FOOD CULTURE ISSUE SIX
ALEX
JAMES
LONDON FOOD GUIDE • BANGKOK
RECIPES • HEINZ BECK
MILK OR SOYA • CHEWING GUM CHINA’S APPETITE • INDIA
EAT ME MAGAZINE - ISSUE 6 SUMMER 2011 - £4 EAT ME ISSUE 6 1
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Everything feels like it’s been turned on its head down here at Eat Me HQ; our office is in the middle of a major renovation, the website is constantly evolving and we’ve welcomed a talented new bunch to the editing team. We’re always updating our website and Twitter feed with what’s going on in the world of food and drink culture, and we want you to join the conversation. Now you can comment on the articles we upload each day, so if you agree with our restaurant reviews, or think a feature we’ve written is total guff, we want you to tell us. Think of it as a way to get your fix between now and issue seven.
ABOUT EAT ME Born in Spring 2010, Eat Me is a creative collective of journalists, photographers, artists, chefs, writers, hosts, quaffers and hungry souls. Based in London, our arms extend worldwide and our doors (and hearts) are always open.
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EAT ME MAGAZINE - ISSUE SIX EDITORIAL TEAM
GUEST
EDITOR & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
COVER SHOOT
Filippo Yacob
Photographer Squiz Hamilton
filippo.yacob@eatmemagazine.com
Assistants Adam Fussell
EDITOR’S LETTER
Make Up Artist Dominique Heslop DEPUTY EDITOR Dave Drummond
INSTANT EXPERT
dave.drummond@eatmemagazine.com
Designed by Sneaky Raccoon Written by Florence Hillier
MANAGING EDITOR Krishan Nursimooloo
CONTRIBUTORS
krishan.nursimooloo@eatmemagazine.com WRITERS ONLINE EDITOR
Stevie Martin, Coco Khan, Bompas & Parr, Scott
Chris Murphy
Chegwin, Sophie Mitchell, Jay Patel, Michael Dane,
chris.murphy@eatmemagazine.com
Tegan Kerridge, Ondine Gillies, Loz Tallent, Rob Buckhaven, Kit Buchan, Alex Kratena, Christina
Becky Brynolf
Bridge, Andy Oliver, Rob Chilton, Jade Desumala,
becky.brynolf@eatmemagazine.com
Lilee Cathcart, Clodagh Phelan, Katy Darby, Saul Wordsworth, Alex Varley-Winter
FOOD & RECIPE EDITOR Alice Brady,
RECIPES
alice.brady@eatmemagazine.com
Rosie Hogg, Bompas & Parr, Alex Kratena, Steve Parle, Ernesto Paiva
Rosie Hogg rosie.hogg@eatmemagazine.com
PHOTOGRAPHERS Ben Ottewell, Danny Hall, John Taylor, Oscar
EAT ME CHEF
May, Helen Cathcart, Reynaldo Ortiz, Lauren
Ernesto Paiva
Mclean,
ernesto.paiva@eatmemagazine.com
Oliver, David Quine, Paolo Bottigliero, Karnchana
Ghetu
Daniel,
Jessica
Chang,
Andy
Kitjaroenchai, Joseph Molinari, Ahron de Leeuw, CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Krishan Nursimooloo, Kieron Connolly, Alex Missen,
Mita Patel, Dominique Hopgood, Florence Hillier,
Genevieve Laplante, Ben Millar Cole
Natalie Fox, Solvej Todd ILLUSTRATORS GRAPHIC DESIGN
Reena Makwana, Matt Richards, Ben Jensen, Sarah
Ting-Kai Chang
Dennis, Louise Abbott, Juliana Wang, Winston
tingkai.chang@eatmemagazine.com
Deadeye Braun, Will Robinson
Filippo Yacob filippo.yacob@eatmemagazine.com PUBLISHER WEB DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
The Daily Pantry Ltd
Andrea Pizzigalle, Federico Lameri, Fred Stevens-
23-28 Penn street
Smith, Filippo Yacob
London, N1 5DL
ASSISTANT EDITORS
COMPANY NO.
Mita Patel, Dominique Hopgood, Florence Hillier,
07018310
Natalie Fox ISSN INTERNS
2044916
Penelope Walsh, Hanna Soderlund BOARD OF DIRECTORS Filippo Yacob, Charles Audly, Gareth Hughes SPECIAL THANKS
Long time bubbling, we know. Issue Six has been simmering in the summer heat for quite some time, but it’s finally ready. I hope you washed your hands before opening this, and while you need not say grace at this table, we won’t be put off if you do. We’ve made some new friends and added new stock to our team of editors, writers and creatives. The family is growing. Read on to find out what retired rock stars do after purchasing a very big house in the country. The man above? That’s him. After several visits to his farm we have finally conjured up a story and photo shoot good enough for you. We visited Thailand for a quasi-spiritual experience with local cuisine (it’s also a great country if you enjoy boobies and shaft all in one package, apparently). Don’t drink snake blood though; it’s for suckers. There’s our usual concoction of illustrations and opinion pieces: China’s meat eating habits; which kind of Milk is best (no brainer if you’re lactose intolerant); banana boat artist profiles, recipes and other very important informative articles which you will 100% need in order to survive any dinner party requiring smugness. Caught short on a last minute date in town? Don’t worry, we’ve also covered the best-kept secret London restaurants for you to impress around the capital. So, do enjoy what we have for you. If you want a biscuit you can check our website for more nibbles. Also a quick shout out to Lemonade Factory, who kindly made sure all the pages came out all lovely and colourful. Peace and love. Yours truly,
Lemonade Factory, Rachel Metcalfe, Wei-Chun Hung, Hannah McGee, Genghis Guy Williams, Federico Ludovico Van Borsotti, Grazia Odorizzi, Kai Design, Laura Shimmen.
