quite unsuitable for these delicate touches of flavours.
The assorted Vegetable and The tiger prawn Tampura’s were slightly different in their butter coating and were both oil free crisp and fresh.
The Crispy fried squid with green chili and lime where prepared to perfection, lightly breaded with a nice rough sandpaper texture on the palate, a real nibbler.
The vegeterians around the table were offered the Fried tofu with mizuma, gobo and pickled baby carrots, fried similarly to the calamari.
While I was getting the amazing Freshly seared Wagyu sirloin Tataki with Black truffle ponzu
The Wagyu was perfectly marbled lightly seared on all sides with the center left raw with enough heat to start affecting the fatty “marbles” adorned by a generous amount of thinly sliced “fresh” black truffle which was loosing its scent by now (June) but the ponzu was a perfect dip for the dish adding a lemony zest to the final flavour. Ponzu (ポン酢) is made by simmering mirin, rice vinegar, tuna katsuobushi flakes and seaweed (kombu) over medium heat. The liquid is then cooled, strained to remove the flakes, and finally the juice of Japanese citrus fruits: yuzu, sudachi, daidai, kabosu, or lemon is added.
By now everyone was quite satisfied but I could not resist the amazing Wagyou cut of the day and decided to order the Wagyu beef (sirloin) served with tahhon aioli and chilli daikon ponzu. A real delight straight from the robata grill a real BBQ delicacy, apart from being perfectly prepped, there is no doubt the uncooked produced played a major role in the success of the dish. Excellent!!!
With the eye of a painter and the fre
edom of a photographer, Guy Bourdin created images full of fascinating stories, compositions, and colors. Using
fashion and fashion photography as his vehicle, he explored the realms between the absurd and the sublime, taking cues from the theater and Surrealism. He broke conventions of commercial photography with a relentless perfectionism and sharp humor. Some of these qualities were served to us on the dishes during our meal at Zuma and these are some of the qualities I expect from a meal, my dear friends and family added the extra bits for a great completion of a very FINE supper.
SAYONARA
YOUR WINEGUIDE
Lunch @ Dinner by HB (part III) – Desserts
The chronicles of British cuisine in a meal
As we ordered our starters and main dishes we were advised that one of the desserts takes a long time to prepare The Tipsy Cake (c.1810) requires 3 “visits” to the oven and takes about 40 minutes to make/bake obviously we ordered one (to be on the safe side) that was a great mistake cause even 2 orders would have been devoured by our small group, a real gem to which we will return in details later…
OUR DESSERTS
We ordered The Taffety Tart (c.1660) just to compare with the exquisite one we had at The Fat Duck, both of course from the: 1610 A New Booke of Cookerie by John Murrell. The recipes for Taffety 
Tarts, which usually contained apples is a spectacularly fragrant version – the apple pulp scented and flavoured with orange, quince, rose-water, and violets, This recipe was first published in print in ” The Cook’s and Confectioner’s Dictionary” 1724 goes like this: “Mix a quarter of a Pack of Fine Flour, with a quarter of a Pint of Yeast, and as much hot Liquor as will make it into a stiff Paste, with two Pound of butter, the Yolks of twelve Eggs, and half a Pound of fine Sugar; make it up into small Balls, and then roll it out into thick Plates; wash round their Brims with Milk: Boil Pippins soft, peel them and scrape the Pulp from the Cores, mingle the Pulp with fine Sugar, a little Marmalade of Quinces, the Scrapings of candied Orange-peel, and Rose-water: Make up your Tarts, dry them in a warm Place, bake them, scrape Sugar, and sprinkle Essence of Violets or Roses over them, and serve them up”. I’ve read thousands of recipes and cooked from them, but the above C.1724 instructions, will amount to nothing that looks or tastes like a tart.
The HB FAT DUCK version saves the day very elegantly as you see on the Fat Duck version(on the left) , but less so, or in fact as… just another tart in the Dinner version (on the right).
Brown Bread Ice Cream (c. 1830) Salted better caramel, pear & malted yeast syrup, from the 1830 A New System of Domestic Cookery by Maria Aliza Rundell.
