Our Killer Californian Clam Chowder Cheat Sheet

As most of my recipes (and my wife, who likes Jamie-Oliveresque, precise instructions, keeps reminding me), the following is not strictly speaking a proper recipe, more like a cheat sheet that mentions main ingredients that have worked well in the past, both mandatory and optional, and basic cooking procedure. I’ve been to San Francisco in March 2003 on a business trip. This is when I had my first clam chowder experience at Fisherman’s Wharf (I hadn’t even had anything similar before, like a thick, white, creamy, European-style clam or mussel soup or something) and I immediately fell in love and have been experimenting with various recipes ever since (not claiming to be an expert, though, far from it, and definitely not a purist, so: purists, please do not be offended by the liberties I’m taking). Ingredients (4 persons) 100g to 300g jar of high-quality, ideally whole/un-chopped, large canned clams (weight […]

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Palazzina Grassi – Best Brunch in Venice

Italians are not very big on breakfast or ‘la colazione’, just an espresso and one piece of pastry will usually do the job. So what to do if you’re spending a weekend in Venice and you happen to be really into Sunday brunch like we are? After a bit of research we quickly filtered our options down to three upmarket hotel restaurants. Thank heaven that the first two places we called had already been booked out, so we ended up with a reservation at the magnificent five-star American boutique hotel Palazzina Grassi (alternatively Palazzina G) right next to the Grand Canal, very close to the Westernmost point of the San Marco neighbourhood, roughly 15 to 20 minutes’ walk from St. Mark’s Square.     It took us longer, because we didn’t find the entrance in Calle Morolin/Ramo Grassi right away, there’s not much in terms of signs and not a […]

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Hostaria Osottoosopra, Venice

Friends had recommended Hostaria Osottoosopra to us and finally we were going to check this place out for a very late lunch. Tripadvisor (#26 of 1,323 Restaurants in Venice, certificate of excellence) seemed to agree with our friends’ opinion. The slightly odd-looking name is pidgeon Italian for “Below and Above,” referring to the two floors. Osottoosopra is just across the Canale Grande from Palazzina Grassi (even though a fair walking distance, unless you hop on a boat), where we had enjoyed brunch the previous day (blog post here). This is where the three neighbourhoods of San Marco, San Polo, and Dorsoduro touch. It is one of our favourite parts of Venice. Despite the physical proximity to San Marco you might find yourself walking along canals and down crooked alleyways for several minutes without spotting other human beings. Quite the opposite of super-busy San Marco. There are other quiet areas such […]

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Bistro Mirey might be for you, if you love French breakfast with baked beans

UPDATE – Bistro Mirey permanently closed on 31st October 2019. We’ve just come back from a catch-up with good old friends, fellow food blogger Karen (The Veggie and I) and her husband at Bistro Mirey. Mirey is a Franco-Japanese bistro, which was opened in Fulham early last year by the professionally trained chef Gerald Mirey and former supper club originator Ko Ito. The restaurant doesn’t look like much from the outside. It was empty when we arrived and slowly filled up to about one-third capacity while we were there. We liked the bright, friendly, relaxing vibes with a lot of wood. As a tall person, I have to say, that the legroom at all the tables is tiny (even though in some cases, you might be able to move the table away from the wall respectively the chairs away from the table). The service was very friendly, welcoming, and generally […]

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Rick Stein Sandbanks – Delicious Seafood in a Great Atmosphere

During our recent visit to Sandbanks/Poole we enjoyed a lovely meal at Rick Stein Sandbanks. We had been to several of the dozen big and small places Christopher Richard Stein, CBE, owns in “Padstein” (i.e. Padstow in Cornwall). Our expectations were relatively manageable. But it turned out to be a very pleasant late lunch for a very reasonable price. Sandbanks is very expensive, local residents include several A-listers, formerly also the Beckhams. We ended up paying £54.30 for the two of us, including a bottle of sparkling water. We thoroughly enjoyed the casual, relaxed, friendly, bright, warm, stylish atmosphere and vibes of the main dining hall. It was very windy, so we were glad to be seated inside, even though on a calmer day the outside terrace would have been perfect. After short deliberation, Ms B opted for clams with XO sauce and fish & chips, I went for “fish […]

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