Posts by Tom Johnston
Write A Recipe? Take Some Onions
Sorry, Jay. For once you’re getting no sympathy from me. My food hero Jay Rayner has written a cookbook*. In a recent article in the Observer Food Monthly he writes about the problems of a bish-bash-bosh cook trying to explain to his readership how to make a particular dish. Tell me about it, mate. When I set out…
Read MoreDauphinoise Potatoes
Chefs! You just have to speak sharply to them. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve eaten a dish in a restaurant, recreated it at home, and discovered that my version wasn’t as good as theirs! Whose fault was that? The answer is obvious, hence the need for sharp talk. Folk will tell…
Read MoreTing Thai Times Two, Edinburgh
Ting Thai 55 – 57 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH1 2DJ 0131 466 7283 19 – 20 Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH1 2QZ 0131 623 0384 www.tingthai.co.uk The Bill Small Box £4.40 – £6.40 | Soup £7.40 – £8.60 Curry/Rice/Noodle/Other Box £8.70 – £12.60 The Score Cooking 7/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 20.5/25 It’s not…
Read MoreThe Times, They Never Stop A-Changin’
Well, we all do it, don’t we? Get beyond the age of, say, 40 and the way you were taught things generally remains the way you do them. For many it remains the only way to do them, all others being heresy. In the context of cooking, how easy is it for professionally trained people…
Read MorePesto and Variations
With a forthcoming trip to Genoa and a burgeoning basil plant, pesto seemed an appropriate candidate for Tom Cooks! this week. Looking at the city’s many attractions, I note that there is a plethora of classes are available to teach you how to make this sauce which the Genoese call their own. Two things won’t…
Read MoreCafé Marlayne, Edinburgh
Café Marlayne 76 Thistle Street, Edinburgh EH2 1EN 0131 226 2230 www.cafemarlayne.com The Bill Lunch 2 courses £18.90 | Desserts £7.50 Dinner 2 courses £32.50 | Desserts £7.50 The Score Cooking 6.5/10 | Service 3.5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 5/5 TOTAL 19/25 Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain…
Read MoreIf It’s Broon, It’s Cooked…
Where do you get your ideas from? I’m often asked. Well, today the inspiration came from a pinny (that’s an apron for you non Scots.) I had a chuckle when I saw this in a shop the other day. Sound advice, probably, for the average man in the Scottish barbecue season. Note that I used…
Read MoreCrêpes Suzette
This week, in case you hadn’t noticed, is in The Ritz, 100% upmarket. Don’t worry until the bill arrives. Today’s classic is one of a few dishes which they feature in the Arts De La Table section of the menu. For the non French speakers among you, this translates as Pure Swank. The menu continues,…
Read MoreThe Ritz, London
The Ritz London 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR 020 7493 8181 www.theritzlondon.com The Bill Set Menu 3 courses £86.00 A la carte Starters £40.00 – £55.00 | Mains £64.00 – £81.00 Desserts £27.00 The Epicurean Journey 5 courses £186.00 7 courses £207.00 The Score Cooking 10/10 | Service 5/5 Flavour 5/5 | Value 4/5…
Read MoreChef Watch featuring John Williams MBE of The Ritz, London
Chef Watch Featuring John Williams Executive Chef, The Ritz Hotel, London How long have you been a chef? 50 years. Why did you become a chef? I became a chef because of my deep-rooted passion for cooking that started in my childhood. Ever since I was a kid, I loved watching my mum cook;…
Read MoreStrawberries with Orange and Beetroot
Eagle eyed readers will have noted over the years that following a Food Alphabetical column on a Wednesday, Tom Cooks! on the Friday generally uses the featured ingredient. This week, reluctantly, featured tequila. I did say in conclusion that I’d rather have a bowl of strawberries. So that settles it for this week’s recipe. Well,…
Read More64 Goodge Street, London
64 Goodge Street 64 Goodge Street, London W1T 4NF 020 3747 6364 www.64goodgestreet.co.uk The Bill Lunch Prix Fixe 3 courses £45.00 A la carte Hors d’oeuvres £6.50 – £16.00 | First courses £16.00 – £21.00 Main Courses £30.00 – £42.00 | Desserts £13.00 – £15.00 The Score Cooking 8/10 | Service 3.5/5 Flavour…
