tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64943600514047893112024-02-19T09:27:32.931+00:00Tales from the Tiny KitchenStories of greed and cooking from a girl who dreams of big kitchensAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-17171068700808921452013-03-16T12:02:00.001+00:002013-03-16T12:02:04.572+00:00Come follow me at Toast & Butter<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-guIwlIlg34Y/UURfOfvCTMI/AAAAAAAAB-c/hHZlN6dT9qo/s1600-h/IMG_31855.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_3185" border="0" alt="IMG_3185" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xT16QRKtaR0/UURfO6pLHSI/AAAAAAAAB-k/OdSopI2-qUQ/IMG_3185_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="263" /></a></p> <p>Hi everyone. As you may have noticed, Tales from the Tiny Kitchen has become rather lazy of late. I have just moved the blog to a new place called <a href="http://toastandbutter.net">Toast and Butter</a>. </p> <p>The reasons are as follows: I moved house, got a slightly bigger kitchen, had a baby, was too exhausted to write for a long time, and then felt like the blog needed a spring clean. So it’s now resurrected as Toast & Butter – which happens to be my desert island dish. I would walk across hot coals for most buttered toast – as long as it’s not cheap white sliced, and more like the above!</p> <p>I’d love you to come and take a look, and then follow the new blog – it will still have all the original content featured on TFTTK, but have a sleek, shiny new coat. I think it looks a bit better and less like it was stuck in a 90’s timewarp – I hope you’ll agree. Looking forward to seeing you over <a href="http://toastandbutter.net">yonder</a> for more food ramblings and recipes.</p> <p>Over and out, </p> <p>Anne</p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-70555181488721149432012-11-30T20:28:00.001+00:002012-11-30T20:29:55.282+00:00Thali Cafe, Bristol<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mYs8X4BVIEQ/ULkWlVKmx5I/AAAAAAAAB7U/JW8WL-JhIXU/s1600-h/IMG_0086%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_0086" border="0" alt="IMG_0086" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rdyYtTbC0Pk/ULkWmdwakfI/AAAAAAAAB7c/klypoMI6Oro/IMG_0086_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKueZLigp4RRPQEvA06b9gW1fROAXUBfdUAJPt18d5te6FW-iH-aIKdIqUYRe6JcszxRCSTKfzg1kyM_kg1Kdu5SgTUdVMCrFCog2OQwb37UWVG8jrcH3aFQUA_RY8MmAoTcG-OKqzIYQ/s1600-h/IMG_0095%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_0095" border="0" alt="IMG_0095" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--YacJ_pXEpk/ULkWo3JM7wI/AAAAAAAAB7s/5z_6-Gz66dI/IMG_0095_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Ah Bristol. How I heart thee! With your chilled out enclaves, buzzy graffiti, hilly inclines and just enough edge to keep everything interesting. I could really live here one day, it’s such a wonderful city. On a recent visit I noticed literally tonnes of groovy looking independent cafes around the Gloucester Road and Stokes Croft areas and hardly a chain in site. So very refreshing, as most cities in the UK have a tendency to look identical these days with their never-ending bland-outs involving Starbucks, Costa, Mac D’s et al. I often wonder, if I was to be parachuted out of a plane and not told in which city centre I was landing, whether I’d actually know where I was because all the shops look THE SAME almost EVERYWHERE!</p> <p>I am not against all chains per se, it’s just the blandness of most of them that is so bloody soul-destroying. Urgh. Anyway, enough ranting. I wanted to tell you about a mini-chain of super-cool Indian cafes in Bristol called the Thali Cafe, which happen to be the complete opposite of bland. We ate lunch at the Montpelier branch, one of four, and everything was absolutely wonderful. We arrived, harrassed and starving with a squawking toddler in tow, and were made to feel welcome immediately. We entered a beautiful universe of sumptuous Indian-style decor- all hot pinks, vintage movie posters and twinkling mirrors - and smelt beautiful spices wafting out of the kitchen. Our waitress beamed at us and our demanding toddler and rushed over glasses of spicy chai to warm us up. She didn’t bat an eyelid as our daughter started to shout and throw things all over the floor. A high chair was produced within seconds, and then we could all relax. </p> <p>The food was really, really good. Light, aromatic and zingy, popping with spice and freshness. We ate every last grain of rice, and drank about 143 cups of amazing chai. I wish this place was on our doorstep.