Journalist
Michael contributed a monthly column to “Absolute Brighton” from its very first issue in February of 2005 until January 2008. “Absolute Food with Michael Harwood” took a light hearted look at cooking at home and in it Michael shared some of his favourite recipes and tips for easy entertaining. Click on the thumbnails below to see some of his work published in “Absolute Brighton”
Since the Autumn of 2007 Michael has been a regular contributor to Eat Sussex – a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to local produce, seasonal eating and sustainable production methods.
Well, that’s another Christmas done and dusted for the time being; however, I don’t doubt that the next one will be just around the corner. In the meantime, it’s that time of year when the cold weather gets the better of us and we seek comfort from the food we put on our table. Continued…
Posted in Articles.
Legend has it that ‘Valentine’s Day’ is named after St. Valentine, a martyred 3rd century Roman who was jailed for failing to denounce Christianity. After falling in love with his jailers daughter he left her a farewell note signing it ‘From your Valentine’. The date of his death (yes, you guessed it, February 14th) eventually became the date for exchanging love messages and flowers, though these days it is more likely to be marked by the fact you can’t get a table in a decent restaurant without 3 months notice. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a hopeless romantic but there is one night of the year I resolutely won’t eat out ‘a deux.’ The very notion of a ‘Valentine’s Night Set Menu’ is my idea of hell and a whole restaurant full of tables for two sends shivers down my spine. Continued…
Posted in Articles.
This morning I woke feeling cold and in no mood to get out of bed on account of it. Ordinarily not a good start to the day but to me it means the seasons are on the turn so I can pack away my salad spinner and dig out my favourite casserole dish and that can only be a good thing.
I’ve always preferred cold weather food to hot, not because it’s intrinsically better but because it’s just so much more comforting. I love the simplicity of good summer food and enjoy cooking it enormously but lets face it you’d have to go a long way to beat the mouthwatering anticipation of a slow cooked casserole or stew. Continued…
Posted in Articles.
Cooking and eating game is a relatively recent development for me. I only discovered the joys of pheasant, grouse and partridge after being asked to cook them for other people. You see, where I come from a ‘game bird’ is something altogether less sophisticated than a grouse or pheasant. Continued…
Posted in Articles.
I always imagine that the first sign of May sunshine brings with it a bounty of spring produce and that long hot summer days are just around the corner. What a hopeless optimist I must be! Nature is a relentless tease though, so it is for this month I have learned to exercise some uncharacteristic patience in the kitchen. All the things I look forward to getting my hands on most are rarely ready this early in the year so my dreams of sitting in the sun podding the new season’s baby broad beans and peas will have to wait a few weeks to become a reality. Continued…
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I recently witnessed one of the most disturbing food-related crimes I’ve ever seen on TV . I had tuned in to the hilariously named ‘Master Chef Goes Large’ and watched open mouthed as one of the contestants was talked through how to stuff a hollowed-out duck egg with a mousse of lobster, black truffles and a whole quails egg. I kid you not, this was being passed off as a legitimate test of somebody’s culinary prowess and was nothing short of car crash TV. Continued…
Posted in Articles.