FILIPPO YACOB, SEMI PROFESSIONAL EDITOR IN CHIEF, RULER OF THE WORLD INSIDE MY HEAD
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INGREDIENTS FOOD & RECIPES 16. RECIPE OF THE ISSUE Eat Me takes you on a trip to the Central America, as we discover the real secret to Mexican cooking. No sombreros or ponchos; this Mexico is all about flavours. 18. THE DRINKS CABINET Kit Buchan finds quality ale outside of England, Rob Buckhaven discovers the manly side of rosé wine and we meet guest columnist Alex Kratena. 22. EAT ME LARDER Loz Tattler, head chef of Dermot O’Leary’s Fishy Fishy, lets us in on his love of spices. 24. INSTANT EXPERT: CHEWING GUM Fresh breath, clean teeth, looking unbelievably cool: the benefits of chewing gum are obvious, but where did it all begin? With the help of Sneaky Racoon we take a look.
PAGE 16. PULLED PORK
14. STAPLE DISH We look into the forgotten, hero of any self respecting dinner menu; the palate cleanser. The inbetweener. In this edition we reminisce
our first taste of the stuff and suggests a few more pallatable ingredients to rival our lasting memory... of Pledge.
26. RIP IT, READ IT, COOK IT, EAT IT Ernesto Paiva once again takes us through his favourite recipes. This issue he’s got his sights set on the sea.
EAT THIS & TRAVEL 30. LONDON FOOD GUIDE As ever, our endeavours take us across the capital in search of the best eats in town. This journey leads us to Italian gelato, the cutest salad cafe-cum-florist in Shoreditch, as well as some of the finest sushi to be had outside of Asia. We sample a selection of the many hearty cafe dishes to be had in the gentrified East, try our luck at one of London’s many speakeasies the Nightjar and its ever changing menu, all before stopping off for some Halal Malaysian. 38. EAT ME CITY BREAKS: PRAGUE Our roving reporter Christina Bridge takes an Eastern European jaunt, and finds its bohemian core. If you are looking for cheap beer, stag parties and lads on tour, look away now. Please. 41. TRAVELOGUE: BANGKOK Aside from the full moon parties and the stream of gap year students ‘finding themselves’, Thailand is known for something else: the food. We sent Andy Oliver on a quest to explore makes the Thai capital tick; where to go, what to do and how to do it. EAT ME ISSUE 6 4
PAGE 41. TRAVELOGUE: BANGKOK
48. QUICKSTOP: INDIA India is a country full of experiences waiting to happen. Reknowned for its food, people, cows and hygiene some might call it the
traveller’s dream. It’s a wonder then that Rob Chilton seemed to spend most of his time there sleeping on trains.
INGREDIENTS FOOD CULTURE 62. BEHIND THE KITCHEN DOOR Alex Varley-Winter meets Heinz Beck. Italian trained and Bavarian born, what we really want to find out though, is how one becomes the holder of three Michelin stars. 64. THE SWEET SHOP Few things are as satisfying as the simple sweet. With a mind for all things sugary we look into the rising popularity of Ye Auld Sweet Shoppe. 66. TRICKS OF THE TRADE We go in depth on the simplest of salty snack; the humble popcorn. Jade Desumala takes us through the food keeping the cinema industry afloat. 70. BEER IN THE COMMUNITY Sam Kinchin-Smith delves into the world of Oxford pubs staggering under the weight of their own brilliance.
PAGE 54. ALEX JAMES
54. ALEX JAMES With a career as part of a generation defining band under your belt, it makes perfect sense to turn your hand to all things dairy. We
visited England’s premier ex-britpop pioneercheesemaker on his farm for an enlightening insight into his new life as a country bumpkin.
72. FINGER FOODS From sausage rolls to canapés, the world of finger foods is vast and varied. Where it all came from however, is another matter, as Clodagh Phelan finds out.
FOOD & STUFF 78. GOOD THINGS We scour the shelves in search of good things Eat Me love. From BBQ rubs, to organic vegetable juice, we’ve got the goods to soothe those end of Summer blues. 80. IN THE KITCHEN With so much good barbeque weather left in the year who wants to be stuck in the kitchen? We go searching for the goods perfect for taking the most important room in the house outside. 82. THE BOOK REVIEW FOR COOKS The Books for Cooks girls know their cook books, and once again they’ve introduced us to the best of the season. We look into the best DIY farming and foraging bibles, as well as how to get the most out of your East End farm. 84. BUSINESS PROFILE - 2&4 We meet Maurice; designer, cafe owner and all round nice guy, as we discover the trend for diversification in the today’s constantly evolving hospitality industry.
PAGE 78. GOOD THINGS
90. PURE We are told the tale of the ‘Pure’ diet, and a young man desperate to be as pure as can be. But where does the man end and the diet begin?
