Jamie Oliver's Paella Abomination

Jamie Oliver has drawn ire on the internet after posting a paella recipe that included chorizo.

His inclusion of chorizo has been widely derided by traditionalists, with one describing it as an "abomination".

Mary Berry To Quit Great British Bake Off

UK TV cook Mary Berry quits Great British Bake Off, saying she will stay with the BBC out of "loyalty" https://t.co/yPeiNfYZaT

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) September 22, 2016

The Joy of Beef

Just cutting these beautiful sides of Aberdeen Angus beef... Amazing quality. Just needs hanging for about 4 weeks. pic.twitter.com/Xyuagf9aGr

— LEE HORSLEY FROST (@frostybutcher) July 29, 2016

Happy 40th Birthday Pinocchio of Brighton!

Save The BBC's Recipe Archive

@sunny_hundal BBC: Save the BBC's recipe archive! https://t.co/zMLyJPZ7Va via @UKChange

— Lovelyjane (@reallovelyjane) May 17, 2016

Gin and Tonic Jelly Shots

Gin & Tonic Jelly Shots

Posted by Proper Tasty on Saturday, 19 December 2015

The Olive Grove Brighton

Eva and I went to the recently opened Olive Grove (15-18 Meeting House Lane, Brighton, BN1 1HB) last night and were very impressed.

It serves a variety of Mediterranean food, ranging from tapas plate portions to full main courses.

I started with the Charcuteria, a very generous portion of Mediterranean cold meats served with traditional bread. I then had the veal chop, served with potatoes and spinach. My compliments to the chef; the chop was tender, succulent and tasty.

Eva started with the Souvlaki a skewered combination of chorizo, chicken, beef & seasonal vegetables. Very tasty, and very generous (two skewers!). She then had Keftidakia & Mash (homemade meatballs served with tomato sauce & mash), which were flavoursome and hearty.

The ambiance was great, and the restaurant pleasantly busy.

The staff were welcoming, friendly, efficient and cheerful.

The bill, including wine, coffee and liqueurs (plus a free Grappa) came to around £65.

We really enjoyed our meal, and will definitely go there again.

Great Restaurant Names of The 21st Century

Happy 70th Birthday To English's of Brighton - #LoveEnglishs

Happy 70th Birthday English's!

Run by the Leigh-Jones family since 1945.

Happy Yorkshire Pudding Day!

13 October is: Yorkshire Pudding Day - http://t.co/mej2cmRPcw #Yorkshirepuddingwraps #RecipeoftheDay #Foodiechats pic.twitter.com/yKsMoe6HHy

— Top Ten Blogger (@Worlds_Top_10) October 13, 2015

Hellman's Mayonnaise

Hellman's have recently begun marketing a new product called "Hellman's With Olive Oil".

I was rather puzzled as to why they emphasised the olive oil, given that standard mayonnaise recipes use olive oil as one of the key ingredients.

Therefore, I looked at the ingredients of Hellman's other mayonnaise product "Hellman's Real Mayonnaise".

It seems that their "real" mayonnaise doesn't contain olive oil, but in fact contains soybean oil.

How can this be called "real" if it doesn't contain olive oil, and why do they not call their new product "real" given that it now contains olive oil?

Sadly they can't, because it isn't "real" either; as it contains soybean oil as well as olive oil.

Therefore the question remains, how can Hellman's call their original product "real" mayonnaise when it doesn't contain any olive oil?

Saint Jamie's Sugar Rush

Saint Jamie of Oliver was on TV last night proselytising against the evils of sugar.

All very well and fine, given that some people consume bucket loads of the stuff and have clearly damaged their health.

However, in a free country, we are all entitled to go to the devil in our own way.

Notwithstanding that, Saint Jamie intends to put a sugar tax on sugary drinks in his restaurants. In theory the extra monies raised will be used for good works against the "evil" sugar.

That aside I draw your attention to Saint Jamie's recipes:

• ‘chocolate love cake’ contains 21 teaspoons of sugar
• sticky toffee pudding 12 teaspoons
• tasty sundae 16 teaspoons
• gluten-free Christmas cake every slice has 28 teaspoons
• salmon dish has three teaspoons of sugar, as does his chicken garden soup. 
• Jamie’s milkshakes, which contain more sugar than a can of Coke

Oh, and while we are at it, take a look at the salt content in his branded sauces!

Hypocritical or what?

Breakfast Is Served - All Day at McDonald's!

McDonald's to serve all day breakfasts!

Hotel du Vin Abandons Brighton Seagulls

I am very sorry to see that the new owners of the Hotel Du Vin in Brighton have removed the seagulls that used to hang from the ceiling of the cocktail bar.

A journalist chum of mine told me that she hates the word "iconic", feeling that it overused. However, in this particular instance, I will risk her ire; by stating categorically that the seagulls were iconic and very much part of the bar contributing to its quirky ambience.

More to the point:

• Seagulls are as much a part of Brighton as fish and chips. 


• Brighton and Hove Albion, the local football team, are nicknamed "The Seagulls".


• By ditching the seagulls, the hotel is in effect ditching its connection to Brighton itself.


• The bar, sans seagulls, now looks and feels like a soulless barn.

Bring back the seagulls!

The Southover - Brighton

The Southover pub (58 Southover St Brighton BN2 9UF - 01273 601419) is currently hosting The Heart and Soul Food Company special pop up soul food kitchen for one month 19th Aug - 21st Sept.

We gave it a go last night, and had a selection of small dishes (you can have them served in larger portions if you want). Here is a very subjective view of the ones we ate (note they do others, and also do burgers):

- Peri peri chicken wings - spicy, tender and splendid
- Onion rings - good sized portion, not greasy, tasty

- Salsa - lacked kick/flavour

- Ribs - flavoursome and tender

- Brisket chilli - oven baked, smokey, spicy and came with some extra jalapeños to scatter upon it

- Corn on the cob - very good, good sized cob and came with butter in a separate dish (without having to ask for it)

- Jalapeño cheese poppers - bland and tasteless

- Smokey macaroni cheese - bloody good, normally I would consign such a "schooldays memory" dish to the waste bin without even trying it

- Rice with black beans - good

The small dishes range from £2.50 to £4 each if memory serves.

Worth a visit in my humble opinion.