For the Brown Bread Ice as written in the above book (on page 201): “Grate as fine as possible, stale brown bread, soak a small proportion in cream for 2-3 Hours, sweeten and ice it”. Short and simple innit? Well It makes Iced cream but not Ice Cream as we know it, so the idea of powdered “stale brown bread” is incorporated in a classic creamy ice cream decorated with salted butter caramel which is also a “filling” for the base pastry also in the “brown bread” realm including cubes of “bread” soaked in caramel syrup than toasted to achieve crunchiness, intermittently with cubes of poached pears. The barley malt extract syrup, provides a combination of enzymatic activity, sweetness and appealing crust color to baked good, used extensively in brown bread making
I must say that Maria Rundell’s Ice cream recipes such as the one quoted here do not come even near the ice creams of another author appearing on the menu, for a dessert we did not have The Boemian Cake 
(c.1890) by “THE QUEEN OF ICE”, Mrs. Agnes Bertha Marshall (1855 – 1905). This lady was a celebrity cook of Victorian time, she always adopted new technology and technique. Apart from having her very own ice cream maker the Marshall’s Patent Freezer, she is also 
credited with the invention of the ice cream edible cone, mentioned in her 1888 book of cookery. Agnes B. Marshall wrote four books: The Book of Ices 1885, Mrs. A.B. Marshall’s Book of Cookery 1888, Mrs. A.B. Marshall’s Larger Cookery Book of Extra Recipes 1891 & Fancy Ices 1894. These are considered to be some of the finest books of their type ever written, especially those on ices, of which Mrs. Marshall was crowned Queen. Her recipes are clear, accurate, and well illustrated.
We could not resist our waiter’s recommendation: Quaking Pudding (c.1660) Pear, perry, caramel & lime, from: The Accomplished Cooke by Robert May, 1660, or in its full name THE Accompliſht 
Cook, or “THE ART & MYSTERY OF COOKERY. Wherein the whole ART is revealed in a more easie and perfect Method, than hath been publiſht in any language, who am I to dispute that…?
The recipe on Robert May’s Accomplished Cook 1660, is a classic 17th century English recipe. This one by Robert May is a basic cream custard with bread steamed in a mould and which should shake or quake when served, which it does right before our eyes.
Making a Quaking Pudding: Slice the crumbs of a penny manchet*, and infuse it three or four hours in a pint of scalding hot cream, covering it close, then break the bread with a spoon very small, and put to it eight eggs, and put only four whites, beat them together very well, and season it with sugar, rose-water, and grated nutmeg: if you think it too stiff, put in some cold cream and beat them well together; then wet the bag or napkin and flour it, put in the pudding, tie it hard, and boil it half an hour, then dish it and put to it butter, rose-water, and sugar, and serve it up to the table. (Copyright © celtnet) For the full recipe link to:
http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/stuart/fetch-recipe.php?rid=stu-may-make-quaking-pudding
*Penny Manchet, is a wheaten yeast bread of very good quality, or a small flat circular loaf of same. It was a
bread that was small enough to be held in the hand. Perry is an alcoholic drink made from fermented pears. Perry has been common for centuries in England, particularly in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and in parts of south Wales.
This is really an exquisite dessert. Dinner’s version containing Vanilla as well as the “obligatory” freshly grated nutmeg with the light Jus of pears, perry, lime and caramel, from the poached pears not only quaking all the way to our table and on it (aided by all concerned) but smoothly lining our palates and down our throats… delicious.
Back to the Tipsy Cake (c.1810) from: The English Cookery book by J H Walsh which can be read on: http://archive.org/stream/englishcookeryb00bookgoog#page/n0/mode/2up
The tipsy cake is a soft succulent brioche is served in a mini cast iron 
Staub pot, soaked in a sweet alcoholic sauce – “a drunken cake” here it is accompanied by a small strip of roast pineapple, slowly sweating on a spit roasted (to perfection) on the large Rotisier.
Brioche is a pastry or a highly enriched bread of French origin, with high egg and butter content that give it a rich and tender crumb. It is “light and slightly puffy, more or less substantial, according to the proportion of butter and eggs. It has a dark, golden, and flaky crust. Brioche is considered a Viennoiserie- baked product made from a yeast-leavened dough in the same way as bread, but has the richer aspect of a pastry due to the extra addition of eggs, lots of butter, liquid (milk, water, cream, and, sometimes, brandy or sweet wine) and sugar.
The combination of butter and caramelizing sugar at the base of the cast iron dish creates a runny delicious liquid toffee which is “sucked in” by the baking fluffy brioche making it addictive beyond imagination, in fact I crave for more as I am writing right now, the combination with the roasted pineapple is perfect adding tropical touch and flavour to the dish.
I must add that my fruity and fresh 1987 Château D’ Yquem, that was “not welcomed” at Dinner, but 
consumed with joy on my “official” Birthday Dinner at Catit Restaurant Tel Aviv, would have been PERFECT with all our deserts especially the Tipsy cake and spit roast pineapple which is an Yquem on a plate.
Dinner is a restaurant that presents with pride a chronological history of best of British food throughout recorded history (in print) from the 14th century to date.
HB: “around about two hundred years ago Britain had gastronomy as good as anywhere else in Europe, we only take our inspiration from periods and time it’s not replicating it not at all, it’s an inspiration by association at times just a spice mix or a way the dish is served, we are updating and upgrading the ingredients nowadays you would not be able to eat like all round rancid milk or oxidized & sour wine available in the 17th-18th centuries”.
