Offer....

So I've put a tentative offer in on the house we viewed yesterday evening. We really do like it and it'll be great for our growing family as it's got lots of garden space and it's well fenced. Looks a bit bigger on the outside than it feels inside but it does have 3 bedrooms, two loos and a nice kitchen with perhaps the most important thing for me.................a 6 ring gas range :-)




If we get it then it'll mean tightening those purse strings or getting another job to give us a bit of a comfort zone but what needs to be done will be done and it's not as if I'm exactly lacking in opportunities and ideas at the moment.

So following on from yesterday when I mentioned that after their wonderful demo on Saturday I thought I've give the Strada riverside restaurant a try.



I first went to Strada a few years back, just after I'd returned from my 6 month stint working away in Rome. Whilst living in Rome I was treated to some of the most wonderful Italian cuisine but I was also very much aware of the absolute dross that you can get there too......Yes! Believe it or not some restaurants in Italy are dire too.

The hotel I stayed in for 5 months of my stay is on Via Cavour. This road leads directly from the central Termini station right down to where the Forum meets the Colloseum. It's a tourists thoroughfare and it's lined with very mediocre restaurants with very mediocre food and not so mediocre prices. The exception to this being my hotel the Massimo D'Azeglio which has a superb restaurant and is indeed where I ate the most. I actually did a full review on the hotel for Tripadvisor which I'll paste to the end of this blog.

Anyway back to the review..........

It's these mediocre restaurants that the vast majority of non fussy eaters will go to. They are easy access, no need to dip off into the small side roads to find a hidden gem, after all a pizza is just a pizza innit Eh? And who can resist the temptation of a reheated Spag Bol and half a litre of the house white after a day of walking around the cobbled streets of Rome?

During my initial days these were just the places I was eating and those images I had in my head from reading Elizabeth David's book Italian Food we're just shattered. Where were these wonderful dishes that were passionately created using only the freshest produce available? Well after a while I worked out that they were just around the corner down those small side roads and certainly not along these tourist filled routes.

This kind of fayre was exactly what I was expecting that first time I went to Strada as it's big company with restaurants all over the UK but I was very pleasantly surprised. The first two things that stuck out for me on the menu then were the listings of Spaghetti, aglio, olio é peperoncino & Salati di Parmigiano e Rucola.

I'd never seen the first dish on any UK menu before and although I'd seen the Rocket & Parmesan salad it had never been shaved Parmesan, just grated which no doubt mean't it wasn't authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano at all, it probably wasn't even Grand Padano but more likely that horrid pre-grated stuff you get in shakers that smells of sweaty feet.

I went in, had a marvellous meal, the proper 4 courses as one must at a minimum in Italy. I definitely started with Carpaccio di manzo and followed that with the Spaghetti but it was such a long time ago that I cannot remember the meat course, I certainly had a side of salati di Parmigiano e Rucola and the dessert I forget too.....as I often do. It was washed done with a light white wine, probably a Frascati but again it was a long time ago.

So from that low expectancy I was more than pleasantly pleased and continued to use the restaurant for a while. I'm not sure why I stopped going, it certainly wasn't because of any bad experience.

When Jamie's Italian opened just a few yards away I thought that it might prove to be too much competition for Strada but a packed restaurant and having to wait for a table for two on a Saturday evening showed me that if anything it's made their business better.

The food hasn't changed in style or quality either, it's just as good now as I remember it from my first visit. Again I started with the Carpaccio di manzo this time followed up with their fish of the day and rather than dessert I finished off with a large shot of Frangelico. Having been munching away all day at Eat Reading Live I really couldn't stretch to the full 4 courses.

Head chef Tom was unfazed when I commented after his demo that I'd be going there after the days festivities and that I'd be reviewing it. He said he had full confidence in his staff both in the kitchen and front of house and that in no way did he think it was at all necessary for them to be extra vigilant as they are that way anyway.

Such good belief comes from good management and good staff. I think it's safe to say that Strada in Reading has this in abundance and it shines through in their food and in the service.

At the end of the day Strada is what you would consider a high street restaurant. It's never going to win any Michelin stars and it doesn't pretend that it's ever going too. What it does offer is an authentic taste of Italy, cooked well, served well and at a price everybody can afford at least once in a while.

Does it provide competition for it's bigger named rival just a few steps away? Yes it most certainly does. Is it better? At the moment I'd say definitely. Will it stay that way? It will until the rival starts getting itself back on track and with these two competing with each other then the real winners are going to be the people of Reading.

Tooodlepip xxx (unless you want to read my Roman hotel review below)

---------------

OK and for my Massimo D'Azeglio hotel report from 2005 -

I'm just coming to an end of what will be a 5 month stay at this Hotel, working in Rome.

I've read through some of the reviews and some I find quite unfair, OK the rooms adjacent to the surrounding roads can be noisy and sometimes you do feel like Michael Flatterly is doing a river dance in the room above but this hotel is over 120 years old, built long before buses and coaches rumbled up and down via Cavour and when wooden flooring was all the rage.

They have tried as best they can to eliminate noise but I feel that if they did anymore then the beauty and character of the hotel would diminish.

Rooms can be small but as I overheard one American tour guide explain to her party "Each room is different, some big some small".

The best advice I can offer would be to try and get a room on the top floor on the innerside of the building but if noise isn't a problem then I'd go for a room alongside via Cavour, lots of things happen along this road such and it's nice to people watch out of the MASSIVE windows.

Firstly I must say that I think the Hotel is a bit understaffed but having said that the staff that they have are wonderful, friendly and extremely hard working, the latter being something very rare in Rome as anybody who has spent enough time here will know only too well !!!!

