The Great British Menu

In case you have been living under a rock on another planet for a couple of years it's my duty to inform you that food is now seriously trendy in the UK. Not just going out to fancy restaurants but also cooking. Don't believe me? Have a look at the television schedules. They are stuffed full of cooking programmes.

Well I say that. There are lots of entertainment programmes with a pretext of food. With limited channel surfing you can choose between watching some hapless restaurateur being shouted at by someone with more awards than fingers; keen as mustard amateurs striving to impress dubious judges; some outrageous science where the results can be eaten or a crusade being worked out through the medium of food. Amongst all of this are shows where highly decorated chefs take you through some D.I.Y recipes at just the right pace to require you to buy the accompanying cook book to get the full details of what ingredients and techniques are needed.

If I'm sounding cynical, I don't mean it too literally. Most of the shows are quite entertaining, some I watch avidly. Admittedly, some I avoid like the plague. However amongst all of this is one programme which showcases some of the best aspects of the food culture in Britain today. It is the Great British Menu.

For those of you not familiar with it, this is a cooking competition where chefs from around Britain aim to represent their region at a ceremonial banquet. The banquet in question usually has some theme which has to be reflected throughout the cooking. With some notable exceptions (not mentioning any comic relief series... funny food indeed) this has usually provided some interesting ways for the competing chefs to flex their cooking muscles. Among my favourites were showcasing local suppliers and the current series which is working towards a banquet commemorating D Day.

The main reason I love this series is that it focuses unashamedly on gastronomic brilliance. Recipes may be published on the BBC website but in the real world, most "civilians" wouldn't dream of trying to replicate the dishes produced. They are designed to make the diner go "wow" and frequently have that effect (on one viewer at least). It is also a brilliant way to see some of Britain's best chefs at work and get an insight into the way they cook. This has led, on several occasions, to investigating the restaurants some of the competitors cook in and finding some absolute gems. Best of all is being able to watch experts at work.

So as competition is starting to warm up I highly recommend watching. My support is strongly with Emily Watkins of the Kingham Plough.

TFB

The Drinks Globe

I'm not going to lie, as well as being delicious, whisky carries with it a certain image. I like to think of it as elegant sophistication. A hipflask in a well cut tweed jacket for example is, in my mind, a perfect pairing. Some may describe this as fogeyism but they can be ignored.

This easy elegance can extend to storage. Many years ago, all drinks were collected in earthenware pots only to be poured into glass bottles when they were ready to be drunk (by your bottler, later to become butler). This was down to glass being extremely expensive (and highly taxed). This process of decanting continues now with cut glass decanters remaining popular. I quite like decanting whisky. There is a certain ceremony to it and they are undeniably good looking objects. The problems arise when you forget what's in it (or when you think you remember then top it up with something different by accident - many an interesting blend has been created that way).

Now the tax on glass is less extortionate, or certainly no worse than the tax on everything else, most whiskies are supplied in bottles. These are invariably elegantly designed. The neck of an Old Pultney bottle, for example, is the same shape as the still in the distillery. Edradour has a picture of the extremely picturesque distillery on the label while Glenfiddich opts for the more traditional stag's head. All of these look good on the shelf not to mention making identification in times of intoxication relatively straight forward.

However for those seeking yet higher levels of sophistication, a drinks cabinet is required. Lining one's bottles up on the floor has limited visual effect after all. This is where my latest toy comes into play. Thanks to an eagle-eyed (not to mention extremely indulgent) fiancée, a drinks globe is now residing in the corner of the living room. What could be better to house my collection of whisky (well most of it)? It appears to Cat's love of "storage solutions" and my love of whisky, multi-purpose gadgets and general enjoyment of elegance. Not only does it keep hold of many of my bottles, there's even room for glasses too... assuming I have remembered to wash them up! Apparently there's also a picture of the surface of the earth on it too; so I'm told. As you can tell, I'm slightly smitten!

Sliante

TFB

Whisky Vessels

Whisky is whisky isn't it? A brown fluid that tastes nice and makes you (well me) feel happy. Yes, a wide variety exists but ultimately, it's all whisky. It therefore follows that it shouldn't really matter what you drink it from. Whether it's a cup or a cut glass tumbler it will make no difference. Theoretically it shouldn't even matter if you swig it straight from the bottle; although if you find yourself at that stage you may want to seek professional help!

However we all know the vessel does make a difference. Whether it's the feeling it gives you when you have a dram or the effect it has on the drink when you sip it, glasses are all important. Strictly speaking, experts will tell you the best type of glass to drink whisky from is a 'nosing' glass. This tulip-shaped glass is designed to concentrate the volatile vapours from the whisky (and hence the aroma) a a specific point... the point at which the tip of most people's noses reach when they stick it in the glass. It is also held near the base so perfumes and natural pheromones don't get in the way of the scotch. The bulbous base lets you swill the whisky with gusto without risk of spilling meaning you can have a good look at the colour and the legs. On the down side, they are top-heavy so easily knocked over and don't sit naturally in the hand instead needing active holding. It's therefore not always a relaxing way to have a drink.

