I’ve been back from America for about 2 weeks, released my new album on Monday (you can buy it here… shameless plug!) so I cleared a day to head to the country. To me, the best way to kick off English summer is a trip to a National Trust house. My friend Milla & I drove out to Sussex and visited the gorgeous Petworth House and spent the afternoon touring the grounds, house and servant’s quarters. We drove into Arundel afterwards to have cream tea and hit some charity shops. … Continue Reading
There is a castle on every corner in this country. But this one is definitely one you should go to. And it’s really easy to get to on the train!
The Queen lives here sometimes, so it’s decent. Also, did you know that if you work here you live on the grounds? How do I get on that list?
We arrived to the changing of the guard, complete with a brass band. It started a little after 11 if you’d like to be there for that. There are lots of really nice pubs around the castle and great shopping in the train station. It’s a quaint little English country town – plan a whole day to explore the castle and the high street.
You can take the train from Paddington, and if you get a fast train you can be there in 40 minutes. The station is right next to the castle; it’s such an easy day trip.
I took my mother-in-law to the OTTOLENGHI outpost in Chelsea. She is a chef & caterer in Jackson, MS, so I was very excited to take her here. His food is not only delicious but beautifully presented. I ordered turkey meatballs, cauliflower salad (2nd row, left) and the zucchini (courgette whatever) salad (far left).
The desserts are just as beautiful Look at those meringues! Gorgeous! It’s kind of expensive (£14 for 1 meat, 2 salads) but if you are a food lover, definitely worth a stop. You eat at a large communal table, so if you have a large group, expect to wait. Would be the perfect place to build a picnic meal!
I also picked up his blend of Dukkah which I have been sprinkling on everything from eggs, hummus and olive oil.
If you want to cook up a bit of Ottolenghi to enjoy at home, Yotam does a column on the Guardian and one of my favorite food blogs, Love & Lemons featured his cauliflower salad recipe from his newest cookbook Jerusalem.
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