The bar is very nicely decorated and well stocked. Giuliano & Angellino are a couple of cheeky chappies who'll look after you at the bar, they are very friendly, always willing to chat.

During the Summer months residents are encouraged to go over the road to the sister hotel "The Meditterano" and make use of their 10th floor roof garden, it's the highest panoramic viewing point in the whole of Rome and simply a beautiful place to relax and have drinks in the evening.

The food in the Restaurant is some of, if not the best I have had in Rome (certainly in the area) as is the (silver) service. They have an a la Carte menu as well as a daily menu, and they use the freshed and best ingredients. It's maybe a little bit more pricier than some of the surrounding eateries it is certainly excellent value for money. Plenty of class.

Yes the Breakfast is basic but that is the same for any other Hotel that I have spent time in during my stay in Rome, also when the Hotel is full the staff in the breakfast rooms seem to be rushed off their feet and you may need to wait a while why a table is cleared for you, not too much a hardship I think.

The location is brilliant, right by Termini Station and all sights are very easily to get to. The area however is a bit grotty, like most of Rome there is Graffiti all over the place and not even good Graffiti, if there is such a thing, for a city so rich in art and culture you'd expect a bit to rub off on the vandals.

Should I ever return to Rome on business or pleasure would I stay here? Absolutely, without question.

Feel free to email me if you require anymore information, I can point you in the right direction for some nice restaurants, wine bars and pubs.

Last piece of advice for anybody travelling to Rome - Only get in a Taxi that has the red "Commue di Roma" sticker on the outside, these are governed Taxi's, the name of the driver and the number of the taxi should be on a small plaque on the inside of the passenger doors, you should also find some information in the taxi detailing the payment structure, once inside the GIR (Roman Ring Road) the tariff should always be on option 1, let the driver know that you are aware of this and save yourself plenty of Euros.
Stayed February 2005, travelled on business

Win Win.....

Loads to catch up on since my last post. We've got 20 week scan results plus other congratulations. Also there's the Eat Reading Live festival write up and Reading, steady, cook 2011! finals summary then some rather fantastic news regarding my own culinary journey.

So we found out on Friday that we'd be having a little girl in about 20 weeks time. We did try all the tips and tricks for a boy but I think all of Emily's wishing had been listened too by the baby fairies. Would have been nice to have one of each and an heir to the family name but to be honest I really don't care a jot about that because it's just such a wonderful feeling being an expectant father for the first time.





Emily came with us to the scan and afterwards she was just so excited and overcome with joy she could hardly speak, in fact she was mostly just saying "I'm so happy". She going to be a brilliant big sister. We have a name in mind but we're keeping it to ourselves just for the time being until we've actually got used to it cause it'll seem a bit strange for other people to be referring to her by her name until that point.

So onto Eat Reading Live and what a fantastic event it was. It has almost trebled in size from last year and it all ran very smoothly thanks to a big effort from Abby, Guy and all the team from Reading UK CIC.

There was great support from the very best of Readings restaurants and producers notably LSQ2 who had a stall did a demo and also helped us out by coming up to help judge our 2nd semi-final of Reading, Steady, Cook. There were others too that also had stalls and performed demos - River Spice, Malmaison, Warwick Thai Bar...I'm sure they are more but it escapes me for now.

Eat Reading despite it's name is not all about food and there was also some drinking involved, thankfully at the times when I was presenting. Vintage Roots were first up and they did a really good demo on food and wine matching. I've known for while now that organic wine is no longer something up and coming, it's really up there now with non-organic wines in terms of flavour and Sam from Vintage roots bought along some real crackers to accompany some of the dishes that had been provided by restaurants from the town.

Sahara cocktail bar also came along to show us what they can do. Rik was excellent at explaining the real complexity and skill that goes into creating a proper cocktail. Too often you go into these new bars and they have a vast cocktail menu but in comparison they are like the fast food of cocktails whereas Sahara is like L'ortolan or Myalacarte. It was really interesting to hear the history behind the cocktails and the ingredients and Rik showed during the demo just how educated and passionate you need to be in the art of Mixology in order to reach those levels.

Back to the food and even before the festival opened I got a chance meeting with the opening chef Gennaro Contaldo who is just such a wonderful man. When I knew he was going to be opening the festival I though to myself that I'd get a copy of his new book and ask him to sign it for my mum so about 30 mins before the show started I popped into Waterstones to get a copy but they had none in stock. Not deterred I thought I'd just walk down to Jamie's Italian and pick one up from there, I had an idea that they wouldn't be open but seeing as I wasn't going there to eat I figured they wouldn't mind selling me a book.



Anyway off I went with a couple of buddies over to the restaurant and as we approached I noticed a little bald head through the window and sure enough it was Gennaro getting the last final bits for his demo. Well they let us in and I got the book but what was great was that Gennaro come over to us and introduced himself then stopped for a chat telling us all about the shooting of Two Greedy Italians and making jokes etc etc of course he signed the book "To Mamma - Big Love Gennaro"

Due to my presenting commitments I didn't get the chance to see most of the demos on the market square stage however I was eager to see the one from Daniel Galmiche firstly because I missed his one last year as I was too busy preparing for my semi-final and secondly because he's just a fantastic chef. He cooked a Monkfish tail with mussel ragout which just looked and smelt amazing, I didn't get a chance to eat any of it unfortunately, maybe I'll just have to go to his restaurant.......

My MC'ing duties were somewhat delayed on day one as the chef from Tampopo was unfortunately held up in his train travel as some delightful scallywags had decided to pilfer signalling cables from around the Twyford area. I've heard really good things about these guys (Tampopo...not the scallywags) so I was a bit disappointed not to get a taste but I'll go there soon.

