Yesterday I led a Chelsea Sweet Treats Adventure and went straight to a supperclub which I got home from after midnight (more on this below). Sorry for being a little late!
- On Monday I went to the soft launch of Bancone (opening day, 50% off food) near Trafalgar Square and ate the best pasta I’ve had in ages. The Sussex ricotta ravioli with broad beans, peas and asparagus was INCREDIBLE. It was a bargain at half price but totally worth the full price.
- Wednesday was the last ever official gathering of a cook book club I’ve been attending on and off for four years. As usual the spread of food was amazing. The most remarkable thing I tasted was a cheesy shortbread with almonds and chorizo made by Chloe. It was a recipe from Leah Hyslop‘s beautiful new book Made in London. The club is meeting again as the Drapers Arms Cookbook Club quarterly and the next is on October 3rd with a repeat of the much-loved Ina Garten theme (just the recipes, nothing else!). Everyone is welcome!
- I spent the summer solstice in beautiful, sunny Suffolk eating breakfast and lunch at Pump Street Bakery and having a tour of the chocolate factory in between and a wander around the pretty streets afterwards. The bakery make an excellent croissant even better by including batons of dark milk Pump Street Chocolate inside. I’m also still totally smitten with their dark milk chocolate with sea salt and rye crumbs.
- I was kindly invited to try out new opening Scarlett Green. Both my meat-loving husband and I found every vegetarian dish (and the prawns) exactly the kind of food we love: fresh, vibrant and full of flavour. Go and order the cheese, vegemite and truffle doughnuts for umami excellence, and also the white asparagus and the bhel puri salad. We loved the aubergine, too.
- Finally, the impressive supperclub that kept me away from my computer last night was the most ingredient-intensive meal I might ever have eaten, if you don’t count El Bulli (yes, I was that lucky back in 2009!). Ryan Anderson of Arbour London created seven courses, canapes and bread with whipped sweetcorn that tasted extraordinary for what it wasn’t: sweet, salty butter. The canapes included a caramelised goats cheese on rye that reminded me of dulche de leche but in such a good way. The supperclubs are once a month – this is Michelin-level chef cooking, well worth checking out. The event last night was to launch the merger of Feed Up with WeFiFo – a platform for hosting meals where every diner attending leads to a meal for someone hungry. Brilliant.
Come and drink and taste chocolate with me!
As well as the private chocolate evening at Rococo Chocolates in Belgravia on Thursday 19th July at 6.30pm, I am also co-hosting a chocolate and cognac pairing at Gianluca’s Coffee Cult in Fulham next week – on Wednesday 4th July from 6.30pm (we will be finished by 8pm latest). For £25 you’ll get a gorgeous iced chocolate cocktail (I’ve tried it and it’s dangerously good), the guided pairing with Frapin premium cognac and London bean-to-bar chocolate Damson Chocolate and finish with a take on an Old Fashioned. If you book before Friday at 5pm the tickets will be £20 with the code COGNAC. As with all of the Taste Tripper Events, all profits go to charity, in this case Doctors Without Borders.