From one extreme to the other. The nosing glass is only really practical if you are sitting still and concentrating. The next drinking vessel is ideal if you're on the move... the hip flask. I love hip flasks. There's something terribly reassuring about knowing you've got a dram in your pocket. I also think they are things of beauty. My hip flasks are amongst some of my most treasured possessions; each one having their own story behind them. Ones I have given have been carefully (almost obsessively) thought out in terms of design, inscriptions and most importantly, size! On the down side, the narrow opening does make it a bit difficult to appreciate the aromas of they whisky. Best therefore to use favoured blends. It also makes them a bugger to fill even with special funnels. With liquid entering from the same hole air is exiting, messes can happen easily.

Next is the quaich; a shallow bowl made of pewter or stainless steel. Now mainly used for decorative value (and teabag holders by certain philistines) they are a bit clumsy for sipping an evening (or afternoon or morning) whisky.  The best way I have seen it used is for ritualistic downing at a ceremonial event.

Last, but certainly not least is the tumbler. Usually these are either of cut crystal or smooth sided. Critically they will be short and wide based and should be able to take a very large dram without really showing it. These are certainly not designed for showing off how well honed your palette it. As a trade off, they are well balanced, stable and ideally suited to social drinking and relaxation. Again I have a few, each with their own stories which, to my mind, add value. The one I use most often is a cut crystal one I was given for my 18th birthday. It is a beautiful size and shape; holding a decent dram and fitting perfectly into my hand. Just hearing whisky pouring into it brings a Pavlovian feeling of relaxation.

Finally, if you're just getting into whisky or don't fancy splashing cash on drinking vessels (I've heard that there are such people out there) then there's a more every day alternative. The standard wine glass is ideally suited for whisky drinking. It's shaping allows aromas to concentrate. The stem allows it to be held well away from where the drinking is done (if held by the base) and, critically, it holds a decent amount.

So there you have it. The sensible thing now is to go and have a dram from each of these drinking vessels to see which one you prefer.

Sliante

TFB

Restaurant Review: No. 1 The Folley

Everyone has a little local gem don't they? A great little place that is just around the corner and does cracking food at a reasonable price. Usually it will take no more than five minutes to get to and have readily available tables.

Until recently I was lacking one. Nowhere in the local area really stood out. There was an anonymous looking place on the way into town. It made it securely on to the  'to go' list but we somehow never quite made it there. However recently there was a special offer on and if there is ever a good reason to investigate somewhere, it's a bargain!

And so it was that we ended up at No. 1 Folley Bridge.

I will tell you the details shortly but let me tell you my lasting impression first; overwhelming disappointment. Disappointment that I hadn't been there sooner.

The entrance is down some stairs in one of a strange collection of buildings that is on an island in the Thames. This unassuning entrance conceals a wonderful restaurant. Even in the evening the dining room was beautifully light and airy. The room was broken up with some elegant decoration an nicely ambient jazz was playing. However the main feature was the glass wall looking out on to the river and the pontoon that serves as a dining room extension. At night this was impressive. I can imagine a summer evening being breathtaking.

Now before this turns into an interior design blog, let me give you some more details. The staff were friendly and attentive without fussing. They took our orders swiftly and without note pads... nice touch!

Now to the food. It was sensational. I had some delicious scallops as a starter. They were perfectly cooked, meltingly tender and served with some delicious potatoes. Cat had some beautiful crab ravioli.

My main course was duck with potatoes cooked in the fat. I probably should have felt guilty eating duck given we regularly feed the ducks only 50 meters away from where I was eating.  The crispy skin combined with the beautifully pink flesh and the substantial portion soon banished any of these thoughts. Poached eggs put a stop to myle trying any of Cat's halibut but it looked delicious.

All of the dishes were beautifully presented and decently plentiful. The service was reasonably swift and the whole experience wonderfully relaxing. Price-wise, like I say we had a special offer. However looking at the menu, the prices offer excellent value at normal rates. My only one minor gripe is that the wine measures were a bit in the small side.

So a conclusion. I have my new local gem. We will be going back there repeatedly. Not only is it worth a visit while living locally,  it is worth travelling to for a meal.

TFB

Tasting Tweets #TT

With Burn's night rapidly approaching, now would be a good time for the monthly whisky post. Burns was a tremendous lover of whisky and wrote about it frequently in his poetry. Despite this, during his lifetime, he did his bit to stifle the industry by becoming an excise man... an individual responsible for the collection of taxes.

Given Scotland's Bard has devoted many words to whisky (as have many other great Scottish authors subsequently) you can imagine that it's easy to wax lyrical and in flowery prose on the subject. Insightful details of grassy high-notes with a sweet after taste trip of the tongue teasingly. Even without resorting to cliche, it is easy to clock up the word-count.

Which is why I've decided to set myself a small challenge over the coming months. Rather than write paragraphs and paragraphs on the subject, I have decided to condense my notes on particular whiskies to 140 characters or a tweet. For those of you who haven't found me on twitter, I can be found @JeevesFad and I will be using the hashtag #TT (those in the know can have a chuckle at that one).

My first attempt was about Edradour:

Edradour 10 y.o. Smooth, sweet, silky and rich. Smallest legal distillery. White chocolate on the after-taste. My favourite whisky #TT

Enjoy.

Sliante

TFB