So With their demo moved to later in the day my first introduction was to Strada who are an italian restaurant situated on the riverside and who provide excellent competition for their rivals just a few yards away.

Their Head Chef Tom treated us to a pasta dish with Italian sausage and brocolli and also to a wonderful lamb dish with roasted new potatoes. Absolutely brillinat demo and superb food. I actually went there afterwards for a meal and I will review that probably tomorrow.

The next food demo was not until the following day when we had Nich (phonetic spelling) from the Warwick Thai Bar come up and cook a stir fried prawn dish for us. It was so nicely flavoured and so well cooked, it took hardly any time at all before it had all been munched up by the baying crowd. They even gave me a free Tiffin holder after I asked where they got theirs from.

I was up next cooking a herbed rack of lamb with lentils and wild rice and while that was cooking away I also whipped up a quick spaghetti dish because I wanted to show just how quick and easy some things are. It was just spaghetti with olive oil, chilli and garlic, a true Italian classic but using very cheap but tasty ingredients. The recipes are ones I've already added to the blog so you can back track and find them alternatively just leave a message at the end of this post and I'll get it off to you.





Apparently I'm a natural on stage !!...Who have thought that? Certainly not my drama teacher at school.

Just before my demo I introduced a couple of tutors from Reading catering college who have just had a new block built and were set up around the corner offering prospectus' to the future cooks and chef of Reading. Some of the students had come along to help out during the day and a wonderful job they did too.

I think perhaps the most fun demo came from the West Indian women's circle. Judy came up on stage to some Caribbean music all brightly dressed and bubbly. She then showed up how to make deep fried fish balls which she served up with some salad and hot pepper sauce. After a bit of a nervy start we we're soon whining our bootys on stage and people were crowding around to taste the food that just kept on coming.

Of course the main reason I was involved in the festival was as a judge for Reading, Steady, Cook! and Saturday's semi-final proved to be as tight as we'd always expected them to be. As the weather was really sunny and warm so there we plenty of people about to watch them too which just adds more pressure to the already nervous amateur cooks.

Ultimately after some seriously hard judging and having to get help in making the decisions it was Farid Singh and Rick Wyatt who made it through to the final. Martin and Marc who both missed out made it very hard especially where Martin's Chicken casserole with chocolate was concerned. Such a wonderfully thought out dish and I think it was the longest deliberation Hilary (my co-judge and deputy editor of the Reading Post) had to make during the whole competition.

Come the final though and it's all about cooking on the day and with the ever exuberant Paul Clerehugh on stage that was going to be fun for me however the added pressure of having a top chef watching your every move just piles on the nerves for the guys cooking.




(Paul, Rick, Myself and Farid)


Farid outcooked Rick on the day and I was personally pleased that he'd taken himself a little further out of his comfort zone by cooking a fillet of fish which is something he'd only tried that very morning and he did it very well. He'd also created a rice dish and a spiced cabbage vegetable dish to go with it so he was very productive.

It's really difficult to make a decision on finals day because the other judges had not been around to see or taste any of the contestants previous food. I have to say that even though Rick lost on the day I felt he was the better cook throughout the competition. He is very knowledgeable about his food and excellent at sourcing local and seasonal ingredients and that was a fact that was considered during the judging and very nearly got it for Rick.

Next year I think the competition will be even bigger and better. We're constantly thinking of ways in which we can improve the format so that it's more entertaining for the people coming to see, for the venues that host and most importantly so that we get the absolute best out of the cooks wanting to make it to finals weekend. I'm already excited about next years competition.

So onto my news and I'm delighted to have been asked if I would like to start writing about food for Hilary. As I mentioned before Hilary was my regular co-judge for this years competition and she is also deputy editor for the Reading Post as well as another good food magazine so maybe soon I can officially call myself a food writer. Who'd have thought that? Certainly not any of my English teachers at school!!

I've also had a tentative enquiry about putting on a monthly food theatre evening with a top local restaurant so watch this space :-)

Now I really must dash so toodlepip xx

B or G .......

We're halfway there. 20 weeks is up and today we are off to have the scan that'll tell us which of the English cricket teams my first offspring will captain in the future. Emily is coming with us too and I can't wait to see her face when she see her little brother or sister wriggling around inside mummy's tummy. I reckon I'll cry.......

Whatever the outcome we'll be celebrating tonight and I can imagine my mum is already sat by the phone with knitting needles in hand ready to get clickety clicking with a ball each of pink and blue wool by her side.

I've also decided that for Sunday's cooking demonstration at Eat Reading Live I'm going to cook not one but two dishes at the same time. Completely different ones but both really quite simple and tasty.

First will be Rack of Lamb with puy lentils and wild rice and while that's cooking away I'll whip up a quick favourite of mine and an Italian classic Spaghetti, aglio, olio é peperoncino.

The first dish has a provincial French feel to it and it's a recipe I created myself but it's inspired by Elizabeth David. The second is just a true Italian dish, I must have had it at least 4 times a week when I was working away in Rome. I can't believe it's not more widely known in the UK because it is so easy to make and so cheap too.

I don't believe for one second that I'm being optimistic when I say that I think you could feed 4 people quite contently for around £3 with the second dish. By doing two dishes it'll also mean more to hand out to people for tasters :-)

Saturday night I'm also meeting up with my buddy and we're going to go off and eat somewhere in Reading and catch up. We don't know where yet but it'll be reviewed so any restaurateurs ready this best be on their toes.

Watch out on FB and Twitter for the baby news ...... toodlepip xx

Not Paris but Reading.......

Did I spend a delightful day with Paris Hilton yesterday? Obviously no but I did spend lunchtime at the wonderful Reading Hilton over on Kennet Island dining at the same table as the Mayor of Reading amongst others.