* </p> <p>Behold – Masala Fish Fry (fillets of white fish, fried in <br />masala batter served with mango, chilli and lime chutney): </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-V688hcT53cA/ULkWqY6JyOI/AAAAAAAAB7w/8l0-XAfyOm8/s1600-h/IMG_0086%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_0086" border="0" alt="IMG_0086" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Rq1j9E89KC8/ULkWrSbV8lI/AAAAAAAAB78/q59NroET5ZE/IMG_0086_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Mogul Chicken Curry (slow cooked chicken, tomato and coconut curry):</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-eNoVJeyZUBg/ULkWtX5r7zI/AAAAAAAAB8E/oZjiBGtYxFg/s1600-h/IMG_0087%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_0087" border="0" alt="IMG_0087" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-lhNk46b5UhA/ULkWuK7Cb8I/AAAAAAAAB8I/RXJY9BC0R9g/IMG_0087_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Beautiful space  - all that wonderful warm colour:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Eq7Uh2arfpQ/ULkWvmu67NI/AAAAAAAAB8U/o2Bu3DuLCYc/s1600-h/IMG_0085%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_0085" border="0" alt="IMG_0085" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-K3a5s1qV3O4/ULkWww3K0LI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/gCqYN5EMr0c/IMG_0085_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-vWdgAwRVRAc/ULkWyMKFZmI/AAAAAAAAB8k/BwpV_QGkj_k/s1600-h/IMG_0091%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_0091" border="0" alt="IMG_0091" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7AGCcbWIgPg/ULkWzf7Y4GI/AAAAAAAAB8o/a7HV-nhzR2k/IMG_0091_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-o0OWl3r--P0/ULkW04hE7BI/AAAAAAAAB80/z9twk_wiHH4/s1600-h/IMG_0092%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_0092" border="0" alt="IMG_0092" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--P2oZMlLf6E/ULkW1trbpRI/AAAAAAAAB84/grlHxD9vy1Q/IMG_0092_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PrIIXk86ejJ3iO4EUxIaie1Xvpq0Mx1oYA4khqkjWOUFGvkbGaZhrIelu6egP2xxuAFmxx7M1Vnm6noixWKTi8PETtT6Z9429nT_iry_2klxorzj14BwvZiBR75ih0sq3EkAF41iiho/s1600-h/IMG_0093%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_0093" border="0" alt="IMG_0093" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcgATlKR7UDlvSDWGhGNXNvYn4QMWsy1TlZs5jwhwBkyeYvZnOLtZs9qswsd6q6EYvuUzRlY5rfjE0vmXEi4AwXt5uKOLU5BRJ_5Cbh-k8M7Fo9P4lP77zMKqwKjjdg9JBMLUvNxtnwQ/?imgmax=800" width="250" height="334" /></a></p> <p>Lovely things everywhere:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RzpiXpmNBow/ULkW4tlOhcI/AAAAAAAAB9U/FaBZcBf6dEI/s1600-h/IMG_0082%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_0082" border="0" alt="IMG_0082" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-n4TJuRSW0rA/ULkW5oPgIFI/AAAAAAAAB9c/3uM9aY4bO8U/IMG_0082_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="250" height="334" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-b0sMdPI2svc/ULkW776nEzI/AAAAAAAAB9k/gaeBwd9Goqs/s1600-h/IMG_0090%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_0090" border="0" alt="IMG_0090" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PFwVc4mQuPY/ULkW88Pq06I/AAAAAAAAB9s/4AXIAUxV1dI/IMG_0090_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="250" height="334" /></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QJU9FmBL6pk/ULkW-ry5V3I/AAAAAAAAB90/iypiFRaURD4/s1600-h/IMG_0084%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_0084" border="0" alt="IMG_0084" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifruxCarID4FLawga3oDd6d_NaNwZH5Yt5lxub1hoKplHB9Qd14PvcG2EnI3FCzhWbBvIW8SBLZ8qdGYkbqEwyhAM6Z0U2oNYV-7k6Qs1OiNDOp0wqnZzfWr1MApqbRnwgQ7v7YekAYhM/?