Food and movies

I just saw Julie & Julia.  Delightful film - not great but very enjoyable. Meryl Streep - up in my favourite women list with Isabel Allende and Ingrid Bergman - has real fun with one of the two lead characters. Point is, however, not the film but the food. Food is my greatest sensual pleasure - OK, second greatest - and the hallmark of a great film about food is that it makes me itch to go and cook. Julie & Julia is a fine celebration of cooking and eating. Of course, the masterpiece in this genre is the glorious Babette's Feast.  Anyway, here's one of my favourite easy but unusual recipes for chicken, You've got to love, or even be obsessed with, garlic, though. The original version of this comes from Elisabeth Luard's good but patchy European Peasant Cookery.

Garlic Chicken

6 heads of garlic

1 free range chicken, giblets removed

Sprigs of thyme or rosemary and parsley

Glass of dry white wine

Olive oil

Seasoning

A little flour.

You need a large casserole dish with a good lid.

Take the outer peel off the the garlic and separate out the cloves but do not peel off the papery covering on each clove. Line the bottom of the casserole dish with the whole cloves. Lay on the herbs - you can use others but avoid tarragon, which is wonderful with chicken but will swamp the flavour here.

Lay the whole chicken on top of the garlic and herbs. Pour over enough olive oil to cover the garlic and herbs (maybe about 300 ml). Pour over a glass of white wine, Season with pepper and salt

Put on the lid. Mix a little flour (about 2 tablespoons) with some water to make a smooth, fairly stiff paste. Seal the lid with this paste.

Put in a medium oven - 150ºC for about 1.5 hours

Serve with basmati rice - I like a simple pilau - and good bread to mop up the juices. Suck the buttery sweetness out of the whole garlic cloves. Don't eat this the day before an important business meeting.

Best records ever

Trite and predictable but I can't resist listing my best records ever (not just albums, since lots are classical).

Pop & rock & one jazz

Roughly anti-chronological

Favourite Worst Nightmare - Arctic Monkeys

Bahamut - Hazmat Modine

Gulag Orkestar - Beirut

Elephant - White Stripes

What's the Time, Mr Wolf - Noisettes

Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds . Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Ten New Songs - Leonard Cohen

X&Y - Coldplay

Collected - Massive Attack

Nevermind - Nirvana

OK Computer - Radiohead

I'm Your Man - Leonard Cohen

Homem Comum -  Caetano Veloso

The Queen is Dead - The Smiths

London Calling - The Clash

Never Mind the Bollocks - The Sex Pistols

Steve McQueen - Prefab Sprout

Hallowed Ground - Violent Femmes

Almost Blue - Elvis Costello

Dread Beat an Blood - Linton Kwesi Johnson

The Great Van Morrison - Van Morrison

Broken English -  Marianne Faithfull

The Roxy and Elsewhere (LIve) - Frank Zappa

For Your Pleasure - Roxy Music
Next - Alex Harvey Band

The Best of Jimi Hendrix - Jimi Hendrix

Led Zeppelin 1 to IV - Led Zeppelin (4 albums)

Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
Close to the Edge - Yes

Live at Budokan - Bob Dylan

Songs of Love and Hate - Leonard Cohen

Songs of Leonard Cohen - Leonard Cohen

The Essential Miles Davis - Miles Davis

Classical

These are pieces rather than albums as such.

Britten - War Requiem

Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring, Petrushka

Shostakovich - 5th, 8th and 10th symphonies, cello concertos, preludes & fugues for piano

Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra, violin concertos

Mahler - all symphonies, Das Lied von der Erde

Wagner - Tristan und Isolde

Debussy - La Mer, L'Après-midi d'un Faune

Beethoven - 7th and 9th Symphonies, Piano Sonatas

Mozart - Don Giovanni, Cosi fan Tutte, Magic Flute, Piano Concerto 20, Symphonies 38 to 41, Clarinet Concerto

Bach - Well Tempered Clavier, Cello Suites, B-minor Mass, double violin concerto

A Song for Francesca - Music in Italy 1330-1430 - Gothic Voices

Vivaldi - Mandolin Concertos, Four Seasons
Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto
Brahms - German Requiem, 3rd symphony
Franck - Symphony in D minor
Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique
Dvorak - Cello Concerto, New World Symphony
Sibelius - 2nd symphony
Rachmaninov - 2nd piano concerto

Book: "Night Train to Lisbon" by Pascal Mercier

I admit I picked up this book by chance. With five minutes to pick three books in a “3 for the price of 2” offer in a London bookshop, the word “Lisbon” in the title and Isabel Allende’s quote on the cover “A treat for the mind. One of the best books I have read in a long time” got me (read my review of The Sum of Our Days to see how much I adore Isabel Allende). Well, it was wonderful serendipity.