I always expect quality at Hilton Hotels and this new addition to the global chain doesn't disappoint. The entrance is a big spacious area nicely decorated with the reception to the left and the lounge bar and restaurant to the right. It has a grand hotel feel to it but at the same time it's quite understated and businesslike.

While there I got to meet the hotel manager who was delightful (a far cry from the manager I encountered at the Hilton Watford all those years back when I was a 14 year old pot washer) and I was also sat next to the director of the Hilton in the community foundation. We had a great chat about all the things they do for the many charities they support and it was really nice to know that a big company like Hilton hotels are so active and enthusiastic to be involved in such things.

So anyway onto the event and the food......

The event was a charity gala lunch to firstly of course to raise money but also to launch the two food festivals that are happening in Reading town centre over these next four days. The Oracle shopping centre (who themselves have a charity foundation) are hosting the Fresh Food Festival which opened today on the Riverside and continues tomorrow with cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs James Martin and Lesley Waters as well as many other things which you can catch up on here.

The 2nd food festival is Eat Reading Live and for those who are reading this blog for the first time I'm personally much more involved in this one and you can catch up on what I've written about it so far by backtracking through my recent blogs.

For the meal itself we were treated to a 5 courses cooked by some of the towns top restaurants and the standard was impeccable considering there were around 160 diners to cater for and this must have taken the chefs well out of their comfort zones.

Starter was from Myalacarte and chef Loic Gaultier had prepared a Spring salad with house dressing. It was a very basic dish but beautifully presented and so fresh to taste. It perfectly balanced french style with wonderful English produce and that's what Myalacarte as a restaurant is all about. My mouth is watering just thinking about it now !!! Stand out dish of the day for me on a very impressive menu.

Next came a fish course from L'ortolan. Although executive chef Alan Murchison wasn't there himself he'd sent along sous chef Nick Chappell to fill in and he did a wonderful job. The Salt Cod Brandade with pickled fennel was a great combination of flavour, texture and style again representing this Michelin starred restaurants ethos perfectly.

Tony Cole from LSQ2 was up next with their Roasted pork belly, scotch quails egg and their very own XO sauce. It was always going to be difficult serving up a dish like this to 160 people because of the precise cooking needed for each component. Even if you were in your own kitchen let alone one being occupied by 4 other chefs and their respective teams this would be a challenge however to LSQ2's credit Tony and the team did very well. The use of King prawns in the scotch egg was inspired!

Next up was a selection of dishes from Tutu Melaku and her Ethiopian table. On the plate was a tender chicken leg with a rich tomato spiced sauce, an (intentionally) slightly sour pancake with spinach and garlic then also a small pot of spicy lentils. These lentils were absolutely to die for! I could easily eat these everyday for my lunch. This was real family dinner table cooking and a wonderful use of spices and ingredients. Tutu must have been terrified at the thought of cooking for 160 people but she did an amazing job, truly amazing.

To finish the Hilton Reading's own executive chef Martyn Watkins had prepared a trio of Reading strawberries and when they say Reading strawberries they mean it because each one used in the dessert was hand-picked locally just the day before. The dish comprised of a strawberry sorbet topped with basil sugar, a strawberry tart with the most delicate and buttery base and an individual cheesecake using Huntley & Palmer biscuits for the base.

Overall a very impressive meal showcasing perfectly what Reading has to offer in the way of dining and produce.

Myalacarte & L'Ortolan delivered the exceptionally high quality that you'd expect for a restaurant voted in the top 50 of a recent national poll and one with a coveted Michelin star respectively showing that Reading can provide exquisite fine dining.

The Hilton showed that it can cater for large functions and corporate events in terms of fantastic facilities, great management and an extremely good kitchen.

LSQ2 represented the restaurants we have in town that offer extremely good brasserie style food from a range of world cuisines at affordable prices and of course Tutu and her Ethiopian table represented both family and culture through her wonderful food.

Lets forget about the football and stand up and say a big YAY for Reading's food. It's only going to get better too and that is something we can all be proud of :-)

Toodlepip xx.............

Early riser.....

Blimey I had a pretty awful nights sleep. Not sure if that was to do with my excitement about todays Eat Reading lunch or because of the curry I had from the Haweli in Twyford........twas a rather hot one !!!

Anyway it's left me a bit tired and I'm sure it's going to be a long day so the coffee machine is on and I'm keeping myself busy.

Only two more days to go until we find out whether our little Bumpski will be a girl or a boy. Carley is feeling lots of movements so whatever it is I think we'll have a little disco dancer on our hands.

I've decided that I'm going to take the rest of the day off work after the lunch and get myself into town as I really need a new pair of jeans. I go through them like crazy !! I blame the fact that my car is so low that it puts extra strain on the jeans getting in and out.

Back to Eat Reading Live and the first restaurant Tampopo whom I'll be introducing to the Town Hall stage at 11:30 on Saturday 5th.

Tampopo is a small chain of six restaurants dotted around the country. They have three in Manchester, one in Leeds and Bristol respectively and of course one in Reading on the Riverside at the Oracle.

They specialise in asian cuisine and the main focus is on the authentic style street food that you find all over this vast area. Tampopo actually means "Dandelion" in Japanese. I the cult classic film of the same name a lady goes off in search of the perfect bowl of noodles so it's a very fitting name.

At Tampopo you find dishes from Korea, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam which makes me wonder just how many people work in their kitchen! It must either be huge or they have some very well travelled cooks. Imagine travelling round all those places trying all the food to then come home and form a menu....now that sounds like fun.

It's situated towards the London Street end of the Riverside complex so it's quite separate from Wagamamas which would be it's main business rival in town. Both offer very good value for money and there is most definitely a place for both in town. This is going to be a great way to kick off the Town Hall stage given it's street food nature so I'm reckoning that there might a be a few bits getting passed around to the audience.