92. FUNNY AFTERTASTE Resident crackpot Saul Wordsworth talks us through the importance and etiquette of snacking between meals. EAT ME ISSUE 6 5
THE CHOPPING BOARD Ever wondered how to lay a table, obtain maximum tips or dine in splendid finery fit for a prince with the budget of a pauper? We thought so, read on and prepare for enlightenment HOW TO... LAY A TABLE Simplicity is key to laying a table says Stevie Martin. Apart from all those pesky rules, that is
FOOD TIPS FOR THE CRIMINALLY INSANE Food has a multitude of purposes; for sustenance, for pleasure, for mimicking wounds. Yes, Coco Khan tells you how. And more importantly, why Artists are real swell people aren’t they? Doing things in their little studios, being all tortured and stuff. Centuries later, people are still banging on about Van Gogh and El Greco - and rightly so. But you know, cooking is an art too. Hell, it’s a discipline. So why the fuck isn’t everyone banging on about me?! Instead its constant whining from revolting humans, wasting of our precious oxygen with their inane protests: ‘but they were martyrs for what they loved, they did it for the good of humanity’. I do that kind of shit every single day, but do I get any thanks? I remember those days, slaving away in my mistress’ kitchen, shuffling out the tallest of orders. “Ice this!” she’d yell, “Whip that!” she’d bellow, her demands and that vein in her head increasing, while that little congealed brat of hers ran around screaming, tearing the place apart. I took care of that incessant child and suddenly my mistress seemed a lot happier. It occurred to me, I had a duty to the world, I too was a martyr. I mean really reader, do you honestly think these kids are buying all this valium, all this morphine, themselves? No, of
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course not, you utter cretin. They are drugged, by selfless people like me. A good pâtissier understands colours like an artist. He knows that if he wants to create a fake wound to get him rushed to A&E where he can slip off to hunt out hoards of drugs to feed small snot-nosed screaming twerps, that the colours must be correct. No, ketchup and all that child’s play; it is cocoa & red food-dye for dried blood’s colour and texture. Don’t use flour like a luddite! Corn-syrup gives the correct ‘flowing-blood’ consistency. Don’t shy away from being creative: why not rare cook a steak and split it so the pink flesh lies like your own skin is gashed open? Intimidated by the probably five-hour wait until you are seen to by a doctor, fret not your criminal brow, as you can nibble away at your delicious creations- it will aid in the raggedness of it. And don’t forget, when administering these potions, crush pills into powder and add to the sweetest cake mixture you can find. Mary Poppins said a ‘spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down’. I bet you can guess what she was up to. No wonder she was such a good nanny.
ILLUSTRATION: REENA MAKWANA FOR EAT ME MAGAZINE
It really is very simple. The fork on the left. The knife on the right. The dessert spoon horizontally across, handle pointing towards the knife. The dessert fork in a top-and-tail position with the dessert spoon, prongs facing the vertical knife. The smaller fish knife and fork positioned next to their larger companions. No, wait. You have to have a dessert knife for oozing fondant. Put it on the inside of the first knife you put on the table, like they’re spooning, and check all serrated edges are left-facing. The soup spoon goes on the right, next to the arsenal of spooning knives. For god’s sake make sure the side plate goes on the left. Place the water glass above the tip of the dinner knife, with the red wine glass slightly further afield, aligned with the fish knife, and the white wine glass completing a diagonal line atop the soup spoon. It really is very simple.
MILKSHAKE ALEXANDRA
PHOTOGRAPHY: BEN OTTEWELL FOR EAT ME MAGAZINE
Fine dining isn’t only for the upper class say Bompas & Parr. All you need is a crisp tablecloth and a bottle of Courvoisier XO McDonald’s meals are almost perfect in terms of giving your body what it craves. The carefully calibrated combination of fat, salt and sugar makes the food deeply compelling. The flavours are paired in with furious marketing and thrilling fast-food environments, all geared to stimulate your neurons. These are the cells that trigger the brain’s reward system and release dopamine, the chemical that motivates our behavior, and makes us want to eat more. The same receptors are targeted by powerful amphetamines. Professor Kessler, ex-commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains it well “Many of us have what’s called a “bliss point”, at which we derive the greatest pleasure from sugar, fat or salt. Combined in the right way, they make a product indulgent, near irresistible and high in hedonic value.” McDonald’s gets this pretty much spot on. In terms of “hedonic value” you can’t get more for your money. Only two things are missing from the ultimate ‘happy meal’. Proper tablecloths and booze. If you combine these elements with your usual burger-based meal it will be unforgettable. It is not too hard to do - with a bit of forward planning. At Bompas & Parr we sometimes like to take white tablecloths, napkins and silver candelabra when visiting Maccy D’s. You get
strange looks but it’s worth it in terms of the frisson of danger. We also like to take a bottle of Courvoisier XO to add to our milkshakes. It’s a bit crass and totally intellectually facetious, but hugely rewarding for the level of depth and complexity it adds to the shake. Give it a blast. MILKSHAKE ALEXANDRA INGREDIENTS 1 medium vanilla milkshake 1 heavy slug of Courvoisier XO DIRECTION Drink the milkshake down a bit to make room for the booze. Slip in a heavy slug of Courvoisier XO when the McDonald’s branch manager isn’t looking. Give it a stir with your red yellow and white straw and enjoy. As a bonus grate some fresh black truffles on your nuggets.
THE EGO MASSAGE If it were any other business Scott Chegwin would be arrested for fraud. In the restaurant world, he’s the messiah of tip procuring She may be worth hundreds of sparrows but bags of birds don’t pay for dinner. I’m totally broke. Every last penny is surfing the London sewer system. I need tips. Lot of tips. Working the bar I decide to use an old classic, The Ego Massage. Make someone feel important or help them get laid, and they will always leave a tip. I look down the bar and spot my victim shining like a diamond. My little pot of gold. He nervously runs a finger round his collar, tilts his head and taps his foot. His palms rub his trousers and he adjusts his tie. Oh how I love a first dater. The girl arrives and after awkward introductions I steamroll in suggesting a glass of fizz. “Oh yes,” she says. “What a wonderful idea.” Our man looks pleased, glasses clink and they’re off.
