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:./ I/ ;.: _: MACLEAN’S MISCELLANY OF WHISKY
By Charles MacLean (Little Books/£10) 0.00
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it"’ '.i kiwi lltn’lfl (iii rather than ‘.‘.'Itli °'iit.'..'i’l'.='ltl ltflt’t‘ infant}, lliessta "rum .'.t:it_;lit‘. 'llilllt'lfi .in- .nter‘iupttatl :‘Ii-ataiiti', l)‘. poetry. f$()l‘tl, (llitl'\ ." 1'44; and titlllllllt'lllzll‘, ‘vi in‘. past '."~:1i\v. .'.iitt-.':;.
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anti l‘!'t.'l‘;lt’lt\l. /\l’.llti' Motlevi
Machan’s MISCELLANY of
isky
Charles MacLean
l-‘OREW’ORD BY
Alexander McCall Smith
116 THE LIST _" C.‘f~1;.‘f-l
EAT&DR|NK
Greed is good
After stuffing himself with Nichola Fletcher’s new book on the history of feasts, Donald Reid feels a
touch of heartburn.
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ichola liletcher is a deer lady. and an industrious one at that. l-'rom a l‘arm near .'\llL‘lllCl'lllllL‘lll}. she produces top notch venison. while writing books on the side. and has increasingly proven to he an honourable champion of local Scottish l‘ood. Her excellent l'our-bite-si/e venison pies can make a virtual least iii a lunch. But she's also adept at rustling up grander dining occasions. the tales of which make it into the pages of her recently published history ol‘ l‘easting through the ages.
Like the preparation of any half
decent banquet. the hook is quite an undertaking. It provides an enticing prospect tor the reader. and proves to he like crackling on
the pork roast: ideally suited for a nibble or two when l'eeling peckish. Particularly tasty are her anecdotes of epic pig-outs. such as the story of the world‘s largest least in Paris in l‘)()(). when waiters needed bicycles in order to serve the 22.695 (count ‘emi guests.
Yet. take on too much ol‘ ('liurlt'iiiugiit".v 'Iiiblt't'loi/i at any one sitting and you'll probably start to feel engorged. Indigestion is a distinct possibility. For example. l‘letcher’s analysis of 'l‘hanksgiving is closely liollowcd by a description of a Japanese tea ceremony and a look at cannibalism v with a chapter on Burns Suppers stulled in between.
l'ltimately the book. from its slightly odd title to the l'requent l‘ootnotes and its occasionally overstretched theme. does not consistently provide the lip- smacking anticipation and joie de vivre with which all the best l'easts should he approached. Nevertheless. given our TV dinner culture. liletcher is to be applauded
l’or emphasising the importance of
l'easts in all cultures. She illustrates that such repasts — whether they are marking Christmas. weddings or reunions — often provide landmark memories in all of our lives. It‘s right and proper they should be celebrated.
Charlemagne’s Tablecloth by Nichola Fletcher is pubished by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. 000
I After lllSl over SIX months in the Holyrood district. Erawan Oriental Thai restaurant is gomg to expand its premises in the Tun Building. The plan is to increase the number of covers by 20. But (lOSpllC any construction. the restaurant says it's busmess as uSuaI and has added new dishes to the lunch menu. Call 0131 556 c1242.
I Congratulations this fortnight to local AA rosette winners, particularly Leith’s Restaurant Martin Wishart, which got three gongs. Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles is the only Scottish restaurant with four rosettes, while the Seafood Restaurant in St Andrews was named the organisation’s Scottish restaurant of 2005.
I Lux restaurant on the Anniesland srde of Glasgow's West End is now offering to take its diners home after their tea on a Thursday night. Not literally a lift from proprietors Julie and Stephen Johnson but taxi fare to lull-paying diners for a trip up to 16 miles. Tables of SIX or more Wlll receive vouchers for two l8XIS. Lux is also hosting a gourmet ‘Winetasters' dinner' on Wednesday 27 October with wines from Spain‘s Castell del Remei. For more information on both promotions. call 0141 576 7576.
I We didn’t know much about Baloo when it opened with little fanfare this spring on Queen Street, Glasgow, but have since discovered that it is a sister restaurant to Loop on Bath Street, sharing head chef Donald Angus Munro. Baloo has recently added an evening a la carte menu to the mix, with eclectic dishes such as tandoori chicken strips with mango chutney, whole baked sea bass with lemon and thyme or angel hair pasta with gadic prawns. Baloo also does breakfast from 10am to noon and serves ‘Baloo Bites’ from noon to 6.30pm. The bistro is located at 78 Queen Street. Call 0141 221 8080.