At Dinner they are using refined oils rather than Pigs lard for cooking, other contemporary products and techniques to achieve reminiscences of a glorious culinary past, in contemporary dishes. If you do not search for the origins of each dish (not only a mention of their sources of origin as they are meticulo
usly entered on the menu), the idea gets lost somehow, very much like looking at relics from the past in an archaeological dig which without any deeper explanation of what you are looking at look like just another bunch of “broken stones”. I guess most people including me loose the essence of the “exercise” and just have yet “another meal”, rather
than appreciate the amount of thought and effort that is entered into each and every dish, and that’s a bit of a shame, that might not be easily rectified after all people come to Dine here and dine we did, in style and meticulous perfection in dishes execution, that with the right company, what else could I wish for on my 60th Birthday (month). Yes celebrations went on (and on) some of which you will be part of in the coming posts.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
66 Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7LA
Phone: 0207 2013833
YOUR WINEGUIDE
Lunch @ Dinner by HB (Part II) – Main dishes
The origins and history of a meal – an Archeological excavation
We are sitting for lunch @ Dinner by Heston Blumenthal now already relaxed as we already had our starters, We ordered our champagne and wine for the meal, at the beginning, switching to the Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Frionnes 2009, after the “opening toast” took place, I like having 2 wines in 2 separate glasses on the table to “perform” my own personal pairing with the dishes served…
The Saint-Aubin Les Frionnes 2009 is a very attractive and elegant wine from small lots Les Frionnes on the north side of Rue des Frionnes, just outside the St. Aubin village; (you can “travel” along the vineyard with Google maps street view search for: Rue des Frionnes 21190 Saint-Aubin, France), it seems the grapes are soaking in the sun throughout the day facing the southern slopes. The Lamy family has been working in the vineyards around Saint Aubin since c.1640.
The wine: Clean pale green colour. With notes of lemon zest and green apple peel, white flowers and traces of wet chalk. It has a light touch of wooden presence, it shows subtlety, delicacy and freshness as well as a nice aromatic persistence on the palate. An elegant wine, indeed with fine intensity and excellent freshness of citrus fruits on the long finish, very good balance, harmony and finesse, just right for our meal.
Udi “our” Vegetarian, opted for the – Braised Celery (c.1730) Parmesan, artichoke, walnuts & morels, was rich and tasty, it was perfectly laid down on the plate, I could not resist a tiny bite on the cucumber Jelly which was sublime. (This dish was dug out from the book: The Complete Practical Cook; A new system of the whole Art and Mastery of Cookery, by Charles Carter 1730
, BTW it is misprinted on the menu as “Charly” Cook, yes C. Carter was a cook for the Duke of Argyle. The Earl of Pontefrac , and the Lord Cornwallis), the book has phrases like: “…and send it up, in its jelly…”, as an instruction to the cook in the kitchen “Downstairs” serving food to the dining TABLE “Upstairs” (You can read another of Carters books free on http://books.google.co.il/books?id=6YIEAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA58#v=onepage&q&f=false
I seems that Daphne our Fish eater, was stuck in (1830), the same year as her starter but… with a dish by a different cook: Maria Eliza Rundell, she ordered the Roast Turbot (c.1830), Leaf chicory & cockle Ketchup. (from the 1830: “A new system of Domestic cookery by M.E. Rundell (A Lady)”, an extremely popular cookbook of its time, mainly in the western colonies. (Later editions were edited and rewritten by Mrs. E Birch.)
Ketchup is a late 17th century (around 1690), Chinese mix of pickled fish and spices called : kôe-chiap or kê-chiap (Chinese for: “the brine of pickled fish or shellfish”), from there to Malaysia and by the Brits to the west with the 1830 Mushroom Ketchup by Geo Watkins. The secret of many cooks in Victorian
times. It tastes halfway between soy sauce and Worcestershire Sauce and with a light scent and flavour of mushrooms, all the way to Mr. H.J.Heinz very own American tomatoes Ketchup of 1876.
A fine dish with Turbot roasted exactly inside and out and 
cockle in their brine, ((ketchup) and Cichorium intybus (chicory)steamed leaves, the cultivated chicory is better known as Belgian Endive (the endives we know are white because the cultivated plant is deprived completely from sunlight (grown in the dark underground or indoors), the green leaves used in this dish are from the wild chicory plant and are more delicate in their bitter taste than the Belgian type and less flavorsome than the brown, ground, dried chicory root used as a coffee substitute during WW2.
Spike Ordered the Powdered Duck Breast (c.1670) Smoked confit fennel & umbles, a reconstruction of a recipe by Hannah Woolley from The Queene-like closet or rich cabinet 
1670-1672. The book was intended for Downstairs staff in stately homes, but does not really include any recipe even close to served dish, maybe the spirit of Ms. Woolley is there, and gave our team of chef inspiration that should do:
Ladies, I do here present you (yet), that which sure will well content
A Queen-like Closet rich and brave, (Such) not many Ladies have:
Or Cabinet, in which doth set, Jems richer than in Karkanet;
(They) only Eies and Fancies please, these keep your Bodies in good ease;
They please the Taste, also the Eye; would I might be a stander by:
Yet rather I would wish to eat, since ’bout them I my Brains do beat:
And ’tis but reason you may say, if that I come within your way;
I sit here sad while you are merry, eating Dainties, drinking Perry;
But I’m content you should so feed, so I may have to serve my deed.