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.thethalicafe.co.uk/">Thali Cafe</a> <br />12 York Road <br />Montpelier <br />Bristol BS6 5QE <br />t: <strong>0117 942 6687</strong></p> <p>*Even if you don’t live anywhere near Bristol, you might catch the Thali Cafe at various music festivals over the summer, such as The <a href="http://www.greenman.net/">Green Man Festival</a></p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-40269267450185925872012-09-29T10:33:00.001+01:002012-09-29T10:33:52.239+01:00A first birthday cake<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbiQ-R5GWUbIC7L1xmsVaR11y6vSo40lu77mYW3YphyDrOigsF0N3aYlrkSvdYeDfcC7WL-qxkXJuxHsnrJJvpshyphenhyphenD6n41skL9o0rLbr0Sepp1EOpEpzYDwrrcZ5kJe20LXGBKe_HPJI/s1600-h/IMG_9843%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9843" border="0" alt="IMG_9843" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-uVDCi3eYYV8/UGbAGuutTPI/AAAAAAAAB4I/AuU7ScFVyE4/IMG_9843_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>As some of you will already know, I take cakes very seriously. They are an essential part of life, and if I was a doctor, I would prescribe regular cake injections to everyone as a way to stay content! So when it came to the task of making my daughter’s first birthday cake, it was major pressure for me to find something that looked fun and tasted delicious, obviously, but also one that wasn’t too complicated to make, because I didn’t want to have a nervous breakdown. I also didn’t want to make anything that was prim and proper or PINK (I don’t do prim cakes, and neither, I suspect, would our daughter, as she can be quite blokey!). </p> <p>So thank gawd for the wonder-blog <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">Smitten Kitchen</a>, because after trawling endless celebration cake websites, I found inspiration for the perfect one here – <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/09/monkey-cake/">a monkey cake</a>. Fun!!! Not only was it pretty straightforward to make, but it was delicious – a silky soft banana cake enrobed in fudgy frosting. SK recommends that you make a little cake on the side, called a ‘smash cake’, in this case a decorated muffin with the same monkey face, so that your baby can bash it up and smear it all over themselves. I duly presented baby daughter with her little cake. E decided, after regarding it with some calculated deliberation, to throw hers on the floor, icing side down. Hah!</p> <p>Here’s how everything got made…</p> <p>The frosting – one colour for the monkey face, the other colour for the monkey ‘fur’ and cake sides:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZ6u38mVN2ZYQO_IIdopM0e60qCIARwrckqlubl1D-rNVwvnDJ2fwDQ9FIM9sokxg0Ft2Pd4QfmVM9ceEzULTXLLShjV9CTusW6DKvUSZYQAX6PUOA1dMGC7w3Rr8jCJlss9W-LyD1jk/s1600-h/IMG_9829%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9829" border="0" alt="IMG_9829" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rmRInRvBFM8/UGbAJBRQhcI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/pRpl60Z32Nc/IMG_9829_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Pinning the  bottom layer of monkey ears to the head – a halved muffin, placed either side, and fixed in place with cocktail sticks:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjelZ8CP5w6Wu03tW0tGIZCRbQpncfek7Mm6Z9W6tZDqRYsxPqggZNfeFSzmBaUhSzSmO4YhSIND9r9YneAd93VCdWSSoGkiKFM-Q0BgFkvO97kkoqpMhx92GK92cPCfSjxLbJ_nwYF-H4/s1600-h/IMG_9830%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9830" border="0" alt="IMG_9830" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fzBkOVWFjmo/UGbALrYatBI/AAAAAAAAB4o/FqkQf1q1b0M/IMG_9830_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>The base cake layer and ears get their layer of filling:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Yi2sjBOyer4/UGbAM8XM8YI/AAAAAAAAB4w/bmrOt3vtV94/s1600-h/IMG_9831%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9831" border="0" alt="IMG_9831" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9Gbjrram7r0/UGbAN1ovDBI/AAAAAAAAB44/JzCVdzZr6x4/IMG_9831_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Then