Restaurant Reviews: County Cork

We got back on Sunday from a week in County Cork with friends… Dinty’s in Union HallA tiny, simply decorated, casual pub restaurant on the harbour in tiny Union Hall, the setting belies the excellence of the food. On the first night several of us had deep fried brie as a starter – two tranches ... Read more »

Our first harvest of home-grown potatoes!

On Sunday Pete harvested the first of our home-grown potatoes from our back garden “allotment” – a variety called Edzell Blues! Of the 10 plants he’s grown he harvested the potatoes from just 2 of them which came to a little over 2 kilos. Apparently our yields would have been even higher if he’d earthed ... Read more »

Restaurant Reviews: Marrakech, Morocco

We certainly ate well during our stay in Marrakech. Chez Chegrouni (inexpensive) is one of the grand dames of the Place Jemaa El Fna and, in common with the others, has dining on the ground floor as well as on two terraces overlooking the square. Popular with locals and tourists alike so arrive early whether ... Read more »

An Introduction to Moroccan Food

During Morocco’s long history many, many different visitors, invaders and settlers have influenced it’s cuisine which is, today, a mix of Berber, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and African cooking. The other major influence, of course, is the availability of produce which is dependent on the climate and the fertility of the land – Morocco is ... Read more »

Tips for Marrakech

“A good holiday is one spent among people whose notions of time are vaguer than yours.” John B. Priestly For Christmas 2006 we decided on a change of scene. Together with my parents and my sister we spent 3 nights in Marrakech during which we did some gentle sightseeing, some great eating and enjoyed some ... Read more »

An Introduction to Marrakech

Overview Marrakech (alternatively spelt Marrakesh) is one of the most popular destinations in Morocco, a country situated at the North Western most corner of the vast African continent. Popular with travellers searching for the exotic, the heart of Marrakech is in it’s ancient Medina, a walled city once organised around mediaevel craft guilds but now ... Read more »

Restaurant Review: Zaika Restaurant, High Street Kensington, London

Last night I had the pleasure of being taken out by a friend to Zaika Restaurant in High Street Kensington (London). Zaika is a modern and stylish restaurant offering Indian fusion cuisine –offering both reworked traditional classics and original dishes blending eastern and western flavours. On opening in 1999 the restaurant garnered very positive reviews ... Read more »

Our Mamta’s Kitchen Feast!

I know that as a keen cook’s daughter people might assume that I’d naturally be able to recreate all my mum’s delicious Indian recipes and that I grew up cooking Indian food at her apron strings. But I have to confess that while both my sister and I grew up learning to cook from both ... Read more »