Hannah Wolley. (1670)
Yet again, unknowingly Lisa and I ordered the same dish: Spiced Pigeon (c.1780) Ale and Artichokes.
Neck of the woods (c.1555), Neck” had been used in English since around 1555 to describe a narrow strip of land, usually surrounded by water, based on its resemblance to the neck of an animal. But the Americans were the first to apply “neck” to a narrow stand of 
woods, well in my neck of the woods pigeons are hard to get and I am a “sucker” for pigeons. Historically the practice of domesticating pigeon as livestock most likely came from the Middle East (my neck of the woods), squabs or pigeons have been consumed in the Middle East for centuries since around 350BC Hellenistic Period, in Ancient Egypt, Rome and then Medieval Europe. Doves are described as food in the Bible and were eaten by the Hebrews (that’s my guys…), still it is
quite rare to find good size or tasty pigeons round here, even quails the very bird that kept our forefathers from starving in the desert during the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt to the promised Land of Israel is not available in shops anymore (The market forces of availability and demand brought the few farmers down…)
Squab is a young domestic pigeon; it formerly applied to all dove and pigeon species, such as the Wood Pigeon, the Mourning Dove, and the now-extinct Passenger Pigeon (not by hunting practices may I add). More recently, squab meat comes almost entirely from domesticated pigeons.
This recipe presumably comes from The: Lady’s assistant, and complete 
system of cookery. By Charlotte Mason (c.1780). Read all about it online @ : http://archive.org/details/ladysassistantfo00masob
This lady (Mason), knows how to cook without a doubt and uses the finest of products to achieve her “creations” she relies upon French cooking tradition and uses the French definition when no English words are at her disposition. The pig looks and tastes so pinky, juicy and fresh due to a process they used initially at the Fat duck using an Enzyme Transglutaminase, this enzyme binds proteins together and shortens the cooking time required thus keeping our Pigeons breast all nice and juicy (in one word succulent). The reduction of Ale and pigeon stock is light and well seasoned (these tend to be slightly over salty most of the times BUT NOT HERE!!! There was a total consensus regarding the quality of the dish.
Now… the wines we had, you already read about. But I wanted to celebrate my 60th birthday with some “rare” wines I have collected through the years, to be opened on a special occasion, Like the Chateaux Mouton Rothchild 1970 (with the Mark Chagall Label), and a bottle of Anselme Selosse Substance Champagne, obviously I would not bring a wine to a restaurant without permission or a wine which is on their list of course, but when requesting that very permission at DINNER you get reply from the wrong people on the restaurant “Hierarchy”, these officials are bound by “restaurant policy” which would never in my mind get the chef’s or head sommelier approval they say NO (easy), I think that if the right people: HB or Ashley Palmer-Watts or the sommelier in charge they would say yes, after all as they write in their www site the idea of Dinner is: A formal meal, typically one in honour of a person or event.
Anyway (eat your heart out cause Lisa got me as a present form herself and Georgia (on my mind) a great wine bottle Chateaux Pavie 1970, somehow me paying a long debt on my side to Lisa was also “paid” in the shape of a Croft 1970 Port and I brought along (just in case the restaurant staff will show us the courtesy of good wishes and allow us to open Just one special bottle from my cellar Chateaux Mouton Rothchild also 1970 (3 great 1970’s on the table (well in a beg by the table on the floor), were left orphaned due to policy driven decisions, and me being too shy to ask), still if you ask me a bad decision but I am not the restaurant’s “policy maker” !!!!!!!! (I doubt if HB is even aware of the situation that even on special occasions with a wine which is NOT on the restaurant LIST which is a very nice and comprehensive wine list, (pity the internet version I was referred to is a short unsatisfactory list compared to the rich and diverse even easy to read list you get on the table), the restaurant stuff came out the losers as well because we always share good rare wine/s with other “understanding palates” (as this is our own personal joy). The wines we brought each other, the presents rouse our young sommelier’s envy, yet did not succumb to the “restaurant policy”…
We added Side dishes: the amazing Mashed potatoes and the fresh Braised lettuce and peas again cooked to perfection JUST RIGHT!