Food ordered, we talk about wine. I recommend a fruity northern Italian number. He looks suspicious so I point to it on the list. Thirty quid, he orders it. I pour him a little. He sniffs, wafts the glass aimlessly and says: “...eeeerrm.” He’s struggling. “It’s a little tight at first.” I say, lying. “Maybe I should decant it?” Decant it. THE GOLDEN WORDS. “Oh definitely.” He says. “Needs to open up a bit.” Fucking Saturday Kitchen. He hasn’t got a clue. I decant the wine and he surveils the scene. They have the only decanter on the bar. People are looking. By the end of the meal the date is pissed, she has red wine teeth and she’s snorting instead of laughing. As they walk arm in arm towards the door, the man looks back at me and winks. Two crisp twenties peep out from under the bill, with service charge on it. I should open an agency.
CAUGHT IN THE WEB Ondine Gillies’ web adventures lead her right inside the White House’s culinary conquests With the Obamas came their love of food and healthy eating. Michelle’s desecration of the White House lawn for her veggie patch started their culinary revolution and my how things have grown in – and not just in Washington. Enter Obamafoodorama.com. This is food with a political taste. OFR is a heady mixture of recipes, state banquet menus, the latest food and agricultural policies plus general culinary titbits from inside the White House. Sharp, witty and with food on the brain at every turn, journalist Eddie Gehman Kohan has created a blog which cuts straight to the heart of the social issues around food alongside the edible goings-on of the presidency. It is perfect for the culinary inquisitor who, like me, happens to enjoy knowing that the Obamas ate lobster ravioli and Norfolk samphire with the Queen last night, along with a flute or two from that Sussex sparkling wine powerhouse Ridgeview; or that the first lady is spearheading a campaign to address the fact that 2.3 million Americans live in ‘food deserts’, where they don’t have access to any fresh produce. Plus, check out one of the delicious white house recipe for father’s day: Pan Roasted Rockfish with Artichoke Barigoule and Pearl Onions. It is all there on this blog, reported, as its author says, one ‘bipartisan byte’ at a time. WWW.OBAMAFOODORAMA.COM
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ILLUSTRATION: MATT RICHARDS FOR EAT ME MAGAZINE
est. STAPLE DISH
IN BETWEENERS What is a palate cleanser? The clue, my friends, is in the title. Staple dish: The Inbetweeners by Chris Murphy What is a palate cleanser? The clue, my friends, is in the title. I had one at a wedding once. The menu read like an order of service, mourning the cow which was to be served as the main course. I had no time to pay my respects, as I had to deal with the approaching palate cleansera dish unbeknown to me at the time - a twelveyear-old boy in an elastic bow tie. I watched from the edge of my chair as the waitress brought it over and set it down between my knife and fork. Swathed in chilly vapours, I waved them away to reveal a lump about the size of an Adam’s apple. It was the yellow of florescent pens and looked, I thought, like kryptonite. I began to wonder whether Superman had been scared of a sorbet all this time. I took a spoonful, all the while giving my Dad a look that said, “Please don’t make me….” He had a teaspoon and a sort of jaundice glow brought on by his own portion, as if he had beneath his chin a very large, sinister buttercup. He smiled at me, nudging the suggestion I do the same. I tried, I did, but after a few spoonfuls I could barely feel my lips enough to stop my mouth from dribbling. It felt like I was punching myself in the face with a dead arm. On reflection, I may have been over-egging the situation in order not to eat it. But you must understand, I had another four courses ahead of me and an ever-increasing puddle of Dettol. What next, Pledge? Now a mature adult, with an immature bank balance, I’ve come to realise the palate cleanser is, more often than not, the hallmark of a good meal. Its function? To sterilise our mouths of all the obscenely mundane food us mere mortals normally eat. Oh, how the subtleties of flavour are wasted on the young! Do not be as ignorant as I dear reader; know that the citrus of the said course was ridding my mouth of excess fats and salts
which in fact deaden the taste buds. Please read on and be enlightened as to the etiquette and forms this little known dish occupies: By definition, a palate cleanser should, of course, taste delicious, yet leave no lingering flavours. The effectiveness of a cleanser is its ability to minimise the taste from one course to the next. I like to think of it like a private butler: it should look smart, brush away your crumbs and (this is universal of all courses) never answer back. Most commonly this role is fulfilled by a sorbet, as it has a pleasant, cooling sensation that cleanses the mouth as it melts. However, gazpacho and melon soup are other popular choices. Should you want to try a palate cleanser at home, you need not complicate things. Yes, some chefs may do with a whisk what the common man could only dream of achieving with a bicycle pump, but a cup of weakly brewed tea has much the same results at refreshing the taste buds. Try lotus, green, or black. Or even just a plate of tart apples, crudely carved in quarters, belly up and rocking like small boats on a ceramic sea. Though these are but simple suggestions they are effective all the same. Parsley, celery smiles and pickled ginger (ever had a slither next to you sushi?), are all tried and tested flavours. However, if you were thinking of providing a palate cleanser at your next dinner party- and the thought of your guests chewing on parsley stalks like Daisy the cow wasn’t quite what you had in mind - serve them a shot of Calvados or a glass of champagne. Or for those who have “cleansed” their palate quite enough or are back on the “dentist’s trolley”, consider a lemon slush - lemon cordial with bruised mint, sparkling water and crushed ice. Obviously the palate cleanser can’t be an everyday occurrence - many of us don’t want to acknowledge our ready meals. But
it has its place at a dinner party. For as well as the practical uses, the ‘inbetweener’ does also serve a rather crucial social one. It’s a return to ceremony and formality that we’ve begun to seek. It paces a meal, giving us a chance to savour our food and discuss it. But perhaps most importantly, it’ll give us time to ask the question we should never stop asking: Seriously, what are we eating?
