Author Archives: billoldfield
Roast duck breast with chili noodles and ginger plums
Duck, noodles, ginger and plums are all traditional Chinese ingredients. But as British plums come into season, here all the ingredients are combined to make a fresh, late summer dish that’s both quick and easy. Soy sauces are made from fermented and salted soya beans and there are typically two types available in mainstream shops: […]
Cats know it all
Next time, I’m going to come back as a cat. Cats seem to have it sorted, don’t appear to get stressed, always have enough money and don’t worry about big issues such as the environment. While we, on the other hand, are currently grappling with what is probably the most complex issue we’ve ever had […]
Ox Liver with gooseberry jam
Calves liver is a highly-prized dish but many overlook liver from the more mature animal. Maybe it’s the term ox liver that makes some categorise it similarly to mutton: from an older animal so it must be tough, stringy, fatty or something. Well they’d be wrong. I prize ox liver, not just because it’s great, […]
Is it poor to ask such questions?
Jamie Oliver hit the nail on the head. He recently suggested that poor people spent too much on food and ate badly and that often “the poorest families in this country choose the most expensive way to hydrate and feed their families”. If ever there’s a red rag to a bull, it’s criticising the poorer […]
Do we really need this advice?
My wife and I have just completed a week in the Tuscan heartland of Italy. I’m a great fan of Italy; not just for its beautiful countryside, women, medieval villages, clothes, shoes, women, exquisite sports cars and, of course, the stylish women, but also for its food and wine. Never mind the French; they just […]
Carpaccio of beef with figs and garlic oil
Carpaccio was invented, so I understand, by Giuseppe Cipriani in 1950 at Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. It was named after the Renaissance painter Vittore Carpaccio who was noted for his use of red in his paintings. Thin sliced raw beef was served with a cold vinaigrette made with olive oil and it was generally […]
Useless husband
I know I’m a useless husband but, in mitigation, it’s not my fault. It’s my genes. At least I hope it is and that there’s not something terribly wrong with me. For instance, I don’t know the correct answer to “How do I look?” when actually the honest response might be “Not terribly good” but […]
Crème brulée
Crème brulée must be one of the most popular desserts we serve in the restaurant. Customers frequently decide upon it before they’ve even chosen their starter or main course. It’s not often made at home, but it’s so much easier than you think and most of the work can be done in advance. And you […]
Aubergine casserole
Despite what what some people say about restaurateurs, I’m a great fan of vegetarian food. Why not? All food’s great if cooked well with the best ingredients. A current vegetable-based dish on our menu is this aubergine casserole which, while having many of the same ingredients of ratatouille, is a very different dish by dint […]
Czech bait
Who’d be a vegetarian? Or more precisely, who’d be a vegetarian in the Czech Republic? Please don’t for a moment think this is a tirade against vegetarians. Not one bit. After all, vegetarians are customers as well. No, this stems from the first time my wife and I went to Prague and discovered that the […]
Bill Oldfield 