Tasting Notes

I’ve never really been much of a hobbyist or collector. Although my now dwindling collection of high heels were once a contender for Imelda Marcos and, budget permitting, I enjoy staking out new additions to my collection of Diane von Furstenberg dresses, I confess to being a bit of an under achiever in the hoarding stakes. However, the beauty of living with a collector is that you can partake in the pleasure, without feeling the guilt that comes with accumulation of too many posessions.

I’ve chosen to collect cookbooks vicariously. As the kitchen is out-of-bounds (my “My macaron moment” post may give clues to why I’ve been relegated to washing up duties) cook books are of absolutely no use to me, but like a cleptomaniac, I no longer seem able to leave a restaurant without a copy (preferably signed) of its cookbook in my hand as a gift for my foodie sambo.

I used to glance bemusedly at those who chronicled their every gastronomic experience via their Nikons, but as I have tapped into this savvy marketing ploy employed by restaurateurs, I understand that the recording of a beautifully prepared starter is like capturing the image of an exotic sunset. Each visual souvenir holds special memories. Take Mark Hix’s British Regional Food, a lavish pictorial guide to the the best British fayre and its producers. Ravishing images of Welsh onion cake, or Norfolk treacle cake topped with an indulgent dollop of extra thick clotted cream conjure up memories of the chef’s wonderful summer vegetable salad with runner beans and girolles enjoyed in the company of my family, rather than the bland, non-descript cuisine of my youth.

However, I’m not content with the images, I want to know the secret behind the magic. My latest purchase is Yes Chef!, prompted by a fabulous lunch at Alan Murchisan’s La Becasse in Ludlow. Featuring 100 recipes submitted by 20 of the UK’s most exciting chefs, including La Becasse’s Will Holland. Like a watercolour brought home from a loved holiday, you cannot recapture all the unique elements that attracted you when first experienced in its natural surroundings, but it can inspire the memories of a special moment in time. I am fortunate enough to be able to experience the pleasure of Bloom on a regular basis, but for the sake of the many diners who make a special excursion to experience the sights, smells and extraodinary taste of Bloom, I sincerely hope that Igi and Titti will too publish their own culinary tome soon.