Chef Ashley Palmer-Watts, likes to cook and knows the A-Z of cooking and easily masters a kitchen of this quality but I was left with a feeling that he is “afraid” (maybe by choice), to cross the boundaries of tailored “Haute cuisine” cooking into the realm of FUN. I guess being a “hotel Restaurant” or “Restaurant in a Hotel” has an effect not only on the envelope but also on the content of the Restaurant as a whole itself. On paper the idea to excavate ancient recipes that go as far back as the 14th century up to the beginning of the 20th century, is not only a great idea but shows a sincere and deep interest in food which appeals to me. When one cooks a lot, he stops getting interested in the recipe as an instruction guide to and tries to get to the idea behind the recipes, the other aspects of food such as history, philosophy, sociology, and get into the realm of cookery as ART.
We sank in to the remaining morsels of food in each other’s plates watching the cavalry guard heading back to the stables enjoying each others company while waiting to our deserts on the next post.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
66 Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7LA
Phone: 0207.201.3833
(…To be concluded…)
YOUR WINEGUIDE
Lunch @ Dinner by HB (Part I)
The word Dinner comes from 13th century French word for breakfast, but in Britain it has always been used for the main meal of the day. In medieval times, this meal occurred in the middle of the day and was followed by a much lighter supper before bedtime. Over the centuries, it has got later and later and now means the evening meal. Although in some parts of Britain it still means Lunch! (From the menu wrapper at Dinner)
Well, those of you walking the streets of London, or the ones who visited by chance, my Facebook pages, have already noticed the amazing gesture the Lord Mayor of London Boris Johnson, prepared for me. Banners Celebrating 60 : 1953-2013 have been spread all over town commemorating my 60th birthday which I celebrated a few days ago (on June 11th).I must admit, I was taken by surprise; the city of London “enlisted” all its resources for such a personal occasion (as big as it may be…). Still I can’t really complain and push this show of recognition aside. After all ,I have a few minor contribution throughout the years for this great city of London with: endless paid parking tickets, direct and indirect taxes, reducing CO2 emission to name but a few), still I must admit it caught me by unprepared… Thank you, the Right Honourable Boris Johnson.
My daughter Daphne honoured me even more by getting us tickets for Mark Knopfler Gig (Privateering 2013 Tour) at the Royal Albert Hall on June 1st (The Hall was booked in advance for the 11th) and so, to make a complete celebration of the day I booked Lunch @ 
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal (Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1), present were people I love friends and family, Daphne & Udi, Lisa & Spike and moi your humble WINEGUIDE.
Now… one of my most exciting and fun visits, to a restaurant in the last 2 years was without a doubt, my lunch with Spike at Heston Blumenthal’s the FAT DUCK (as written in my Post: https://wine4soul.com/2012/05/27/lunch-at-the-fat-duck/ ) so we came with some anticipation…
My guests: Spike Denton apart from being amongst my best friends him and I have been going to Restaurants of sorts for ages now so he is an obvious guest,
my dear friend Lisa Galton one of the most acute tasters I know, a real connoisseur of wine and food, (with a wine collection at her dads house with gems of unsurpassed rarity) a lady of quality, a delight to sit to a meal with, in short my kind of lass.
needless to say my daughter, Daphne and son in law, Udi and “meself“, after all it is my 
own celebration Innit???
We’re off to the Restaurant that is right there on the first page of The World’s 50 best Restaurants list for 2013, in fact at number seven of the lot… (http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/ )
Conceived by Heston Blumenthal and his right-hand man Ashley Palmer-Watts, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal excavated ancient recipes that go as far back as the 14th century to the beginning of the 20th century and reintroduces them using contemporary cooking techniques. (we’ll talk about it later…) They say: “Dinner” is not about delicate combinations or table theatrics, but gutsy dishes that will remain at the forefront of your memory bank for years to come.”
As we sat down HRH the queen herself joined the birthday celebration gestures, by sening her cavalry to salute us, sitting at the window looking over the Royal park (Hyde )…
raising our glass of Champagne, I chose the: Paul Dethune, Brut Grand Cru, Ambonnay, NV Champagne, a small grower’s champagne from the Grand Cru village of Ambonnay, we set down to order our starters:
Daphne the pescetarian round our table, goes for the Roast scallops (c.1830) Cucumber ketchup, roast cucumber, bergamot & borage. This roast scallop dish is deconstruction of the elements in the recipe published in the 1826 book The Cook and Housewife’s Manual Mistress by Meg Dodds. Now this is the second time this week cucumber stars as a suitable supporting act to a dish of sweet succulent scallops and it works fine (especially here in England, where green veggies are so prominent (compared to coloured vegetables you can find in hotter countries) I 
must admit it does work well and the green scent of cucumbers compliment the dish well. Add to that Bergamot or wild bergamot, which is of the mint family and Borage (Borago officinalis), also known as a starflower, with edible leaves this annual herb though a native to the Mediterranean region it has naturalized in many other parts of Europe, which grows well in gardens in the UK.
