Arbutus

On a recent trip to London, my mom and I were searching for an easy, reasonable pre-theatre menu, and Soho's Arbutus ticked both boxes.

The interiors are welcoming, the staff friendly, helpful, and prompt, and the food is reflective of Anthony Demetre's Michelin etoile earned at Putney Bridge Restaurant. Demetre has worked with Will Smith since 1998, and it has been a match that, judging by our recent meal, has worked brilliantly. Demetre's menu is straightforward and comforting without being predictable or boring.

My 'vegetable soup' starter was actually a soupe au pistou, with a dollop of pesto hiding beneath carefully arranged vegetables that had to have been cooked separately from the broth because they were just barely still crisp and the broth worked as a compliment rather than a liquified version of the mushy veggie flavours (as, sadly, so many vegetable soups turn out to be).

Our main (we chose identically) was billed as 'Slow cooked lamb breast, potato puree'. But it was more. Oh, so much more. The layers of breast had been flash sauteed to crisp the meat and then layered into a terrine and braised. With the potato on the side, it was more like a deconstructed lamb brandade, with the carrots seasoned simply (and with copious amounts of butter...which was surely the secret to the potatoes as well).

Will Smith's part in all of this was equally praiseworthy. The pair's philosophy is 'value for money and quality', and Smith's wine list is evidence that they intend to stay true to it. The approximately 25 reds and 25 whites are listed in 1/3 bottle-sized carafes, and not a one struck me as unreasonably priced. Also, for a party of three or four, the 1/3 bottle makes it possible to pair every course with something different.

Unfortunately, I ate dessert too quickly to take a picture, but let that be proof in the pudding that it was something splendid. It was a creme caramel that was one part flan, one part apple crumble, and served with a slender biscotti with which to scoop up layers of caramelised apple (and, I think, a wee bit of pear) and delightfully light vanilla creme.

Oh, and the bill? 18.95 GBP per person. Granted, this was without wine, but Arbutus, in my opinion, is the best pre-theatre spot for a Drury Lane show.

Now, go eat and GO SEE THE WAR HORSE.

Veggie Detox

Having rolled back to Albion at least 2 kilos of gelato heavier, I decided that it was time for some tough love in the kitchen. I threw out the remaining Magnum ice cream bars; the butter got the boot; all tempting carbohydrates swiftly met the lining of the rubbish bin.

It was time for some veggies. Not one who takes easily to the notion of a raw diet in a country slipping into the gray, damp cold of November, however, I decided to allow myself a bit of olive oil. OK, a good few Tablespoons of olive oil.

Roasted carrots played a significant part of our Great British Menu meal, and my improvised version of Glynn Purnell's 'pickled carrots' opened my eyes to macerating the carrots in oil and spices in advance of roasting. The oil acts as a conduit for infusing the carrots with whatever spice mixture you add to them. This batch has mustard seed, fennel seed, cumin, garam masala, dried corriander, salt and pepper. I crushed the larger seeds in a mortar and pestle and then added the rest. One could use any kind of oil, but I think vegetable or olive would work best. I may have gone a bit overboard with the spices this time, but mustard seed and fennel seed go wonderfully with carrots. If you happen to have some dried chipotle peppers lying around, crush those up and add a bit--the smokey, piquant flavour is a great compliment to the sweetness of carrots after they are roasted. If you can, slice them as thinly as possible; let them macerate for at least an hour, and place them in a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with foil. They become almost like crisps!

Macerating carrots

For the courgette, garlic, and cherry tomatoes, I kept things simple. Just a bit of olive oil, coarse salt and cracked black pepper.

These veggies roasted for about 45 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. The tomatoes were sweet with condensed tomato flavour, the garlic was sticky with caramelized goodness. The courgette, however, was, well, just rather limp; I think I'll stick to sauteing or grilling those in the future.

The aubergines got a stove top roast over the gas burners. This method is best in the absence of a grill, and the charred skin gives the flesh of the aubergine, and the 20-foot radius around you, a strong, smokey quality. Yum. The roasted flesh was then removed from the skin and set aside. In a deep saucepan I heated some olive oil over medium heat, added:

3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced (raw)
3 garlic cloves, smashed (roasted)
2 shallots (raw or roasted)
Flesh of 2 roasted aubergines, mashed
3 Tbs. tomato paste
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped (I used the roasted cherry tomatoes)
1 Tbs. pomegranate molasses
2 tsp. dried sumac
2 tsp. Turkish red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 bunch fresh parsley (flat leaf, Italian is best, but curly is fine)

Add the garlic and shallots (if raw) to the oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) and saute for a few seconds. The moment that it begins to brown, add the tomato paste and saute for a few seconds more. Then add the aubergine and roasted garlic, shallots (if roasted), followed by the tomatoes, molasses, and spices. And if you happen to have some roasted courgette, go ahead and throw that in, too!


Finally, the jewels of peppers, shallots and fennel got the same simple dressing as the courgette and tomatoes--just a bit of oil, salt, and pepper.


These went in to a roasted veggie salad, dressed with just a bit of balsamic. All of the roasted veg was delicious with pita, hummus, lettuce, yogurt (just throw in some fresh mint, parsley and a bit of lemon juice), and fish throughout the week.

I just chose not to think about the oil!

Firenze

Today, for this post, I am going to indulge. Visually speaking. Less is more as far as words are concerned, in this particular case.

Recently, our wonderful friends, Paula and Cy DeCosse, were our fantastic hosts for a weekend in Florence, where we celebrated Cy's 'Last Picture Show' at the Galleria dell'Accademia. The weekend was enriched with the presence of many of Cy's subjects for his show--the Florentines who make the city the buzzing hub of artisan creativity--, friends from all over the world, and, of course...gorgeous food.

Following the opening at the Accademia, we headed to the Stibbert Museum (think Versailles re-done by an eccentric Scotsman with a penchant for armor). The museum was the residence of a one Fredrick Stibbert, whose grandfather was the high commander of Britain's East India Company in Bengal. With the inheritance of his grandfather's entire estate, Fredrick's sole occupation became filling up the place with stuff. Lots of stuff. As in there is a hall for a complete Cavalcade.

Once we'd feasted our eyes on the horror vacui around us, we sat down to the following:

Turbantino di carote con bianco di astice, pinoli tostati e olio al basilico
(Carrot pudding with lobster, toasted pine nuts and basil oil)

Fagottini di crespella di ricotta di bufala e spinaci
(Crepes au gratin with bufala ricotta cheese and spinach)

Vermicelli alla chitarra al ragout leggero di verdure
(Vermicelli with vegetable sauce)

Gran pezzo di bue chianino alla toscana in salsa al ristretto di Brunello & Lattuga belga brasata con bacon
(Beef Tuscan style with Brunello red wine sauce & Braised Belgian endive with bacon)

Dolce all'amaretto
(Amaretto cake)

Friandises

Needless to say, after all of this, we all rolled down the hill to taxis. The evening was a special one not only because Cy's show was such a crowning moment in his homage to a city and a people he has loved for over sixty years, but the food as well as the venue reflected the best of Florence: one part opulence, one part humility, and one part absolute quirkiness, a certain brand of which can only can be found there.

Stay tuned for more quirkiness to come!