Kate's in the driver's seat today, with her editor's edition.
What I did over the bank holiday: On Saturday, a disappointing weather forecast put to bed my plans to host a barbecue in my garden. Instead, I had Sam and a few other pals round for a good old-fashioned dinner party. As usual, work was so busy last week that it took me until Saturday morning to plan the menu, buy the ingredients and throw together the recipes — not the ideal scenario. I’m pleased to say I pulled it off though, a huge source of pride now I’m rapidly approaching my mid-30s. The result is I’m newly convinced that I could write a 21st century version of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. The secret to a good dinner party, it turns out, is to pick elegant but relatively simple dishes, a main that you can prepare ahead of time so you just need to put it in the oven when your guests arrive and — crucially — to live in Bearwood, home to one of the best stocked and friendliest Italian delis this side of the Amalfi Coast. Ok, if I’m being honest, I bought most of the bits from Aldi but the arborio rice, almond biscuits and bottle of amaro liqueur from Cody’s Italian Shop were the cherry on top of the hastily prepared cake that was my party. I think what I like most about Cody’s is that it’s a family owned business which isn’t stuffy or pretentious like some artisan shops can be. Plus, owner Nicola Codinotti gave me a complimentary draught of Bombardino at roughly 1pm in the afternoon which put a pep in my step. I can also recommend their cheese and antipasti-stuffed piadinas, fresh coffee, and Calabrian gelato. My flavour is, always and forever, pistachio.
Speaking of eating out in Bearwood: The neighbourhood gets a lot of attention — and rightly so — for the delicious Mexican restaurant A la Mexicana. But there are so many other great places in Bearwood that deserve a shout out too.
