Cook House Issue 2

join our foodie family

Soho House Group is recruiting. We are looking for the most passionate and dedicated chefs from around the world. If you want to work for a company that’s full of opportunities, that’s expanding in Europe and America and that might even give you the chance to work in different exciting locations, then please get in touch. The right candidates will want to learn as much as possible: from improving their cooking skills to finding out about local seasonal produce and what best to do with it. If you’re the right chef for us, we’ll help you develop your career and have a great time along the way. We’d love to hear from you.

To find out more email – [email protected]

www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse

cookhouseS o h o H o u s e F o o d M a g a z i n e

autumn 2010 EATING all about olive oil COOKING how to cook perfect game

WORKING advice from great kitchens Playing chefs with tattoos

are you game?

a taste...autumn 2010

W e l c o m e t o t h e a u t u m n 2 0 1 0 e d i t i o n o f t h e S o h o H o u s e f o o d m a g a z i n e – a f o o d m a g a z i n e f o r c h e f s a n d p e o p l e w h o l o v e t o e a t .

T h i s m a g a z i n e c e l e b r a t e s t h e f o o d p h i l o s o p h y o f a l l t h e S o h o H o u s e G r o u p r e s t a u r a n t s w o r l d w i d e : S o h o H o u s e N e w Y o r k , B a b i n g t o n H o u s e i n S o m e r s e t , S o h o H o u s e W e s t H o l l y w o o d , S o h o H o u s e B e r l i n a n d C e c c o n i ’ s i n L A , a s w e l l a s a l l t h e L o n d o n s i t e s : P i z z a E a s t , C e c c o n i ’ s , D e a n S t r e e t T o w n H o u s e , S h o r e d i t c h H o u s e , T h e E l e c t r i c , C a f é B o h e m e , B K B , H i g h R o a d H o u s e C h i s w i c k , H o x t o n G r i l l a n d S o h o H o u s e .

T h i s i s s u e w e ’ r e t a k i n g a l o o k a t a l l t h e b r i l l i a n t t h i n g s w e c a n d o w i t h g a m e t h i s s e a s o n , t r y i n g t o f i g u r e o u t w h y s o m a n y c h e f s h a v e t a t t o o s a n d e x a m i n i n g h o w o l i v e o i l g e t s f r o m t r e e t o t a b l e .P l u s t h e c h e f s h a v e c o m p i l e d a l i s t o f a l l t h e g r e a t , g o o d a n d j u s t p l a i n w e i r d a d v i c e t h e y ’ v e b e e n g i v e n

i n t h e i r c a r e e r s .

T u c k i n !E d i t o r R e b e c c a S e a l

D e s i g n a n d P r o d u c t i o n D o m i n i c S a l m o n

t h a n k s t o D a n F l o w e r , K a t H a r t i g a n , M e l i s s a G o l d s t e i n , J u l i a T a y l o r -

B r o w n , M a t t h e w A r m i s t e a d , R o n n i e B o n e t t i , A m a n d a M i d d l e b r o o k s , J o h n

P o l l a r d , K e l l y T a y l o r , S i m o n e G o b b o , K i r s t e n S t o n e r , M a t t G r e e n l e e s ,

A s h l e y L e n t , P a u l G e r a r d , K a t e G o o d y e a r , S h e l l e y A r m i s t e a d , P i e r r e

D o u r n e a u , L i s a P r o l y , F l u f f y W i t h e r i n g t o n , D a n i e l e P a m p a g n i n ,

M a u r i l i o M o l t e n i , A l a n B i r d , A n d r e a C a v a l i e r e , T h o m a s L e n n a r d

News from the foodie world, how Soho House is getting greener and tasty events around the houses

DIGEST THIS4Executive head chef of Soho House Italian kitchens on wh

o is

hardest to cook for and why a little romance goes a long way

WHAT I KNOW6This season is all about delicious game. Find out how to cook it, what goes well with it and how the chefs are serving it

DUCK OR GROUSE!8Chefs from around the world share the guidance that has stuck with them through their careers

THE BEST ADVICE I EVER GOT WAS...

16Why do so many chefs have tattoos? We ask them and get up close to their body art

FOOD AND INK20HOW I MADE IT26 Simone Gobbo, an Italian in Berlin, and Maxim Roberts, an Ozzie in LA, explain how they got where they are today

How to choose the best olive oil, where

it comes from and how you can bake cakes with it

A PRESSING MATTER28

Member Sarah Saunders’ recipe for spaghetti alla puttanesca

SAUCY PASTA30www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse

Deep-fried beer...Really?!

who knew?

food news from around the world

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E5

EVENTS

coming soon

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO...

In September, Babington House had a stand at Abergavenny Food Festival in Wales, serving barbecued seafood from the south-west and seasonal produce to festival-goers.

Last month, Babington also held an Old World v. New World night, where head chef Ronnie Bonetti challenged his chefs’ British classics with his own Australasian menu. Each course was judged by the diners – funnily enough, the boss won...

Bonetti also took his chefs for dinner at the River Café in Hammersmith, London.

Bill Granger, one of Australia’s best-loved chefs, put in an appearance at Babington where he guest-cheffed for a night, and then at High Road House in Chis-wick, London, where he did a cracking Sunday brunch.

High Road House also got a taste of the countryside, when Bonetti, did a night of out-of-towner cooking. HRH was also visited by the Cecconi’s team.

There are lots of foodie events planned for autumn, so check with your nearest house for details of everything from wine and food matching evenings and members’ cooking classes to trips to vineyards, farms and suppliers — even fishing afternoons and dinners with guest chefs.

want to cook? email [email protected]

going green

Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!Deep-fried beer...Really?!

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want to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected] to cook? email [email protected]

CCCCCOOOOOOOOOKKKKKHHHHHOOOOOUUS

coming soon

seasonal produce to festival-goers.

Last month, Babington also held an Old World v. New World night, where head chef Ronnie Bonetti challenged his chefs’ British classics with his own Australasian menu. Each course was judged by the diners – funnily enough, the boss won...

