The Draycott: London's Small Elegant Five-Star Hotel

If you’re in search of a small, elegant five-star hotel in central London with luxurious finishes, grand interiors and staff on hand to satisfy your every whim, look no further than the Draycott. Perfectly located around the corner from Sloane Square in central London, it's my favourite place to stay whenever I'm visiting or flying through London. Staying at the Draycott doesn't feel like a hotel, but rather like you're a privileged guest in an elegant country home, it just feels so wonderfully comfortable and inviting.

The bright and cheerful Drawing Room with fireplace 

overlooks the Draycott's beautiful back garden

The Library is a lovely room to enjoy a glass of complimentary champagne, 

complimentary each evening for all Draycott guests

The five-star experience begins at the reception, where guests are met by the Draycott's friendly staff, who are quick to make you feel welcome with their smiling faces and gracious hospitality. What's very special about the hotel is that the interior manages to feel timelessly grand, with original fireplaces, high ceilings and attractive antique finishings, while the occasional modern touches have been added to enhance the comfort and enjoyment of all guests. Each of the 35 rooms and suites are theatrically themed and adorned with Victorian antiques and something of its theatrical namesake — be it Sheridan, Coward, Grenfell, or Ashcroft — such as prints, photographs or wonderful books. All of the rooms are furnished to the highest standards, with wonderfully soft bedding, and glorious large well-appointed ensuite bathrooms, complete with designer toiletries.

The charming manorhouse-style lobby of The Draycott

Draycott Reception

Guests can let the hotel know when they are 'at home' or 'out on the town'

A charming and elegant small hotel, The Draycott is built from three red-brick Edwardian townhomes, which were conjoined years ago to create a charming old world feel, with meandering staircases, beautifully appointed landings and sumptuous rooms tucked away in tiny nooks, each with their own nameplates, personalized with the names of each guest, with some lucky enough to have their own stunning views over the Draycott's private garden square.

Each room is personalized with a nameplate of the guest's name

The Draycott Suite

The Ashcroft Suite - our home on a previous visit at the Draycott

Our humble but delightful double room with fireplace and king size bed

Even the smaller rooms are full of character

Full of charm and character, guests are invited to enjoy complimentary afternoon tea, evening champagne aperitifs, as well as a warm nightcap of homemade hot chocolate as they wander up to bed, as they're welcomed by a stack of night-time reading and an absolutely adorable Draycott teddybear nestled among the pillows!

The Draycott teddy

A selection of novels and travel books are nestled in every guest's room 

for their reading pleasure

While the hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, it offers round-the-clock room service, with a selection of hot and cold dishes any time of the day, and with it's fabulous location in between the stylish neighbourhoods of Chelsea and Knightsbridge, the Draycott is definitely one of London’s best kept secrets. 
 

A Culinary Journey: Umbria, Italy

A Culinary Journey to Umbria, Italy

March 8 - 27, 2012 

Scrumpdillyicious will be touring Umbria - The Green Heart of Italy - from March 8, 2012 to March 27, 2012, exploring the rich cultural and culinary pulse of this beautiful region of central Italy. Join me online each day as we journey from London to Rome then up through Umbria, Tuscany and the historic hilltowns in between, capturing all of the robust flavours and breathtaking natural beauty of this rich landscape of gentle green valleys, soaring mountains, glittering lakes and silver olive groves. 

Our Culinary Journey will take us from our lovely Italian farmhouse in the Umbrian countryside to Perugia, Assisi, Norcia, Deruta and classic Cortona made famous by Frances Mayes' book Under the Tuscan Sun. An ancient land which has been at the crossroads of many people and cultures for millennia, Umbria is still as unspoiled and peaceful as the days Renaissance painters immortalized it. Offering one of Italy's most authentic cuisines, the region is famous for its black truffles, Valnerina lentils, robust pastas, superb pecorino cheese, fragrant wines and acclaimed Perugian chocolates. Andiamo - let's go!

Pot de Crème au Chocolat à Grand Marnier

This classic French dessert, loved for its rich, dark and intense chocolate flavour, is surprisingly simple to make. Pot de Crème au Chocolat are tiny pots of rich chocolate custard, similar to chocolate mousse, only richer and smaller. The ingredients are also almost identical to mousse — eggs, chocolate and cream — but while mousse is light in texture, pots de crème are rich and dense. Also mousse is put directly into the refrigerator to chill, while pots de crème are baked in a bain marie, or water bath, before chilling. 

Although this marvelous dessert looks very sophisticated, don’t be fooled by the posh name. It’s nothing more than a custard really, and one of the easiest desserts you can make. Start with small, heatproof cups and good-quality European bittersweet chocolate such as Callebaut, Valrhona or Lindt. Then whisk eggs and sugar to warmed cream, melted chocolate, and Grand Marnier, and strain to get rid of any lumps. Baking the filled pots in a water bath provides the gentle, moist heat that the custards need to thicken properly. Luscious, creamy and intensely rich, this sexy chocolate baked custard makes the perfect little decadent dessert. Served in my mother's Royal Worcester Evesham pot de creme cups that she gave me a few years ago, they were the final elegant touch to classic French Pot de Crème au Chocolat.

