Ottolenghi, 297 Upper St, N1

I have a massive sweet-tooth and am not satisfied unless I've devoured a pudding or at the very least a few squares of chocolate at the end of a meal. Apparently my brother Matthew is exactly the same so I'm certain it's in my genetic blueprint and not down to hormones.

Every time I hit Islington I always take a stroll down Upper Street to gaze at the cakes and meringues on display at Ottolenghi- they really are the best food porn in town.

Since this restaurant-cum deli was voted 'best breakfast' by the Observer in 08, the crowds haven't left it alone at the weekends so on Thursday night Robert and I were killing time before the cinema so thought we'd try our luck for a spot of dinner. We bagged a seat relatively easily - mounting it was more of a challenge - we hauled ourselves onto some high chairs at the bar near the front and checked out the jams and spreads above our head. One of the staff brought over an assortment of breads and oil for us to snack on while we waited which was a nice touch, I thought. In fact, the curried bread was so good I'll be returning to buy a whole loaf.

I'd had a late lunch meeting and had been deprived of a dessert so eyed up my dinner at the window. It was a hard choice, there were various berry topped sponges, muffins and a tempting chocolate torte but I fancied something really sinful, so plumped for a large piece of cheesecake with butterscotch sauce and macadamia nut brittle. It was good, not the best I've had but the brittle made it and with my cravings I would have probably been happy enough with a bowl of that by itself.

As is often the case with cake-eating at supper time (I'm a bit of a veteran at this, you see), once over you're soon lusting for something savoury. Fortunately Robert was on hand so I dined in reverse and picked at his roasted pumpkin and feta salad with pine nuts and pesto and soup of buttered prawns.

Altogether with a beer and latte the meal came to a little over £30. I'd been warned it could be pricey but the ingredients were fresh and tasty, the room slick and after a week of battling the rainy streets of London I felt I deserved a sweet treat. My purse couldn't handle a weekly visit but I won't need to as when the bill came I spied a rather interesting jar of passion fruit and apricot jam which will be perfect with some natural yoghurt and a generous sprinkle of granola for my next postprandial dip!

Corrigan's, Mayfair, W1

Last week, I had the good fortune of being taken to a chef's table at Corrigan's in Mayfair with work. I've done one of these before at Murano; Angela Hartnett's restaurant which is part of the Gordon Ramsay family. Critics have mocked Hartnett's portion sizes but I was adequately fed with the 'taster' menu there and anyway for me, a taster menu should do what it says on the tin and provide a 'taster' and leave you wanting more.

This is why I struggled with the menu at Corrigan's. We had 10 courses (and a different glass of wine with each) which though excellent felt rather drawn out and was just too much for the Gourmandiser.

Cauliflower soup and croque monsieur, octopus carpaccio seville orange and almonds, terrine of fois gras and caramelised apple, brill red wine and razor clam, tournedo rossini, pina colada, rhubarb souffle and ginger ice cream, cheeses and coffee/teas... equals exhausting!

The highlights were the soup and the soufflé - which our maître d' said would be like "eating air". I probably wouldn't pay to "eat air" at a Michelin starred restaurant but after seven courses it was just what I wanted. The soufflé was deliciously light and the slow cooked rhubarb chunks had just the right sweet-sour balance.

The lows were the octopus carpaccio and the beef. I'm not a fan of octopus at the best of times but with it thinly sliced and raw all I could picture was tentacles and suckers. I forced this out of my head and ploughed through as it is said to be Richard Corrigan's trademark dish. The orange and almonds gave it a lift and rescued the fishy flavour but I probably wouldn't order it a la carte. The beef was a bit disappointing- it was too salty and I had food envy looking at my fellow diners who were tucking into venison done three ways with ginger and pak choi- i suppose you can't win them all.

The tour round the kitchen was rather fun, I'm always shocked how hot it is in there and how the staff cope with such long hours. Stella McCartney was dining in the restaurant at the same time so I had a peek at the print out of her order.. all vegetarian dishes, naturally. I couldn't resist having a gawp at the main restaurant (and take a breather from the remaining courses) and glimpsed her on the way to the toilets. After the excitement I left before the cheese course which would have tipped me over the edge.

Undoubtedly Corrigan's is in the premier league but the food was a bit opressing as was the décor in our private room which had miniature game skulls dotted around the ceiling. I'd like to go back and try the regular menu (at someone else's expense) and sit in the main restaurant as it had more of a buzz - but only after some serious stomach-stretching!

Valentine's cook-off

While Britney Spears dined out on a drive-thru Maccie D's with her beau on Valentine's Day, this year Robert and I set to work in the kitchen.

I love it when you create a delicious meal out of remarkably ugly ingredients. Celeriac or 'knob celery' as it is also known (apparently), is just that. I was keen to take advantage of the celeriac that is still in season so decided to cook Jamie Oliver's potato, celeriac and truffle oil soup.