So signing off for now and I'll be back tomorrow with a review of the gala lunch and other little bits and bobs....toodlepip xxx

Bravo...

What a nice weekend that was and there is no holding up this week either.

Had a rather nice day yesterday over at the Penta hotel in Reading. It's of course a shame that Reading FC didn't win their match but I'm not sure our little party would have picked up any more if they had of done such was the awful weather.

There were a few people there however including some ex Reading players and it's always a great time when I get to share the music honours with my good buddy Kevin.

I really do think there is potential at the Penta for a Saturday evening party. Nothing major perhaps 7pm until 11:30pm to cater for those who want to just come out and be able to have a drink and listen to some good quality music before getting home at a decent time. For the size of the bar area there isn't anything like it in Reading so I think they should give it a go, it'll probably take a while to get it going but if they stick at it I can easily see 100+ people in there. Would be a useful pre-party venue too for some of the clubs in town.

We finished up there at about 9pm and I really wanted a Burrito from The Mission but it shut at 9pm so I just missed out and had to settle for a KFC instead. I did think about going to sit down and eat somewhere nice but I was just too tired.

Felt a bit sicky this morning but work soon took my mind off of that and I've been fairly productive which is good because I have a half day booked off tomorrow as I've been invited to the Eat Reading opening gala lunch at the Hilton in Reading. Five of the towns top chefs and cooks are providing the food and I'm particularly looking forward to seeing what Alan Murchison comes up with. Of course with him being the towns only Michelin starred restaurateur (L'ortolan) my expectations are high.

I've also been asked if I wouldn't answering a few questions after the meal which could be quite scary given the audience but I better get used to it I suppose cause there will be plenty more of that to come at the food festival on Saturday & Sunday.

I purchased another domain name today which will be an add on to my www.benzagorski.com website. This one is for restaurant reviews and discussions. The site is www.talktables.com (thanks DW). Still to be set up but I'm hoping that I can get some tie ins and offers for the site visitors.

One restaurant I've always liked in town is Strada (Cucina Italiana) and they will be the folks I'll be introducing to the Town Hall stage for Eat Reading Live at 12:30 on Saturday. They are a big restaurant chain who operate around 90 outlets in the UK. Big chains like this often get snubbed simply because of what they are but I've always found the menu at Strada very true to the authentic Italian cuisine I remembered from my time spent living in Rome and that sets it apart from the others in my opinion.

I've not been in there for a while though and with the opening of Jamie's Italian just along the Riverside I should expect that they have had to up the game even more and I'm looking forward to seeing what they create and how they view the business competition. Standards are beginning to slip at Jamie's and I'm not hearing many positive comments of late so maybe it's Strada's chance to seize the initiative.

Winning draw......

Well what a day it was on the cricket field yesterday. Not down at Cardiff with that boring international cricket I mean over at Reading Blue Coat school where we (Sonning 3rds) took on the might of Mortimer West End. It was an overcast day which mean't that there was a lot of movement with the ball but we still managed to score an impressive 256 off our 45 overs.........my contribution......5 not out.

That has boosted my seasons average right up now to .....................erm........5

Mortimer batted through their 45 overs with just one wicket to spare. They could only score 165 because our bowling and fielding was superb so under the league rules that means we had a winning draw which gave us 15 points but we also got bonus points for restricting their total to less than 75% of ours and we got 9 wickets. So in the end we got 24 points which is very good for us. Cricket is certainly a confusing game even at the best of times.

Of course next weekend I shall be unavailable because of my commitments to Eat Reading Live and I'll pick up there with a little write up about the people I'll be introducing on the Town Hall Stage at 13:30 on Saturday 4th June.

Vintage Roots are an organic wine merchants based in Hook. They are a home delivery service and although their speciality is in wine they also sell beers, spirits and champagnes, all of which are organic. Just looking at their website I can see that they stock at least 700 wines and you can even search for vegetarian, vegan and biodynamic variations.

I'm quite a big fan of organic wines, especially organic reds because they contain very little or no sulphates and it's those sulphates that contribute greatly to the red wine headache the following day. Try it and see for yourself........by the way drink responsibly, always use a big glass with a large base so you don't spill any!

I'm really interested to see what they are going to demo but at the same time I'm a bit scared because I could be parting with a few quid too.

Plans for today are to finish this blog, catch up with Two Greedy Italians on the iPlayer, complete a few missions on Assassins Creed Brotherhood then I'll pop up to the cricket club to watch the Sunday 2nds and have a few beers.

So so so looking forward to meeting Gennaro on Saturday !! Mum if you are reading we'll try and get another signed book for you.

Tomorrow of course is a national holiday in the UK and it's also the championship play off final at Wembley between Reading and Swansea. Should Reading win then the town will be buzzing and with that in mind we're having a little party at The Penta Hotel. They'll have a big screen (and when I say big I mean mahoooooosive) showing the game itself then afterwards I'll be reuniting with the rest of the original House Party DJ team and turning up the tunes to have a good old fashioned party. All are welcome.....except if you're a k**bhead. We don't like them at our parties :-)

There will be some old Reading players coming along so if your a fan and couldn't get to Wembley then this surely has to be the next best thing.

Had an idea for a breakfast today that turned out brilliantly and once perfected I shall add some photos and a recipe but for now that's it and I bid you adieu.......toodlepip xx

LSQ2 review......

Right off I'll say that it was a collective 6 out of 10 but even though that's a middle of the road score I stress that it was only in the finer details that the marks were lost.

From the start there was a warm welcome and the staff throughout the evening were impeccable. The restaurant was full but there was no stressing and nothing was too much for them.