Pot de Crème au Chocolat à Grand Marnier
Serves 6

3 egg yolks
2 tbsp extra fine fruit sugar
1 1/4 cup light cream
3 oz Lindt Intense Dark 85% Cacao chocolate, chopped
3 oz Lindt Intense Orange chocolate, chopped
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp Grand Marnier


Preheat oven to 325°F. Using a standing mixer, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla together until the yolks are pale and thick.

In a small saucepan, simmer the cream over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, whisking until melted and well blended.

Very slowly add the chocolate to the egg mixture, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Mix in the Grand Marnier. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup with a spout — straining the liquid will remove any lumpy impurities. Blot foam from the top of the chocolate with a paper towel or skim with a spoon.

Place six pot de crème pots with lids or ramekins in a baking pan. Pour the chocolate mixture into the small cups, dividing it evenly, then add boiling water into the baking pan so the cups are half immersed. Cover the pots with their lids or the ramekins with a single sheet of aluminum foil. Bake until the custards are just set at the edges but still a little wobbly in the centre, about 15 to 20 minutes. They'll firm up as they chill.

Once they're cooked, remove the baking pan from the oven and place the cups on a wire rack, removing the lids or aluminum foil to let cool. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days before serving. Serve with whipped cream garnished with orange peel, shaved chocolate or simply sprinkled with some fleur de sel.

Pearl Harbourfront: The Best Dim Sum in Toronto

Overlooking Lake Ontario with fabulous views of the islands, there's no better way to enjoy delicious handmade dim sum and endless pots of Jasmin tea than at Pearl Harbourfront, where they serve, without a doubt, the best dim sum in the city. Tucked away on the second floor of Queens Quay Terminal, the light filled 6,000-square foot interior of blonde woods, cream-hued walls and floor-to-ceiling windows provide a simple yet sophisticated backdrop for enjoying steaming baskets of Har Kow, while admiring spectacular harbour views and Porter's symphony of flights coming and going from the Island Airport.

Pearl's light filled modern interior with floor to ceiling windows overlooking Lake Ontario

Though priced slightly higher than some other Chinese restaurants, the food at Pearl Harbourfront is wonderfully prepared, nicely presented and graciously served — well worth the few extra dollars. As with traditional dim sum dining, hot and fresh cooked dishes are wheeled around the restaurant on tiered carts, for customers to select their Siu Mai and Cheung Foon while seated at the comfort of their linen covered tables. With the room's split-level dining and over two hundred ravenous guests, the servers weave in and out of tables and up and down steps with the grace and agility of a production of Swan Lake.

One of the many cheerful servers who parade their panoply of dim sum dishes to hungry customers

Any day of the week, whether the it's fine or frosty, Pearl can be hectic with long tedious lineups, but they do take reservations, which is highly advisable if you want to avoid the wait and be guaranteed one of the prized window tables. Offering Dim Sum seven days a week, Pearl offers a selection of over sixty delectable dishes that are served in steamer baskets and small plates, from steamed and pan fried dumplings, potstickers and rice noodles to sticky rice in lotus leaf, stir fried vegetables and a variety of innovative desserts. There's also the option of ordering a la carte for dishes from their extensive luncheon menu such as Chopped Rainbow, Braised Lobster with Black Bean and Garlic Sauce or Szechuan Style Shrimp in Phoenix Nest.

Hot steamed dumplings arrive in bambo steamers 

For those devotées who come to Pearl Harbourfront expressly for their delectable dim sum, the parade of bite-size dishes are temptation enough. Prices range from $3.75 for a bamboo basket of Steamed Beef Dumplings, Crispy Spring Rolls or Steamed Chicken Feet; $5.50 for medium dishes such as Steamed Spinach Dumpling, Scallop Dumpling or Crispy Spring Rolls; $6.00 for large dishes including Har Gau, Shrimp Cheung Foon and Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf; to $7.50 for special plates which include Deep Fried Stuffed Crab Claw or Fried Beef Short Ribs with Honey Black Pepper Sauce. The best way to sample as many dim sum dishes as possible, is to bring a group of friends and order to your heart or tummy's content.

Baby Bok Choy with Braised Garlic and Oyster Sauce

Fried Shrimp Toasts

Steamed Scallop Dumplings

Pan Fried Shrimp and Chinese Vegetable Dumplings — aka Pearl Hockey Puck's!

Wonderfully succulent BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Fried eggplant stuffed with shrimp

Pan Fried Tofu Stuffed with Shrimp

Deep Fried Seafood Dumpling

Steamed Bean Curd Rolls

Silver Noodle with Shrimp, Chicken, Mushrooms and Chopped Egg

BBQ Pork Pies

Fried Green Pepper Stuffed with Shrimp

Steamed Spinach and Shrimp Dumplings

Crispy Spring Rolls with Shrimp

One of the final dishes we ordered were these enchanting Lychee Jellies in the shape of little gold fish, artfully detailed to look like Koi with bright orange-red spots which were in fact Wolfberries, also known as goji berries, and taste a bit like plump soft and sweet raisins. Considered to be a super-fruit due to their extraordinary nutritional value and antioxidant content, there's a myth that a Chinese man named Li Qing Yuen, was said to have consumed the red berry every day of his life and lived to the ripe old age of 250! 

