meemalee

The Square in London has been around since 1991 and, during that time, it has built a reputation for understated excellence, earning two Michelin stars along the way.  This is in no small part down to its chef and co-owner Philip Howard - one of the few "named" chefs who can still be found in the kitchen. Howard was recently voted Chef's Chef of the Year at the National Restaurant Awards, and I was pleased to play a small role in The Kitchen Foundation  from the Square - his Masterclass series where he shares culinary tips, tricks and secrets which he has gleaned and developed over the years. These videos are to celebrate the Square's 21st Birthday and also to promote Howard's new cookbook The Square Cookbook - Volume 1 - Savoury  - a real labour of love, documenting over 100 savoury recipes from the Square.  I have just been given a copy and it's been a while since I've seen such a stunning (and hefty) tome.  Volume 2 - Sweet comes out fro...

They often say that a blog is a diary, a catalogue of events in one's life, although arguably a diary is more interesting to other people. I was always rubbish at keeping a diary though, and that's partly why I've failed to write about some events which I ought to have recorded. Take the picture at the top - this was the Scotch Egg Challenge at the Ship in Wandsworth. 36 contestants , 5 judges, one winner. Chef Mat Follas, celebrity baker Eric Lanlard, bloggers Chris Pople and David Constable and I chose the brilliant offering from the Devonshire Arms in Chiswick. The #ScotchEggChallenge as it was known on Twitter made the Evening Standard and the Guardian . A full account of the results on the Ship's blog here . At the start of last year, I took part in the Barbecoa Brawnoff. Food Urchin , Paul from How not to do a Food Blog , the Grubworm and I were each given a pig's head by the butchers at Barbecoa, Jamie Oliver's steakhouse in the City and challenged to ...

I am a terrible student. Firstly, I turn up late to a macaron baking class by Edd Kimber . Yes, that Edd Kimber, the guy who won the Great British Bake Off hosted by Mel and Sue and judged by the Silver Fox and Nicholas Parsons's sister . A macaron class held by an official baking genius. And yet I turn up late. Edd with two D's. Like Edd the Duck. Genuinely. Secondly, I interrupt his demo with lots of silly questions. Look at him humouring me. He makes a salted caramel sauce. He makes the macaron batter. I'm not paying attention, because I'm too busy inhaling the wonderful sugared scent. This much did sink in - the best macaron batter must fall in languid waves. Next, Edd pipes perfect circles of macaron batter, spaced out so they don't merge into some kind of uberon. We all take turns to copy him, piping circle after circle. Some more successfully than others. 2001: A Cake Odyssey Crisp shells of delicious almond joy with perfect "feet". And now E...

I have this friend. Let's call her Rachel. She's one of the funniest people I know, in a charming, often acerbic but never cruel way. She also happens to be a wonderful cook and bilingual - Spanish is her second language, as she spent most of her youth in Catalonia aka Catalunya, in Spain. The fact that she's from Glasgow is just the icing on the cake, as it means that she'll slip from a Scottish brogue into perfect Spanish without a blink. So when she decided to start her own Catalan Cooking Class , I thought "Sign me up!". As far as the online food community are concerned, Rachel is the Catalan Queen . I was honoured to be invited to attend the inaugural class ... The Catalan Queen and Gareth Groves of Bibendum It's Tuesday evening - the venue is the lovely patisserie Bea's of Bloomsbury . I take my husband along as I think he'd have fun and it's a good decision as, within minutes, Rachel has us all laughing as she tells us stories about l...