Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos

Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley

by Jeanne Horak on April 3, 2022 No Comments in London restaurants

One of the odd upsides of the Covid pandemic and London’s interminable lockdowns is that it has now been so long since I visited some parts of London that arriving there (now that things are opening up again) is almost as novel and exciting as visiting a new city. On a recent visit to Soho to see a show, emerging from the theatre into crowded streets made me feel quite disoriented, as if I needed to check from which direction the cars were coming before I stepped off the pavement, as I need to in Paris! As my Jubilee Line train pulled into Wembley Park station on a recent Saturday, I tried to remember when I had last set foot in the area – probably in summer 2017 for an ELO gig.  So I was unprepared for just how bustling the area is and how much there is to do there, even on days with no football and no concerts (hello Boxpark, hello London Designer Outlet Mall!). And nestled literally shadow of the famous Wembley arch, perfectly positioned to take advantage of all this foot traffic, is Masalchi, a new pan-Indian street food restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar – his first foray into casual dining. Click here for a full portion

Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers

by Jeanne Horak on February 20, 2022 No Comments in Braai/Barbecue, Gluten-free, Main course - seafood, Recipes

Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers

Last weekend I had the great pleasure of seeing the stage version of Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical Moulin Rouge – the first stage production I have seen since Message in a Bottle in Feb 2020!  It is an absolute riot of colour, inventive sets, fabulous voices and more songs than you can shake a stick […]

Click here for a full portion

Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]

by Jeanne Horak on February 6, 2022 1 Comment in Christmas, Gluten-free, Recipes, Vegetable side dishes, Vegetarian

Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate

I have a good friend who has introduced me to an excellent tradition: whenever she travels somewhere, rather than buying a T-shirt, mug, ornament or some other dust-gathering tchotchke, she tries to buy a piece of original art that will always remind her of the place and/or the trip. As a result of this tradition […]

Click here for a full portion

Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]

by Jeanne Horak on January 16, 2022 4 Comments in Product reviews

Does it ever feel as if you are a former citizen of the lost city of Atlantis? As if you come from a world that has sunk without a trace beneath the waves, never to be seen again? I’ve been feeling that way a lot lately as I look through Google’s handy reminders of what […]

Click here for a full portion

Antillean

by Jeanne Horak on December 29, 2021 No Comments in London restaurants, Restaurants

When I was about ten years old, my older sister (then in her mid 20s) decided that she was off to adventure and left South Africa on an extended working holiday.  These were the early 1980s before migration became as hot a potato as it is now and work visas were easier to come by. […]

Click here for a full portion

Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze

by Jeanne Horak on December 23, 2021 No Comments in Christmas, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Main course - meat

Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze

Have you ever thought about the difference between culture and tradition – or even wondered whether there is even a difference  between them? They are definitely intertwined and both inform and influence each other – for example, a tradition can grow to be so widespread that it becomes an accepted part of a culture.  But […]

Click here for a full portion

Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes

by Jeanne Horak on June 21, 2021 5 Comments in Baking (sweet), Dessert, Fruit, Recipes

Blood orange & pistachio galettes

[Reading this in a feed reader like Feedly or Flipboard? Cooksister’s feed is being updated to https://www.cooksister.com/feed – please resubscribe in your reader of choice!] When people start getting wistful about the “good old days” and how thing were so much better when they were young/before the world wars/before the Rolling Stones were born, I […]

Click here for a full portion
NEXT >
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
  • Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
  • Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
  • Antillean
  • Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
  • Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes
  • Cauliflower steak Welsh rarebit

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Oxtail and red wine potjie
Nigella's Bakewell slices & the Big Bakewell Taste-off
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!
Roosterkoek - a South African braai essential
Jan Ellis pudding - a classic South African dessert

Featured on

Also available on

Anybody for South African chocolate-studded malva Anybody for South African chocolate-studded malva pudding? Think a lighter version of sticky toffee pudding with melted chocolate chunks drenched in a  creamy syrup... heaven 😍🇿🇦 #malvapudding #southafricanrecipes #southafricanfood #southafricandesserts
🌸🌸🌸Waltz of the cherry blossoms 🌸🌸🌸

#cherryblossomtree #londoncherryblossom #cherryblossomseason #sakuraseason #cherryblossoms2022 #floweringcherry #prettylondon #londoninbloom #springinlondon #blossomwatch #blossomseason #pinkpinkpink #mydarlinglondon
London cherry blossom season 🌸🌸🌸 My favou London cherry blossom season 🌸🌸🌸 My favourite time of year! 

#londoninbloom #springinlondon #blossomwatch #sakuraseason #blossomseason #londoncherryblossom #londonsbest #floweringcherry #explorelondon #mydarlinglondon #prettycitylondon #pinkpinkpink #londonbylondoners
🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London! Every 🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London!

