The Botanical Kitchen
Recipes, travel and the occasional rant
The wonderful thing about jet lag when you visit the US is that you’re up and out by 5am. Why is this wonderful I hear you ask? Well picture this. You’ve spent hours researching places to eat in the city you’re visiting and then you make it there only to find they are fully booked […]
When I lived in Japan I didn’t eat fish and so I missed out on sushi. I kick myself now. I could have had four years of the best sushi in the world but at the time I was too afraid of ‘fishy’ fish like salmon and stuck to the safe vegetarian options and cooked […]
Idly flicking through my Twitter feed over New Year I came across an article entitled Top 10 Countries to Visit In 2016. I never pass up travel inspiration so I scrolled down the list and was surprised to discover Wales noted at number 8. I always forget Wales is a separate country. It’s just 2 motorways […]
It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a supperclub. The last one was actually Asma Khan’s Jai Ho Supperclub. Asma has become a good friend and I am so proud of her success at The Sun and Thirteen Cantons pub in Soho, London. If you haven’t been then do pay her a visit […]
Washoku – 和食 – is the name for traditional Japanese cuisine and has been added to UNESCO’s cultural heritage list. The Japanese are of course incredibly proud of this and earlier this year the Japanese Ambassador to the UK, Mr Keiichi Hayashi, declared 2014 to be the ‘Year of Washoku’. There is an exhibition at the […]
I was invited to The Walmsley Restaurant in Berkshire recently to take a look at this new restaurant housed within the beautiful grounds of Audley Inglewood retirement village. It’s an impressive building rebuilt to replicate the original which was in disrepair. The insides have also been restored and styled to take guests and residents on […]
I was rather frightened when my lovely friends suggested a night out at The Grand Central Oyster Bar. I’ve only had oysters twice. Once in a very loud bar whilst very drunk which resulted in me being very, very sick and once in Whitstable Harbour – a much more pleasant experience that I can actually remember. Anyway, it […]
Yum Yum Thai in Stoke Newington has been around for a long, long time. The restaurant is now very well established in this trendy corner of North London in an old Georgian building. I was invited to taste dishes from the summer menu by owner, Atique Choudhury. On arrival we were greeted with a light […]
The Riverford Field Kitchen has been on my ‘must visit’ list for some time. It’s set within the beautiful grounds of Riverford farm and visitor centre in Devon – a pretty idyllic place to eat and while away the hours. It was a glorious summer’s day when I visited but I rather liked the idea […]
London’s Southbank is one of the best places to be in the summer. Whether it’s during the week or on the weekend, there is always something going on to dip in and out of as you stroll from restaurant to bar to book stall to shops. A great free event is Herbfest which is a […]
I wanted to share with you the story of Draupadi. She’s a mum like me. She’s also a grandmother that I aspire to be one day. She lives in a remote village in Uttarkhand in Northern India. She’s part of a unique, tribal community that sadly suffers from discrimination, violence and exploitation because of this […]
The Phoenicia Diner sits on Route 28, about two hours from New York City. It’s right in the heart of the Catskill Mountains and is a must visit if you are in the area. It was built in 1962 in Brooklyn and moved to the Catskills in the early 80s. The owners at the time […]