Tasty Cheats; Don't Feel Like Cooking? Local Heroes Who Are On Hand To Help

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Don’t feel like cooking this weekend?  Lawrence Roullier White locates the local heroes who are on hand to help.

When, at the last minute, it fell upon me to cater the Friday supper for sixteen of us who had hired a country house for the weekend even I, used to hosting on the hoof, somewhat panicked. How was I going to do a full day’s work, shop for food, get down to Surrey and prepare a feast all before 8pm? Thankfully I am familiar with the wonderful handmade, frozen food offer at Cook on Park Hall Road in West Dulwich. Half an hour later I was loaded up with coq au vin, creamy mash and wonderfully crusty bread from The Dulwich Bakery next door, and en route for my weekend away. At around £5 per head I reckoned I would have spent as much buying the ingredients for sixteen. Rather than trying to pass it off as my own, which I could plausibly have done as the food was so tasty, I revelled in my ingenuity and being told how lucky I was to have such a wonderful service on my door step.

Another favourite of mine when I want to ‘heat and eat ’is the delicious lasagne from the East Dulwich Deli. I always do as Jim suggests and heat it in the oven rather than the microwave and the result is lovely; the perfect comfort food for a January evening.

A trip to F C Sopers on Evelina Road in Nunhead is well worth it, the old-fashioned fish mongers always have lots of tasty cheats including dressed crab (top with parmesan and breadcrumbs and grill), cullen skink and pre-prepared coquilles St Jacques. Whilst you are there pop into the gorgeous and newish deli Bambuni next door and make use of their ‘refill wine bottle system’ - bring back an empty and fill it up!  Another deli-delight is the Frog on the Green on Consort Road.

Moxons on Lordship Lane offers a fantastic fish pie, a meal in itself with a some green vegetables from Pretty Traditional on North Cross Road or Franklins Farm Shop, where you can also pick up the same fish cakes they serve in their restaurant next door.

Vegetarians should try the Cranks’ classic; homity pies from the Blackbird Bakery on Grove Vale, Railton Road, Westow Street and Norwood Road, where you can also pick up lots of delicious cakes and pastries too. The Blackbird Bakery bakes all its own produce and does not buy anything in, so you are always guaranteed ‘home cooked’ quality.

Of course on Saturday there is a whole other gourmand world open to us when the street food entrepreneurs gather at the market on North Cross Road. The choice is spectacular but I must say I always look forward to my celebratory-endorsed stew and dumplings from Mother’s Dumplings.

Hills and Parkes on Honor Oak Park offer the choice of four, three-course menus for a dinner party of up to 10 guests with the chef coming to your home to prepare the food on site. Another wonderful way to enjoy a stress-free celebratory supper with friends, especially if you have young children, is ‘Cook & Collect’, a brand new savvy service from Suzanne James, the superb caterers on Barry Road, each week there are delicious homemade dishes you can pick up from their kitchen and heat through at home. Bon Appécheat!
This article appears in the January issues of SE Magazines

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