you attach the second cake on top, as well as a second layer of ‘ear’, fixed with a cocktail stick:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7j2ON0H6PDSkQ32THRs091NSeWOW0nm8yu3-f0O8u8IhYLUI_G8CeYuqlWGKPdwLimLmHmgxfRw5VfZFWyowWIN1qHOtM7_Z0StJZCZuY_eYU9NBE2ln7QZCgKvrm2qm0V_0NwOlY1Y/s1600-h/IMG_9832%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9832" border="0" alt="IMG_9832" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OWoHqxrP46s/UGbAPzNve6I/AAAAAAAAB5I/PLA0NKZtXt0/IMG_9832_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Piping on the outline for the monkey faces on the big and small cakes:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2qP3wMBykTI/UGbARKDTNbI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/2EVWNXPvbeo/s1600-h/IMG_9833%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9833" border="0" alt="IMG_9833" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fUclp22Adpc/UGbASLErdVI/AAAAAAAAB5Y/5CHZlFddP34/IMG_9833_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PA6E2gUpsgU/UGbAThgJfeI/AAAAAAAAB5g/VuN_HMRBy9Y/s1600-h/IMG_9835%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9835" border="0" alt="IMG_9835" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lhR_-BvwgQ0/UGbAUjToxiI/AAAAAAAAB5o/K0Xu7GFWq2E/IMG_9835_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>You fill in the white ‘face’ first, then go around it with the brown frosting, then you chill the cakes for an hour or so in the fridge: </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MM3kFzZoGD8/UGbAV0IpZoI/AAAAAAAAB5w/AluHRn44tMY/s1600-h/IMG_9840%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9840" border="0" alt="IMG_9840" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-m_grZv6-RBA/UGbAXPcxMOI/AAAAAAAAB54/wKQ-5Y1FGtc/IMG_9840_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gCf3sKU20eQ/UGbAYUeURGI/AAAAAAAAB6A/2hUB5lTc8J4/s1600-h/IMG_9841%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9841" border="0" alt="IMG_9841" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rEPAEdXCMeE/UGbAZKFOxOI/AAAAAAAAB6I/PfybtuMhagY/IMG_9841_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>When the first layer of icing is chilled, you go at the cake with a second layer, mmmm:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYu0SAZmePiXG-1vgJszkBqYdq5FHWeZIEQMAxWpcbSNNUG748OlNX6CZvbb7_Mns24IYgzAFvAgvL8v2CoiE_bNkDE5gVUs1FRqg96pzZ7F_vUtJnqEidWgjORmlT7uPOHyJrrZehtTI/s1600-h/IMG_9842%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9842" border="0" alt="IMG_9842" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ugmiI7OZT4U/UGbAbDETiBI/AAAAAAAAB6Y/w_GTjX6m3jw/IMG_9842_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Use a piping bag to make the eyes, noses and mouths: </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Zum8QS5-KIE/UGbAcuWyaKI/AAAAAAAAB6g/te_OJTjdLRk/s1600-h/IMG_9843%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9843" border="0" alt="IMG_9843" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cSWojKQm3_0/UGbAdX4XvUI/AAAAAAAAB6k/vA0-pLdG78Q/IMG_9843_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Voila – ready for action!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-37Jw2a5XBwM/UGbAedW001I/AAAAAAAAB6w/3EQ-lAdonnA/s1600-h/IMG_9877%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9877" border="0" alt="IMG_9877" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VlJT-jQd04c/UGbAfSnAodI/AAAAAAAAB64/rXlgPL54bL4/IMG_9877_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Find the full recipe <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/09/monkey-cake/">here</a>. </p> <p>Happy birthday E – at least you didn’t throw the cake AT me! xxx</p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-32275534557702898362012-08-25T10:55:00.001+01:002012-08-25T11:06:29.439+01:00Bambino Coffee, Crystal Palace, London<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mBlOtIntFGo/UDig84cVgYI/AAAAAAAAB2g/EWyve8fEegQ/s1600-h/DSC00932%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00932" border="0" alt="DSC00932" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-q3drpVsAXqA/UDig9GDzgFI/AAAAAAAAB2o/LRVdCYNl-Pw/DSC00932_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>I