How brilliant is it that the Texas State Fair has an annual fried

food competition? Highlights in 2010 included fried salads and fried

caviar. What’s less brilliant though, is that this year, contestant

Mark Zable entered a recipe for deep-fried beer. That’s ravioli-style

pockets filled with beer (he’s using Guinness) which slosh out onto the

plate as soon as you bite into them. If you were foolish enough to take

a bite in the first place that is. Ew.

This month marks the start of Soho House’s involvement with the Sustainable Restaurant Association, which aims to help restaurants make a few simple changes to the way they run in order to be more environmentally friendly, and ensure that staff are treated as well as possible. Its ideas on local and seasonal sourcing reflect our ‘farm to fork’ style and it’s

helped UK restaurants reduce energy usage, develop kitchen and front-

of-house apprenticeship schemes and source ethical produce, including

higher welfare meat and poultry. “Where Soho House leads, others

follow and we’re proud to welcome their venues as our newest members,”

says Simon Heppner, managing director of the SRA.

If you want to find out more, visit www.thesra.org

Turns out that a glass of milk is the best thing to get rid of garlic breath, not parsley, fennel seeds or gum. However, who wants a glass of milk if you’ve eaten a delicious meal? Couldn’t they have re-searched whether a hearty red wine could do the same? Or maybe a good tequila?

Catch your supper or die trying – the Babington bri-gade goes commando (no, not like that), as it heads into the local woods with the means to hunt but no other food for the night.

Ronnie Bonetti and Matt Greenlees are organising another of their infamous catch-a-fish-and-eat-it sessions.

John Pollard, head chef at Pizza East, is taking his chefs to visit his honey maker in Regents Park, plus he’s also planning a game shoot in Hertfordshire, organized by his butcher.

Executive Italian chef Daniele Pampagnin is tak-ing a selection of chefs from different kitchens on a mushroom foraging trip deep in the Black Country.NIBBLES

what i know

starters

www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse

I played the alto sax for 11 years in concerts and orchestras. I love classical music. My brother is a musician and lots of the rest of my family too. I did play it when I first moved to London, but I got people knocking on the door, asking me to stop.

I believe you should cook for everyone as though you’re cooking for your mother. You can see it in the food when chefs have their mum in the restaurant. They cook with an extra touch of love.

When you learn how to cook it’s like you learn another language, a universal language, like music. That means you can travel anywhere you want and meet all sorts of crazy people. And you can impress girls with cooking.

Knowing how to cook also means you can work in some amazing places, famous places even. I did stages at Cipriani in Venice and worked at the Cannes Film Festival too. Now, I oversee the group’s Italian kitchens and that means travelling to Berlin, LA and Miami, as well as being involved in Cecconi’s in London and Shoreditch House. It’s pretty cool.

Romance is a good thing. One day, my girlfriend and her best friend were waiting for me to finish work in the park. I wanted to introduce her friend to a chef friend of mine and I thought we should do something crazy. So I made two risottos with asparagus with pan-fried scallops on top and put them on nice plates. The park was packed and we walked in, dressed in whites, me carrying two big plates and him carrying a white tablecloth and cutlery, and a bottle of prosecco. There must have been 500 people there, watching two chefs walk through Green Park, lay down the cloth, serve them and then leave. It was certainly one of my girlfriend’s best dates, and for me, afterwards was quite nice too...

The best thing about being a chef is that’s it not really like having a job. I love it, so it’s not like working. I know a lot of people don’t get it – they see the long hours and that everyone seems stressed out. They’re probably kind of right; you have to be a little abnormal to be a chef.

“PERFECTION WOULD BE EASY to achieve compared to what they wanted.”

Daniele Pampagnin

in the kitchens at Shoreditch

House

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Daniele PampagninExecutive head chef, Italian Kitchens, Soho House Group

The hardest people I ever cooked for were firemen

in Venice. Perfection would be easy to achieve

compared to what they wanted. Whatever you make

them, you don’t know anything about cooking. I was a fireman for two years in the army and that meant a lot of cooking, it

was really where I started. Because I was youngest, I was the one stuck

cleaning 100kg of mussels or whatever. I was like the commis of the

commis. But I loved it.

My dad is 70 and still thinks I can’t cook. He thinks everyone outside

his own town can’t cook though. My dad was a fireman too. The most

glorious day of my life was when he came to collect me from school in

his fire engine.

www.sohohouse.com/cookhousewww.sohohouse.com/cookhousewww.sohohouse.com/cookhousewww.sohohouse.com/cookhouse

to find out more about how you could become part of the Soho House Group team contact [email protected]

SOUND

GOOD?

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gameon

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game for it...

www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse www.sohohouse.com

COOKHOUSE8 www.sohohouse.comwww.sohohouse.com

gameon

COOKHOUSE8

game for it...


So what if it’s getting dark and grim

outside? It’s the perfect excuse to get stuck

into the best of this season’s goodies: rustic game and wild mushrooms

The last couple of years has seen a revival in interest in game among home cooks and restaurants – from the 1970s to the 1990s game was pretty unpopular in the UK (though Italy never gave up and properly British restaurants like the Ivy, Rules and the Savoy also kept the faith). Not only is it delicious and interesting to cook with, wild meats tend to be richer in nutrients that you often don’t find in domesticated animals, even free range or organic, as wild animals have a more varied diet.

Game has an undeserved reputation for toughness, but this is usually down to over cooking by home cooks worried about cooking meat through – most game should be served pink. Wild game is very lean, with almost no fat naturally present, and can quickly dry out and become tough, which is why some cooks bard or lard (basically, wrap) game with fat. Some chefs feel that younger animals make for better eating, but even older birds can be stewed or slow-cooked. Most game suits either very fast cooking or very slow, and nothing in between.

game for it...game for it...game for it...

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Over in California, Andrea Cavaliere, head chef at Cecconi’s in LA, is working with his butcher on a game programme for the next few months. “I’m from Piedmont in Italy where game is a very big deal. Autumn is my favourite season for cooking: the game, the truffles, the mushrooms...the fog! Piedmont is at its best at this time of year,” he says. “Wild boar and venison are hunt-ed in the countryside around LA, so we’ve got a great supply. But I also use some imported game birds from the UK as they’re not so plentiful here.”