We were greeted with Kir Royale cocktails (Fruit cocktail substitute for Carley) and with our meal we had the La Serre Sauvignon Blanc which was a very nice drop. It's light with a bit of citrus and at £17.95 a bottle it is very nicely priced too.

Upon being seated we were given a pre-started which consisted of some well prepared nibbles with flavours and textures that got your taste buds going. There was some refreshing dressed Melon, a couple of wonderfully light puff pastry sticks and some cheesey treats so plenty going on in the mouth and on the plate and that's really the way the rest of the menu goes.

I can only really comment on my meal although we did all (4 of us) choose differently and we did all have a bit of each others. I won't review each dish that came to the table in full detail apart from my own because that would be unfair but I will add small notes for praise and suggested tweaks to dishes by the people that had them.

One thing we all agreed on was that the cooking of each individual component was pretty much spot on and could not be faulted.....unless being extremely picky.

Starters -

Wild Local Rabbit and Meon Valley Pork Faggot with braised leeks and spicy butternut broth

First impression is very good, very pleasing and vibrant colour. The faggot is well sized which given the richness of the meat is good, anything bigger would fill you up too much. I loved the braised leeks they added a slight sweetness to the dish which rounded it off nicely.

The butternut broth which gave the dish such a nice appearance was slightly lacking in spice and could have done with a pinch more. However the other downside was that the bowl it was served in which was quite deep so it mean't you had to kind of dig the faggot out and with the faggot being wrapped in caul this just made it very difficult to actually eat.

It does seem like a petty criticism but I think that if this was served in a bowl in which you could actually get a knife into then it'd be a real winner.

Ostrich Carpaccio - Diner felt there was too much wasabi mayonnaise used on the presentation, could have done with less on the plate and then a separate dish containing extra for the eater to choose to add if they wish. Only criticism to an otherwise lovely dish.

Potted Duo of Fresh and Smoked Salmon - Very nice simple and fresh tasting dish, good smokey flavour that lingered nicely on the palate.

Cornish Scallops and Black Pudding Fondant - Strong flavour in the black pudding and fondant which the diner really enjoyed. Scallops perhaps a little on the small side.

Mains -

Pan Fried North Sea Cod with star anise braised oxtail and oyster mushrooms

The oxtail and mushrooms had a really strong and rich flavour which cod can hold up too although I thought it was maybe a bit too sweet. It had a madeira like flavour which masked any aniseed hint which I was expecting from the star anise.

The cod was presented skin side down which being laid over the oxtail made it look untidy, maybe this was because the skin was a little over crisp (shall we say). For me the fish was a little overcooked too but I do like mine barely cooked, almost opaque so maybe a harsh criticism.

I chose this dish because I thought it'd be a good light option after such a rich starter but in the end I couldn't finish it as it was rather heavy. A nice dish but not a strong one.

Isle of Wight Lamb Two Ways - No complaints regarding the Lamb however in the diners opinion the Asian sauce really didn't work.

Venison Wellington - Huge portion and cooked rare which it needs to be. Left me wishing I'd have chosen it.

Wagyu Beef Burger - The biggest criticism here was that the burger sat atop the salad with in turn was atop the brioche base. The problem with this was that the brioche soaked up all the moisture and became very soggy. Big plus though was the chips. The diner having been to Heston's Hinds Head pub only a week or so ago said LSQ2's were better :-)


Desserts -


Petit Fours -

I'm not a bit fan of desserts. I normally only go for either cheese or a liqueur but as I was still feeling pretty full after my two rich courses I thought better of going for the cheese and thought I'd give the petit fours a go. They are only priced at £2.00 so I was expecting something small.

I was pretty pleased when they came to the table. Four individual bigger than bite size home made delights served on a long dish with some raspberry sauce drizzled over. I had a bit of each before passing the rest around and I felt that it was a lovely end to the meal. The effort that must have gone into creating them is worth more than the 50p a pop they charge for them.

Toblerone cocktail dessert - Diner was in heaven with this.

Rhubarb and Champagne Trifle - Perhaps a little too sweet but it all went pretty quickly!

Cheese Board - Good selection of cheese served up with the usual crackers and grapes. Also had some kind of fruit jelly accompaniment that the diner had trouble working out what it was. I thought it was peachy in flavour with maybe a hint of cinnamon, whatever it was I liked it.


The overall impression of the new menu was that it was perhaps a bit confused. It's very extensive which makes for very difficult ordering which is no bad thing. Each dish has very different fusion elements and whether they all worked or not is down to the individual person. I'd certainly recommend more tasting sessions to really find out what works, what doesn't and if there should be any tweaks. There is obviously a great deal of talent in that kitchen.

LSQ2 will be demonstrating on the Market Place stage at 1pm on Saturday 4th at Eat Reading Live. Check out and like their Facebook page to keep updated with their ongoing offers and future tasting sessions

I'll save my blog about Vintage Roots organic wines until tomorrow as I'm getting distracted by the cricket now......toodlepip xx

Steel drums and goat filled pots......

After writing yesterdays blog I started having memories of my youth and in particular the Caribbean nights held by the Watford Antilles Club. Of course I'll recount those memories in a bit but I thought I'd also use the blog as a learning tool for myself in preparation for Eat Reading Live.

Over the next few days I'll write a bit about the company, organisation or people doing the demonstrations that I'll be introducing at the festival and I'm going to start today with the West Indian Womens Circle and that ties in nicely with my Carribean night memories.

For as long as I can remember my Mum has been friends with Ricky (or Charles Winston Ricardo Lloyd to be exact). I can only recall ever seeing him with a smile on his face and it was always a treat when we went to visit him. I suppose around the late 70's and early 80's it was seen as a bit strange for a single white Mum to be close friends with barely 5ft tall black dude with a huge afro. It was a proper disco afro too, dead cool.

