The Friday 5 #107
Summer chicken special + 10 top wines from Tesco
This week I’ve been dealing with the aftermath of leaving the Guardian, mainly responding to the avalanche of incredibly kind emails and messages from my readers and colleagues. Honestly, I’m just so touched.
I had a cracking leaving do at my son Will’s bar at Hawksmoor Spitalfields with the Guardian Feast team and colleagues in the industry. Obviously it helps having a son in the business but anyone can hire the place out and the food and cocktails were spectacular. I totally love the idea of steak and chips as bowl food.
I have also managed to fit in a bit of cooking which I thought might make the basis of an interesting post on how to stretch a chicken over 4 meals (for 1 or 2 admittedly, not a family of four who I know can demolish a bird quicker than you can say wishbone.)
Using up every scrap is a subject dear to my heart - I once wrote a book called The Frugal Cook - so you’ll be finding more quick, easy and economical recipes on the Substack going forward.
There’s also a round-up of the best wine buys from Tesco which has 25% off six bottles if you’re a Clubcard holder (which you definitely should be if you’re going to shop there.)
We also had a great online wine tasting this week on island whites - white wines from places like Sicily, Sardinia and Greece. It was good to see so many of you there. I love these wine chats. (The next one, by popular request, will be at 6.30pm BST on Monday August 19th on summer fizz. What are the best buys? What type of sparkling wine suits this time of year? White or rosé? Do put it in the diary)
If you’re a paid subscriber it’s also the last week to take advantage of this month’s cookbook giveaway, Claire Thomson’s Veggie Family Cookbook which is perfect for the school holidays if you have a houseful of veggie kids. (Link to enter below)
For those of you who haven’t signed up, and I appreciate it may be a question of cost, I’ve reduced the price of not only an annual subscription but a monthly subscription by 20% until the end of the month which brings an annual sub down to £33.60 (less than £3 a month) and a monthly sub down to £4.
If you think you might miss my Guardian recs and would like to continue to receive my wine and food tips and join my tastings it could be a good moment to take the plunge.
BTW if you sign up at this rate you won’t ever have to pay more than that as and when you renew.