Author: jamesclay

Posted on

Calves Liver

Back in November last year I visited the Alba Ristorante in London with some friends.  I had the Smoked Duck Salad followed by the Calves Liver. The Italian name for the calves liver dish was Fegato alla griglia con spinaci & patate; in English, grilled calves liver with spinach & saute potatoes.

Back then I blogged about the meal and said

I am not normally a great fan of liver, lambs liver is quite strongly flavoured and pigs liver much too strong. Most of the time it appears to be served as liver and onions and the liver is dry and tough. However I had read many reviews about calves liver so this was an opportunity.

I was impressed.

It was beautifully cooked and was delicious. The flavour was exquisite and the accompanying spinach and potatoes were done well too. The texture was fantastic, it almost melted in the mouth. It had been grilled to perfection and was medium as was recommended to me and as asked for by me.

I decided that I would try and recreate that moment and cook some calves liver myself.

Hmmm.

I cooked it quickly on my griddle, it looked nice, however it certainly did not have the texture and flavour of the liver from the Alba.

Don’t think I will be cooking it again, going to leave it until the next time I visit the Alba.

Posted on

Credit Crunch Literally…

Britain eats its way through recessions. When the going gets tough, the tough, it seems, tuck into pudding, says Michael Blastland in his regular BBC column.

Read more.

Posted on

Wow foodie pictures

Though posted on BBC News last year, these foodie pictures are still very impressive.

Food Picture

Incredibly, everything you see in this image can be found in the kitchen. Photographer Carl Warner has painstakingly captured all kinds of food in a series of still lifes.

See more.

Posted on

Is it time to take tuna off the menu?

Is it time to take tuna off the menu?

BBC reports on how some food outlets are removing bluefin tuna off the menu.

The bluefin tuna is one of the world’s most impressive fish – a predatory cruiser of the open ocean that can zoom through the sea at the rate of 40mph and grow to the size of a small car.

Bluefin tuna – the staple of sushi boxes the world over – is on the brink of extinction, with its plight highlighted in a new film. Sandwich seller Pret A Manger is changing its stance on tuna, but should the rest of us follow suit?

Read more.

Photo source.

Posted on

The happy herb

From the Guardian

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall ends his look at summer herbs with chervil, because it always brings a smile to his face

Posted on

Mango

Got some “Ripe and Ready” Mangoes from Tesco and was surprised by how sweet they were, in many ways too sweet to eat.

Going back to melon…

Posted on

Green and Blacks’ Dark

Decided to give Green and Blacks another try. Not sure why as I didn’t enjoy the chocolate that much the last time I had it.

I do like dark chocolate and I do like the 70%  style of dark chocolate (or should that be plain chocolate).

I did eat it, thought it was okay, but really think I prefer other dark chocolate. There was too much of a cherry or fruit flavour for my liking.

Posted on

Rice

Rice deserves to be the star turn every now and then, says Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in the Guardian.

Once upon a time, the humble rice pudding was a very grand dish indeed. In medieval Europe, rare, expensive rice was kept locked in the spice cupboard along with all the other imported culinary jewels. In those times, the word “ambrosia” was apt; it meant “food of the Gods”, not “tinned for sale in a corner shop near you”.

Posted on

Venezuela’s giant rodent cuisine

Venezuela’s giant rodent cuisine

BBC reports on Venezuela’s giant rodent cuisine:

While in many countries the Easter dish may be lamb, in Venezuela a traditional delicacy around this time of the year is the capybara, the world’s biggest rodent.

The capybara is a distant cousin to the common guinea pig but bigger and river-based like a beaver.

Many Venezuelans regard the semi-aquatic creature as more fish than meat – a useful description during Lent when it is eaten as a replacement for red meat in this largely Roman Catholic country.

Not sure if I would eat it, would you?