I can liken that friendship to my own with my buddy Jo. We used to (and still do occasionally) enjoy going out and dancing the night away just a mum and Ricky did at the Top Rank Club. Nowadays of course clubs are repetitive beats in dark rooms with flashing lights but back then people/acts like Elton John, Otis Redding or The Temptations used to play gigs on one level of the club while there was a disco on another......and this was in Watford High Street!

It's obviously here that was the basis for my love of music. I grew up to the sounds of Motown. Mum had a huge record collection and hardly a day went by without us having a bit of Otis, Marvin, Issac, Smokey, Stevie etc etc filling our eardrums.

Anyway there was, and maybe still is, a rather large Caribbean community around the Watford area and some of those people got together and formed the Watford Antilles Club. Ricky was a member of this club and my Mum used to go along to the functions with him and I'm guessing at around the time I was 14 or 15 I used to go along with her.

The first time I went I was so amazed. There were these beautifully dressed men and women, fully clobbered up in the Sunday best just laughing with each other, enjoying the company and dancing along to the steel band playing on the stage. These weren't all young people either, I'm talking 60, 70 even 80 year olds too properly getting their groove on and all night not just a little bit here and there! Must have looked so funny with me standing there as a skinny little white boy watching these people and just grinning.

Apart from the brilliant party atmosphere and the warm welcome we always got I really remember the food. There was always a kitchen full of large colourfully dressed ladies preparing big pots of the most amazing goat curry. They'd be chatting away putting the world to rights and stirring the pots while at the same time the other hand would be in the air and those big old bottoms would be swaying to the music. That's how I remember it anyway.

Whether it'll quite be the same when the West Indian Womens Circle get on Stage at Eat Reading Live is yet to be seen. I've certainly not heard of any steel band being booked but it might be worth them looking into booking one....(hint hint)

The WIWC (or the Circle as it's more commonly known) is a charitable organisation in Reading founded in 1979 and it achieved charitable status a year later. It serves as social welfare service for the Afro-Caribbean elderly and they help people in times of need and also encourage advancement in education.

The Circle has a day centre in operation 4 days a week from 10am until 4pm and they also a Caribbean lunch club 3 days a week which is freshly cooked and prepared by just 2 part-time kitchen staff.

Their base at Asantewa house in Fobney street, Reading can offer sheltered housing for up to 30 residents at a time and is completely managed by volunteers. As well as the more serious side to the care and support they offer there are other activities people can get involved in too such as Tai Chi, gala evenings, fetes and excursions.

If the Gala evenings are anything like the Antilles nights in Watford then I might just have to book myself into one!

As with all organisations such as this they could always do with a helping hand so if you have some spare time and fancy making use of it by helping out others then pop along to their website, have a read up and see if it's something you would like get involved in. I'm sure it's very rewarding.

These folks will be the last people I introduce to the Town Square Stage at 14:30 on Sunday 5th June so do pop along and show your support :-)

Still Building....

OK the webpage is still being built but at least it's getting there and I do want it to look good so it'll be worth the wait.

I've been given my timetable for Eat Reading Live and I'm pretty much going to be involved from 11am right through to the close of each day.

Saturday 4th is opening day and first to open on the Market place stage will be the one and only Gennaro Contaldo.

Gennaro has links to Reading through his involvement in the Jamie's Italian chain of restaurants. I've been loving his latest TV show Two Greedy Italians with Antonio Carluccio and I simply cannot wait to meet him.

I probably won't be able to catch all of his demonstration though as I'll be heading up to the Town Hall square stage for 11:30 to introduce the first demonstration on that stage from Tampopo.

(I'll give a full list of the demonstrations and times for both stages for both days at the end of the blog.)

Up next on the stage at 12:30 will be Strada followed at 13:20 by organic wine merchants Vintage Roots.

My next action is not until 16:00 when I go back down to the Market Place stage to introduce and judge the semi-finals of Reading, Steady, Cook 2011. Luckily for me that means I do not miss the demonstration by the amazing Daniel Galmiche.

I didn't really get to enjoy his demo last year because I was so nervous about my own semi-final so it'll be brilliant to be able to see this Michelin starred chef in action.

That'll be the end of day one so I'm guessing a few relaxing glasses of vino will be in order ready for the next day.

Sunday 5th at 11:00 I'll be kicking off the Town Hall Square stage introducing an as yet unnamed food demo which is followed at 12:30 by The Warwick which is a pub that specialises in Thai cuisine. They also run The Moderation in Caversham and The Lyndhurst just on the edge of the town centre.

Then............at 13:30 it's my own demo :-) very much looking forward to it too.

Finishing off the Town Hall Square for this year is the West Indian Women's circle. I have a soft spot for West Indian food although I don't really know too much about it other than the Goat curry we used to have at the Watford Antilles club functions that we used to go to with my mum and her buddy Ricky. Introducing the ladies to the stage will be a real treat and I cannot wait to see what they cook up.

At 16:30 I'll be hot footing it over to the Market Place stage to introduce and judge the final of this years Reading, steady, cook and I'll be doing this alongside Reading's very own food hero Paul Clerehugh.


Paul is the owner of both London Street Brasserie in Reading itself and also The Crooked Billet Gastropub in Stoke Row. It's going to be quite surreal sharing the stage with the person who was judging me last year and the person who gave me such high praise backstage after the final. It was those comments that really made me decide that I wanted to take my cooking to another level so if I use the word "inspiration" to describe him then it's fully justified.

That wraps up the Eat Reading Live festival for 2011 but I'm expecting some more events to spring up out of it as the year goes on so hopefully I can play a part in that too.