Truffle oil is great, it makes an average risotto or mash feel really indulgent and it's available in most decent supermarkets these days so is relatively easy to get hold of. I was in Borough market on Saturday morning so picked up a bottle of white truffle oil (it has a more pungent smell than the black variety) from one of the stalls for seven quid.

I was fairly daunted by the celeriac as I've never prepared one before but it was pretty simple- you just take to it with a knife, cut off all the tough brownish exterior, then chop it up like a potato and boil until tender. The soup used chicken stock, floury potatoes and a sprig of thyme which had to be boiled up and simmered for about 40 minutes before liquidising. Some double cream and about 5 tablespoons of the truffle oil and the soup was done. I think Jersualem artichokes would be a good alternative if you don't like celeriacs so that's my next experiment.

Rob covered off the main, we had pulled shoulder of pork which was scored, rubbed thoroughly with salt and pepper and roasted for about 7 hours- it literally fell off the bone and had the perfect crackling!

I had planned to make some chocolate fondants after being inspired by a recent cookery evening with work but decided it might be a bit over-kill after eating half a hog so compromised with some truffles.

I used a recipe of 170g of green and blacks chocolate, a tin of evaporated butter, some butter and crushed digestives. After I was making the finishing touches to the chocs with a dusting of cocoa i saw a bag of amaretti biscuits which I think would have made them a bit more interesting- next time. These went down well at work but aesthetically weren't pretty, they looked like giant animal droppings. I found them a bit rich (funny that, with all the butter and 2 bars of chocolate!) and a bit too biscuity. I'd was hoping they'd have a creamy ganache texture so will ease off the biscuits next time but they weren't bad for a first attempt and tasted better fresh out of the fridge.

Madisons Deli, Stanmore

If you ever happen to fall asleep and wake up at the end of the Jubilee line in Stanmore in need of a pick-me-up, Madison’s is your place.

Nana ‘B’ Strooooodell is a big fan of Madison’s (despite the fact that the food isn’t actually ‘kosher’) but at the ripe age of 94 she struggles to get out and eat-in there any more so when my brothers and I visit we often pick up a few bits to take away.

She likes their chopped liver and tongue, neither of which I can stomach- I was force fed tongue when I was a little girl by my parents and I can still remember gagging at the sight of its marbling!

So when my brother Matthew and I dropped in there on a recent visit for a spot of lunch I stuck clear of the cold cuts and tucked into some warming chicken noodle soup with kreplach.

Despite my rich yid heritage on my dad’s side I was first introduced to it at Harry Morgan’s, a New York style deli by my friend Leah. They used to have a branch round the corner to our office but sadly it closed a while back and since then I’ve been craving for a kreplach fix.

I have to say, I was a bit disappointed by Madison’s take on it. The chicken soup itself was really flavoursome; a sparkling consommé which was bobbing with carrots. But the kreplach was a bit doughy and stingy on the meat filling- Harry’s kreplach is stuffed with meat, beef, I think, and is a lot more tasty.

The mains were better. Matthew had a Reuben sandwich (£6.50) which came with lashings of salt beef, sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. He mistakenly smeared most of the accompanying mustard on it and it was so hot it almost blew off his head.

I went for salt beef on rye straight up and was more sparing with the condiments. I also ordered some gherkins which we shared- they looked like they were swiped from Mrs Elswood herself and added a perfect tang.

The ambiance of Madison’s is great and despite the kreplach let-down the restaurant is well worth a visit out to Zone 5- if only to check out the Craig David “all-over your body” collection of gold discs which adorn the wall behind the counter.

See below a Kreplach recipe from a vintage Jewish read by Jennie Grossinger that 'B' gave to me a year or so back:

Noodle dough:

2 cups flour, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon of water, 1/2 teaspoon salt

Place unsifted flour on a board and make a well in centre. Add eggs, water and salt into the hole. Work into the flour with one hand, kneading until soft and elastic. Roll and stretch the dough as thin as possible. The thinner, the better.

Cut into 3-inch squares and place a tablespoon of your filling on each. One option is mince beef, onions, salt and pepper and a bit of a fat but any left over meat works.

Fold the dough into a triangle and press edges together with a bit of water to moisten. Cook in boiling water/soup for around 20 mins until they rise. Drain. They can then be fried or served in the soup.

Pizza East, Shoreditch, E1

The dingy entrance to Pizza East is a bit disconcerting but don’t let that put you off. It’s on the corner of Shoreditch High Street and Bethnal Green Road and leads to a fantastic industrial space full of exposed pipes and distressed concrete walls.

After a warm up of Basil-flavoured Hoxton 'teas' (mojitos) with friends at the Book Club up the road we had a bottle of red while waiting impatiently for our table to free-up. It was 10pm and the boys amongst the group were ravenous. I was too. After some strategic loitering and glares from my pal Polly we were soon seated at a long studded steel refectory table in a prime spot next to the bar which was draped with legs of aged ham.