Paul Gerard, head chef at Soho House New York, changes his menu every day, depending on what his carefully chosen suppliers can bring him. “If someone tells me they’ve got the best venison today I’ll take it. Or it might be quail another day, or boar. I work with Pat LaFrieda, who are the top meat guys here.”

“ It’s a bad thing to say, but my favourite game is Bambi”

“I grew up near Venice in Italy, near the Dolomite hills, where there is a big culture of hunt-ing and loads of wild mushrooms grow,” says Daniele Pampagnin, executive head chef of all the Italian kitchens in the Soho House Group. “For me, game, wild mushrooms and polenta are the perfect combination,” he adds, leaning back and rubbing his stomach. “We used to make some-thing called ‘dirty polenta’, a very inexpensive dish, where you cook birds slowly on a spit over charcoal, with a pot of polenta cooking underneath them, catch-ing all the juices and fats as they cooked. You could add some mushrooms and maybe some fonti-na or tallegio, if you had any.”

“It’s a bad thing to say, but my favourite game is Bambi. In the holidays we would go to the mountains, 2500m up, and eat venison stew with mountain mushrooms in a little wooden chalet. It’s one of my favour-ite memories.” Consequently, this autumn Pampagnin is encourag-ing the restaurants he works with (Cecconi’s, Soho House Ber-lin, Shoreditch House London), to put lots of game on the menus.

“Wild boar ragu with papp-ardelle is really popular,” he says. “We can sell 5kg of it a day.” Shoreditch House head chef Maurilio Molteni, who is from Lombardy in Italy, agrees. “I really look forward to the colder weather so that we can get into stews and hearty ragus,” he says.

want to cook? email [email protected] www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse

Over in California, Andrea Cavaliere, head chef at Cecconi’s in LA, is working with his butcher on a game programme for the next few months. “I’m from Piedmont

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In the holidays we would go to the mountains, 2500m up, and eat venison stew with mountain mushrooms in a little wooden chalet. It’s one of my favour


game for it...

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In big cities wild boar is usually

really well taken care of – sup-

pliers know that most restaurants

don’t have space to hang and age

their meat themselves so they

supply it ready to cook. In Italy

or anywhere where there is much

more space, you might need to keep

it hanging (somewhere cool, dry

and pest free) for two or even

three weeks to tenderise.

You should never find shotgun

pellets in venison in the UK, as

that’s illegal (it’s sometimes legal

in the US, depending on the state –

it is allowed in California) rather

they should be shot with a rifle.

Make sure it’s been properly bled

and gralloched (stomach and en-

trails removed) by getting it from

a reputable supplier or

qualified stalker.

With game birds you want to be

able see the red dot where it was

shot so you can check for shot and

the flesh should be nice and red

too. Check that it’s not peppered

with lead shot, or shot at close

range and damaged, and also that

the teeth of the retriever haven’t

mangled the meat. Don’t mince game

that’s been shot if you can avoid

it – lead shot will trash your

mincer or processor.

Find out how long the meat’s been

hung. There are rules about how

long meat served in restaurants

can be hung, but if you’re cooking

at home it’s down to personal taste

– and whether the people you live

with can stand the smell! Alan

Bird, Soho House Group executive

head chef says, “Some will say it’s

not good to eat until the maggots

have done their bit! With

something like grouse the guts and

feathers are left intact for three

to five days and the meat starts

to decompose gradually. This

permeates the flesh and gives it

the gamey flavour. It really

does need that time for the

flavour to develop, but for me,

any longer than five days and

it’s too high.”

HOW TO FIND PERFECT BEEF

game for it...

COOKHOUSE12

game for it...

HOW TO FIND PERFECT BEEF

In London, Stephen Tonkin, head chef at Dean Street Townhouse, focuses on the old British ways to cook game. “People come to us specially when specific game seasons start. We serve pheasant with Kentish cobnuts, (very young hazelnuts) which dates from the 17th century – there’s a lot of history in this food. I’m also playing around with using foraged berries and partridge, maybe some quince jam with breast, on toast. In September people loved our wild rabbit salad with Scotch quails egg, and some days we sold 30 pigeon salads. Later in the season I might do mallard or a game pie with hare and braised red cabbage. It has to be rain-ing outside for that.” Tonkin is supplied by Yorkshire Game and is planning to take some chefs on a shoot with them. “They’re also going to come here for a day to do some demonstrations for chefs from across London.”

Down in Somerset, Babington, head chef Ronnie Bonetti is prac-tically surrounded by game. “We have three deer that hang out in our garden,” he says. “They’re a pest and have to be culled. Stuart, my chicken farmer, sorts me out as a couple of local guys that he knows shoot them. They’re hung for about a week – the haunches cook really deliciously. I serve them with things like creamed chard.” When it comes to pheasant, Bonetti reckons salt-baking is a good way to retain moisture. “Or a pot roast with red wine and spices, like cinnamon.” He’s also into making the most of the local mushrooms. “The locals have been bringing us false chanterelles, and then there are porcinis nearby in the New Forest – all excellent on toast.” The one thing he’s not keen on? “Game chips are so poncey! I’ve been serving grouse with fat chips, and people think they’re delicious.”

“ Game chips are so poncey! I’ve been serving grouse with fat chips, and people think they’re delicious”

HOW TO FIND PERFECT BEEF CHOOSE YOUR GAME

to find out more about how you could become part of the Soho House Group team contact

[email protected]

you

game?

www.sohohouse.com/cookhousewant to cook? email [email protected]

SERVES 4

FOR THE GROUSE AND GAME SAUCE4 young grouse cleanedvegetable oil for deep frying3 large clean parsnips200ml / 3/4 cup meat stock200ml / 3/4 cup chicken stock100ml / 1/2 cup red wineredcurrant jellysalt and pepper

FOR THE BREAD SAUCE2 onions, peeled100g / 3 oz butter6 cloves1 bay leaf1l / 4 cups milk1/2 tsp ground nutmeg200g / 71/2 oz fresh white breadcrumbssalt and pepper

TO MAKE THE BREAD SAUCEFinely chop one onion and cook it gently in 150g / 5 oz of butter until soft. Stud the other onion with cloves, push-ing one through a bay leaf to anchor it. Put the milk, nut-meg and studded onion into the pan with the cooked onion and

bring it to the boil. Season, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the sauce to infuse for 30 minutes or so. Take out and discard the studded onion. Add the breadcrumbs and re-turn the sauce to a low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, giv-ing an occasional stir. Pour a third of the bread sauce from the pan into the blender and process, and then return it to the pan and whisk in the re-maining butter.