Udi the Vegetarian, had the Nettle Porridge (c.1660), smoked
beetroot garlic parsley & Fennel, a delightful dish even if just to look at…recipe from William Rabisha, The whole Body of Cookery Dissected (1682) . This book was written after the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. William Rabisha was ‘Master Cook’ to many honourable Families and left this important text, a remarkable statement of the art of 
cookery as it was in the 1660, and was surprisingly influential over a very long period. The books full name says it all: The Whole Body of Cookery Dissected, Taught, and Fully Manifested … Whereunto is Annexed a Second Part of Rare Receipts of Cookery … With a Book of Preserving, Conserving and Candying … by Will. Rabisha
Spike had the Meat Fruit (c.1550) Mandarin, chicken Liver & Foie gras parfait, grilled bread. A real treat to look at and a fine liver parfait filling in a casing of jellied mandarin colour and shape coat, including the fruit’s skin perforated outline and real leaves, they go into all the trouble of giving it the correct shape, cool it to set, freeze it to gel the mandarin peel coatings, so much trouble and than you miss on the mandarin flavour? (that’s smell and taste) isn’t that a pity, yet it is an alluring piece of prepped dish as you can see from the photos.
Lisa and I went for the Frumentry (c.1390) Grilled octopus, smoked sea broth, pickeled dulse & Lovage. Throughout the centuries Palmaria palmata called dulse, dillisk or dilsk, sea lettuce flakes a red algae that grows on the northern coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, and has always been an important source of fiber in the British Isles and northern Europe.
I love well prepared octopus in any form of cooking, either rock beaten and grilled over 
charcoal on a Greek island beach, or my most memorable one at Osteria “LA RISACCA 6” in Milano, Via Marcona, 6 Tel. 02 55181658 – 02 5468041
(over 20 years ago), a simple but delicious perfect octopus cut to about 1 inch pieces, cold peeled tomatoes, exquisite olive oil and a touch of herbs– perfection! , so I went for the Octopus dish, as it turned out Lisa ordered octopus as well and we both did not realize this was the most ancient of recipes on our menu 1390 AD from the 
Forme of Cury (methods of cooking) by The Master Cook of King Richard II, a most becoming dish for Lisa who was raised at Hampton Court Palace, Yes!!! She might not be Royalty but she is Regal a real queen. (Hampton Court Palace as you all know is the Palace of the Tudor Kings and queens, Built to House and feed the kings of England from around 1529-1760 including of course the Court of King Henry the 8th, who used to have up to 600 people for
lunch, and not only once, poor kitchen stuff I’m not kidding Ya).
Lisa and I, both loved every moment of our octopus which was perfect to the book a real delight, it was succulent – tender, juicy, and tasty (oxford dictionary)., swimming in a lightly smoked broth with touches of red and green algae and the “leaves in fashion” – Lovage, Its flavor and smell is somewhat similar to celery and top chefs use it lately for all their sea fruit dishes. (too much???)
The Paul Dethune, Brut Grand Cru, Ambonnay, NV Champagne is a grower’s champagne
from the Grand Cru village of Ambonnay, Champagne, one of only 17 villages in Champagne with Grand Cru status. I love Ambonnay champagnes. The village’s vineyards are located in the Montagne de Reims region of Champagne, and are all classified as Grand Cru in the Champagne vineyard classification (A Clos-type vineyard in the village is the single vineyard source of Krug’s Clos d’Ambonnay). For map: http://www.libation-unlimited.com/dr-2-champagne-in-ambonnay.aspx . This wine has 70% Pinot Noir and 30%, made by the Dethune family who own 7ha of vineyards in Ambonnay. Though boutique style and fairly unknown this is a wonderfully balanced and rich champagne of outstanding quality The Brut NV is mineral extremely rich yet fresh, with a fine mousse very good length and finesse with aromas of strawberry butter brioche. It has great length and elegance, just what I needed for this celebration.
We sank slowly into our private get together with great wine, wonderful view 
of the park and our very own company reunion, digging in and sampling each other’s dishes between seeps of this fine champagne. Are we having one of the best meals in the world? after all it is quantified and qualified as the 7th best in the world, and first courses are the best platform for a chef/kitchen to show off their ability and imagination, but we are here not to judge but to enjoy, and we are having fun from the company, wine, and the food and thus everything else re: minute details are secondary.
Next post… our main dishes the wine we had, the wines we brought each other, the presents and the wine that rouse the sommelier’s envy yet did not succumb to “restaurant policy”…
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
66 Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7LA
Phone: 0207.201.3833
(to be continued…)
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Restaurant: Story, London SE1- a tale of one meal
(press on photos to enlarge)
“I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.”Vince Lombardi Jr. (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970)
Chef Tom Sellers strongly believes in the inner truth and beauty of this quote of an NFL legendary 1960’s American football coach, to a point that he had these lines tattooed onto his right arm, and strives continuously in the kitchen and on the restaurant floor, to emerge “victorious” at the end of a day’s work. This is probably the Motto of his story…
A Story or a narrative is any account that presents events which are directly or indirectly connected, and can be organized as a collection of anecdotes, sometimes legends or myths. It can be told as fiction, such as short stories or novels.