I nearly made the error of going for a ricotta-based 10” pizza base as the toppings sounded lush but our oversized Ray-ban spectacled waiter encouraged me to go for the Margherita and DIY it with San Daniele, buffalo mozzarella and a pot of pesto on the side - I was so glad I did as the tomato-sauce base was just like mama used to make!

The company was good and the prices were really reasonable despite the popularity of this new opening so I’m already scheming to go back. Some of our diners had to flee for the last train home to the burbs but Pol and I were set on a pud so shared the salted chocolate caramel tart. I love salty-sweet desserts- they seem to be appearing a lot more on menus these days. This tart could have been a fraction less salty but still hit the spot. It reminded me of some tapas I had in Barcelona at a great little bar called Tapac 24 (Ex- El Bulli Carles Abellan’s bar). There they serve Chocolate con sal, aceite y pan (Spanish), literally chocolate ice-cream with bread, olive oil and salt. Sounds grim but they use good oil and chocolate and the flavours are subtle and really work. If you only have time to go to one tapas bar there make it this one!

The Canbury Arms, Kingston Upon Thames, KT2

The Canbury Arms was the venue of choice for Robert’s birthday lunch on Sunday. I was massively hungover from his soirée the night before and so could only stomach a main when it came to the food.

The rest of the group tested out most of the starters; Rob’s duck terrine and toasted brioche was by far the biggest crowd-pleaser with a cute little china spoon topped with spiced apple chutney. The chilli squid and whitebait were also warmly received.

A main was more than enough as the food portions were extremely generous! I always think it is a good sign when you struggle to pick from the menu choices - I’m notoriously indecisive but after briefly flirting with the slow roast pork belly and bubble and squeak I opted for the confit of duck leg with dauphinoise potatoes, braised red cabbage, game chips and blueberry jus.

I initially thought that game chips were...chips made out of...game. Bit of an odd and unnecessary addition, I thought. They were actually trellis-shaped deep fried potato chips. They added an interesting texture to the dish but I don’t think they were needed, after all the duck skin was crispy enough and the tang of the blueberry reduction meant the dish was already quite busy.

Rob’s game pie was delicious and had lots of flavoursome gravy to help the pastry go down-it was probably too much pie even for the Gourmandiser but was so authentic tasting I thought four and twenty blackbirds were going to fly out!

The pub itself is what one would expect from an up-market gastro-pub. A roaring fire welcomes you at the entrance but unfortunately we were seated in the less cosy conservatory surroundings where there were lots of boisterous children running around. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not adverse to rugrats having fun but the acoustics made conversation with people sat at the opposite end of our table nigh on impossible. I’ll definitely return for a meal but perhaps on a school night when I have a fresher head and more of an appetite to try out the full range of entrées and sweets.

Tierra Brindisa, Broadwick St, W1

Jen (that’s my mum by the way) was down for the evening on Friday so we had some tapas at Tierra Brindisa on Broadwick Street. Normally she’s reluctant to look beyond Le Pain Quotidien on Great Marlborough Street but I managed to twist her arm this time.

I’ve had a disappointing meal at this branch of Brindisa before but I must have chosen badly on previous occasions as the dishes were really good. Brindisa in Borough is always heaving and used to have a no-booking policy but still had buckets of hungry eaters through their doors.

Whenever I go for tapas I have to have Padron peppers with sea salt. You can get the occasional hot one but generally they’re very mild - these weren’t quite as good as those I’ve tried at Saltyard and Dehesa but were nice enough, perhaps could have done with 5 minutes more roasting time.

Next was some iberico loin, one of the more reasonably priced charcuteries with country toast with aioli. Then roasted butternut squash with pancetta, wild mushrooms, pine nuts and Manchego cheese and seared foie gras with lentil stew and PX vinegar - never heard of the variety and thought it sounded like some sort of blue-rated vinegar.

The foie gras had the perfect melt in the mouth factor and the pancetta had a satisfying salty crunch which complemented the sweet squash really well. Only gripe would be that the lentil stew was quite soupy so either could have done with being reduced down to a thicker consistency or they should have equipped us with a spoon!

Grilled rack of lamb with oven potatoes and green olives was good, cooked to perfection as it was medium rare.

Deep fried Monte Enebro goats cheese with orange blossom honey was nice though came as a rather intimidating large hunk with a few beetroot crisps - I prefer less of it - Saltyard serves it in deep fried courgette flowers as a trademark dish and that is far superior.

Desserts were ok but didn’t bowl me over. I had the soft vanilla meringue with blood orange sorbet and passion fruit. The sorbet was refreshing and a real palette cleaner after the tapas gorging that had gone before but the meringue was average.

Jen had the Spanish flan with rhubarb compote which was a bit like a crème caramel, nice enough but no wow factor and Robert had the chocolate fondant with vanilla and flaked almonds- by far the best out of the three.