Five inexplicable food trends

Published on Yahoo Lifestyle UK & Ireland on 1st August 2013:

In the world of food, there are some pretty bizarre crazes.

We’re certainly not the most adventurous lot here in the UK but even we’ve had our share of sniffable asparagus, breast milk ice cream and, most recently, edible insects trying to make it on to our dinner tables.

Some of these food trends are avant garde, others are ahead of their time but often they are just plain silly.

When it comes to food trends though, it’s some of the most mainstream ideas that I find truly unfathomable. Will someone please explain to me why these trends are so big?

Read more at Yahoo!

La Mancha, Putney

Published in Scout London Magazine October 12-21 2012 Issue number 12:

La Mancha, Putney, Scout London

Running for some 20 years in Putney, this locals’ favourite has had a menu overhaul of late. There are now more than 50 tapas dishes on the menu, plus mains, sides and desserts. And if you thought tapas were small plates then think again. Here, the portions are generous enough to share happily – five dishes are recommended for two people. As a strangely large amount of the food is fried, things can get a little greasy, especially when it comes out faster than you can make room for it. But that’s nothing a cold sherry, icy Spanish beer or a frozen daiquiri can’t fix. A drip-feed of Jamon Serrano with pan al ajillo (that’s garlic bread for those of you whose grip on Spanish is less than basic) will keep you chatting for hours over those cool drinks, and you’ll probably feel like a siesta afterwards. Go on, take it easy – there’s always mañana.