This is a splendid book from a Swiss writer I confess I did not know.  Describing it as a thriller for the intellect sounds pretentious but is accurate. The story is curious: a profoundly staid, middle-aged teacher of classics in Bern suddenly decides, for only the flimsiest of motives, to drop out of his measured life, with no preparation and no explanation to anyone, in order  to follow the trail of a mysterious writer in Lisbon. The heart of the book is Raimund Gregorius’s quest to discover the story of this fascinating philosopher and how he came to write what Raimund feels are poetic and profound ideas about life and existence. Like many such quests, the real story is as much the transformation of the searcher as the revelation of the truth he seeks.

Surprisingly, for a book supposedly about the mind, this is a page turner. The characters are so intriguing, the plot twists so fascinating, that it has the quality of all great novels: you can’t wait to re-immerse yourself in the writer’s world each time you pick up the book and feel bereft when you reach the last page.

My only criticism is the translation from the original German. As a translator myself, I have sympathy with the poorly paid and over-stressed literary translator but, at the very least, the publishers should have taken more care with proof-reading and editing the English version. There are odd shifts between UK and US usage (either is fine but not both), occasional jarring literal translations and too many irritating typos. The translation is pedestrian but not crass and is heavily marred by editorial sloppiness. More importantly, this novel is very much about language and the communication of big ideas. I sometimes had the feeling that the poetry and brilliance of the German text were lost in translation. Having said all that, Mercier’s book is a delight, a work that will resonate in your imagination long after you have finished it even if, like me, you can’t read it in the original.

Restaurant: LA Caffé.

I like to freak out my more conservative clients and candidates at lunchtime by leading them into an upmarket women's clothing store. Only after wending past the chic children's collection do they spot the stairs going up to the LA Caffé* at the back. The concept derives from the Armani café in the heart of a fashion store and this copy by the successful Portuguese brand Lanidor is well executed indeed. There are three outlets at present: I will concentrate on the one near our Lisbon office, on Campo Grande (no. 3B) on the corner with Avenida das Forças Armadas. The one on the Avenida de Liberdade (no.129) is similar and there is another nearby - a tea room this time - further up towards the Marquês de Pombal.

The decor is important, for this is, after all, about fashion - it is sharp, light and invigorating. There is no piped music (hurrah!) but if there were it would be the cooler end of jazz. The service is pleasant and efficient. The food is perfect for a quick lunch, for even the most important of clients, which will allow you to concentrate back in the office afterwards. The theme is Italian bistro, the choices are innovative without pretension and the portions are small but not frugal. Serious thought has gone into the menu, which ranges from sinless salads and the simplest of pastas – the spaghetti alla carbonara is perfect – to hearty risottos and various duck and pork dishes. Yet each dish has an original touch, a tasty nuance, that reminds you this is real food and none is heavy-handed or ostentatious.

The wine list is brief but sensible. The puddings are a must and involve only the mildest of dietary sins. The chocolate muffins in a chocolate are more sensuously chocolatey than a Belgian boudoir; the mango carpaccio in a delicate baked custard is scrumptious.

You will come out of the restaurant only very slightly heavier and with your wallet only very slightly lighter. 30 euros will buy a good meal to delight your clients.

*PS The linguistic pedant in me can't resist a gripe. If a restaurant is meant to be Italian, why can't they do even the tiniest bit of homework and check that it is "café" in French but "caffè" (grave, not acute accent) in Italian. Caffé just makes me and, I daresay, Italians, wince. I am sad to note that LA "Caffé" is not alone in Lisbon in its slipshod pretensions. A case that especially annoyed me was a "Lisbonne Caffé" just on the other side of the street.This ghastly mess of a name managed to combine English word order with the French name of the city, Italian spelling of café and French accentuation - barbarians! It doesn't reflect well on me that I was hugely satisfied when the "caffé" closed down. Gripe over.

