| | | | | STAYING IN | Watch The Walsh Sisters Listen to The Book Club podcast Make a veggie noodle ramen
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| GOING OUT | Shop at Porta Romana’s sale Book a topsy-turvy tasting menu Stay at Claridge House, Mayfair
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| | Dear Reader, | Have you ever spent an inordinate amount of time in a local branch of Costa Coffee, particularly one of those big ones that now dominate English town high streets? That was my fate this half term week (the 'juggle' with added rural Wi-Fi – or lack of – stress). Full of people mostly by themselves nursing their extra large lattes – for hours. I found it profoundly depressing but then what was I doing but sitting there by myself with a long, large drink? Perhaps it was the hammering rain outside, the crumbs still on my table from the person before me, the forlorn counter of sad looking cakes and croissants, the dingy lighting. But – at least – there is somewhere to go should you not want to sit at home alone all day (or indeed, escape someone at home), to feel others around you, perhaps to share a smile. Costa as a social service, perhaps? They might do even better if they upped the quality of their cakes – but at least the Wi-Fi was good. | | Lucy Cleland
Editorial Director | | | Staying In | | Watch The Walsh Sisters | | If you’ve been loving How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, there’s another moreish Irish drama to binge this weekend – and it’s giving the sisterhood of Derry Girls with a lot more grit. Based on the beloved series of novels by Marian Keyes, and already a hit in Ireland where it aired last year, The Walsh Sisters introduces us to five sisters: Anna, Rachel, Claire, Helen and Maggie. ‘Each one of them is going through stuff,’ the author tells C&TH. ‘But we focus mainly on Rachel (Caroline Menton) – an addict who doesn’t think she’s an addict – and Anna (Louisa Harland), who is left [no spoilers] dealing with grief.’ While Claire navigates the lows of single motherhood post-divorce, and youngest sister Helen resents all of their rollercoaster complaints, it’s clear that ‘every single one of them is dealing with something taboo’, as the author puts it. But amongst all of the heaviness, we can expect plenty of warmth and humour, too. Saturday, 9.15pm, BBC One, or watch all six episodes from 6am on BBC iPlayer | | Listen to The Book Club podcast | | If there’s a name to know in the podcast sphere, it’s Goalhanger. Founded by Gary Lineker with the help of Tony Pastor (formerly ITV) and Jack Davenport (formerly BBC), this is the brand behind The Rest is Politics, Empire, The Rest is Entertainment, The Rest is History, and the all-new show The Book Club. You’ll know Dominic Sandbrook’s voice from The Rest is History – and the historian is taking up another podcast mic in the Goalhanger offices along with History’s producer Tabby Syrett. As Sandbrook puts it, The Book Club ‘is a show about the greatest stories ever told – everything from all-time classics to comfort reads’. First up is the uber topical Wuthering Heights. ‘It’s one of those books that everyone has heard of but not necessarily read,’ Syrett says. ‘And for those who have, it’s often like Marmite – some love it with an almost cult-like fervour, while for others, it’s an overwrought, unintelligible riot of emotion.’ New episodes will launch weekly on Tuesdays: on the roster so far, there’s everything from Frankenstein to The Secret History and Normal People. Listen here | | | | Coconut, Basil & Broccoli Noodle Broth | Plant-based brand BOSH! has been bringing us vegan recipes you actually want to cook for over a decade now. To mark their ten-year anniversary, founders Henry Firth and Ian Theasby have launched BOSH! More Plants, a recipe book filled with accessible, plant-packed meals that take just 30 minutes to make. This weekend, we’ll be trying this coconut, basil and broccoli noodle broth, described as ‘a fragrant, feel-good noodle soup with a creamy coconut and basil broth, zingy aromatics, and just-charred long-stem broccoli, then finished with a punchy peanut rayu for extra heat and crunch. It’s comforting, nourishing, and full of vibrant, slurp-able goodness.’ |
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| | | Serves 2 | 4 banana shallots 4 garlic cloves 5cm (2in) piece of fresh ginger 400g (14oz) can coconut milk 70g (21 ⁄4oz) basil (or Thai basil) 2 tbsp neutral oil of your choice 750ml (3 cups) vegetable stock 150g (51 ⁄2oz) long-stem broccoli 200g (7oz) dried ramen noodles, preferably wholewheat sesame seeds, to serve
| For the spicy peanut rayu | |
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| | Before you start: you will need a high-speed blender, a large saucepan, a medium frying pan (or wok), and a medium saucepan. Prep ingredients. Peel and finely chop the shallots. Peel and grate the garlic and ginger. Blend the coconut milk with the basil until smooth and set aside. Make broth. Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over a medium– high heat. Add the shallots and ginger and cook for 6–7 minutes, until golden. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove half of the shallot mixture to a small bowl and set aside. Pour the stock into the pan and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and keep the broth on a gentle simmer, topping up with a splash of water, if needed, while you continue with the rest of the recipe. Make peanut rayu. Juice half the lime and cut the other half into wedges. Roughly chop the peanuts. Add the crispy chilli oil, soy sauce, and peanuts to the reserved fried shallot mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning with sugar, salt, and the lime juice. Set aside. Cook broccoli. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium frying pan over a high heat. Add the broccoli with a pinch of salt and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until tender and slightly charred in places. Keep warm. Cook noodles. Meanwhile, cook the noodles following the instructions on the packet, then drain. Assemble and serve. Divide the coconut basil mixture between your serving bowls, then pour in the hot broth. Add the cooked noodles and top with the charred broccoli. Drizzle generously with the peanut rayu and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.
| BOSH! More Plants is out now |
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| | Going Out | | Shop at Porta Romana’s In-Person Sale | | Looking for beautiful new pieces for your home? Nab some seriously good deals at the rare in-person sale from British lighting and furniture brand Porta Romana, beloved for its handcrafted, sculptural pieces. Set in the 18th century Grade II listed manor house Northbrook Park in Surrey, the highly-anticipated event offers a chance to discover samples and ex-display pieces across lighting, furniture, and mirrors, with discounts of up to 75 percent. This is the first time Porta Romana has held an in-person sale for seven years, so don’t miss out. Entry is free, but you must register first here. Thursday 26 February (10am – 8pm) and Friday 27 February (10am – 3pm) at Northbrook Park, Alton Rd, Surrey, Farnham GU10 5EU | | | |
| Why do we always start with savoury and end with sweet? Is there any science behind finishing with dessert, or is the latter actually better for our bellies? Inspired by the mantra to ‘always question’, these are the musings which motivated Dinner by Heston Blumenthal’s latest venture. Exporting the Fat Duck’s Topsy-Turvy Thursdays to his two-Michelin-starred Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park base, this playful tasting menu begins with dessert and ends with the starters. And the experience is just as whimsical as it sounds. From reading the inverted menu through a gilded hand mirror and attempting to butter your bread while sporting vision-whirling (giggle-inducing) goggles, to slicing into chicken liver parfait disguised as a mandarin and receiving a history lesson on ice cream as a cloud of nitrogen-freezed dessert is whipped up before you, this eccentric menu will leave you entranced with its childlike sense of mischief. The ever-delightful servers, too, play along every step of the way, greeting you to your ‘first course’ just as you’re drinking your last drops of wine. And if the premise doesn’t charm, the moan-inducing food (special shout out to the powdered duck) and culinary craftsmanship will. Available at the chef’s table – where the surrounding mirrors and tapestry immerse you further into the concept – or the private dining room, book into this culinary spectacle while you still have the chance. mandarinoriental.com | | | Stay at Claridge House, Mayfair | | What if you could find a luxurious, eco-conscious apartment for your next trip to London that's not only walking distance from the capital's best art and fashion, but also promises profound peace after the city buzz? Step up SLO (pronounced 'slow'), a new brand that's just opened Claridge House in Mayfair, with eight serviced apartments and a net-zero architecture award. The interiors have filtered air, an earthy palette, and furniture by British artisans including Robin Myerscough and Nicola Harding. Acoustically cocooned from both the noise of the street and neighbouring flats, you can safely bring the kids or luxuriate in sensual downtime. There's room to cook, entertain or work, plus a full-time concierge to organise after-hours gallery visits, designer-led shopping and tickets to sought-after events such as Wimbledon or Chelsea Flower Show. From £550 to £2,500 per night for one, two or three-bed apartments. stayatslo.com | | | Share This Newsletter With A Friend | | | | Staying in Forever… | Property Of The Week | | Made up of four individual houses and three separate pools, this 14-bedroom, 17-bathroom Mallorcan estate is something of a paradise. Sat within over 1,500 sqft of Algaida landscape – enveloped by farmland, vineyards, wheat fields, and olive groves – this property is only a 25-minute drive from the sandy shores of Palma. Perfect for film fans, the main house boasts its very own outdoor cinema. | On the market for €17,500,000, ev-mallorca.com | | | Competition Time | | Win a two-night stay at PAN – Norway’s award-winning forest sanctuary | | Win a two-night bed and breakfast stay at Victoria Golf Resort & Spa in Algarve, Portugal | | Win a Wodar boiling water tap worth £1,499 | | Psssst… | The original 1890 horse-drawn carriage which carried Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi through the misty Yorkshire moors in Wuthering Heights is up for sale on Autotrader for £100k. | | The Full Story | ‘I Tried The World’s First Multi-Sensory, Zero-Gravity Wellness Journey’ | By Rebecca Cox | | The Mandrake has always been one of my favourite London hotels. Perfectly treading the line between wellbeing and hedonism, it epitomises the Country & Town House tagline of ‘a life in balance’. | Taking its name from Damu, the Mesopotamian god of regeneration, The Mandrake’s spa blends ancient philosophy with pioneering technology to guide guests toward inner equilibrium and a sense of rebirth. As woo-woo as it sounds, if it’s alternative, trendy or immersive sensory wellness activities you seek, you’ll find them here. Which is why, in the thick of a very wet February, you’ll find me here too. | The Origin Pool is DAMU’s hero offering – the world’s first multi-sensory, zero-gravity water journey. Floating in an Epsom-salted pool, guests are immersed in a choreography of vibration, light and sound designed to induce meditative calm. Combining low-frequency water haptics, chromotherapy, and a 3D soundscape, the aim is to enter a ‘deep meditative calm’. The first 15 minutes is spent watching digital artist REUKO’s mesmerising installation Inner Spectrum I (2025), during which I managed to switch off my usually racing mind and briefly felt the sensations of whizzing down a water slide (all the while not moving) and of being completely detached from my body. | Next is the 3D soundscape, a deeply relaxing eyes-closed meditation led by the sound vibrations through the water, (all the while feeling like a floating detached head). Since I spend roughly an hour a day in the bath whenever possible, this feels like a spa experience specifically tailored to please water babies like myself, but I genuinely haven’t tried anything quite as relaxing as this before. | The DAMU Rebirth (125 minutes) includes the Origin Pool Experience, a bespoke body treatment, and lunch by Chef Bettina Campolucci Bordi | £400 for one or £720 for two. damu.uk | | | | | Sign up for 12 print issues and instant access to every digital edition for only £39 |
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