Art of Good Taste
in association with Tio Pepe
Charles Campion
Charles Campion has written about food and restaurants for the London Evening Standard for over a decade, he has appeared on various foodie television programmes and written a number of cook books. He also writes Charles Campion's Guide to London Restaurants - supported by Tio Pepe and published by Profile Books, £8.99.
'I don't like that so I've never tried it...'
We are all guilty of being unadventurous when faced with a menu. For years the favourite meal of the great British public was prawn cocktail, steak and Black Forest gateaux - a combination that stems from playing safe. The logic runs like this, you've paid a baby sitter, you face paying for two taxis - to and from the restaurant; it's your wedding anniversary/girlfriend's birthday/St Valentine's day...before you sit down there's so much riding on this meal that you dare not try something that you have never had before! Lighten up, you'll enjoy eating out more,
If you see something on the menu that you have never had before you should always try it. Even if you do not like it you won't starve, there are two other courses.
Our tastes change, if you dislike a particular ingredient (olives, anchovies you know the sort of thing) you should try that ingredient again with an open mind every year or so.
When you're eating out and are faced with an unlikely combinations of ingredients have a go, those cutting edge chefs often get it right.