get tired of drinking pillar-box-sized over-milky cappuccinos or rubbish burnt-tasting brews, and find inspirational coffee hard to track down. (Starbucks and Costas = double ugh; Nero, Pret and Eat, you are passable but nothing more). The worst coffee I had recently was at Membury Service Station, just off the M4, at their branch of Starbucks. I was desperate for something to wake me up, but their interpretation of a flat white tasted weak, burnt and sad, and I squinted in the neon light at the pallid customers all knackered from driving on the motorway. </p> <p>Coffee in the UK is getting better, though, and I have got to share Bambino Coffee in South East London with you. The coffee here is the some of best I have drunk in most of the UK, and you won’t feel like you’ve inhaled the Thames after even their biggest size of cuppa. All the coffee here is made with the best quality beans and is served in manageable sizes (4, 6 and 8oz to be precise). The guy running the show is a properly insane coffee nerd – and I do mean that in the nicest possible way! </p> <p>This straight-talking Kiwi barista (known on his loyalty cards as ‘Anarchista Barista’) installed his coffee machine and a few tables in the front part of Crystal Palace’s vintage shop Bambino earlier this year and locals have been flocking to taste his great coffee from the get-go. The experience of sipping lovely drinks surrounded by vintage oddities really makes me enjoy the wonderful bohemian atmosphere here. You can while away the time people-watching (a mix of old and young, and some fairly eccentric folk wearing fab vintage clothes, grand) and ogling at the great stuff for sale, such as old petrol pumps, leather biker jackets, props, rare vinyl and comics. You can kiss any notion of chain cafe uniformity goodbye – think of a <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/black-books/4od">Black Books</a> style atmosphere, without the character <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3tFEoWNv50">Bernard’s</a> drunken hostility*, but where <a href="http://afistfulofsoundtracks.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/rock-box-track-of-day-spandau-ballet.html">Manny</a> might saunter out from the back of the shop wearing a kimono, asking if you wanted a sandwich. </p> <p>I digress. A month or two ago, I innocently asked the Kiwi barista for a mocha, and his face clouded over. He shook his head despairingly and prompted me to look at the menu to choose from the Antipodean styles of coffee. No Italiano lattes or macchiatos here – it’s all Long Blacks, and other wondrous sounding brews called the ‘Technivorm’, ‘Red Eye’ and the ‘Split Shot’. I overheard him telling a customer: “I’ve removed all the Italian-isms from the menu, because this is how we drink coffee Down Under, it’s totally different.” Don’t be disheartened if you don’t quite understand the coffee at first – persevere! You will be rewarded with a quite sensational cup of something magical. It will also blow your freaking head off. </p> <p>The shop – bohemian wondrousness: </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-1i1ni6F_hHo/UDig9xHd8PI/AAAAAAAAB2w/One_BhiKCNg/s1600-h/DSC00933%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00933" border="0" alt="DSC00933" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CzWRzPBeh80/UDig-cFYQVI/AAAAAAAAB24/L7x9EWetD4I/DSC00933_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Anarchista Barista takes his beans and brewing technique very seriously. He uses beans from small local roastery <a href="http://www.volcanocoffeeworks.com/">Volcano Coffee</a> (based down the road in Gipsy Hill), and any other interesting UK independents, such as <a href="http://shop.squaremilecoffee.com/">Square Mile</a> and Bristol-based <a href="http://extractcoffee.co.uk/">Extract</a>. He was a chef and a coffee machine servicer for 10 years, so he really knows his stuff. He will grind a bag of coffee beans for you according