The word Narrative, derives from the Latin verb Narrare, “to tell”, and is related to the adjective gnarus, “knowing” or “skilled”. Narrative is found in all forms of human creativity and art, including writing, songs, film, photography, theater & visual arts amongst which I include a consumable art form: culinary art. They all describe literally or in an abstract form a sequence of events.(from wiki) The narrator always communicates directly to the reader in our case the diner, (the man who came to eat).
A meal with a “story” with a certain order (as in a tasting menu), recounts a sequence of events, or series of events, arranged in order, often with causality relationships among the items. A sequence of events can be presented in text, like our menu here. The description of the items or events may include glimpses into time with references to place or time, some information that describes a sequential path, childhood; professional experiences some by clues and some by association, as the STORY menu presents.
26-year-old Chef Tom Sellers has an impressive CV that includes: Noma, Per Se Thomas Keller’s NY Restaurant (at the age of 18) and later Tom Aikens. Tom Sellers is an experienced young chef who have seen and worked with the best of the rest, has an interesting concept: let me tell you my culinary memories and experiences but you are free to add your own interpretations and tales to them: “Our dream is to inspire people to take their own journeys – creating stories not just of food, but of everything that has played significance and holds a memory. We see food as our story books and want our guests to share this story, leaving their own stories with us along the way…“
Restaurant Story resides in a sort of a modern “Traffic Island Pavilion” close to Tower Bridge. A “Pavilion” is basically a free-standing structure, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection between the structure and the idea of relaxation and pleasure in its intended use (from Wikipedia), Restaurant Story follows the above 
architectural definition to the letter, including the fact that a pavilion is built to take advantage of the surrounding view glazed all around with the Shard in the background. The interiors feel warm and inviting, the open plan kitchen compact yet specious enough for all concerned, around the walls with 2 separated center “Islands” which surprisingly allows enough work space from all sides.
Sellers offers a choice of 2 tasting menus 6-course menu (£45) and inventive 10-course menu (£65) which tell a nostalgic story with amusing twists along the way, to read their story, a candle is lit in an old fashion bed side candle holder… and left to burn and drip and we suspect of nothing unusual…
We Ordered the house special Bloody Mary (we make it with yellow tomatoes says the sommelier cocktail master, triumphantly seeing the astonishment on spikes face at the sheer color of the drink, and after a sip announced he got what he described as the “best Bloody Mary ever!” 
In the meantime I ordered our wine: Jean Baptiste Ponsot, Rully Premier Cru Molesme 2010 (such a good vintage year in Bourgogne)
An array of stunningly beautiful and tasty amuse-bouche unfolded on our table, all exhibiting extremely high technical skills, good taste and pairing knowledge.
Crispy Cod skin, cod Roe and carrot tips
Radish stuffed with seaweed butter
Nasturtium flowers stuffed with oyster emulation zabaglione style
Oreo biscuits of calamari ink
“Fish fingers” of diced Rabbit meat topped with 3 different coloured carrots
These are sort of personal reminiscences of childhood with references to
early “culinary” memories of home and school “delicacies” (only by shape and colour), like fish fingers, Oreo biscuits with a twist, cod and radishes all upgraded from their memory wonders to present time delicacies, the cod skin and touch of the melting Oreo biscuits to die for…
As the candle continues to melt down into the collecting dish at the base, the Ponsot, Rully Premier Cru Molesme 2010 is poured and our first course is presented:
Bread and dripping. (Tom’s dad fav.)
Hi-Story
Dripping was used for cooking in the inter war years, especially in British cuisine, in the Midlands and Northern England (Tom Sellers is a Nottingham boy), Dripping was popular among poor families hit by unemployment for bread spreading instead of butter, a proper use of food leftovers that includes the byproducts of any meat they were lucky enough afford.. Dripping could also be bought at the butchers, for spreading on bread. Old-fashioned chip shops used to fry their chips in beef dripping.
Sumptuous Poppy seeds sourdough wholemeal bread accompanies a bowl of small cubes of veal tongue and celery bathing in a sour reduction of chicken consommé that balances the well seasoned fattiness of the collected drippings off the base of the candle. These will be left on the table for the entire meal as your butter substitute for spreading on your bread. I used to say that all you need is excellent bread and great butter, good quality well spiced dripping can be an equaled substitute.
Burnt onion, apple gin and thyme(I love gin T.S)
This is a trio of onions: grilled / burnt, grilled / baked, on a base of confiture d’oignon, or sweet onion chutney, dresses with a Vinaigrette of apple gin thyme and olive oil with a nice spiced gin aftertaste and thyme aroma, simple, witty and quite delicious.