Lychee Jelly with Chinese Wolfberries

Open for dim sum Monday to Friday from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm, and Saturday & Sunday 10:30 am to 3:30 pm, Pearl Harbourfront at Queens Quay Terminal is a delightful and delicious way to spend a Sunday morning catching up with friends and sampling some of the best dim sum in the city — just remember to make reservations before you go!

www.pearlharbourfront.ca

Potato and Leek Soup with Dill & Bacon

Of all the classic winter soups, Potato and Leek is one of the most rich and satisfying, the perfect antidote to the season's cold weather. Simple and delicious, this heartwarming soup is taken up a notch with two perfect partners — dill and bacon. A traditional Irish dish, rich and creamy Potato and Leek Soup is frugal, filling and full of flavour, and can also be made in little more than half an hour. Leeks and onions are simply sautéed in butter until soft, then added to diced potatoes and chicken stock and simmered for 30 mintes. The soup is then puréed with dill until silky smooth and seasoned with salt and white pepper. Hearty, warm and delicious, Potato and Leek Soup with Dill and Bacon is one of the ultimate winter warmers.

Potato and Leek Soup with Dill & Bacon
Serves 4-6


4 tbsp butter
3 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only
3 cups of yellow onions, finely chopped
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cream, optional
1/4 cup sour cream, for garnish
5 rashers of crumbled bacon, for garnish

Cook the bacon then drain on paper towel; crumble and set aside. In a large pot, warm the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and broth, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 25-30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the dill. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until very smooth. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground white pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into warm bowls, swirl in a dollop of sour cream and garnish with some sprigs of fresh dill and crumbled bacon.

Leek and Fennel Frittata with Feta & Dill

If you've never cooked with fennel, you're not alone. For years I avoided the bulbous root because I didn't know quite what to do with it. All it took was a recipe by Lidia Bastianich for her Sausages with Fennel & Olives, and I was hooked. Fennel has a light but distinct anise, or licorice, flavour that's crisp and refreshing when raw, but when cooked slowly, becomes sweet, succulent and tender. A versatile ingredient for soups, braises and many baked dishes, the bulb's magic lies in its power to enhance other flavours, as with this fabulous Leek and Fennel Frittata with Feta & Dill. Simple to prepare, low in carbs and gluten-free, this light and delicious egg-based dish makes the perfect savoury side for roast pork, lamb and chicken, or enjoyed on it's own for brunch or as a light entrée with a simple salad.

Leek and Fennel Frittata with Feta & Dill
Serves 4-6

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cups fennel, trimmed, quartered, cored and chopped
3 cups leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned and chopped
1/2 tsp salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup dry white wine
5 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated pecorino

3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet, and add the fennel and leeks. Cook, stirring often, until the leeks and fennel are very tender and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add the wine and cook until the moisture has cooked off, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the dill. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground white pepper, and remove the skillet from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a large gratin or baking dish with butter. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then stir in the crumbled feta and fennel mixture. Combine well. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake 40-50 minutes until the gratin is set and the top and sides are beginning to colour. Remove from the oven, and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. This is delicious hot, warm or at room temperature, and makes a delicious side dish with roast pork, lamb or chicken. It also makes a light and savoury brunch dish.

Note: The filling can be made up to two days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve the gratin, grease the pan, add the filling and bake as instructed. 

Spaghetti with Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

There’s nothing more satisfying than a heaping platter of spaghetti and meatballs in a thick rich tomato sauce. It's the perfect Italian comfort food. However, it's not in fact an authentic Italian dish, but an Italian-American adaptation. But who cares? Smaller meatballs are more traditionally Italian, but the stars of this dish are the meatballs, and in this case — size does matter. 

The robust combination of pork, beef and veal flavoured with fresh parsley, Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs and lots of Pecorino cheese, give these plump meatballs a rich depth of flavour that stands up to even the heartiest tomato sauce. The meatballs are gently pan fried and then braised in the sauce for about half an hour, adding an extra complexity to the thick marinara sauce. Served on a large platter over a mound of perfectly cooked spaghetti, this is a delicious heart warming dish to have in your repertoire, since both the meatballs and tomato sauce freeze wonderfully well, and can be reheated whenever you need a dose of comfort food on a cold winter's evening.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Serves 6
Adapted from a recipe by Ina Garten

For the meatballs:
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 1/4 cup fresh white bread crumbs, crusts removed
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:
2 tbsp good olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
2 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp dried crushed red peeper
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
3 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Pecorino

Place the ground meats, bread crumbs, parsley, Pecorino, salt, pepper, Italian seasonings, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a large bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork, being careful not to overmix. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs, which will make about 14 to 16.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil over medium-high, and very carefully place the meatballs in the oil in batches, and brown them well on all sides, turning them carefully with a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, dried crushed red peppers, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. As the meatballs cook, they will also add complexity to the sauce. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Pecorino. If you're feeling decadent, some warm garlic bread wouldn't go amiss!