to what device you are going to use them in at home – he didn’t like the sound of my Braun bean grinder and said he would prefer to grind the beans correctly for my cafetiere. His strictness makes me wonder what would happen if you asked him for a Nescafe – he might well explode! </p> <p>Here he is making some brews: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ38m-84s41tDrOVew18ZnjCYLYri8Wn5x950Gae08np8ZP3lLYjowKEVdcO2iOEMDkX0pOwjlurjH2eb37Ethq5KvlgpBMmaycxW_YBR6eariptQFCf48u_XBDkeZAY-oI24g6Ges5kk/s1600-h/DSC00935%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00935" border="0" alt="DSC00935" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5JLdDZgWqDA/UDig_izAxyI/AAAAAAAAB3I/4BTr-5tlwrE/DSC00935_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Beautiful skull motif on the loyalty cards – Costa Coffee this is not!</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BSuyMfIAjCM/UDihAKZSXcI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/Eg8FMSVFWpk/s1600-h/DSC00937%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00937" border="0" alt="DSC00937" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-YaWjWUz9CjI/UDihAp1C-AI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/0CFfoOF3CiQ/DSC00937_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>My 8oz coffee with milk – a thing of bea-uty!</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-19BBkoMWqIo/UDihBdfbjQI/AAAAAAAAB3g/3d-NRnKkm0s/s1600-h/DSC00932%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00932" border="0" alt="DSC00932" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ugHuaza7KRI/UDihB6d764I/AAAAAAAAB3o/2oMCGOlxVNk/DSC00932_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://bambinocoffee.wordpress.com/about/">Bambino</a> Coffee <br />Church Road Market <br />Crystal Palace <br />London SE19 2ET</p> <p>*Can’t resist posting this <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/black-books/4od">Black Books</a> clip of Bernard requesting a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZIWuMoWlCo">lolly</a> made of wine. Gold! </p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-88410611441454122102012-07-17T11:15:00.001+01:002012-07-18T09:39:40.609+01:00Holy guacamole<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-i1hJ2SxnZKA/UAU7OXSWhzI/AAAAAAAAB18/OMhBClrxr2o/s1600-h/DSC007795.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00779" border="0" alt="DSC00779" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BuoqIK9I-XM/UAU7PNPN7PI/AAAAAAAAB2A/vreHBO4IXhA/DSC00779_thumb2.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="263" /></a></p> <p>There is, quite literally, no end to my talents. First of all, I queued up the other day for a takeaway coffee with my top hanging open too low and my bra popping out. The cashier was too mortified to say anything and I discovered my wardrobe malfunction later on, after I’d spent 30 minutes pushing my trolley round a busy supermarket. An hour or so later, in a fit of recklessness (I get my thrills where I can these days) I thought I’d park the car in our too-narrow driveway. Why? I had never done this before, I always park on the road because the entrance to our drive is just too narrow, and there is a lamppost RIGHT THERE getting in the way…but anyway, the weather was tempestuous and I had tonnes of shopping and a baby to get out of the car and into the house. This resulted in me crashing slowly, but determinedly into the neighbour’s adjoining wall, causing it to cave in slightly, scratching all the paint off one side of the car, denting it in various places and busting the headlamp. Then I burnt dinner. </p> <p>So, anyway, on that note, I thought I’d give out a relatively foolproof recipe for guacamole, continuing this month’s Mexican theme. Perfect for eating sitting indoors looking out at the endless rain lashing into our gardens, day in and day out. Viva the British summer. I just can’t wait for more rain. And some more. And then some more. It’s making me insane. I want to go out and hairdry the garden – it’s waterlogged. I long to take the so-called jetstream, juddering about in the wrong place above Northern Europe, and give it a good <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/15/how-fix-british-summer">swearing-to</a>.