Book : "Dreams From My Father", by Barack Obama

This is an important book. It is not a presidential or even a political memoir, as it was written in 1995, 14 years before Barack Obama became President of the United States. It is, rather, an enlightening and moving insight into the black liberal experience in America and, of course, into the deepest parts of the now President's political and emotional psyche. Obama, then newly appointed as the first African-American president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review, bares his innermost feelings about his ambitions, race, inheritance and family as he traces his story and, in particular, his deepest roots in Kenya.

As a white European liberal, I confess reading this book was a revelatory experience. It is the first time I have truly understood the relentless burden that being black in America (or Europe, for that matter) represents: burden as oppression and burden as expectation. Not only is his mind crystal clear - and his writing both direct and breathtakingly poetic - but he also has the analytical advantage of coming to understand his heritage and place in American society as an outsider to the average black and white American cultures. He grew up with his white mother and ever loyal grandparents but his yearning was always for a solid relationship with his absent Kenyan father, a feckless and embittered dreamer who never really faced up to his familial responsibilities.

Obama's unassuming honesty is in many ways the most moving aspect of the story. At no time does he fall into sentimentality, simplistic analysis or self-justification. His description of his youthful dabbling with drugs, casual sex and radical politics and the consequent struggle to develop self-discipline and determination is unostentatiously open and heartening.  His longed-for trip to Kenya to meet his extended family in Africa neither extinguishes nor resolves his confusion about his heritage. Somehow, despite his wildly disjointed upbringing, he emerges from his search for identity as someone supremely at ease with himself, questioning his beliefs but not doubting who he is. In the end, he concludes that he is what he has created not what he has inherited. He is truly grown up - which cannot be said of either of his two immediate predecessors.

Most of all, Dreams of My Father, written without political intent or marketing spin, shows us beyond doubt that the US Presidency is, at long last, in the hands of a good, deeply intelligent and cultured man, driven in a human and unsaintly way only by the wish to do good and achieve great things for his country and his people, of all races. History will record whether he succeeds.

Restaurant: A Travessa.

Travessa do Convento das Bernardas 12 Madragoa - Lisboa

1200-638 LISBOA   +351 - 213 902 034                              www.atravessa.com

A Travessa has been my favourite restaurant in Lisbon since I first entered its first tiny, 6 table space in the Travessa das Inglesinhas (Little Englishwomen’s Alley) over 20 years ago. Its reputation and popularity have rightly grown and so, as result, has the space: it now spreads handsomely over a large part of the cloisters of an old convent further into the old Madragoa quarter. I am half Belgian and have lived in Portugal for most of my adult life, so the mixture of Belgian and Portuguese gastronomy in a delightful old setting is perfect.

Of course, it is the food that draws. The rich variety and succulence of the small starters and hors d’oeuvres, which appear on the table as you hum and haw over your main course or the splendid wine list, are almost a meal in themselves. The freshest and most original of breads with small dishes of heavenly gourmet olive oils from the Alentejo to dip them into, tiny mussels in the lightest of vinaigrettes, grilled peppers, small spicy sausages, pâté with onion jam ...it goes on. The main courses change each day but always include some Belgian favourites such as mussels, skate fried in black butter, steak tartare (actually the Belgians call it filet américain), boudin, as well as great – and super-fresh – Portuguese fish dishes such as grilled Dover sole and black grouper (cherne) in rice, or traditional meats such as black leg (Pata Negra) roast pork and grilled venison fillet with wild mushrooms. The wine list is comprehensive and thoughtful. The puddings are unpretentious and satisfyingly sinful.

Like the best of Belgian cuisine, this is high gourmet without pretension; like the best of Portuguese it is fresh  and honest. The surroundings are delightful – by a huge roaring log fire in winter, under sunshades in the patio in summer.  The service is outstanding. You’ll get a visit from the charming Vivienne, the Belgian owner and founder, and discreet advice from a knowledgeable wine waiter if you need it (I do).

It’s not a cheap restaurant but neither does it suffer from the extortion of the nouveau riche joints where the celebrities go. EUR 50 will get you an excellent meal, EUR 80 an unforgettable blow out. Go on, find something to celebrate with someone you love!

