OTTOLEGHI

One of my girlfriends went into Ottoleghi off Kensington Church Street today to buy her lunch. Peaches and speck with orange blossom, figs with pecorino and honey, crushed new potatoes with horseradish and sorrel, Jerusalem artichokes with lemon and sage... as she ordered a couple of their delicious orange and pistachio biscotti to dunk in her afternoon tea, Jason Orange from Take That walked in... star struck she stood aside to listen out for what a super star has for lunch on a Monday... 'HiyaLuv' he said to the girl behind the meringues...'You got anything I can take home and microwave?'
Very disappointing Jason.. You can take the lad out of the north but you can't take the north out of the lad.

Chapati

Occasionally I have lunch in The Central Gudwara (Sikh Temple) near me. It is like stepping into India for an hour. With shoes off and Pashmina on, I just turn up, bow to the Guru Grath Sahib, make a donation, and then take a Thali tray and eat delicious curry and rice on the floor. The lovely curry making ladies of Punjab are always asking me to come in on a Sunday night and help prepare the Chapati... so last night I finally did. I had a go at every Chapati making station although I was mainly left to slather butter on them once cooked. I told them that I was being quite stingy with the butter as I didn't want anyone to get fat. Mahtab (meaning moonlight) said that was OK and that everyone is bery bery healthy conscious these days.