Another Food Blog

I’m – apparently – rather odd in my liking of liver. Most people my age have only ever experienced the crap that school canteens serve up, whereas I learnt my liver-liking from my father.

One of the market stalls in Cambridge sells calves’ livers, and they’re both cheaper – about 65p per 100g – and very thinly (5mm or so) sliced. I bought some this weekend, along with new potatoes and mange tout which I cooked in the usual (steamed) way.

I started in a dry plan with some finally chopped onion and, when it was soft, added the liver. I flour it to absorb any blood/juices and to add a crisper outer layer. It took a minute or so each side and, when it was done, I put some of the water from the steamer in the pan with the onions to make a quick sauce. This went onto plates with the vegetables and liver and made a very satisfying – and cheap – lunch.

The John Howard Hotel, just around the corner from the Albert Hall, is a Best Western hotel and was where I was staying during a two-day meeting in London.

They must’ve been fairly full and I must’ve been very lucky. My room was upgraded from the standard single to a suite – a separate bedroom branched off from a main room that contained a dining table big enough for four and a fully equipped kitchen! There was even a small outdoor terrace. Too bad I was only there for one night and couldn’t try out the facilities!

I did, however, sample breakfast the next morning which – given the luxurious surroundings of my room – was something of a disappointment. The basement restaurant was nice enough, with piped-in classical music and comfortable chairs; I started off with a large helping of museli (with milk and yoghurt), orange juice, and tea. The cooked breakfast selection was not particularly inspiring: rather-too-liquid scrambled eggs, poor quality bacon, and fairly bland sausages. There were cooked whole mushrooms, however, which adequately lifted the combination. I finished off with a slice of fresh brioche and blueberry jam, before ‘liberating’ a couple of apples for later in the day.

I think I’m spoilt now by home-cooked breakfasts, where the bacon and sausages are of a higher quality and the eggs scramble to my own liking. A lesson, perhaps, for the future…

Il Falconiere, in South Kensington, was the venue for a conference dinner this week. We had a limited menu, but there was sufficient choice. I opted for beef and avocado to start. It was a good combination – half an avocado, sliced, with three thin slices of cured beef (a vibrant red in colour), alongside it. For the main course, I opted for veal: it came as three slices, each one topped with a slice of aubergine and mozarella, with a tomato sauce.

The veg that accompanied everyone’s meals were sauteed potatoes, cauliflower cheese and green beans. All were equally passable. For dessert, I opted for cheese and was presented with three nice-looking pieces – a very ripe brie and soft stilton made up two of the three. The cheddar, sadly, seemed to have been out of the fridge for some time and was rather sweaty. The tiramisu that many went for looked rather better…