A chef, a critic and a spring dessert
oh, and a lovely meal
Well hello!
You might have noticed I took not one but two Sundays off from writing and publishing this newsletter. The first was to plan and test recipes (and lots of exciting new projects) and the second facilitated birthday celebrations and time to relax. Rest is especially good when taken without guilt and a side of birthday cake.
Today, I’m going to share my thoughts on the special meal my husband and I shared on my birthday. I’m certainly no critic, so as a general rule of thumb, I usually discuss the good stuff, and let me tell you, this meal was GOOD.
Speaking of critics, I also had the pleasure of meeting my food writing hero,
, at a book signing event to mark her latest publication, The Paris Novel. I’ve never been to a book signing before, so when my husband and I discovered that it was taking place at the legendary Warwick's bookstore in La Jolla, San Diego, just 30 mins from our home, all other plans were put on hold! After the signing, and obviously both peckish, we serendipitously bumped into each other at the historic Whaling Bar - more on that later.And finally, don’t think I’ve forgotten, I’ve included a delightfully simple recipe, inspired by Chef William Bradley, featuring the wonderfully aromatic Mara de Bois strawberries from my local farm stand, Chino Farms.
On Spring
Is anyone else finding it difficult to concentrate at the moment? It’s characteristic of the season: the arrival of sunshine, longer days, and the revitalizing scenes of flowers growing in abundance (even on the side of the six-lane monster American freeways) makes one want to be outside.
When I was very young (barely six years old) and the summer stretched out endlessly before me, my mother would start the day by asking if I wanted to visit the park. In my earnest innocence, I would respond with, "Can we go all day morning?" Of course, my words were tangled, but looking back, I realize they held a deeper sentiment: a yearning to elongate those blissful moments, to stretch out the day until it seemed it might never end.
Spring feels like that; it’s such a brief season yet the hazy sun, cool temperatures, and continuous birdsong feel like an endless morning. Being inside, checking emails, writing, tending to adult things such as paying bills, doing the dishes, and going to bed at a reasonable hour, seems so prosaic.
As a result of this, lately (or perhaps, more truthfully, as usual), I've been finding myself daydreaming about living on a farm, walking through drifts of meadow flowers and cooking outside on a big fire pit. My husband, who tends to be more realistic about these fantasies, gently reminds me about the more unconsidered elements of this lifestyle: who exactly will muck out the cows, what about flesh-burrowing ticks, and what are the local laws concerning outside fires? We balance each other out, you see.
Responding to sense, and putting whimsical daydreams aside for a moment, I've started writing again. It's strange how foreign the process feels even after just a short break, but then, almost magically, thoughts begin to flow and sentences start to take shape once again. Alongside diving back into writing, I've been busy planning out the next chapter of my journey.
Can you believe it’s been six months since I quit my job in corporate? I can’t. But then again, I feel more balanced, happier than I’ve ever been, so perhaps I can. Right now, I’m at the in-between stage of planning, recipe developing, and updating. Lots of admin, lists, and research. As a regular reader, you might know I’m terrible at in-betweens, so this last month has been challenging, but I feel as though everything is finally coming together. Why does this concern you? Well, not least because there will be an influx of summer recipes on the way as well as lots of fun projects and creative work to keep up with.
Addison by William Bradley
And onto food. Let’s begin with my birthday meal at Addison by William Bradley, Southern California’s only three-Michelin-star restaurant.
In recent years, I haven’t felt inclined to celebrate my birthday with anything fancy or ‘special’, but turning 35 and having my birthday fall on a Friday seemed like the perfect occasion for something a little different. So, this year, my husband and I decided, spontaneously, to plan an elegant evening out. Making last-minute decisions can be both a gift and a curse, but this time, it worked out perfectly all thanks to Chef William Bradley who graciously reserved us a last-minute table for two on a Friday night at precisely 7.15pm!
Driving up to Addison, one might easily mistake this restaurant for a beautiful building in Morocco's La Palmeraie, or a villa in southern Spain. The imposing dusky pink building complete with pillars, ornate windows and a grand outdoor fireplace produced an immediate sense of nervous excitement. Upon arrival, we were greeted by an interior of dark wood, red-toned carpets, and enormous hallways. “Stop fidgeting, love, you’re fine,” my husband reassured me.
Seated by the expansive bay windows with a wonderful view of the rest of the restaurant, we were approached by the sommelier who happily chatted with us about the characteristics of various wines on the menu as well as the history of the wine room at Addison. He was passionate, informative and entertaining and his evident enthusiasm and knowledge has inspired me to make a commitment to learn more about wines.