Read MoreT is for Tequila
In life, as in baseball, you can often be thrown a curve ball. If, like Babe Ruth, you have exceptional talent, reactions and flexibility, you can smash it out of the park. To be a successful columnist, advance preparation is everything. (Actually, that’s a big fat lie: but it can make life less stressful.) Take…
Read MoreRoast Chicken & Other Stories
Not my title, unfortunately. It belongs to Simon Hopkinson and Lindsey Bareham. This fabulous little book was published exactly thirty years ago. Voted the most useful cookbook of all time, it once knocked Harry Potter (then at the height of his fame) off the top of the book charts. It takes 40 ingredients and provides…
Read MoreThe Spanish Butcher, Edinburgh
The Spanish Butcher 58a Castle Street, Edinburgh EH2 3LU 0131 332 0525 www.spanishbutcher.com/edinburgh The Bill Set Menu (Weekdays 12 – 4) 2 courses £25.00 | 3 courses £30.00 A la carte Snacks £5.00 – £8.00 | Appetizers £9.00 – £18.00 Mains £16.00 – £32.00 | Steak/Pork £12.00 – £16.00 per 100g Desserts £8.50 The…
Read MoreBook Reviews: Stuffed; Silent Spring
STUFFED A History of Good Food and Hard Times in Britain Pen Vogler Atlantic Books pp453 £22 The Godfather; Back To The Future; Beverly Hills Cop.…
Read MoreCuisses de Poulet Grillées aux Riz à L’Orientale
The linguists among you will have realised that we are continuing the chicken theme. Unless, however, you are a student of Escoffier and used to have your own table at Le Gavroche, you may be unfamiliar with today’s delicacy. But you may know it better as grilled chicken and fried rice. And to make it…
Read MoreSalerno Pizza, Edinburgh
Salerno Pizza 405 – 407 St James Crescent, Edinburgh EH1 3AE 0333 011 5381 www.salernopizza.co.uk The Bill Pizzas £8.35 – £14.65 | Sides £3.75 – £8.50 Desserts £3.75 – £6.95 The Score Cooking 5/10 | Service 3.5/5 Flavour 4/5 | Value 4/5 TOTAL 16.5/25 Dolly the Sheep was created just outside Edinburgh. The original…
Read MoreSome Chicken Thoughts
When writing the Caesar Salad recipe last week, I began to discourse on Chicken Caesar. I had got as far as a rant about grilled chicken, then realised I would end up with an article twice the required length. The more I thought about it, the more I thought some chicken musings might be appropriate.…
Read MoreCaesar Salad
On Wednesday we looked at the genesis of the Caesar Salad. What happened next? After the end of Prohibition Caesar moved back to the US. He had realised what he was on to, and befoe long he was bottling the dressing it and selling it at Los Angeles Farmers’ Market. His daughter Rosa, who went…
Read MoreSushisamba, Edinburgh
Sushisamba, W Hotel 1 St James Square, Edinburgh EH1 3AX 0131 287 1450 www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/ediwh-w-edinburgh/dining The Bill A la carte Appetisers £5 – £8 | Small plates £9 – £20 | Raw £12 – £17 Robata £9 – £70 | Large Plates £18 – £120 Samba, Nigiri, Sashimi £8 – £40 | Desserts £10 -…
Read MoreWho Doesn’t Love A Good Centenary?
Cesare “Caesar” Cardini I notify you of this a week in advance so you have time to prepare. To gather the ingredients, to deck the halls. But to celebrate what? Let’s think of all the things that happened in 1924. In January, Ramsay Macdonald became the UK’s first ever Labour Prime Minister (though he…
Read MoreWendy Barrie’s Farmor’s Panbiff
I think this may be a first for Tom’s Food! I’m certain we have had featured guests in On The Side who have provided recipes for Tom Cooks!: but never ever in the same week has Tom Eats! reviewed a restaurant from the same family. A hat trick for Wendy Barrie. Hold the front page! On…
Read MoreHendersons, Edinburgh
Hendersons 7 – 13 Barclay Place Edinburgh EH10 4HW 0131 202 1635 www.hendersonsrestaurant.com The Bill Lunch Deal (Monday – Friday) £10.00 A la carte Starters £6.50 – £9.00 | Mains £6.50 – £18.80 Desserts £6.00 – £8.50 The Score Cooking 7/10 | Service 4/5 Flavour 4.5/5 | Value 4.5/5 TOTAL 20/25 Are your recollections…
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