Paper Palate

‘Healthy’ is the buzzword for Olive’s February issue – lightly spiced Indian food and low fat desserts leading the usual backlash against the excesses of Christmas and New Year’s. Featuring several ways to prepare tuna, the highlight is definitely Gordon Ramsay’s signature dish for The Boxwood Café; Seared Tuna. I got most of the way through this Asian-style recipe before company necessitated eating it before the marinating was finished. Even incomplete (something I didn’t mention to my guest, but I guess she’ll know now!) it was a dinner table success and something I’ll try again.

Max Allen explains ‘super wines’ and offers some examples and alternatives. John Torode offers up a mini-Masterchef class on beef brisket, rib and shin, and Sheila Dillon investigates the question, or rather, questionability of veal. Happily, some morally sound outlets are named.

BBC chef Paul Merrett tells us what to eat now in the northern hemisphere, and Allegra McEvedy of wholesome fast-food restaurant Leon dishes up some soulfood recipes suitable for either a dinner party or just a night in. To counterbalance all the healthy goodness, Olive has employed the amusing gimmick of a sealed section in the centre of the magazine containing classic (but heavy) winter recipes such as hearty Guinness-loaded stews and chocolate puds.

We get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in John Campbell’s renowned restaurant, The Vineyard, and an article on an entertaining role reversal – a fundraiser for Action Against Hunger, where the restaurant critics cooked for the chefs. Reactions to the dinner were mixed, but my favourite quote has to be from Mickael Weiss, head chef of Conran’s Coq d’Argent; “(They) have good day jobs, don’t they?”

Traditional English restaurant Roast gets roasted by Masterchef’s Gregg Wallace in the ‘Pro vs. Punter’ review, and the punter gives it a middling grade as well. Olive also undertakes an in-depth appraisal of the bigger High Street restaurant chains, and I was happy to see they gave my favourite pitstop, Yo! Sushi, an outstanding 9.5/10 score. I’ve used the relaxed surroundings and excellent fare of these conveyer-belt sushi bars to convert more than one friend to the delights of Japanese snacks and simple meals.

Spain’s culinary capital, San Sebastian, features in this issue’s ‘Budget and Blowout’ Guide – a wide range of fantastic eateries are presented, from the innovative haut cuisine restaurants such as Arzak and Mugaritz, to inexpensive (but excellent) local tapas bars.

Ripout food map of month is for Bangkok and BBC’s Two Hairy Bikers share some of their culinary (and otherwise) adventures in rural Romania. Finishing up is Terry Durack’s ‘Top 10 Guide to Noodles’. His advice on the polite way to eat noodles? “There is no polite way to eat noodles.”