Now, onto the canapés, which were exceptional. My favorite bite was the kanpachi sashimi on a savory meringue, which tasted like a slightly sweet and savory macaron. The fish was fresh, with a clean finish on the palate. I could easily have eaten ten. Then there was a kanpachi sashimi rose delicately layered with preserved pear, impossibly thin slices of kiwi and pichuberry ponzu sauce. The server advised us to eat it layer by layer, as if plucking petals from a rose. My husband mentioned it was so delicious he would have preferred to pop the whole thing in his mouth, and I don’t blame him—there was pleasure in every bite. It was a pity this course didn’t come with a spoon to scoop up all that perfectly balanced, acidic yet briny sauce.
A few courses later, it was time for Chef William Bradley's signature dish: eggs and caviar, also known as Chef Thomas Keller’s Regiis Ova Reserve Caviar with Koshihikari rice, smoked sabayon, and toasted sesame seeds. This wonderfully layered flavor combination was particularly satisfying.
The initial unabashed creamy salinity of the caviar quickly transformed into a distinct smokiness when the toasted sesame seeds and subtly sweet rice hit the tongue. Just when this combination threatened to become too potent…too intense, the light sabayon, with its genteel, elegant presence, balanced out the concoction perfectly.
From here on out, I will be toasting sesame seeds and mixing them with my sushi rice. Thanks for the inspiration, Chef.
As you’ve probably gathered, I'm very fond of appetizers and picky bits. So, as you can imagine, I was thrilled to discover another William Bradley signature dish in the form of chips and dip. The dip, crafted simply from dill, burnt onion, and crème fraîche, was so delicious I could have drunk it by the pint. The chips, or crisps, were delicately fried and had a lovely, subtle taste of malt vinegar which reminded me of my favorite childhood snack of Walkers salt and vinegar crisps dunked in my mother’s homemade yoghurt and dill sauce. Nothing like a good snack with a healthy side of nostalgia.
Fast forward to some of the other delicious courses that included alfonsino with an impossibly crispy skin accompanied by a bubbly clam butter. To follow this there was a warm sourdough loaf that was paired with goat’s milk and green garden butter which arrived with the most delicious tom kha goong. Fragrant and effervescent, the soup was complemented by fried sweet and sour fowl. This was a very good accompaniment indeed, especially when dunked, without ceremony, into the frothy soup. Yes, that’s right, we were advised to dunk the fowl as well as the bread; this was advice well worth following. Despite the sourdough tasting complex and delicious, I did think it was a little heavy for such an intense yet delicate soup. I would have preferred warm brioche, topped with flaky salt and accompanied by slightly sweet honey-browned butter, but that is simply my preference. Flavor is, after all, a very personal thing.
Moving onto the sweet treats, we were presented with a seasonal interlude of Mara de Bois strawberry tart with rhubarb, lavender, and champagne. This was accompanied by a delightfully sweet yet refreshing spoonful of strawberry granita paired with an airy, fluffy cream. No wonder foods that taste sweet are known to increase creativity. Could this dessert be an answer to writers’ block?
A standout dessert for me, however, was the yuzu custard with candied ginger and ceremonial matcha. When we stepped into the kitchen after the meal, I seem to remember the CDC mentioning that the dessert included lime, but I can’t be sure. What I do know is that this was one of the best desserts I’ve had in a long time—one I will be dreaming about until I am fortunate enough to experience it once again.
Thank you to Chef William Bradley and the incredibly hard working and talented Addison team for a wonderful meal.
On meeting
They say never meet your idols. You know why? Because it’s hard to be famous and nice. Whatever the industry, be it food, music, or Hollywood, getting to the top takes guts, ambition, and downright steel-cut resolve. Those qualities don’t tend to make for a balanced life or a balanced mind. Plus, the person you so greatly admire can never be as good or as perfect as the platonic ideal of who you think they are, or who you want them to be. Well, I’m blessed to say I’ve been really fortunate. Last summer, I met Chef Thomas Keller, and he was exactly as I expected: a wealth of epic stories, knowledge, and elegance. And last night, I met my food writing hero, the brilliant Ruth Reichl.
I have never attended a book signing before, but in a totally spontaneous move for a Monday evening, after hearing that Ruth was coming to San Diego to promote her new novel, I had to make the trip and support the launch.
When my husband and I arrived the bookstore was already thrumming with the sound of excited voices and laughter. We didn’t have long to wait before Ruth started to regale the packed audience with stories of her travels, the best meals of her life, and most wonderfully, her writing process. Or should I say, her lack of writing process, as she prefers to sit down and write spontaneously!