NEXT COURSE Calvados originated from French Normandy, locals relying on the apple brandy as a palate cleanser. Le trou Normand, or the Norman break, is a fiery shot offered right in the middle of the meal. It works as a digestive as well as stimulating the appetite. Apple and wasabi, lime and basil or grapefruit and mint are sorbet flavours you may want to try should you wish to veer off the lemon route. Parsley, marjoram, mint and basil all serve as good palate cleansers. Try making a herb salad, dressed with a simple vinaigrette. Chicory Cream and Blue Cheese Kimchi Juice Jelly is a somewhat unusual cleanser served in Chef Pierre Gagnaire’s restaurant. An example of just how far you can go with a socalled ‘inbetweener’. Liven things up a bit with a shot of Curacao; liquor flavoured with dried peel of the lahara citrus fruit. This said, the most effective palate cleanser will always be a glass of icy sparkling mineral water. EAT ME ISSUE 6 9
CHEWING GUM If you really think about it the idea of sticking a gelatinous mass into our mouths to chew for hours on end isn’t the most attractive, or logical. So how did it come about? Florence Hillier and Sneaky Racoon investigate From its humble origins as a piece of wellchewed birch bark tar, chewing gum has been a teenager’s best friend. Even the 9,000 year old piece found in Finland had the unmistakable imprint of a pre-pubescent canine all over its surface. Whether he was heading out on a hunting trip, meeting the parents in his monkey mate’s cave or simply passing the time, there’s
no doubt he started something. Little did he realise that it would spawn a business worth in excess of £11.54 billion per annum, and net one Mr Wrigley a fortune of £1.27 billion – now that’s a lot of gum! Contrary to popular belief, chewing gum won’t make your teeth fall out, it might however give you wrinkles; the excess chewing
giving one a mouth similar to the old smokers pout. But hell, anyone chewing that excessively will probably be suffering from ulcers caused by excess stomach acid and the last thing they will be worrying about is looking cool as they shove Rennies down their throat. On to better and brighter things me thinks – bicarbonate of soda.
CHEWING GUM TIMELINE
1869
7000 BC
1300 AD
Finland, birch bark tar was chewed for its medicinal and antiseptic properties – yummy
Aztec ladies began chewing Chicle to freshen their breath – didn’t stop them being sacrificed though
December 28 1869, Dentist William Finley Semple became the first person to patent a chewing gum – U.S patent #98304. But it was the Adams name that dominated the market with their natty slogan ‘snapping and stretching gum’
600 BC Ancient Greeks had their own version, Mastiche a derivative of the mastic plant. And where we get the word Masticate from – clever greeks. The Eat Me Editor of the time Dioscorides wrote of its ‘curative powers’ and had it in the Good Things round up
1850 General Antonio de Santa Anna, serial gambler and exile from Mexico, describes over dinner the remarkable properties of Chicle to Dr Thomas Adams. After various failed attempts to turn it into something useful Adams absentmindedly pops some in his mouth – a few flavour improvements laterand chewing gum as we know it is born. Though with the slightly less catchy title of Adams New York No. 1
FAVOURITE FLAVOURS PEPPERMINT
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SPEARMINT
CINNAMON
1940 During the second world war the threat of losing the rubber plantations forced the US to investigate an artificial substitute, the cost was second to the nuclear bomb and resulted in an artificial rubber similar to chicle. It’s been used in the production of chewing gum ever since
GLOBAL CONSUMPTION (PER PERSON PER ANNUM)
RANDOM FACTS 150 million spent annually removing gum from streets of UK Maurizio Savini – possibly the only artist in the world to use chewing gum to create his work
US
UK
GERMANY
GLOBAL MARKET SHARES FOR THE TOP 5 CHEWING GUM COMPANIES ARE ESTIMATED TO BE ...
RUSSIA
CHINA
INDIA
35% Wrigley Company (USA) 26% Cadbury Trebor Bassett (UK) 14% Lotte (South Korea + Japan) 6% Perfetti Van Melle (Italy) 2% Hershey’s
During the Second World War chewing gum was being dished out to US troops to improve concentration during their long and sleepless nights on the front line. Hence the reason why every cheesy war movie features dashing US soldiers dishing it out to the little ones, and why chewing gum suddenly hit the global mainstream post 1945. With the mainstream came improvements, more flavours, more shapes, and importantly, added ingredients. Now, back to the bicarb… It was this addition that propelled gum from something you stick under the chair to a whitening phenomenon that has since escalated alongside the desire for pearly Hollywood whites. And it’s not only bicarbonate of soda, back in 2005 the US army – got to love the innovation those guys
in uniform prompted – thought it would be worth spending some of their annual budget on seeing whether or not caffeine + chewing gum = increased attention. Amazing…it does! Fresh breath and maximum energy - all hail the king of gum. Now it would be rude not to include chewing gum’s slightly younger, and let’s face it cooler brother, bubble gum. I mean, it’s one thing producing something you can chew – if Neolithic man could do it then it can’t be that hard. Creating something you can blow bubbles with however, is a whole new ball game. The clever man behind this was Frank Fleer, who created his Blibber-Blubber back in 1849, unfortunately his advertising sucked, plus it was too sticky, so BlibberBlubber never made it on to the supermarket
It is illegal to import or sell chewing gum in singapore Chewing gum has been shown to have a significant and positive effect on concentration performance If each piece of gum is chewed for 30 minutes then the total number of hours spent chewing gum per year, worldwide, amounts to 187 billion hours!
shelves – shame, the name is certainly catchy. Luckily for industrial cleaners, mothers, and Susan Montgomery Williams of Fresno, who we’ll hear about later, Fleer worker Walter E. Diemer spotted the potential and after a few experiments created Dubble Bubble. Ever wondered why the majority of bubble gum comes in that delightfully lurid colour? We can thank Diemer for that, when the first batch was produced it was the only food colouring to hand: the shade stuck. So back to Susan Montgomery Williams, who would have remained another nameless dot on the planet had Diemer not made his mark. Her twenty-three inch bubble currently stands head and shoulders above all contenders as the biggest ever blown. Fact. Hubba Bubba anyone?
