1. CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
E S M A G A Z I N E 55
Food fight
STRAWBERRIES
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference
Strawberries, £3.99 for 400g
(www.sainsburys.co.uk)
Watery and not very fresh, with
an oddly strong, tangy aftertaste.
M&S Limited Edition Jubilee
Strawberries, £2.99 for 200g
(www.marksandspencer.com)
Delicious, red and juicy.
Wonderfully sweet – just how
strawberries should be.
★STAR BUY★
Abel and Cole Strawberries,
£2.50 for 200g
(www.abelandcole.co.uk)
Fresh, organic, smaller than
the others but sweeter.
Takeawayontrial
Where? 115 Chiswick High Road, W4
(020 8747 3545; www.tiffinbox.co.uk). Free
delivery within three miles on minimum £12.50
order. Last order 10.30pm Sunday to Thursday;
11.30pm Friday and Saturday.
The order Tandoori chicken, chicken tikka,
prawn curry, roti, naan, raitha, okra, daal,
steamed rice, pistachio kulfi ice cream.
How long? They said 45 minutes. It came in 30.
Was it hot? Lukewarm.
Comment The tandoori chicken was succulent
but the prawns and tikka slightly dry. The raitha,
rice, okra and daal were excellent. The breads
were a bit burned and the food wasn’t hot
enough. The kulfi came in an unusual ice-lolly
form but was a winner. A fairly reliable Indian.
TIFFINBOX
TOTAL COST: £36
The 38-year-old English
actress turned singer is
pregnant with her first child,
and lives in California by
the beach. She says, ‘I do
cook a lot at home – mainly
outside on my barbecue –
and I love it.’ She finds living
next to the ocean inspiring,
and named her new album
Seastories. Fish is one of
her favourite dishes. ‘Fish pie
reminds me of the comfort
food of my childhood and,
living in California, you have
access to the most amazing
fish,’ she says. ‘It’s not a
very well-known dish in
the United States, so it is
always seen as rather
exotic, which I find funny.’
Despite branching out into
songwriting, Minnie is not
about to give up her acting
career. The second season
of The Riches is due out in
the UK soon, and she is
also about to make a film
called Motherhood with
Uma Thurman. Minnie goes
to her local farmers’ market
on a Sunday, where she
buys all her fruit, vegetables
and flowers. The Good Will
Hunting star explains that
it is the idea of ‘localism’ –
supporting local farmers and
their businesses – that she
likes. And her secret is an
avenue in Santa Barbara,
north of LA, where the
avocado trees have grown
out over the road. She
confesses, ‘There’s always a
surplus of windfall at the side
of the road, which makes for
slightly illegal guacamole.’
Who would join you on
the sofa?
My nephew Percy, who’s
three and a good eater, and
my mum and sister.
What’s on the menu?
We would have home-grown
tomatoes, Poilâne bread, a
good organic cheddar and
Branston pickle.
What’s for pudding?
Some Cox’s Orange Pippin
apples and a punnet of
strawberries and cream.
And to drink?
Elderflower cordial with
sparkling water or maybe a
bottle of Puligny Montrachet.
What’s on the box?
The American dark sitcom
Weeds, or Dora the Explorer
for Percy.
What are your favourite
restaurants around
the world?
My sister Kate’s kitchen in
Notting Hill for Sunday lunch.
I love Japanese food so I
always go to Zuma Sushi
which is my local sushi bar in
California. Real Food Daily in
Santa Monica does amazing
vegetarian food. Sierra Mar
restaurant at Post Ranch Inn
in Big Sur, California,
overlooks the coast so you
eat while taking in
spectacular views. And
Raoul’s in New York make
the best steak au poivre
with watercress salad that
I have ever had.
Minnie’s second album
Seastories is out now
Minnie Driver
AlovelybunchofcoconutsandJerseyRoyalsonthecheap
FoodSpy
TOM AIKENS
INSIDEOUT
‘Idon’tgivemychildrencandy.Whenmykids
havejuice,it’slikethey’rehavingtheirfirsttaste
ofchampagne.’CatherineZetaJones’srules
Alamy.RexFeatures.Retna.TobiJenkins
I
have just spent five days at the
Como Shambhala Resort in Bali.
The best thing about it was the
food. In particular, young coconut,
which was used in a variety of
things from salads to juices to coconut and
avocado soup. Coconut is great for detox.
Pretty much all I ate for five days were raw
and cooked vegetables and vegetable juices.
I was amazed at the variety of vegetables and
the creativity that the chef showed: dishes
such as chargrilled estate vegetables with
torn basil, served with marinated
olive tapenade on grilled
Siebenfelder loaf.
A unique kitchen
appliance range called
Prep Expert has been
introduced by
Krups. Advanced
features include
built-in scales and pre-
programmed recipes for
tricky things like dough.
Caprice Holdings managed to persuade my
old boss, Pierre Koffmann, out of retirement
and into the kitchen at Mark’s Club last week,
to give their members a taste of his Tante
Claire food. Dishes, including asperges et
ragout de morilles and wild Scottish salmon
confit with piperade jus, were served to the
room and I am told it was mouthwateringly
good – the pig’s trotter being exceptional.
News from the Marine Stewardship
Council that their new website launches in
July. It will detail several restaurants, other
than Tom’s Place, that serve MSC-certified
fish. The Duke of Cambridge, Konstam at
the Prince Albert, Moro, Moshi Moshi and
numerous Pret A Mangers are announcing
eco-friendly fish options. The London Food
Link also works to get more sustainable food
into the capital, and is helping London
restaurants and caterers improve the
sustainability of their ingredients.
Certain factors affecting
the worldwide economy
have not left our daily fruit
and vegetable suppliers
untouched. Reasons include
the falling pound against the
euro and the rising cost of oil.
What’s new: Jersey Royals are
dropping in price; English
tomatoes have started to
flourish; English strawberries
need a week to improve;
wild garlic is everywhere.
Edited by VICTORIA-ANNE BULL