PARSNIP CHIPSTop and tail the parsnips leaving the skin on and slice with a mandolin. Fry the sliced parsnips in a deep fat fryer 1800C / 3500F a few at a time so they don’t stick together. They will take a while to colour and will ap-pear soft in the fat, but when drained will dry out and crisp up. Leave somewhere warm to dry and season with sea salt.

TO COOK THE GROUSEPre-hear the oven to 2400C / 4600F. Lightly season the grouse and rub the breasts

with a little softened butter. Roast them in the oven for 81/2 minutes (pink is the perfect way to serve grouse otherwise the meat tends to be a little dry). Put the grouse on a warm plate to rest and catch any juices that come from the birds.

GAME SAUCEPut the pan that the grouse was cooked in back on a low heat, add the red wine and gently stir the bottom of the pan to remove any residue from the cooking. Reduce the red wine completely and add the stock. Reduce until thick and strain into a small pan. If needed, add a small amount of redcurrant jelly as the sauce can be quite strong. Cor-rect the seasoning.

The grouse can be served whole or with the breasts and legs removed. I like to have some buttered greens with it. Garnish with the parsnip crisps and a sprig of water-cress. Serve the bread sauce and game jus separately in a sauce boat on the side.

With a game recipe I would suggest a wine with a good structure like Chateauneuf du Pape, Cha-teau La Nerthe, France 2006, or Dolcetta d’Alba, Burlotto, Piemonte, Italy 2004. Both would be great.

I love a beautiful Pinot Noir with grouse. Something with a bit of bottle age, when it starts revealing its leathery and gamey characters with silky tannins: try Nuits St Georges 1er Cru, Domaine Rion, France 2001, or Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru, Domaine Trapet, France 1999

Alternatively, for those who love heavier reds, I could serve Amarone della Valpolicella, Vaio, Masi, Veneto, Italy 2004 (oxygenate in a decanter for 2 hours), or Rioja Gran Reserva, Conde de Valdemar, Spain 2001 (a stunning vintage).

SERVES 4

FOR THE VENISON4 trimmed venison saddle fil-lets about 150g / 51/2 oz each50ml / 1/4 cup red wine6 juniper berriessprig of thymevegetable oil for cooking300ml / 11/4 cups reduced veal stock Marinate the venison in the thyme, juniper berries and wine in a bowl covered with cling film overnight in the fridge.

FOR THE SPICED RED CABBAGE500g / 1 lb red onions, peeled and thinly sliced125ml / 1/2 cup olive oil or goose fat150g / 51/2oz redcurrant jelly75ml / 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar1/2 tbsp caraway seeds1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves250g / 1/2 lb raisins, soaked overnight2kg / 41/2 lb red cabbage, thinly sliced150ml 1/2 cupvegetable stocksalt and freshly ground black pepper

Gently cook the onions in the olive oil or fat until soft.

Add the rest of the ingredients and cook gently over a low heat for 10 min-utes. Cover with greaseproof paper and cook in a low oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring every so often.

TO COOK THE VENISONRemove the venison from the marinade and gently pat dry with some kitchen roll. Sea-son and retain the marinade.

In a pan heat a little veg-etable oil and cook the veni-son fillets for 2-3 minutes on each side. Leave to rest on a warm plate.

FOR THE SAUCEPut the marinade in a pan and reduce until about a teaspoon is left, then add the stock and any juices from the rest-ing venison. Simmer until the sauce thickens.

Pass through a fine sieve into a small pan. Add some butter and stir until it is emulsified.

TO SERVEPut a spoonful of the red cabbage into the middle of the plate and slice the veni-son into 4 or 5 pieces and place over the cabbage. Spoon the sauce around.

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SERVES 4 bring it to the boil. Season,

Dean Street Townhouse’s new season grouse with bread sauceBY STEPHEN TONKIN, HEAD CHEF, DEAN STREET TOWNHOUSE

WINE RECOMMENDATIONS BY VINCENT GASNIER, SOHO HOUSE’S MASTER SOMMELIER

Dean Street Townhouse’s venison with spiced red cabbage

BY STEPHEN TONKIN, HEAD CHEF, DEAN STREET TOWNHOUSE

Tips from

the top

WHATEVER LEVEL A CHEF IS IN THE KITCHEN, THERE’S ALWAYS MORE TO LEARN, AND WHO BETTER TO LEARN FROM THAN OTHER CHEFS? HERE’S A SELECTION OF THE BEST ADVICE COLLECTED BY CHEFS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

“My mom told me that you

should always make a

recipe once exactly the

way it says you should.

Then you can play around

with it, but the first

time, follow it properly.

