Pomegranate and strawberry sorbet
Plus some food things I've adored and a gripe about a pudding menu
Hearing about someone’s minor health ailments is about as interesting as a detailed account of why the traffic made them late for a meeting. So I’ll make this brief: I’ve been laid low this week, stayed in my actual bed for most of it, and spent no time at all in the kitchen.
That said, I’ve still got a wonderful recipe for you: a glorious fuchsia-hued sorbet that you will love, especially as the weather is forecast to be truly summery over the coming days in the UK. I also have some food-related recommendations for you that I’ve been mulling over while forced to do nothing for four days.
Recommendations
Books | Thankfully, I’ve not been too ill to read, so
successfully whisked me away from my sick bed with her enchanting new book, Cold Kitchen: A Year of Culinary Journeys. Her central theme - that food is a key into other cultures - is one many other writers have explored, but the structure of her book imparts a particular warmth and charm. From the viewpoint of her cosy “kitchen of a hundred crossroads” in Edinburgh she weaves a gorgeous tapestry of tales based on her travels in Central Asia, Turkey, Ukraine, the South Caucasus, Russia, the Baltics and Poland. Caroline’s writing is vivid, clear and engrossing, peppered with just enough detail to keep you turning the pages without overwhelming you with facts or overwrought nostalgia (the undoing of many memoirs). I’m now desperately craving melon, Russian hand pies and apricot cookies with barberries. And, of course, I want to pack my bags and follow in her footsteps. A poignant, intelligent and beautifully written thesis on food’s ability to transport. Highly recommend.Places to stay | Last weekend we stayed at Updown Farmhouse, a beguiling restaurant with rooms in a 17th century farmhouse set in seven acres of exquisite gardens in Kent. Honestly, it was nirvana visiting the place in June, when the roses were rambling, the lavender was wafting its scent and the bees were losing their minds in the flower beds. Squishy sofas, gazillion-thread-count bedding and a pervading air of soothing calm aside, this place is all about the food. The restaurant is a renovated cow shed at the end of the garden, strung with twinkly lights and festooned with grape vines that are growing through the walls. Everything is fresh, seasonal, Italian-leaning and cooked over wood in an open kitchen (natch). We started with stracchiatella (move over burrata), served in a pool of good olive oil and strewn with marinated peppers, anchovy and rosemary. We shared mains, a they were good: sirloin of beef with borlotti beans and roast tomatoes and baked courgettes, bread bean puree and ricotta salata. Wines were pleasingly affordable. Niggles: Pudding! I’m all for a short menu but just one pudding (cheese doesn’t count)? This makes me sad. There should be at least a couple of sweet and sticky choices to look forward to at the end of such a feast. Panna cotta and jelly is no-one’s idea of pudding nirvana so I went without a pudding (the lady at an adjacent table trod the same disappointed path). Kent is the fruit basket of England, so why not a seasonal tart or cake? Something chocolatey and scrumptious? And offer them for afternoon tea, too? To scratch our sweet-tooth itch after dinner we ordered some chocolates on room service, but when they failed to arrive after an hour we gave up and went to sleep. Love you Updown but please up your sweet treats game.
Substack shoutouts | If you haven’t subscribed to
‘s HOME newsletter and you need some extra joy in your life, I urge you to sign up. Whether it’s a Kandinsky painting to brighten your day, great ideas for cooking potatoes or just a lovely church to visit, it’s full of recommendations and ideas: a fabulous magazine that comes out in bite size morsels throughout the week. Also, I’m thoroughly enjoying - I want to cook all his recipes. It’s also great to see join Substack - I adore her food and this makes accessing her delicious veg-centric recipes easy.Online gems | “Once upon a time … in Finchley” will make you crave Iranian stews. And the poignant Hospices and the role of food at the end of life really did make me cry. I love Charlotte Druckman’s writing, so I made a beeline for this great piece in the Wall Street Journal Angela Davis, aka the Kitchenista, has a genius for taking foods we take for granted to the next level and stretching a grocery budget via sheer force of skill.
Now for this week’s recipe: a glorious fuchsia coloured sorbet that makes me very happy to make, look at and taste. And it requires VERY little effort, which make it all the more worthwhile. Although there's no dairy involved, the texture is rich, smooth and creamy, and the fruity, berry flavour explodes in your mouth. It's a winner.