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  1. Burrowing field mice

    January 16, 2008 by John

    Field mouse

    The family of field mice that have been resident in our garden for a couple of years have now started to burrow under the garage, leaving big mounds of soil in on the greenhouse floor.

    So, despite them being cute, it’s time to stop them. We have bought two traps, loaded them with Fruit and Nut, and in two nights we’ve caught 4 mice.

    I’ll keep a running tally here….

    Update: 21/01/2008 Days: 6 Mice caught: 6

    None for the last 2 nights. I wonder is that it?

    Category Garden | Tags: | 5 Comments

  2. Food Awards 2007

    January 3, 2008 by John

    Travels 2007

    February
    Andover
    March-April
    Lake District
    May
    London
    June
    Ludlow
    September
    Devon & Cornwall
    October
    Thornhill
    November
    London
    Christmas
    Hamilton’s Bawn

    The food highlights of 2007 were:

    Best Restaurants

    These are the best places we’ve eaten this year:

    1. Hibiscus, London. Relocated from Ludlow to Mayfair, Claude and Clare Bosi’s Hibiscus still retains its essential characteristics and superlative food. Although we thought that it wasn’t quite as good as when in Ludlow, I’m sure that will improve as they settle into an urban context; they should certainly retain their two Michelin stars.
    2. Fins, Fencebay. The fish restaurant that is run by the people who sell fish at the Glasgow Farmers Market. Superbly fresh, simply cooked, the fish that normally gets exported to France and Spain.
    3. Driftwood, Cornwall. Consistently good food in a stunning setting on the south Cornwall coast.

    Best Hotels

    Places we have enjoyed staying in this year.

    1. The Samling, Ambleside. Superbly comfortable small hotel overlooking Windermere. The breakfasts, served in the bedrooms, is particularly luxurious. The goats cheese ice cream was also excellent!
    2. Driftwood, Cornwall. Really welcoming and comfortable hotel with a New England feel, sited on the south Cornwall cliffs.
    3. Trigony House Hotel, Thornhill. An autumn highlight is this small Edwardian country house in the Dumfriesshire countryside, with comfortable rooms, good food and resident dog.

    Best Breakfasts

    1. The Samling. Nothing can beat a Samling breakfast, chosen from an extensive menu the night before (only marginally resisting the urge to tick all the menu items), served in the bedroom and eaten while looking out over Lake Windermere.
    2. Tom’s Kitchen, London. Eggs benedict, say no more.

    Category Food, Restaurants | Tags: | No Comments

  3. You’ve been Tangoed?

    November 25, 2007 by John

    Super Orangeman

    Just what Ireland needs, a new superhero.

    a) There’s no trace of irony.
    b) You couldn’t make it up.

    Update 16/12/2007 - from Quentin Devine on YouTube

    Category Ireland | Tags: | 6 Comments

  4. Breakfast in Tom’s Kitchen

    November 15, 2007 by John

    After our night out in Hibiscus, we needed some more food (well, not really, but…). So we wandered round the corner from our hotel to Tom’s Kitchen for breakfast.

    Cherry Berry meusli with vanilla yoghurt

    Eggs Benedict with grilled bacon
    Beautiful, dark-yolked free range eggs

    Three kinds of toast

    Needless to say, we didn’t eat anything else until we after Preston later that evening!

    Category Food, London, Restaurants | Tags: | No Comments

  5. Hibiscus London

    November 15, 2007 by John

    Hibiscus

    We were unable to go to Claude and Claire Bosi’s Hibiscus in Ludlow this year – because they’d closed down in April and moved to Mayfair, opening on 24th October. So we booked ourselves in for a Wednesday night in mid-November, and took the train down to London for what we expected to be our culinary highlight of the year.

    And it didn’t disappoint.

    Although in an urban setting a few metres from Regent Street, the atmosphere in the new Hibiscus is similar to the old location in Ludlow’s Corve Street. The new restaurant has similar oak panelling, neutral colours and familiar glass plates and white crockery. The welcome is friendly, including from Claire Bosi who manages front of house efficiently.

    But while the atmosphere is relaxing and welcoming, the food is the real star:

    Cheese choux pastries

    Amuse bouche: Hibiscus & elderberry soda

    Cornish crab, avocado, apple jelly
    Lamb sweetmeats     (yes, testicles), tartare of oyster & sweetcorn
    A strange combination of tastes, adventurous and not really to my taste!

    Mortimer Forest venison, chocolate sauce, foie gras ice cream, cabbage puree, potato and chestnut gratin
    The undoubted star of the meal – the venison was meltingly tender, and the potato and chestnut gratin was a gorgeous combination of creamy flavours.

    Cheeses: 3 French, 2 English, eaten in a particular order from strong to creamy.

    Pre-dessert: Granny smith jelly with lemon grass foam

    Hazlenut mille feuille, butternut squash and pine nut ice cream, mango jelly
    Apple tarte tatin, ginger and lentil ice cream

    Coffee & petit fours

    While both the service and the food were excellent, there were some (very minor) disappointments compared to our previous (5) times. The basket of three home-baked breads has been replaced with a basket of a single sourdough; there was no home-made chutney with the cheese; no madeleines with the petit fours. But these were really minor, and I hope that Hibiscus gets it’s two Michelin Stars back in it’s new location.

    Category Food, London, Restaurants | Tags: | No Comments

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