After the event, and all that talk of food, my husband and I were ravenously hungry so we headed to our usual spot, only to discover, to our disappointment, that it was closed. Earlier in the evening, the only parking space to be found was, unusually, directly outside La Valencia Hotel. And now, dizzy with hunger we needed something…. anything, even a bowl of chips, so we decided to pop into the recently rebooted Whaling Bar at La Valencia, if only to see if all the hype was worth it.
Now, I’m aware, that combined with our visit to Addison, it might appear that we live quite the lifestyle, but I assure you, this was a highly unusual week that was about to get even better because the parking space, our hunger, and the enticing lure of the Whaling Bar proved to be fortuitous.
We were greeted by one of the friendly servers with a cheerful “Sit anywhere you like, guys.” We chose a booth right by the kitchen (I love watching chefs in their element). OK, so forget the chips, we ordered duck meatballs, kale salad, and a Caesar and ‘twinkie’ salad. As a treat (I’m running out of excuses), we shared a parmesan fat washed martini prepared with Tito's, Fino Sherry, house dry vermouth, house olive brine, olive, and dehydrated cherry tomato. Very good. Salty and complex. The food, service, and general energy were unexpectedly brilliant. What a lovely way to end the evening. But, the evening wasn’t ready to end.
After a sip of the martini, my husband said, “Imagine if Ruth walks in right now? Wouldn't that be funny?” And, to the second, she walked right in! We must have looked utterly unhinged because both our mouths dropped wide open. After chatting with the chef and paying the bill, we walked past Ruth’s table. She looked up and, with a huge smile, said, “Oh hello you two!” She had met many people that night, and I didn’t expect her to recognize us from the signing, but she did, and she was lovely. Ruth had also ordered the kale salad and we agreed that it was very tasty indeed. Genuinely friendly, charismatic and engaging,
is a true example of someone who makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. After a few moments of light-hearted exchange we parted company and I went home feeling nourished in more ways than one.I highly recommend picking up Ruth’s new book; I'm already halfway through, and I can't put it down. Another favorite of mine is Save Me the Plums. And, of course, since you're reading my Substack, I also suggest subscribing to
newsletter, it's a treasure trove of inspiration and delightful reads.Speaking of saving plums, I wanted to feature a lovely summer fruit in my recipe this week and decided on strawberries, which we all seem to enjoy at this time of year. Inspired by the delightful seasonal sweet amuse-bouche of strawberries, rhubarb, and lavender at Addison, I’ve created a simplified version; something to savor outside with a glass of bubbly as a treat.
Strawberries with vanilla lavender sugar, basil oil and chantilly cream
A recipe inspired by our meal at Addison
Basil oil
Ingredients
3-4 cups fresh herbs (e.g., basil, parsley, or cilantro)
1 cup neutral oil (I used avocado)
Method
Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water. Set aside.
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the basil and blanch for approx. 20-30 seconds until the leaves wilt then quickly transfer the herbs to the ice bath to halt the cooking process. Remove the herbs from the ice bath, place them in a tea towel or between sheets of kitchen roll and squeeze out as much water as possible. Then transfer them to a high-powered blender, add the oil and blend on the highest speed for 2-3 minutes until the oil is warm and vibrant green.
Line a sieve with cheesecloth and place it over a large mixing bowl or jug. Pour the blended herb oil through the cheesecloth-lined strainer and let it drain naturally for approx. 30 minutes to 1 hour. Do not press. Once the oil has fully drained, transfer it to a squeezy bottle and refrigerate. The herb oil can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 months.
Vanilla & lavender sugar
Ingredients:
2 cups/400g granulated sugar
1 tsp of dried culinary lavender
1 vanilla bean
Method
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise using a sharp knife. Scrape out the seeds from both halves of the bean. Place the sugar in a bowl and add the vanilla seeds. Mix thoroughly. Once mixed, add the lavender and vanilla pod.
Place the sugar, scraped vanilla bean pod and lavender in an airtight container then, ideally, let it rest for at least one week before using. This allows the vanilla and lavender flavor to infuse the sugar.
Tip: Give the container a shake every few weeks to prevent clumping. When kept in a cool, dry place the sugar will last for up to 5-6 months.
Chantilly Cream
Ingredients
1 cup/240 ml heavy whipping cream, chilled
1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar ( use a little more if you have a sweet tooth!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
Method
Combine the cream, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture until soft peaks start to form. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serving the dessert
When ready to serve, half the strawberries and gently roll them in the sugar. Serve with a of dollop of cream and a little herb oil. Delicious.
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