Scallops, cucumber and dill ash
This is spring on a plate, Carpaccio of scallops on a lightly dressing of lemony emulation, with ultra fresh cucumbers balls loaded with cucumber green scent and flavor, some rolled in dill ash for complexity and the spring signature of dwarf fiore de zucca (courgette flowers still attached to the tiny courgette) and Nasturtium (monks hat) leaves, so refreshing and green scented, light and beautiful.
Mackerel, salad root and strawberry
I’m not a great fan of oily mackerel, but I must admit the inner balance of the dish without the usual smoked mackerel smell was a delight with the cream fresh at the base and pale strawberries, even I can get used to mackerels after all…
Heritage potato, asparagus and barley green
There are not many dishes as comforting as well mashed potato with butter This mash is made
to perfection Joël Robuchon style with the slightly nutty ratte potatoes, a 19th-century classic beloved by French chefs. This butter rich purée of heritage potato comes with asparagus curls and heads, fresh barley grass and inky-black ‘coal’ sauce. So simple yet so alluring for more, we finished the 
plate to the base the bit of coal sauce left on the plate allowed us to perform our very own “coffee reading” – Tasseography (for Chef Sellers) It is a fortune-telling method that interprets patterns at the base of a cup/dish of tea leaves, coffee grounds, or wine sediments and left over coal sauce in this case… As you can very well see our young chef will burst triumphantly like a Volcano and slowly affect all at his lava flowing mountain sides…
Beetroot, raspberry and horseradish
Tucked in between two rich dishes (nothing is really too heavy about this pleasurable lunch) a refreshing combo of beet cubes, and sliced raspberries on a lightly sweet raspberry coulis with a strong horseradish powdered granita / sorbet. These are contrasting flavours that work so well together, NICE!
Pigeon, summer truffle and pine
The pigeon breast is hidden underneath the foliage and Broccolini (a green vegetable similar to broccoli with small florets and long, thin stalks) blanched broccolini, baby leaves, and broccolini purée con=ver (at first) the well prepped breast tender and gamy with a light pigeon jus. The “summer truffles” are hardly felt if at all and thankfully do not overpower the dish. Also finishe to the very last crumb (I love pigeon)
Lemon
A palate cleanser of lemon and lime in varying degrees of sourness and four different consistencies, a cruncy lemon meringue “biscuit” lemon sorbet, lemon crème patissière and lime and yuzu ユズ, tasting jus. A perfect cleanser and palate refresher.
Our deserts
These are still part of the story with personal addition of Ms. Francesca Mossa the young pastry / desert chef.
Prune tea, Lovage and milk
Soaked Prunes, lovage infusion, and crepe of curdled boiled milk and a touch of salt flakes…
Three Bears Porridge
The finale is an amusing Goldilocks and the three bears inspired desert presented both on a card with each bear holding a bowl either too salty, too sweet or just right porridge.. followed by three bowls of oats porridge, fresh shaved Kentish cobnut which taste accordingly, spiced in turn with salted caramel; comb honey, condensed milk , fruits and flowers, in a set of fairytale dishes and handmade oven clay spoons.
They say: “We have created a personal journey through food, which has been crafted and inspired by the journeys of others and ourselves. Our dream is for all guests to leave a book at Story, which will remain there to evoke the inspiration in others that we hope our food will evoke in you. We look forward to sharing our stories”
And we say: Thanks for the stories and the memories, thanks for trying and succeeding to please us (and the other guests). You told us a story using the art of narrative which is by definition a highly aesthetic enterprise, with identifiable beginning, middle and end. The narrative is not in the cooking or the food, but in the plot imagined and constructed by the diners. This notion applied to storytelling through food was attempted here at “Restaurant Story”. Personally I got what I expect nowadays from a meal at a restaurant, I want the restaurant to excite me almost as a child, cooking properly is just not enough anymore an excellent meal cooked even to perfection may not be sufficient, and I do not mean I expect fireworks and odd tricks or paraphernalia, just good food which is also witty and FUN.
The meal at Story has the edge of excitement which goes hand in hand with cooking techniques, presentation, Visual and taste aesthetic values. Inner balance of each dish, correct product pairing within each dish, and between the various dishes on the menu. As their story unfolds into its climax, in the (only) dish that actually requires cooking skills (the pigeon), I was filled with the joy and satisfaction. You may say I was content, isn’t that what’s it all about?
The story of Tom Sellers of Nottingham and his “merry man” (a generic term for any follower or companion of an outlaw, knight, or leader/chef) is yet to be told, Tom Sellers still has a way to reach the NFL finals but he is certainly approaching a stand in the WCL (World culinary league) Playoffs, and this is a great start for an extremely talented chef as young as he is, he is a 
narrator – gnarus, has the knowhow and the skill required to head a successful kitchen Chapeau!
Restaurant Story: 201 Tooley Street, London SE1, 020-7183 2117.
Tues-Sat, lunch noon-2pm, dinner 6.30-9pm
Book well in advance!
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WINE FOR SOUL 