THE REMOVAL OF CHEWING GUM Remove chewing gum from hair with peanut butter Remove chewing gum from carpet with Deep Heat rub Remove from pavements with a power washer Remove chewing gum from clothes by putting them in the freezer and scraping off EAT ME ISSUE 6 11
LONDON FOOD GUIDE
92 HOXTON STREET, N1 6LP +44 (0) 20 7739 3009 OVERGROUND: HOXTON WWW.THEWILLOWSHOREDITCH.COM
Without wishing to ostracise the trendier base of our readership, The Willow Shoreditch is antithetical to the area’s many contrivances. The black frontage is understated - perhaps to a fault - and if I hadn’t been led there I’d have missed it. Functioning as both florist and café the small premises, in its own words, elements a “modern/classic” ethos in its approach to floristry, interiors and food. Walk through the wooden space and you will find Michela - herself of understated beauty who daily portions out some of the best salads EAT ME ISSUE 6 12
and cakes you will find in these parts. Given that The Willow changes its menu daily, my task is rendered almost pointless, as who knows when they’ll next have what I had return to the counter for you to go and sample. Nevertheless, their salad deserves words. My school of eating prioritises meats and sauces. Usually the salad is secondary, a method by which to cut through the glaze and attenuate my butter guilt, and it’s hard sometimes to get excited over such a dish when the standard offerings combine watery lettuce, jaundiced tomatoes and that less than crowd pleasing of gourds, the cucumber. But not at The Willow, oh no… Salad boxes come in three sizes. Yes, you’ve guessed it: small, medium and large, which are priced at £2.95, £3.95 and £4.95 respectively. Now I can eat, but I wouldn’t fight anyone that could happily munch his or her way through a large. That option is probably there for sharers. Ask for a mix and the plethora of ingredients is near unfathomable. At least five different types of leaf, together with fried halloumi, Parma ham, rice, pulses, beans, seeds, a rich oily dressing, and all offset by a very delicious flatbread containing a variably spinachy, cheesy, hammy, or on occasion chickeny filling. And believe me, it’s filling. Finish with their high quality chocolate fruit and nut slice studded with biscuit, for £1.75, and dinner seems a long way off. Of Ottolenghi standards, this place is a must.
A TRICKY MIX Ying’s self-proclaimed freestyle philosophy contradicts most chefs’ emphases on simplicity, yet the combination of textures and flavours I’ve just experienced were simply lush. Here’s a £3.95 lunch: Brown rice, black turtle beans, roasted courgettes, caramelised onions, toasted sunflower seeds, pan-fried gnocci, green beans, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto, honey roasted parsnips, roasted sweet potato with thyme, oregano and basil, red cabbage dressed in white/sweet wine vinegar, honey and reduced balsamic vinegar, raisins, butter beans, pinto beans, avocado, feta, chicken, mange tout, mini pea and roasted couretter tartlet, and a salami and cheese chargrilled piadini. Oh my, oh my.
REVIEW: KRISHAN NURSIMOOLOO - PHOTOGRAPHY: HELEN CATHCART FOR EAT ME MAGAZINE
THE WILLOW SHOREDITCH
LONDON FOOD GUIDE
NIGHTJAR
REVIEW: DOMINIQUE HOPGOOD - PHOTOGRAPHY: OSCAR MAY FOR EAT ME MAGAZINE
129 CITY ROAD, EC1V 1JB +44 (0) 20 7253 4101 TUBE: OLD STREET WWW.BARNIGHTJAR.COM
How to describe this little blink-and-you-mightmiss-it speakeasy, up an exit less travelled (head for City Rd, not Shoreditch proper) from Old St station? It’s Miles Davis with a lit cigarette and the pattering rain meets Alice down the rabbit hole, meets the devil-may-care lightheartedness of wartime dances, meets quintessential English rogue (somewhere between Byron, Dorian Gray and a bowler hat). Walking down its softly lit stairs and into the ‘Jar’ itself is a bit like walking into a golden, bygone era - or onto the silver screen. And boy, is it fun. The Nightjar is a speakeasy. Which dictates cocktails. More on those later. Because the menu is an absolute cracker, where whimsy meets the exotic, the decadent and the glamorous. Chef Carlos goes when ordering, treat it like tapas, or dim sum and you can’t go wrong. The ‘Rum-running Anchovies’ come out looking like a delectable Dali piece and are salty, tangy goodness; plantain and banana crisps with BBQ sauce speak of a world where a bowl of chips would seem crass. Then there’s the Tequlia marinated Pork Burrito. Get ye hence filthy pub burger! And did I mention reasonable? These morsels start at £3 and don’t exceed £6. I can’t help it - I’m smitten as. What gets really my toes wiggling, however, is the Nightjar Flambee trolley (hand carved might I add by chameleon chef Carlo - just something he knocked together in his spare time). Standing behind his ‘stage’ chef (or rather this magician) brings the drama of the kitchen more eloquently than I’ll ever be able to write. Flambee, tartare and desserts (£6 - 10) - it all changes dailly, reflecting what he has picked up at the market the night before.
