Georgia Levy is getting the most from a chicken. A grand roast, with chilli and thyme and spoonfuls of parmesan mash, then a spinach curry eaten with chapatis. There are recipes for a shawarma pitta, the leftover roast chicken eked out with chickpeas if necessary, and a Vietnamese goi gà with a dazzling dressing of lime, mint and crisp-fried shallots. Rarely has leftover roast chicken been so tempting.
At a recent dinner at Cycene in London’s East End, I was admiring the tableware almost as much as I was the thoughtful and delicate food on my plate. This was the work of ceramicist Skye Corewijn, whose work is in great demand. Restaurants are about more than the food on the plate. Tactile, beautiful ceramics are just one of the details that make a meal memorable, just as the furniture, artworks and every element of design go to build a restaurant’s identity. Often, those who create these essential details go unsung. Today, we speak to a few of the “hidden hands” that work behind the scene.
I have never made any secret of my love for the humble plain crisp. It is the one snack I could never give up. Natalie Whittle has written a love letter to them for us. Her book Crunch, which explores the whole genre of crunchy snack from salt and vinegar crisps to Hula Hoops, will, I am sure, be in many a stocking this Christmas.
Jay’s column this month makes the point that we might be sitting in a restaurant, ordering our dinner from a menu, but don’t think for one second we are not helping to support the arts. We also have lunch with Sarah Perry, Si King chats about his love of Geordie hummus and Ken Hom talks to us about ducks, woks and casual sex.
