Some of the press coverage for the event:

Evening Standard – 11th October 2011

The Independent – 13th October 2011

Daily Express – 13th October 2011

The upstairs’ tapas approach to sharing a variety of small plates may not be everyone’s cup of chocolat chaud but it creates an informality that suits the mood of Terroirs perfectly. On a recent visit a deux, I plumped for the Cheltenham Beetroot & Fresh Goat’s Curd, fully aware that my husband likes neither beetroot nor goat’s cheese but the people next to us were having it and it looked too good to miss. Imagine my surprise when he tried a little, loved it and then proceeded to eat rather more than would have seemed to be his fair share. (In my defence, he ordered the Potted Brown Shrimps and I normally hate those, although the ones at Terroirs weren’t half bad).

The highlight was definitely the Clams, Vermouth and Aioli, its fantastic juices mopped up by chunks of rustic bread. But in all of this a note of warning – the Cantabrian Anchovies, Shallots and Unsalted Butter are incredibly strong and will blow your head off. I like an anchovy as much as anyone but cor blimey they were a shock.

Sad to say, the downstairs restaurant isn’t nearly so successful. The service which upstairs is informal and relaxed, becomes rude and slow down there. They were pretty busy but the staff and the kitchen seemed to be struggling to cope with the demands of the evening. Upstairs’ charming, lively ambience hasn’t bothered to make the journey down the stairs and it feels no different to countless other bland restaurants that I wouldn’t rush to. But most disappointing of all was the too-limited menu and the standard of the food.

The only thing which hit the levels I’d so enjoyed upstairs was the Bitter Chocolate Pot. Heavenly and almost good enough to compensate for the stodgy nightmare that was the cassoulet. The good news is that the chocolate pot is also on the upstairs menu so please, if you go to Terroirs, remember to stay upstairs and you’ll be fine.

(The full version of this article is published by The Arbuturian.)

And gloriously, it turns out that English sparklers are no longer the embarrassing aunt of the fizzy wine world, which is fabulous news because everybody knows that champagne proper is frightfully outré these days.

English fizz by contrast is elegant, understated and patriotic. Well, patriotic if you’re English. If you happen to be Welsh, I’m told they’re doing some pretty good ones too. Try Glyndwr Vineyard. If you’re neither English nor Welsh then I don’t suppose these wines will make you feel overly patriotic at all.

For the party in question we ended up serving Chapel Down Brut Rose and Brut Reserve. It was a close run thing though with the Nyetimber Classic Cuvee or their Blanc de Blancs. The Nyetimbers have been winning awards all over the place, causing some right old fits of pique in France by beating their top champagnes in blind tastings.

Well worth considering for any special occasion dinner, party or wedding.

I’ve come to the conclusion that the only thing holding these wines back from their rightful superstar status is the lack of a catchy name for the genre. Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it? ‘English sparkling wine’. Somewhat lacking the romance of ‘champagne’. If the Spanish have ‘cava’ and the Italians have ‘prosecco’ – any ideas for what we can call ours?

(The full version of this article is published by The Arbuturian.)

Christmas is just starting to poke its nose around the door. Only a little, and not really enough to get in your way, but it’s there and it’s no use pretending it isn’t. Which means that at Girl Thursday we’re starting to limber up for our gift-purchasing endeavours for private clients. And that inevitably means many, initially slightly awkward, conversations will be had with men about lingerie shopping.

Getting the size right is very important. Get it wrong and frankly you’re done for. If you buy too large then you’ve pretty much called her a heffalump; too small and she now feels like one. The only way to get this right is to sneak around in her knicker-drawer and check the sizes. It’s best to make sure she’s out when you do this. While you’re at it, it’s also a good idea to check the brands to get an idea of what she chooses for herself and because sizes can vary between makes.

Next up, think about what ‘message’ you want the lingerie to convey. Please don’t just wander into the lingerie department at Selfridges with a scrap of paper saying ‘32B’ and grab the nearest thing that you find. This is unlikely to work. Essentially, the choices fall into three main areas: boudoir chic, laid-back luxe or everyday glamour. Translations below.

Boudoir chic

Distinctly on the naughty side. Pieces which are intended to – and will – make her feel sexy. The distinction between getting this right and reverting to the hideously cheap and tacky stereotypes we’re trying to avoid is going to be in the fabrics, colours and cut. If it is cheap, the chances are it will look and feel cheap, and then – guess what? – your lady will feel cheap in it. And please spare a thought for any body hang-ups you know she has. You may love the fact she doesn’t have a scary washboard stomach, but if that’s the bit of herself that she hates then maybe a chemise or babydoll would work well.

Myla is the master of boudoir chic. Everything oozes such quality and glamour that even their very naughtiest pieces are classy not tacky. Their online store is great but I strongly urge you to go into a ‘proper’ store if you can. The Myla girls are lovely and have grasped the assisting aspect of being a shop assistant. They won’t let you be embarrassed and they won’t scare the bejeesus out of you either. Yes, Agent Provovateur, I’m afraid I mean you. What they will do is help you choose and help you with the sizing. Even if you’re buying for more than one lady-friend at the same time, as I witnessed once in a Myla store and saw handled with considerable aplomb.

If you’re anywhere near the easterly edges of central London, you could do worse than pop into Bordello, near Shoreditch. A lovely small shop, with plenty of ‘naughty but nice’ ranges.

Laid-back luxe

Rather more restrained. A single malt whisky to boudoir chic’s vodka martini. These are pieces for lazy days of snuggling up together with the Sunday Times and for long evenings by the fire. La Perla is the cream of this world and whilst the heights of such luxury don’t come cheap, I’m not sure a price can be put on the look of delight that is sure to be prompted by such a gift. Particular brownie points may be won with their Barocco babydoll (£322) or the Greta culotte and top set (£236).

Some of the Kiki de Montparnasse range would make the briefs at Myla blush but they also do fabulous laid-back luxe, most particularly with their ‘Amour’ collection. Stocked by Liberty in their lovely lingerie room which is probably London’s best one-stop-shop for this type of lingerie.

If you’re the type of chap who would rather give up your Sky Sports subscription than go into a shop and engage in a conversation about bra cup sizes, then Phoebe Carlyle may be the answer. It’s an online store that is jam-packed with goodies your lady will love, at prices less likely to induce a cold sweat. I particularly like their Elise Aucouturier Lovely Mary Cami Set at £125. It’ll all arrive beautifully packaged and you can even arrange for next day delivery (you never know when that might come in handy).

Everyday glamour

These are pieces she can wear under her clothes and that will make her feel fabulous all day long. Phoebe Carlyle is a very good source of these pieces, too. An abundance of bows and ruching is not the thing here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about plain and drab, just more discreet. Think about ranges like Aubade, Huit or Lejaby – which you should be able to find in any good department store.

And the last word is for the ladies – when your chap buys you lingerie cut him some slack. The chances are that he has agonised over the choice and is well aware of the perils involved. If he’s got it wrong then why not just smile, tell him you’ll try it on later, and prepare to join the long queue of ladies snaking around the returns desk in Selfridges.

(The full version of this article is published by The Arbuturian.)

I was really looking forward to going to the house-warming of an absolutely delightful couple who’ve bought a pad in Soho. Rather than take a bottle I thought it would be nice to make them something. The couple in question are very stylish, elegant and a little mischievous. Not unlike pistachio macaroons…

INGREDIENTS (for twenty small macaroons)

For the biscuity bits:
75g pistachios
125g icing sugar
2 large egg whites
15g caster sugar

For the filling:
55g pistachios
250g icing sugar
125g softened unsalted butter

Crack on with the macaroon biscuits first.

1. Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper and set the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.
2. Put the pistachios and icing sugar into the food processor together and grind to fine powder. Tip into a large mixing bowl.
3. Whisk the egg-whites until fairly stiff, add the sugar and whisk some more until very stiff.
4. Fold the egg mixture into the pistachio-sugar powder and gently but thoroughly combine.
5. Using a teaspoon (life is far too short to pipe these), put small rounds of the mixture onto the baking sheets. You’re aiming for around forty rounds from this amount of mixture.
6. Leave them to sit out of the oven for 10 minutes to form a skin. Then pop in the oven for 10 minutes or so.
7. Remove from the oven and leave them to cool on their sheets. Probably the trickiest bit of making macaroons is lifting the little blighters off the baking tray. I think there are two ways of doing this – straight out of the oven or when they’re properly cold. So when you first get them out, have a go at loosening one with a palate knife. If it works, plough on with the others. If not, leave them be until cold.

Now make the buttercream filling.

1. Grind the pistachios and icing sugar as before.
2. Cream the butter and gradually add the nut / sugar powder as you continue to cream. It’ll become the most beautiful pale-green colour.

Simply sandwich the macaroons together and then step back to admire your handiwork.

Finding a box to put these in which will do your delicacies justice is sometimes harder than the baking itself. The online shop Not On The High Street has some good ones here.

Line your box with greaseproof paper and put the macaroons in. They should be pretty sturdy so you don’t have to be too careful with them. Finish the box off with a beautiful ribbon and there you have it. A gift which has been created with love, thought and – most generously of all – your time.

(A longer version of this article appeared in The Arbuturian.)