As promised here is the full schedule for the Eat Reading Live stages -

Saturday 4th

Market Place -

11:00 - 11:39 - Gennaro Contaldo
12:00 - 12:30 - Pepe Sale
13:00 - 13:30 - LSQ2
14:15 - 14:45 - Cilantro
15:15 - 16:00 - Daniel Galmiche
16:30 - 18:30 - Reading, steady, cook! Semi-finals

Town Hall Square -

11:30 - 12:00 - Tampopo
12:30 - 13:00 - Strada
13:30 - 14:00 - Vintage Roots
14:30 - 15:00 - CEBEP young chef 2011
16:00 - 16:30 - Déjá Vu

Sunday 5th June

Market Place -

11:00 - 11:30 - Las Iguanas
12:00 - 12:30 - Malmaison Brasserie
13:00 - 13:20 - Mya Lacarte
14:15 - 14:45 - River Spice
15:15 - 16:15 - Paul Clerehugh
16:30 - 17:30 - Reading, steady, cook! Final

Town Hall Square -

11:30 - 12:00 - TBC
12:30 - 13:00 - Warwick Thai bar & restaurant
13:30 - 14:00 - Ben Zagorski (That's me just incase you we're unsure)
14:30 - 15:00 - West Indian Women's Circle

What to do.....

Well I always thought it might happen soon and even though I do have one small task to do today after work I actually have a free evening to spend at home.

Yesterday saw the last semi final of Reading, steady, cook and the next action on that front is during the Eat Reading Live food festival on the 4th & 5th June. I'll be doing little bits and bobs throughout the whole weekend with some comparing and also a demo on stage on the Sunday between 13:30 & 14:00.

Eat Reading have secured Gennaro Contaldo to come along and open the festival. He of course has links to Reading through Jamie's Italian where he is a partner with Mr Oliver.

I really like that Eat Reading have decided to avoid going down the whole TV celeb route because then it becomes more about them than about all the great talent and produce our wonderful town has at it's disposal. Henley food festival took the TV celeb route and unfortunately that seems to be struggling to get off the ground due lack of funding. It would be such a shame to lose an event like this which means so much to all the local farmers and restaurants that put in all the hard work.

The next thing in the diary for me is a DJ set for Hat Club at Bar Mango, Reading this coming Saturday. I've got the 11:30pm - 1am slot which is probably my favourite so I'm dead chuffed about that. Hat Club is just one of the clubbing brands that I really like because they are all about having fun and not too pretentious about the whole clubbing experience.

Following that however I will be doing something with Bora Bora which if you didn't already know is one of my favourite places in the world.......not the paradise islands of French Polynesia but the beach bar in Playa Den Bossa, Ibiza. I'm not sure who they are having as the main guest but I really hope it's Alex Miles as he's my favourite resident there so hopefully he'll come and make and appearance in our not so sunnier climes.

Not quite sure of just how much fun Bora Bora is.........





And nobody has more fun than this man.......LEGEND is not the world..




That's it from me....toodlepip xx

Blog off.........

So it's been a while and I've suffered from another attack of lazyblogitis. I've been a bit busier at work in the last few weeks which is fantastic but it's left little time to think of bloggy stuff.

I was asked about my lack of blogging activity last Wednesday by a buddy and only yesterday by central Twyford's most wonderous, charming and welcoming pub landlady (Is that enough sucking up Karen?)

Good food, fine Ales and a warm welcome to all right here at the Duke of Wellington.

So a quick update about what's coming up in my world......

Musicwise I've been a little quiet on the DJ'ing front which has actually been quite welcome. I'm getting far too old to be doing it regularly as even though I love it there are other things in my life that require awareness on weekend mornings and the two never really have gone together all that well.

Saturday just gone I was spinning some tunes..........not playing..........don't you just hate it when DJ's say they are "playing" some tunes? I hardly think sticking on other peoples records and getting paid for it is "playing". Strumming a guitar, tinkling the ivories or bashing some drums is "playing".......sorry off on a tangent there !!! Where was I?........Oh I was spinning some tunes for the folks at my more regular haunt downstairs at Sakura. Was a very good night actually thanks to some rather nice tunes that'll shortly be busted out on the beaches at the Miami winter music conference.

The only other booking I have at the moment is at Bar Mango (the place I call home) in April (or is it May) alongside my DJ hero Brandon Block.....more info to follow on that....

Foodiewise I'm excited and honoured to have been asked to be a judge in this years Reading, Steady, Cook! competition. There are several heats leading up to the semi-finals and final which will be held in Reading town centre on the 4th and 5th of June 2011 as part of the Eat Reading Live programme. I had such fun being a contestant last year and it's just so nice to be part of it again this year and I'll also be doing a demo all of my own on one of the kitchen stages on the finals weekend.

Sportwise the cricket season is gearing up to kick off and net sessions down at my club (Sonning CC) have started. I have a small sub committee role at the club looking after all things related to the pavilion so I still have plenty of projects to get under way there before the season starts and in particular for our confirmed match against the MCC. Once the season gets going why not come along and spend a lazy day watching a match, we have plenty for the kids to do, a stocked bar and every now and then the BBQ gets a blasting.

In the professional game I think that the ICC world cup so far has been tremendous, perhaps a little drawn out with all the associate nations involved but I think it's right that they are there and as Ireland showed against England they can compete with the best now and again and they should be given that chance on the world stage, perhaps that result will encourage cricket Ireland to spend more money developing a team that can soon catch up with the test playing nations, they certainly have the talent there.

Travelwise...............not much going on.........

Oh except for that small 3 week trip to Melbourne I'll be taking in a few days time :-)

I'll be keeping you all up to date on that so don't you worry.

Toodlepip for now :-)

xxx