SALMON TARTARE I haven’t had a Salmon tartare (citronade, chilli & chicory) that made me actually melt in a long time. The Bombay Sapphire flambeed prawns (whose size elicited antipodean approval. We’re talking proper crustacea here, baby) set me my own Proust moment, back down under. It’s not simply ‘having dinner out’ at the Nightjar, it’s an all-engulfing, sensory and emotional journey. In short, a little bit of escapism when dining out (especially in these modern times of the mythical English summer) never goes astray - especially when it’s executed like the Nightjar. EAT ME ISSUE 6 13
HE’S THE SNAPPY-DRESSING BLUR BASSIST TURNED POSTER BOY OF INDEPENDENT FOOD PRODUCTION, OPENING HIS (VERY BIG) HOUSE (IN THE COUNTRY) TO ALL THINGS BRIT AND INDIE WITH THE FOOD-MEETS-MUSIC FESTIVAL HARVEST. COCO KHAN MEETS ROCK’S HOTTEST SQUIRE
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REVIEW: COCO KHAN - PHOTOGRAPHY: SQUIZ HAMILTON - STYLIST: DOMINIQUE HESLOP - ASISTANT: ADAM FUSSELL FOR EAT ME MAGAZINE
THE GREAT ESC APIST
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GOOD THINGS
KENTS KITCHEN BBQ RUB WWW.KENTS KITCHEN.CO.UK SET £14.80 OR £2.95 EACH
MR SINGH’S BANGRAS WWW.DRSTUARTS.COM £2.89
WB&CO JUICES WWW.WBCOUK.COM £2.29 - £2.49
Kents Kitchen really is a kitchen in Kent. Out of it comes the most wonderful array of products crafted by their devout team of chefs. Just in time for summer come their BBQ rubs and BBQ sauces, each packed with flavour and the ideal companion to any undercooked sausage, overcooked burger or perfectly cooked steak.
A beautiful fusion of Indian spices with a homegrown British banger, make for a Bangra. The flavours knock your socks off with the fragrant Indian spices taking you to the heat of Goa with each mouthful. Try the … if you like things hot and don’t for god’s sake ask for tomato ketchup.
Wild Bunch and Co juices are perfect for summer. If you had any doubts about vegetable juices, these are here to convert. Definitely at least one of your five a day and un-pasteurised for maximum vitamins – forget soggy carrots, raw is the future. Delicious carrot and ginger is the perfect cooler on a hot day, dammned good with just a drop of vodka in the evening… Ginger Mary anyone?
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PHOTOGRAPHY: BEN MILLAR COLE FOR EAT ME MAGAZINE
This issue we’ve got some delicious rubs and a couple of drinks for you to throw down the throat. If you’re fleeing Blighty’s shores take some of Jo Hilditch’s British blackcurrants for a taste of home and if you’re braving the ‘staycation’ tuck into a Bangra for a taste of the exotic…
JIMMY’S ICED COFFEE WWW.JIMMYSICEDCOFFEE.COM £2.50 The clever man behind Jimmy’s has not only managed to create a deliciously creamy iced coffee, he’s also put it in one of the coolest cartons we’ve seen yet. The coffee actually tastes like coffee instead of sugar syrup and his new skinny version means it can be guilt free too. In the words of Jimmy – “keep your chin up” and enjoy.
COTSWOLD GOLD EXTRA VIRGIN COLD PRESSED RAPESEED OIL WWW.COTSWOLDGOLD.CO.UK £6 Rapeseed oil is all the rage these days. This is our favourite, and here’s why it makes for a cracking summer: firstly, it is incredibly stable, making it the ideal oil for making your mayo from. Secondly, it cooks at a higher temperature to olive oil, making it ideal for marinades and oiling up the meat for the BBQ.
JO HILDITCH CASSIS BLACKCURRANTS WWW.BRITISHCASSIS.CO.UK £8.95 A little pot of these will see you through a fair few Kir royals with enough left over to generously drizzle over your Eton mess. 100% British blackcurrants make these our absolute favourite and unlike standard cassis, the berries positively force you to spoon them on to everything. Ice cream, yoghurt, copiously poured into a Victoria Sandwich… EAT ME ISSUE 6 17
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EAT ME X 2&4
FEEDING THE CREATIVES LONDON’S NEW BUSINESSES ARE ALL ADDING SPRINKLES THESE DAYS. ALEX VARLEY-WINTER AND DAVE DRUMMOND MEET ONE OF THE NEW
PHOTOGRAPHY: HELEN CATHCART FOR EAT ME MAGAZINE
SAVVY START-UPS COUPLING SNACKS AND CREATIVITY
Have you noticed the trend for coffee-libraries, sandwich-galleries, pastry-gigs and other love-ins between snacks and independent enterprise? Diversification is a deliciously savvy response to economic challenges. Coupled with the fact that we get so much (dubious) satisfaction from our computers these days, today’s hyper-connected consumers are looking for an experience when they leave their house: a conversation, a new band, artistic inspiration, a kiss? Or just cake. The problem with this trend is that with everybody getting a slice of the artisticallyloaded pie it’s not enough to be a mere café any more, particularly in the impossibly cool east London, where so much as a sign relegates you to just another mainstream tosh hole. It does mean however, that with independent businesses thinking outside the box, the landscape of the cafe experience is changing. It’s unlikely you’ll find the quirkier of venues near Oxford Circus, but walk a good way from a major tube station, and you’ll find independent enterprise going strong. 2&4, a furniture shop and cafe set up by a couple of Camden outcasts, using cake to draw custom is a prime example of the establishments that are integrating food with other forms of entrepreneurship. “We moved from Camden out of necessity,” explains company director and furniture designer Maurice Nugent. “It was no longer an arty, bohemian place, rent was going up and it was a tourist trap. I’d always had a studio here, so I thought; why
not take a gamble in the middle of recession?” So he and his Swedish partner Mia turned their Hackney studio on Southgate Road into a vintage furniture shop. Some of the glassware and artwork they’ve made themselves, but the department store carpentry that Maurice once relied on for his daily bread is a dead trade: “Mine was a cottage industry and I couldn’t compete with copies from China. Now I’m dealing only in authentic Scandinavian and British furniture from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. There’s a market for that, because it’s all mid-century and collectable.” The result is an incredibly agreeable furniture shop cum cafe, which he tells is designed to resemble the confines of one’s home. He later confides that with its cluttered mix of reconditioned furniture and art (the space has recently branched out into housing artwork from local artists), it could resemble his grandmother’s front room; this however suggests that his grandmother is Arne Jacobsen. It is a seamless fit; the cafe sits in the corner of the shop, surrounded by the striking array of furniture. Rather than being overly protective of it, he is happy with people trying it out and sitting on it: “We’ve got some people using that table and those chairs for a meeting this week” he tells us pointing to an exquisite folding table in the corner of the shop. It seems 2&4 is not only popular for its welcoming feel and impeccable interior, but as a hub for all things creative. Do you make them use coasters we ask? “Of course.” Welcoming, but protective all the same.