It drove her crazy that

I wouldn’t do it.” KATE

GOODYEAR, PASTRY CHEF,

SOHO HOUSE NEW YORK AND

MIAMI BEACH HOUSE

“Jet Tipa, a chef at Wa-

zuzu in Las Vegas, told me

how to hold a knife just

right: choke up on it like

you’re playing golf or

baseball, right up to the

blade, then you have great

control.” KATE GOODYEAR,

PASTRY CHEF, SOHO HOUSE

NEW YORK AND MIAMI

BEACH HOUSE

“At the Lanesborough, on my

first job as a pastry chef,

Selwyn Stoby, who opened

the restaurant, told me not

be afraid to write stuff

down. Now, I do it all the

time, I even write down

recipes as I make them and

I make a quick note of eve-

rything I need to remem-

ber.” JO DUNCAN, PASTRY

CHEF, HOXTON GRILL, LONDON

“A lot of chefs don’t take the time to learn pastry. David Burke, the famous New York chef, told me to learn and I’m so glad I did.”PHIL CONLON, SOUS CHEF, SOHO HOUSE NEW YORK

“Don’t get a tattoo when you’re drunk!” MAREK WIERCINSKI,

JUNIOR SOUS CHEF

IN THE BRASSERIE,

HIGH ROAD HOUSE,

CHISWICK

“PUSH. PUSH” LUKAS KUS, SENIOR SOUS CHEF IN THE BRASSERIE, HIGH ROAD HOUSE, CHISWICK

“Don’t pee into the wind!” MARKUS PIETERSE,

SOUS CHEF IN THE

CLUB, HIGH ROAD

HOUSE, CHISWICK

“Always be tasting. Every single chef I’ve ever worked for has said that. It’s the only way you can tell if your food is any good.” PAUL GERARD, HEAD CHEF, SOHO HOUSE NEW YORK

“Every piece of food

you send out says some-

thing about you. It

says, ‘this is who I am

and what I do’. If you

send crap food out then

it says a lot about

you. I was told that by

a sous chef called Nick

at the Ivy.” JAMES

JESTY, SOUS CHEF

BABINGTON HOUSE

“If you get into the weeds in service, and your checks are piling up, get a big, really cold glass of water and drink it slowly. Take a deep breath and refocus. It really works, you can look at the checks again and get through it. I was told that by a chef called Pete, who is from Newcastle, but I met him work-ing in Sydney.” TANK LOY, SENIOR SOUS CHEF, THE ELECTRIC, LONDON

words from the wise

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“Really early in my career, Chris Galvin, the award-winning British chef, told me: ‘Eyes and ears open, mouth shut.’ It was definitely good advice.” DAVE GREEN, HEAD CHEF, HOXTON GRILL, LONDON

“There comes a time when you should just shut your mouth and do whatever Chef says, especially if you want to get to that position yourself some day. It’s humbling, and you’re there to learn.” PAUL GERARD, HEAD CHEF, SOHO HOUSE NEW YORK

“Nicola du Cescali, who taught me so much about plating, also said, ‘Never smoke a joint be-fore service’. I’ll never forget the night he said it to me even though it was probably 10 years ago: I had forgotten to put on the pasta boiler and at 6.45pm an order came in for spaghetti clams. I said “Seven on the pass chef!” and then realised what I’d done. “Twenty-seven on the pass chef!” I got so much crap that night.” DANIELE PAMPAGNIN, HEAD OF ITALIAN KITCHENS, SOHO HOUSE GROUP

“Our head chef, Ronnie Bonetti, has a few stand-ards: ‘Don’t drink cider before work’ (we are in the cider-loving English West Country), ‘A blunt knife will do more harm than a sharp one’, and ‘It’s not a ****ing stirfry!’“ NEIL SMITH, JUNIOR SOUS CHEF AT BABINGTON HOUSE, SOMERSET, ENGLAND

“The pastry chef in my first restaurant, Maria Swan at Grace in LA, told me how important it is to be quiet, especially when you’re new. It feels weird because you’ve just spent all this money at catering school learning to cook, but no-one cares, you just need to listen.” KATE GOODYEAR, PASTRY CHEF SOHO HOUSE NEW YORK AND MIAMI

“When I was working in Switzerland, my German head chef told me to always be first in the kitchen. That way, you can organise your-self, get your section ready and get ahead. If you’re in a big kitchen with 30 chefs, it makes your life easier.” MAURILIO MOLTENI, HEAD CHEF, SHOREDITCH HOUSE LONDON

“Always aim to be the best and then your head chef will know he can trust you. Never say no.”ELIA PARTRIARCA,

GRILL CHEF, SHOREDITCH

HOUSE, LONDON

“Joey Fortunato, from Extra Virgin restaurant, said to me, ‘Come in and work your ass off. Don’t be a p*ssy.’ I’ve never forgot-ten that!” PHIL CONLON, SOUS CHEF, SOHO HOUSE NEW YORK

“When I worked at the Ivy, a sous chef said to me: ‘Keep your mouth shut, your head down and crack on.’” JAMES JESTY, SOUS CHEF BABINGTON HOUSE

“Taste, taste, taste. That’s what my first head chef, Andrew, in Sydney, told me.” TANK LOY, SENIOR SOUS CHEF, ELEC-TRIC, LONDON

“Always have a cof-

fee ready for the

head chef. Head

chefs like to be

looked after. Yes,

that’s my own

advice!” HEAD CHEF

MAURILIO MOLTENI,

SHOREDITCH HOUSE

And a few old favour-ites...“Less is more”“A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen”“Time to lean, time to clean”“Don’t eat yellow snow”“You can add but you can’t take away”

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if you’re interested in a career in cooking,if you’re interested in a career in cooking,if you’re interested in a contactcareer in cooking,contactcareer in cooking,[email protected]


TITFER TATS

Whether hidden away under whites, nestling inside clogs or concealed by trousers, you can bet that any restaurant kitchen in the world will contain more than its fair share of tattoos per person. Every tattoo tells a personal story, so it would be wrong to assume that chefs get them just because they’re chefs, of course, but as it used to be with sailors and still is with soldiers, a chef is definitely more likely to be inked up than your average banker, even now.

That’s not to say they’re totally acceptable and accepted every-where. Go on internet forums like chef2chef and you regularly see people being told they can’t work because of their tats. (Admittedly, one them had tattooed flames on his face. And was trying to get work in an American country club. But still.) In 2009, Food & Wine magazine in America even published an angry letter of complaint they got after showing inked up chefs on the cover of the magazine. Although many of the chefs on TV shows like Top Chef and Iron Chef do show off their body art, quite a few cover them up: Aaron Sanchez usually wears long sleeves on the Food Network, for example.

Go back a few years, though, before four-times tattooed Anthony Bourdain shone a light on the darker side of kitchen life and made it cool, and kitchen tattoos were properly disapproved of.