Everywhere you look, these long-legged floral supermodels are adding a splash of colour to parks and gardens and I just can’t get enough of them! It’s easy to see how they inspired a collective buying frenzy in 17th Century Holland, called “tulip fever”, but today there are less dramatic ways to enjoy them. Here are a couple of suggestions of where to see them at their best:

🌷 The ultimate tulipalooza is the annual opening of Keukenhof gardens outside Amsterdam where 7 million (!) bulbs burst into life each Spring. This year the gardens are open 24 March-15 May (click on the link in my bio for FAQs and my top tips for visitors)

🌷In London, Kew Gardens always has spectacular displays of tulips; but you can also see excellent and free tulips in most of the Royal Parks such as Regents Park. 

🌷The Hampton Court Palace tulip festival is on until 2 May and the Hever  Castle’s Tulip Celebrations until 24 April - both within easy reach of London.

🌷The Morges Fete de la Tulipe in Switzerland takes place every year against the spectacular backdrop of Lake Geneva - it is on until 8 May this year.

I spotted these spectacular red frilly parrot tulips beside St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday 🌹 Where is the best display of tulips that you have ever seen?
Spring daffodils in London parks - can there be a Spring daffodils in London parks - can there be a happier sight?? 🌼 

#daffodil #daffodilseason #isitspringyet #yellowdaffodils #colourfuflowers #springbulbs #londoninbloom #springinlondon #narcissus #colourmylife #colourmehappy #colourinspo #spring2022 #londonparks #londonpark #blossomwatch
MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food restaurant in Wembley

Remember to save this post so you can find it later! 🔖

[Invited] If you thought Brick Lane and chicken tikka masala or madras were all there is to know about the food of the Indian subcontinent, think again! In the shadow of the Wembley arch,  @chefatulkochhar has opened his first casual dining restaurant,  showcasing the rustic, spicy, diverse street foods of India. 

Highlights when I visited included:
1. Carrot halwa
2. Papdi chaat
3. Chicken 65
4. Tandoori broccoli
5. Smoky aubergine chokha
6. A snap of all our mains - you can read all about these and more in the full review on my blog - click the link in my bio or go to:
 https://www.cooksister.com/2022/04/masalchi-atul-kochhar-indian-wembley.html

What is your favourite dish from the Indian subcontinent? Let me know in the comments 🌶🌶🌶
Join me once again at my favourite (and London's b Join me once again at my favourite (and London's best!) supperclub 😍 #luizhara @thelondonfoodie

Last night we had an excellent 8 course Japanese comfort food menu, largely from Luiz's second book The Japanese Larder. Here's what was on the menu:
1. Grilled scallop on sushi rice with to wasabi tobiko, nori & Tobanjan spicy sauce
2. Mentaiko spaghetti with a spicy chilli, sake and cod roe cream sauce
3. Dango Jiru - Japanese chicken & dumpling miso soup with winter  vegetables 
4. Okonomiyaki, Osaka style - japanese pancake with cabbage, squid, pork belly, kimchi and bonito flakes
5. Kakiage & pickles - tempura of coriander, crabcakes, burdock & carrot tops, with pickled mustard greens
6. Iberico pork with a teriyaki butter glaze on nori blackened cauliflower
7. Nikkei Tai Goham - steamed sea bream rice with a yuzu & jalapeño dressing, cooked in a donabe clay pot
8. Apple tarte tatin with star anise, rosemary and almonds

At £60 per head, incl. a welcome cocktail and canapé, in Luiz's beautiful home, it is superb value and always super special ❤ Thanks for an amazing evening Luiz! 

#nikkeifood #londonsupperclub #londonsupperclubs #thelondonfoodie #japanesecomfortfood
🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸 T 🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸

There is no season in London that I love more than cherry blossom season! From March through to April, trees in various parks and gardens in London put on an amazing display of delicate pink and white blossoms - and everything in the city seems a little more magical. This particular tree near St Pauls must be among London’s most photographed, and it’s not hard to see why 💕

Did you know that...

🌸cherry blossoms are Japan’s national flower and are known as Sakura 

🌸In 1910, Japan sent the USA some cherry trees as a goodwill gesture… and the Dept of Agriculture inspectors nearly caused an international incident by burning them as they were carrying insects and diseases! But in 1915 Japan sent more cherry trees that survived the inspectors, and these marked the start of cherry trees in the USA.

🌸 Peak blossom season is usually only two to three weeks in March/April but is hard to predict as the weather and the subspecies of tree influence the timing.

🌸The cherry blossom capital of the  world is Macon, Georgia with 300,000 - 350,000 Yoshino cherry blossom trees.

🌸 There are over 200 different varieties of cherry blossom and some are purely ornamental (meaning they produce no cherries)

Where is your favourite place to see cherry blossoms in London or around the world? Let me know in the comments and happy blossom hunting! 🌸🍒🌸

#pinkpinkpink
A wonderful lunch in at Masalchi - the new street A wonderful lunch in at Masalchi - the new street food restaurant by Atul Kochhar in Wembley. Highlights included the amazing kiwi fruit mojito; chicken 65; lamb chops; chargrilled broccoli; and carrot halwa. [INVITED]  #masalchi #masalchiwembley #londonrestaurants #atulkochhar #atulkochharrestaurants
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2022 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2022 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT