April 2026 favourites list

Hello and welcome to my April favourites list! Spring is finally here. The clocks in the UK have changed, and as the seasonal flowers bloom and green shoots and new leaves appear everywhere, and cliché as it might be, I do have a spring in my step. Putting away my coat, scarf and gloves has brought me a delightfully good feeling. Once it is washed, I will equally gain joy from packing away the winter compatibility duvet, replacing it with the light summer quilt of minimal toggage. 

My photos this month are from a recent visit to Biang Biang X’ian Noodles in London Bridge. My thanks go to my Bluesky friend, barrister and mediator Jacob Gifford-Head for posting photos of the delectable “belt” style Shaanxi noodles a couple of months ago. He gave me the idea of trying these famous hand made noodles after posting a photo on social media. Commenting that he didn’t need to go to Whitechapel any more, Jacob also remarked on the “famously complex character” for biang biang noodles. Looking into it, the traditional Chinese symbol has 58 strokes! (If you are interested, there is a lot of explanation in the Wikipedia entry for Biang Biang noodles, to be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biangbiang_noodles)

We treated ourselves to the house dumplings, the signature pork dumpling in mild special spicy sauce, Xinjiang big plate chicken (on the bone) with hand pulled noodle, and hand pulled Biang Biang noodle with beef in special sauce. With a beer and a glass of wine, lunch came in at £53.27 (including service). Eagle eyed readers will notice that there was a plate of dumplings I forgot to photograph, such was my eagerness to get stuck in. There isn’t a dumpling I have met that I didn’t love.

The noodles, despite being made of just flour, water and salt, have both “bite” and chewiness because of the long and labour intensive process of making them. We did our best not to cut up the noodles, as noodles symbolise long life, but it was difficult to eat the meaty accompaniment with the noodle without a little trimming. We enjoyed the Xinjiang chicken, but preferred the beef (which we thought went better with the taste and texture of the noodle).

The London Bridge/Borough area is a well known foodie hot spot, and there are many, many options for both lunch and dinner. Biang Biang X’ian Noodles is a good option for a lunch which isn’t so expensive you need to think twice. Affordability in London is increasingly becoming an issue, not helped by the current cost of living, a problem which applies to diners and restauranteurs alike.

I hope you will enjoy this month’s selections and the food pics.

Food articles and writing

I always enjoy reading Kavey’s travel writing at her Kavey Eats blog, and this “postcard” from Obuse in Japan is no exception. Big love here for Katsushika Hokusai, the iconic woodblock print artist, and the gorgeous photos. https://www.kaveyeats.com/postcard-obuse-japan

Mexico City is a supersized city with bewildering choice foodwise. Chef Santiago Muñoz Moctezuma chooses his favourite taco places, market stalls and cocktail bars  to help you make your travel plans: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/where-to-eat-in-mexico-city-according-to-a-local-chef

Matcha green tea is having a moment. I am rather partial to a matcha latte or matcha cakes. Knowing that the green stuff is doing me good is a massive plus! https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/health/health-benefits-of-matcha

Daddies, or HP, a good sweet, tangy brown sauce makes bacon bounce and sausages sing. I can’t do without it in a bacon or sausage butty. Here is a brief history of the condiment with British heart and a more “exotic” soul. https://www.countrylife.co.uk/lifestyle/food-drink/a-very-brief-history-of-brown-sauce

From BBQ burgers and sausages, to salads, dips and picnic treats, BBC Good Food magazine has selected the best supermarket products for Summer 2026 for flavour and quality: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/summer-taste-awards

Do you like salady salads or salads with just a little bit of everything? The “maximalist salad” might just be for you – the salad that is like a cheeseburger, or fried chicken bucket, these are “Salads that aren’t here to keep you small, but to satisfy. To delight. To hand you back your appetite without apology. They straddle the line between indulgence and wellness, pleasure and penance.” https://www.salon.com/2025/05/19/in-praise-of-the-maximalist-salad

 

Recipes

We might be a nation of cod and chips lovers, but as the fish becomes less sustainable and consistently overfished, Nathan Outlaw wants us to look for greener varieties of fish. Here are his recommendations, with recipes: https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/best-alternative-to-cod-nathan-outlaw-fish-recipes-b2958147.html

I am beginning to start thinking about salads and leaving behind soups. But before getting into the delicate leafy salads, I want to have some comforting and hearty salads. In her excellent series of recipe explorations, Felicity Cloake tests and develops the perfect potato salad. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2025/may/11/how-to-make-potato-salad-recipe-felicity-cloake

While I am leaving behind soups, I am not yet ready to give up on stews (am I ever?). This chicken and white bean stew from Jose Pizarro is full of the flavours of Spain. I remember eating those shrivelled little potatoes with Mojo Verde in the Canary Islands, salty, herby, delicious.  https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/mar/17/chicken-and-white-bean-stew-recipe-mojo-verde-jose-pizarro

ICYMI

The Times this weekend has decided to bring back what I call “food poverty trolling”. This is where people claim that it is very easy to feed a family cheaply, with the implication that those who cannot are either profligate, or wasteful, and that there is no need for food banks to exist or welfare benefits to be increased. This time, the claim that it is easy to feed a family of 4 on £50 per week. I saw lots of this on Twitter/X and wrote something about it. So, ICYMI (in case you missed it), here it is: https://mediadiversified.org/2022/05/31/bad-enough-mps-are-gaslighting-us-about-food-poverty-will-the-trolls-please-just-stop/

Film

“Shhh!” is what you normally expect to hear from a librarian in your local library. However, in these troubled and troubling times, it is librarians who are safeguarding freedom of expression and free speech. This documentary from 2025 shows how America’s librarians have been protecting the availability of books, often at huge personal cost.

Available on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002kkmj/storyville-the-librarians (also available on PBS).

Music/Books

Celebrating 40 years of success, national treasures Pet Shop Boys have put together a career spanning photo retrospective. They shared some highlights with The Mirror. Relive your favourite Neil and Chris moments and looks here:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/gallery/pet-shop-boys-40-years-36933616

Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.