Book: "The Sum of Our Days", Isabel Allende

For the first fiction entry in this series, I just had to choose my favourite modern author. Isabel Allende is an enchantress of words and a mistress of the story. Here is another part of her sporadic autobiography, this time about her life in the United States. This is presented as a sequel to Paula, the extraordinary, wrenching account of the long death of her eponymous daughter but is completely different in tone and scope.

The Sum of Our Days is a comedy of character and of life. If we are to believe her – and I am determined to do so – her life is as rich and as wild as her fiction. Allende’s candour about herself and her family is both shocking and delightful. Her relationship with her American husband and with her children and all the rest of her tribe is always totally over-the-top, passionate to the point of madness. Her self-criticism is comically transparent – she describes herself as the mother-in-law from hell and one can believe it, though it makes hell seem so attractive. Like her novels, every word transmits her unending joy, even, paradoxically, during paralysing depression, in being alive, in being a witness to the miracle of humanity, of individuality, of love. But above all, this book is extremely funny and there are moments which made me laugh till I wept.

Read this book if you need to feel good, really good, about the world and about people. Surely, right now, we all do.

Restaurant: Eira Velha

Rua de Entrecampos 17A, Lisbon.  Tel: (+351) 217 974 960.

Open lunch (12.00-15.00) and dinner (17.00-22.00)  Mon-Fri, except bank holidays.

In this time of economic restraint, it’s good to find a restaurant where you get great food at a low price. This is our favourite, happily in walking distance from our Lisbon Office.

Good, honest quality defines this gem of a restaurant, tucked away behind the Avenida da República in central Lisbon. Don’t go for the decor or for a romantic or business tête-à-tête – the atmosphere is simple, crowded and, at the height of lunch, noisy. The food is outstanding and the prices astonishing. The fish is fresh from the boats and the meat chosen with tender loving care. Everything is cooked simply – no masterful sauces here – but to perfection. After all, why ruin a plump, juicy line-caught Dover sole (Linguado de Anzol) with anything other than a splash of olive oil and lemon and a few slices of garlic? What’s more it will only cost you 8 euros.

The portions are generous and prices include vegetables. All the fish is good but we especially recommend not only the sole but also the sea bream (Douradinha – 6 euros) and the salt codfish baked in olive oil (Bacalhau a Lagareiro – 8 euros). The meat dishes are also excellent, in particular the succulent pork fillet from free-range, acorn-fed pigs, (Secretos do boloteiro grelhados à Eira Velha – 7 euros) and the roast kid (Cabrito assado no forno – 6 euros). Accompanying vegetables are cooked, like the fish and meat, just right – fresh and juicy with the perfect hint of resistance, a welcome smidgeon past “al dente”.

The wine list is just fine: good wines at an honest price.  5 to 10 euros a bottle will bring you some excellent selections. To finish off, don’t resist their home-made chocolate mousse (Mousse de chocolate caseira -  2 euros), which we reckon to be the best in Lisbon.

Book: "The Oxford Book of Science Writing", edited by Richard Dawkins.

The most important word in the title is the last – “writing”. Dawkins’ defining criterion for selection is the quality of the writing. From the giants – Einstein, Crick  and Leakey to name but three –  to those merely sitting on their shoulders, every entry is a linguistic delight. I defy anyone, however, uninterested in science, not to be moved by the passion, imagination and delight of the scientists here talking about what they love. There is something for everyone – cosmology to entomology, genetics to consciousness, the periodic table to the meaning of mathematics.

As with everything he does, Dawkins, himself a giant of genetics, is always supremely confident and this is both good and bad. On the one hand there is a notable bias to subjects related to his own – genetics, evolution, biology. On the other hand, his comments on each entry are sometimes outrageous, often brilliant, always beautifully written and sometimes even better than the article they accompany. The only shame is that he modestly (not an epithet normally attached to him), refuses to include any of his own extraordinary work.

This is a book for dipping into and savouring the odd tasty mouthful or, for avid science fans like me, devouring whole. Above all, this is a celebration of the glorious wonder of science, the breathtaking beauty that awes great scientists in the world they examine, whether it be massive black holes or invisible bacteria. No book-lovers’ collection should be without this book.