Key to the shop’s success is the genius of Swedish-inspired baking in a building neighboured by pubs and supermarkets. When Maurice arrives for our Monday morning meet, he is with freshly baked banana loaf in hand, still warm from the morning’s diligence. We may address Maurice, but like everyone else in the cafe our eyes follow the fresh, homely allure of the loaf. On previous visits we’d been tempted by the cookies, freshly made sandwiches or Clementine cake – when freshly baked and still warm it’s like eating marmalade: sticky, gooey and brilliant. But with the Scandianvian furniture and the Swedish inspired baking, is it not walking dangerous ‘IKEA-of-Hackney’ comparison territory? “No, not really.” Maurice confirms straight faced. Of course not, why would we even think that. The customers spill in and out during our visit, and all acknowledge Maurice by name, giving the place its friendly, neighbourhood atmosphere. “The community around here has come to think of us as their own private oasis. I don’t advertise, I don’t do eBay, I don’t even have the opening times on my door, which is a terrible marketing strategy, but it means that this place is like a hidden treasure.” It’s east London down to a tee. When it comes to the marriage of cafe and shop the two come hand in hand – the cafe wouldn’t survive were it not for the furniture and as Maurice himself admits; the furniture needs the cafe. “Not everyone can afford a dining table so to speak, but they can afford EAT ME ISSUE 6 19
a cup of coffee...the cafe’s very important.” It’s a clever and organic idea, but it also hints at the future of businesses of its type, stuck in an economic climate where people have precious few pennies to spend. It only takes a brief walk up the road to find a similar example of ingenuity in Farm:Shop: the brainchild of farmer-engineer-artist trio Something and Son, a.k.a. Sam Henderson, Paul Smyth and Andrew Merritt, and the result of a competition run by Hackney Council in 2008 for artists to save their ailing high streets. The trio have four chickens on the roof, a polytunnel full of salad in the garden, an indoor fish farm with a self-regulating ecoEAT ME ISSUE 6 20
system, lines of home-grown basil upstairs, and a neat little cafe to boot. It is a prime model of the possibilities of urban farming, using their own produce to directly serve their cafe needs. The sourdough bread served with chutney made from their tomatoes, and pesto from their basil, is evidence of the self sustaining nature of the business. For £1.50, these plates are a bargain lunch, the sourdough being the real, filling deal, direct from the E5 Bakehouse. It seems diversification, rather than being just an empty buzz word thrown around by savvy marketing executives, is now a genuine business strategy. In many ways – despite how
ugly an idea it may be – it’s akin to that model of IKEA; consumerism as an experience. Establishments like 2&4 and Farm:Shop aren’t necessarily an outing or a specific shopping trip, but they do blur the lines. A bit like the grown up equivalent of going to McDonalds to play in the mass of fluorescent piping and balls that make up their ‘activity areas’, the new breed of independent eateries are all about the experiences that can surround food. Thankfully however, the ambassadors are not brightly coloured clad clowns, they’re confident dedicated individuals who absolutely know what they are doing.
2&4’S BUSINESS TIPS • Obviously, drawing people in is about more than the product. Adopt an ethos. Localism is threatened in an increasingly mobile world, so connecting with small producers will make you many friends. Go to Borough Market. • Grow your own! A Little Bit of What You Fancy (reviewed in our food guide this issue) has a strong Shoreditch following and one of the chefs runs her own herbgrowing business.
• Be prepared to up-and-shift. Cities change continuously – Hackney’s pretty cool now, but as more affluent people move in you can guarantee it’ll become increasingly brand-dominated and the indie hub will spring up somewhere else. Build up a following, and customers will follow you. Close quietly, and they won’t. • A quiet corner can be better than you think, though. 2&4 opened in a seemingly unpromising corner of Dalston, next to a Tesco Metro. It did just fine, because those who head to Tesco for a soggy pre-packed
sandwich see there’s a more appealing option, and with so much movement around London, a lot of them also want to buy furniture. • Know every aspect of your game, and advertise it. There are so many businesses that offer dry muffins and coffee in the hope of drawing people in but your contents need to be genuinely delicious to tempt people. And it’s not just about cake. A sign on the pavement shouting “FREE WIFI” will draw the flocks of freelancers on city fringes.
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From Audit to Tronc Scheme Management, Jeffreys Henry is able to offer a full menu of services with the added advantage of prix fixĂŠ.
With clients including Michelin-starred restaurants, themed restaurant groups, individual bistros and gastropubs, Jeffreys Henry is one of the UK’s leading Chartered Accountants to the restaurant industry. For further information, or to arrange a free initial consultation, please contact:
Justin Randall Partner
0207 309 2222 jrandall@jeffreyshenry.com
Mark Tenzer Partner
0207 309 2222 mtenzer@jeffreyshenry.com
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