French meets Japan supper club at Mirey’s Restaurant

My friends Gerry and Ko have set up a popup restaurant in south London, showcasing their creative talent and delicious food. The event took place in the London Cooking Project, a community-run culinary initiative in Battersea aimed at fostering budding catering talent in the area. We signed up and were provided with this tantalising menu. During a fairly manic pre-Christmas week it was lovely to … Continue reading French meets Japan supper club at Mirey’s Restaurant

Fusion Food: Seaweed Butter for Martini Canapés

I recently enjoyed a discovery taster menu at the beautiful Michelin-starred Greenhouse restaurant in London’s Mayfair area. I didn’t have any martinis as I didn’t want to spoil my palette before the dining extravaganza but the setting was beautiful, the food utterly inspiring and the service convivial and professional; in-depth but relaxed. What a treat! It certainly set my martini-obsessed brain into overload thinking of … Continue reading Fusion Food: Seaweed Butter for Martini Canapés

More Izakaya dishes

As I’ve previously mentioned, I love Izakaya culture.    So here are some more izakaya-inspired dishes to accompany a martini.    This is very simple: grill sweet potato in oil with a sprinkling of salt until ready. I was drinking a martini when I made this so I can’t remember how long it was in the oven for. 20 minutes? Who knows. There’s a reason … Continue reading More Izakaya dishes

Asparagus skewers to accompany a martini

   This is dead easy.    Asparagus is tasty and a bit of a luxury so it naturally pairs well with a martini. I love its distinctive flavour, visual appeal and most of all, its satisfying fresh and crunchy texture.    My brother and I were having a martini before dinner, but after we had drunk the first one we really just wanted to have … Continue reading Asparagus skewers to accompany a martini

Shime Saba (pickled mackerel sushi)

I love mackerel.   You’ve got to eat it fresh, it looks beautiful, it tastes really strong and it reminds me of fun times trying to catch them in the summer from a very young age.     I also love sashimi, or meat and seafood that is lightly cured, smoked or marinaded rather than cooked outright. So here is a simple recipe for preparing mackerel to … Continue reading Shime Saba (pickled mackerel sushi)

Beef yakitori snacks

I had a couple of people round for a catch up (over drinks of course). I was trying to think of something quick and I easy I could feed them between martini drinking when I came across some beef mince on special offer at the supermarket. I bought a kilogram and decided to make yakitori, a type of Japanese skewer kebab, inspired by izakaya/yakitori-bar type … Continue reading Beef yakitori snacks

A martini with sage

This is a very simple recipe for a snack that may or may not taste like fragrant Pringles made for the Gods…   While coriander is my favourite herb (controversial, I know), I also love sage. I previously made a sage-infused gin which goes nicely in a gin and tonic.     However, this sage recipe is very easy and infinitely faster than making an infusion.    Instructions Pick around … Continue reading A martini with sage

Martinis y tapas

   Having spent an amazing weekend in Madrid I thought I would write about the drinking culture in the city and see what inspiration I could draw from a martini perspective.    Los Madrileños know how to have fun – without feeling guilty, without getting stressed and without getting post-apocalyptically drunk. If you feel like having a drink or having something to eat then do so. … Continue reading Martinis y tapas