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Featured Stories

DEPARTURE LOUNGE
Sichuan: The China I Keep Returning To. Part 1
Sichuan: The China I Keep Returning To. Part 1

I first travelled to Sichuan in 2006, and my immediate reaction when I stepped out into Chengdu was a slightly bewildered: “Two thousand or so years of history… where is it?” On the surface, the concrete sprawl had seemingly swallowed the past. But it didn’t take long to realise that the history wasn’t in preserved monuments – it’s most alive in the neighbourhoods…

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RECIPES
Rhubarb tartlet with jasmine & coconut
Rhubarb tartlet with jasmine & coconut

“Rhubarb is a harbinger of spring in Scandinavia, the first and most-loved sweet ingredient of the season. You can almost feel the anticipation in the air, the countdown until the first hot-pink stalks are available at the markets. There is something so fittingly northern about the hardy and super tart stalks that need quite a bit of sugar to bring out the beautiful flavour…”

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Restaurant Recipe Series

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Sautéed clams (Vongole) - SPQR
Sautéed clams (Vongole) - SPQR

The ingredients of success are to treat your business like it has a soul, be loyal to your staff, be efficient, be passionate and don’t change your menu too much. This is a simple dish with few ingredients, but timing is crucial – serve the clams immediately.

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Caesar Salad - Gault’s On Quay
Caesar Salad - Gault’s On Quay

“At Gault’s on Quay, this Caesar salad was served in a white bowl resting on a VW hub cap! Good anchovies make all the difference here.” —Simon Gault

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Sugar pie - Depot Eatery
Sugar pie - Depot Eatery

On the menu since Al Brown opened doors at Depot in 2011, Sugar Pie epitomises the knack Al has for creating signature dishes with just a handful of great ingredients. Here a perfect crust is filled with eggs, brown sugar and cream. Al was introduced to this dessert in…”

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Charred broccoli - Burger Burger
Charred broccoli - Burger Burger

“Our charred broccoli has been a fan fave on the menu from day one, and rightfully so! The smoky char, the crunch of the green broccoli and the almonds, and flavour of the garlic all come together to make a nutritious and delicious dish…”

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Twice-baked goat's cheese soufflé - The Engine Room
Twice-baked goat's cheese soufflé - The Engine Room

"This soufflé debuted in our first winter in 2006. It was immediately obvious that this dish could never leave the menu, our guests never tire of it! The two baking stages each fill the dining room with an intoxicating aroma. This impressive-looking…”

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Departure Lounge

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A first-timer's Prague. Part 1
A first-timer's Prague. Part 1

Prague is a place I’d wanted to visit for the longest time, but knowing it’s so touristy always put me off. Ever the chirpy optimist (not really!), I took a punt that there would still be real magic in the quieter streets, lesser-known sights, and local’s favourite spots, despite the 7.5 million (or so) annual visitors. I’ve written a day-by-day…

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Budapest: The beauty and the bustle
Budapest: The beauty and the bustle

Budapest is a city of many layers. And not just the kind you spot in its Baroque, Neo-Gothic, and Art Nouveau facades (although, wow), but the kind that blend a palpable sense of history with a busy, modern charm. Yellow trams rattle down streets and traffic zips by at a fearsome pace (this is no place to jaywalk) – except on famous…

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Lord of the (bread) rings - Turkish simit
Lord of the (bread) rings - Turkish simit

Is it our imagination, or are All The Lucky Bastards travelling at the moment? No matter where we look on social media, our feeds are flooded with Tuscany this, the Greek Islands that and Maldives, regional France and Prague the other. Not that we’re jellie or anything. Nah, not us. Never…

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Hanging around Chengdu’s teahouses
Hanging around Chengdu’s teahouses

There are plenty of reasons to be drawn to Sichuan (pandas, that food, the local opera style, natural beauty and glimpses of Tibetan culture spring to mind), but honestly, you could ditch the sight-seeing completely, decamp to a teahouse, sit with the locals, break out the melon seed snacks and be totally happy…

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How to survive Venice: Strategies for an over-touristed city - Part 1
How to survive Venice: Strategies for an over-touristed city - Part 1

Venice. You know you want to. Or do you really? The over-tourism. The queues. The heat. The mozzies. The expense. It’s all a bit off-putting. I found myself in Venice in June for the very first time and as a fan of shoulder and off seasons, it wouldn’t have been my pick of months to go…

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Cookbook Series

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Lamb tangri roast - Roast leg of lamb 
Lamb tangri roast - Roast leg of lamb 

“You will need to begin this recipe at least a day ahead. There’s something undeniably theatrical about placing a whole roast leg of lamb at the centre of the table, its inviting aroma swirling around the room. If there’s one dish that captures both showmanship and substance…”

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Cardenales with apricto compôte & marsala whipped cream
Cardenales with apricto compôte & marsala whipped cream

“Cardenales are an interesting bit of European pastry history. These delicious pastries originated in Vienna as “cardinal slices” but then somehow made their way to a town at the foot of the Tramuntana mountains in Mallorca, where they are known and loved as cardenales de Lloseta, the “cardinals of...” 

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Slow-cooked brisket with prunes - Myaso s chernoslivom
Slow-cooked brisket with prunes - Myaso s chernoslivom

I love to slow-cook this on a Sunday, ready for the week ahead. My babushka Liana often pairs meat with prunes, a common combination influenced by the Yiddish community that lived in Ukraine. Use any sort of beef or bone stock; I have made this plenty of times with just water…

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Cabbage rolls - Holubtsi
Cabbage rolls - Holubtsi

Spend an afternoon with a friend making a large batch of these holubtsi. For the filling, a mix of beef and pork mince works well, but I sometimes make these with just beef – I use a really hearty beef mince mixture from one of my butchers that includes liver, heart and other parts. I love to add cayenne pepper, fresh herbs and lots of smetana…

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Potato pancakes with pork filling – Kolduny
Potato pancakes with pork filling – Kolduny

For these stuffed pancakes, try to buy pork mince with a really high fat content or make your own using high-quality pork belly which has a good meat-to-fat ratio. There are a lot of potatoes to grate here, but if you have a food processor with a grater attachment, it does the job in minutes. Enjoy with soured cream or the Aubergine Ikra (page 160).

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