Town mouse anticipates a hot auction
A food critic cooking supper for four strangers might attract some interest from the capital's restauranteurs, suggests Clive

The great Fay Maschler is already getting nervous about May 7. That night, Action Against Hunger is holding an auction at Shoreditch House, an agonisingly fashionable private members' club, and she has given herself, cooking dinner for four people, as one of the prizes. Many readers of Miss Maschler's restaurant column in the London Evening Standard will be agog to discover what sort of figure she cuts behind the stove, particularly, perhaps, those restaurateurs who have fallen short of her demanding standards. Only the fact that her son Ben is organising the auction could have persuaded her to take part. Other lots include time in the kitchen with Alain Roux and the chance to stalk deer with The Ledbury's Brett Graham and to go fishing in Ireland with Mark Hix.
* Subscribe to Country Life and save; Get the Ipad edition
I met Miss Maschler on Lake Iseo, the smallest of the four lakes in Lombardy, Italy, in the area known to wine lovers as Franciacorta, home to the Bellavista winery. It makes, by the methode champenoise, a sparkling wine of the gods. La Scala in Milan serves nothing else. I notice that the ring of the wire cage over the mushroom cork is left outside the foil, to make it easier to open the bottle-useful in an emergency. I hope Miss Maschler has some at hand on May 7.
* Follow Country Life magazine on Twitter
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Bringing the quintessential English rural idle to life via interiors, food and drink, property and more Country Life’s travel content offers a window into the stunning scenery, imposing stately homes and quaint villages which make the UK’s countryside some of the most visited in the world.
-
How to use fresh and bold horseradish to liven up salmon
This quick and easy horseradish-crusted salmon with celeriac mash makes for a perfect mid-week meal.
By Melanie Johnson Published
-
Moving to the country with Knight Frank
When it matters most put your next move in safe hands with Knight Frank.
By Country Life Published