“When I came in to work with the outline of a Foo dog (a Korean lion) running from my hand to my elbow, the chef at

the New York restaurant I worked at was pretty p*ssed off,” says Paul Gerard, executive chef at Soho House New York. “He shook his head and made me roll my sleeves down. But I was

in my 20s and liked being disapproved of – it was a symbol of being a rebel.” This was in the 1990s, when cheffing was gradually becoming more of a serious, respected job, and some chefs thought tattoos undermined that.

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cover of the magazine. Although many of the chefs on TV shows like Top Chef and Iron Chef do show off their body art, quite a few cover them up: Aaron Sanchez usually wears long sleeves on the Food Network, for example.

Go back a few years, though, before four-times tattooed Anthony Bourdain shone a light on the darker side of kitchen life and made it cool, and kitchen tattoos were properly disapproved of.

“When I came in to work with the outline of a Foo dog (a Korean lion) running from my hand to my elbow, the chef at

the New York restaurant I worked at was pretty p*ssed off,” says Paul Gerard, executive chef at Soho House New York. “He shook his head and made me roll my sleeves down. But I was

in my 20s and liked being disapproved of – it was a symbol of being a rebel.” This was in the 1990s, when cheffing was gradually becoming more of a serious, respected job, and some chefs thought tattoos undermined that.

KITCHEN

INK

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TITFER TATS

COO K H O U SE22 www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse want to cook? email [email protected]

“In the 1980s, most chefs here in New York were a ragtag bag of miscreants who weren’t necessarily passionate about food,” explains Gerard. “This was the only business that would have them. I was 13 when I first started trying to work in kitchens and they scared the hell out of me, even though I loved it. Lots of them had criminal records and bad attitudes, and with all that came tattoos.”

Now of course, that’s all changed and tattoos are cooler than they’ve ever been, although they still have a whiff of rebellion. In the US food tattoos are popular, probably more so than in Britain. “I see people with the Henckel twins [a knife brand logo], steaks or baby beets, which I find quite funny. But obviously it’s all about personal choice,” says Gerard. Russell Jackson, executive chef at Lafitte in San Francisco, has herbs on his arms, while Jesse Schenker of Re-cette in New York has caul fat on his left arm, plus a knife and steak. Perhaps the most committed is executive chef Carolynn Spence at Chateau Marmont, LA, who has teaspoon and tablespoon measures tattooed on her palm, plus portion marks down the side of her hand.

Working in a kitchen also has particular risks for a tattooed chef. “I won’t get any-thing done below my elbows,” says Tank Loy, sous chef at the Electric. “Partly because we work in an open kitchen, but also because I don’t know how they’d heal if I got burnt.”

Sometimes it’s suggested that part of the reason chefs get tats is to show some individuality when you have to wear whites all day. Our chefs disagreed. “We express our individuality through our food,” says Paul Gerard. “I don’t even think of whites as a uniform,” adds Dave Green, head chef at Hoxton Grill, London. “It’s just that you get more characters in a kitchen so more tattoos.”

“In the 1980s, most chefs here in New York were a ragtag bag of miscreants who weren’t necessarily passionate about food,” explains Gerard. “This was the only business that would have them. I was 13 when I first started trying to work in kitchens and they scared the hell out of me, even though I loved it. Lots of them had criminal records and bad attitudes, and with all that came tattoos.”

Now of course, that’s all changed and tattoos are cooler than they’ve ever been, although they still have a whiff of rebellion. In the US food tattoos are popular, probably more so than in Britain. “I see people with the Henckel twins [a knife brand logo], steaks or baby beets, which I find quite funny. But obviously it’s all about personal choice,” says Gerard. Russell Jackson, executive chef at Lafitte in San Francisco, has herbs on his arms, while Jesse Schenker of Recette in New York has caul fat on his left arm, plus a knife and steak. Perhaps the most committed is executive chef Carolynn Spence at Chateau Marmont, LA, who has teaspoon and tablespoon measures tattooed on her palm, plus portion marks down the side of her hand.

Working in a kitchen also has particular risks for a tattooed chef. “I won’t get anything done below my elbows,” says Tank Loy, “Carolynn

Spence has spoon measures tattooed on her palm”

Who’s got what?You’d be mad to underestimate a chef, and the same goes for their tattoos, which are inspired by anything from 18th century poetry to 19th century surrealist artists,

via love, luck, nationality, family and religion.

CO

ELIA PATRICIA, GRILL CHEF, SHOREDITCH HOUSE LONDONI’ve got my mum’s initials, my name and surname, and one representing family,

nature, harmony and love. I’d like to get a sleeve in the Chinese style, but it’s so

expensive. It’s not about fashion – a tattoo is forever. They become part of you.

PAUL GERARD, HEAD CHEF, SOHO HOUSE NEW YORKI like traditional tattoos like pin-up girls and sailor tattoos. I have a dagger on

my forearm, a Foo dog, a crab (for cancer, not for food) and my daughter’s name. I’m

glad I waited until I knew what I wanted.

GEORGE AVILES, SOUS CHEF, SOHO HOUSE NEW YORKI’m Spanish and I have the Spanish for ‘paradise’, a swallow representing my family, my last name on my stomach, a pin-up girl on my arm, dice for luck and some cards for bad luck, plus the mad hatter; he’s nuts and I’m a little bit nuts. I got tattoos that I could cover up with clothes. It’s not really about other people seeing them.

ELIA PATRICIA, GRILL CHEF, SHOREDITCH HOUSE LONDON

JANICE RAMOS, LINE COOK, SOHO HOUSE WEST HOLLYWOODI got my Smiths tattoo when I was 18 and going through a bit of a rebellion. It was a time of change for me, and I started culinary school that same year and started feeling like I was in the right place in my life. And the Smiths are my favourite band.

JANICE RAMOS, LINE COOK, SOHO HOUSE WEST HOLLYWOOD

I like traditional tattoos like pin-up girls and sailor tattoos. I have a dagger on


23

SEE2

I like traditional tattoos like pin-up girls and sailor tattoos. I have a dagger on


TITFER TATS

if you’re interested in a

career in the Soho House

Group’s kitchens around

the world, then get in touch... contact [email protected]

COO K H O U SE25

COO K H O U SE30 www.sohohouse.com

“Some guys really want to look mad, bad and dangerous to know”

LARRY EPONDULAN, SENIOR CHEF DE PARTIE, SHOREDITCH HOUSEMy tattoos are a very personal thing, not trendy. I have a rosary on one side that

wraps round my arms and neck, and a chain in the same pattern on the other side. It

represents my good side and my bad side. I have clouds and fire on my stomach, a cross

and clouds on my arms and two angels, one for my grandma and one for my cousin who

committed suicide. I also have the Philippines’ flag 11 times, for the 11 years I spent

living there before I came here as a child. My last venture in tattooing will be when I

get a half-good, half-bad angel on my back.

“Some guys really want “Some guys really want

DAVE GREEN, HEAD CHEF, HOXTON GRILLI have an MC Escher lizard running around my arm. He’s my favourite artist. I got it

eight or nine years ago and it had taken me years to decide what to get. It took four

hours in two sittings. I’m going to get another Escher, but I’m still deciding what. We

had a potwash a while ago who was training to do it himself, so he did most of us.

TANK LOY, SOUS CHEF, THE ELECTRIC, NOTTING HILL, LONDONI’m Chinese-Australian and have a tribal tattoo

on my arms down to my elbow. I started it in 2001

in Australia but because I lived five hours away

from my tattoo artist, it took a couple of years

to complete. In the future I’d like to get the same

pattern right across my shoulders. It will be a

good 15 hours work, but hell, I work in a kitchen

so I’ve already got a high pain threshold.

DAVID MARTINEZ JR, LINE COOK, SOHO HOUSE WEST HOLLYWOODI have an anchor on my face with a heart on

the bottom that I got on the 4th of July this

year (Independence Day) when I was with a bunch

of other chefs. All of my tattoos are from my

travels as a chef all around the world. The

headless person on my right arm is from

Shel Silverstein’s Where The Sidewalk Ends

[an illustrated book of poetry for children

written in 1974].

BEN AMERLING, SOUS CHEF, SOHO HOUSE WEST HOLLYWOODThe tattoo on my back is an angel and a devil – for the

battle between good and evil, the battle you fight in life.

I have an aquarium on my leg, as I love spear fishing and the

ocean. I figure I won’t be in California forever, so I have

this to remind me of spear fishing wherever I go.

DAVE GREEN, HEAD CHEF, HOXTON GRILL

“Some guys really want

BRIAN ROZOF, LINE COOK, SOHO HOUSE WEST HOLLYWOODLR are my dad’s initials. My dad is a chef and was the

person who inspired me to get into cooking. I was going

to get one initial on each arm, but then I realized people

would think I got it for right and left…

KATE GOODYEAR, PASTRY CHEF, SHNY AND MIAMI BEACH HOUSEI have two tattoos, a little shamrock on my back and a Wheel of Being, which is

five circles, each representing a different state of nature, and the circle in the middle is

balance. I was 23 when I got them, so it was 10 years ago. I think it’s not quite as popular

with girls in the kitchen as guys, some of whom really want to look mad, bad and dangerous

to know. My friend Minnie, a chef, is getting a sleeve though, and has them on her chest

and neck. I am thinking about getting another one: the poet William Cullen Bryant is an

ancestor of mine and I’m thinking of having a bit of one of his famous poems.


COOKHOUSE330

if you’re interested in a

career in the Soho House

Group’s kitchens around

the world, then get in touch... [email protected]

LOVE TO

COOK?

how i made itcareers advice

Simone Gobbo in the

kitchens at Soho House

Berlin

Maxim Roberts in the kitchens at Soho House West Holly-wood

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Simone Gobbo, 29, head chef, Soho House Berlin

Maxim Roberts, 28, senior sous chef, Soho House West Hollywood

My dad was a butcher near Venice and my mother worked with him, so I was

around food from a very early age. By the time I was 11, I was helping them

out, cutting up meat. I love being around food and being in contact with it.

I went to catering school for five years, and from the age of 16 worked as a

waiter, chef and pastry chef. Then I went to work in a small local restau-

rant, which was good because I was the only chef, so I had to do it all.

But after a couple of years, I decided to go and work in the best pastry shop

in Venice, Pasticceria Zanin, run by a master of pastry, Andrea Zanin. I was

really into pastry while I was studying, and did a few special courses while

I was at school.

Next, I moved to London and got work at Cecconi’s. It was there I met Daniele

Pampagnin (now one of the Soho House executive chefs) who is from near where

I’m from in Venice. When Soho House Group opened Shoreditch House in east

London three and a half years ago, I moved there and worked as a pastry chef

in the prep kitchens, then worked up to be-

ing senior sous chef. I got to travel to LA

for the Academy Awards and Cannes for the

film festival as well.

Now, I’m the head chef at the brand new

Soho House Berlin. I moved here in Febru-

ary. For sure, it’s hard work, but there are

times in your life when you have to work

hard, right? I still love it and I don’t

plan on going anywhere else – I’m single

and, for now, I’m married to my job.

It has been tricky since everything is

obviously in German, which I would learn

if I had a moment to – I think I know the

key words now, but I’m not sure about

my pronunciation!

I could tell you a thousand mad things

about working for Soho House, but probably

the maddest was making a cake — for the

artist Damien Hirst — in the shape of the

palette of someone’s mouth, for 80 people.

That was the strangest thing I’ve

ever done.

My first contact with Soho House was in Sydney.

After answering an ad in the paper, I went to meet

their recruiter who told me all about the company

and her time working in England for them. I was very

interested in the opportunity to travel and work for

the company and within the month I was on a plane to

the UK and Babington House in Somerset.

While working at Babington I was part of several Club

Suppers, during which well-known celebrity chefs like

Rowley Leigh and Thomasina Miers visited and cooked

with us. Working with other chefs and staff from the

company, I also had the chance to attend a House

satellite party when we put on an event at the

beautiful Chateau la Napoule, near Cannes in France.

I have been lucky enough to do stages at both the

River Café and Petersham Nurseries in London, where

chef Skye Gyngell made a fantastic salad of raw new season porcini

mushrooms with creme fraiche along with many other fab dishes.

However, the highlight of my four years with Soho House has been moving to

LA for the opening of the West Hollywood site. Constant excitement about all

types of food and cooking comes with the territory, but it’s accentuated by

working with amazing people whose passion for all things edible is second

to none.

Just two months ago, we were lucky enough to take a group of chefs to a

cooking demonstration by Fergus Henderson (one of my favourite chefs) here

in L.A. That was a real treat, not to mention the meal that followed, which

comprised of crispy pigs’ ears, pot-roasted pig’s head and trotter gear

(“a warm and damp salad” as Fergus so succinctly put it!) with broad beans and

rocket; then ox heart marinated and grilled with red slaw and horseradish

cream. And last but not least, we finished with his famous (and I must say,

delicious) chocolate ice cream. A great night!

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wanna

cook?if you’re interested in a career if you’re interested in a career if you’re interested in a career in the Soho House Group’s in the Soho House Group’s in the Soho House Group’s kitchens around the world, kitchens around the world, kitchens around the world, then get in touch... then get in touch... then get in touch... contactcontactcontact [email protected]

Anatomy of an ingredient

Shoreditch Olive Oiloiling up

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Shoreditch House uses 120 LITRES OF OLIVE OIL every week in the kitchens, plus about another 20 litres poured straight out for diners.

Dipping bread in olive oil is a British custom, not an Italian one. It

started here in the 1950s because people were used to having butter when

they were served bread. Nobody does it in Italy, although bread is helpful

if you’re tasting different olive oils together.

However tasty it is, adding balsamic vinegar to olive oil is pretty sacri-

legious. “Since it’s not usual to eat bread this way in Italy, imagine how I

feel about people adding balsamic to the wonderful oil! It is the death of

the flavour,” says Maurilio Molteni, head chef at Shoreditch House.

It takes about 5kg of olives to make one litre of olive oil, which is part

of the reason it’s expensive – that, and the amount of effort that goes into

growing, picking and transporting the olives to be pressed, without letting

them warm up and spoil.

There aren’t enough olives in Italy to meet the demand for their oil. “I was

in Tunisia where there are lots of olive groves; they told me most of their

olives go straight to Italy and are made into oil there,” says Molteni.

Different types of olive make different tasting oil, and, just like wine,

the taste also depends on the soil. Ligurian oil tends to be very light,

whereas Tuscan is stronger and more rustic.

“I was about five years old when I first really discovered how delicious

olive oil is. An old lady in the block of flats where I grew up, near Lake

Como in Italy, used to look after me when my mum was at work. She would

make me panzanella for breakfast, which is white bread, chopped tomatoes,

extra virgin olive oil, basil and sea salt. Those memories are so strong,”

says Molteni. “It was unbelievably good.”

You can use olive oil instead of butter in cake and ice cream. “I was in a

little family-run hotel in Sicily and they had a huge buffet of cakes and

pastries. I took a bite and I thought, this tastes of olive oil! And the lady

who made them told me that’s what she used. You have to make sure it’s a

pretty delicate oil though, because it does change the flavour.”

There are three extra-virgin olive oils on offer in Shoreditch House:


“Since it’s not usual to eat bread dipped in olive oil in Italy, imagine how I feel about people adding balsamic vinegar to it!”

Maremma, which is Tuscan and really fresh and creamy; Incanto from Sicily — very good on tomatoes or mozzarella but a little punchy for meat or fish; and Cinque Foglie from Puglia, which is very intense and flavoursome — and far too good for cooking with.

“If you’re using a charcoal grill or barbecue, don’t cover the meat or fish in olive oil, rather dry-marinate it and add any oil afterwards. Otherwise you’ll end up with smoke and flames and a real mess,” advises Molteni.

if you’re interested in a career in the Soho House Group’s kitchens around the world, then get in touch... contact [email protected]

PRESSON!

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member’s recipe


Fry the garlic in olive oil in a big pan on a medium heat until it’s just

slightly browning. You could also add a few slices of red chilli here if you

fancy. Remove the garlic. Add the anchovies and cook until they dissolve. Add

the olives and capers (cut the olives in half if they’re quite big) and cook

for a minute. Next, add the tomatoes, oregano and parsley. Cover and simmer

for 15 minutes or so – but don’t let the sauce stick to the bottom of the pan.

Cook the pasta while the sauce is simmering. Drain but retain a bit of the

pasta water. Taste the sauce, season if necessary and stir the sauce into the

pasta. If it’s a bit dry and sticky, add a little of the hot water.

Eat straight away. If you’re being authentic about it, don’t you dare add

any parmesan.

serves 44 tbs olive oil2 garlic cloves, whole but crushed 4 anchovies 14-20 black olives, stones removed

1-2 tbs capers to taste, rinsed a tin of chopped tomatoes 1 tsp dried oregano handful of parsley, finely chopped 350g spaghetti salt and pepper

Obviously this is just a really good version of spaghetti

alla puttanesca, but I like to translate its name correctly. If

you were doing it properly, you’d probably prepare it wearing

only your knickers or something (don’t splash!) – the (disput-

ed) story is that it was what the ladies who worked in Italy’s

state-legislated brothels in the 1950s used to make, as they

were too ‘busy’ for shopping and making complicated meals...





OOKHOUSE31

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[email protected]

join our foodie family

Soho House Group is recruiting. We are looking for the most passionate and dedicated chefs from around the world. If you want to work for a company that’s full of opportunities, that’s expanding in Europe and America and that might even give you the chance to work in different exciting locations, then please get in touch. The right candidates will want to learn as much as possible: from improving their cooking skills to finding out about local seasonal produce and what best to do with it. If you’re the right chef for us, we’ll help you develop your career and have a great time along the way. We’d love to hear from you.

To find out more email – [email protected]


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Cook House Issue 2