</p> <p>This recipe will feed around four as a dip, with everyone getting plenty.</p> <p>You will need: </p> <p>2 perfectly ripe medium avocados <br />juice of 1/2 lime <br />A few fresh coriander stalks, about 10, roughly chopped <br />1 big handful fresh coriander stalks and leaves, chopped up fine <br />1/2 tsp habanero chile powder, or 1 fresh birdseye chilli, chopped fine <br />1 large ripe tomato (or handful of cherry toms) diced <br />1 clove garlic <br />Salt to taste <br /> <br />Optional: 1 tsp ground coriander and 1/2 tsp ground cumin (extra nice if you toast the whole spices first, then grind up, but ready-ground is fine too) <br />You can also substitute the chopped tomatoes for pomegranate seeds or diced red grapes if you fancy something a bit different <br /> <br />To serve – salted tortilla chips <br /> <br />Pound the garlic clove and coriander stalks together with a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar till crushed up, then add your avocado and pound all this together. If your avocado is a tad on the unripe side, you can cheat and use a stick blender to whiz it all up if it won’t mash well. (But to be honest unripe avos will taste a little bitter). Add the chilli, then the lime juice and mix together, and then add the spices if you are using them. Add the chopped tomatoes and chopped coriander, mix together and taste. Add more salt if you think you need it. Remember your tortilla chips that you dip in will be very salty, so don’t overdo it. </p> <p>You might have noticed that I don’t add raw onion to my guacamole – this is because I absolutely <a href="http://tinykitchentales.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/raw-onion-hatred.html">HATE raw onion</a> in any form and find it too overpowering. Yuk! You really don’t need it, the garlic, chilli and spices are enough to give lots of flavour.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-SaGCyKLK1jI/UAU7QUuCiRI/AAAAAAAAB2I/tj2tfsmYtNg/s1600-h/DSC007809.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00780" border="0" alt="DSC00780" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyt5jJyQvJdN0DfX6zhueqIZDXefdh2Fs5C5n7FRsnMjh6k3eJ1AdeciftibuCS5MAM2_PtjrARe62CRAa7UlUPpCAYTdvUkOnz1MpgSB9iDbAk95gUW9cUYbrvN06nn1iP0tMVnGT7A/?imgmax=800" width="350" height="263" /></a></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-6882178183096762252012-07-12T11:38:00.001+01:002012-07-12T12:18:54.169+01:00Casa Morita<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-D1ibN1VIDPE/T_6o1MqOPfI/AAAAAAAABz0/2Uo9Nhdc4Nc/s1600-h/DSC00758%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00758" border="0" alt="DSC00758" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-sLigSjtg48M/T_6o18pHyeI/AAAAAAAABz4/_Sqid9VkAHw/DSC00758_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="262" height="349" /></a></p> <p>I think that it’s probably harder to find decent Mexican food in this country than it will be for punters to buy chips on their own at the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/jul/11/mcdonalds-olympics-chips?newsfeed=true">Olympics</a>. If you live in London, you can brave the queues to eat good street food at <a href="http://tinykitchentales.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/wahaca-soho.html">Wahaca</a>, but aside from a few other mini-chains doing great burritos, such as <a href="http://www.benitos-hat.com/">Benito’s Hat</a> or <a href="http://www.chilango.co.uk/">Chilangos</a>, most Mexican fare on offer in the UK is of the damp cardboard Tex Mex cheese ‘n nachos variety. How ecstatic was I when Casa Morita opened up in Brixton Market touting its Oaxacan-inspired menu– the food here is so exciting that I will willingly brave the uncomfortable-ness of the chairs to eat here while trying to balance a baby on my knee, it’s that good*.  It’s light, fresh, and tastes really really different – smoky chipotle, fresh lime, crispy tacos, authentic corn tortillas all popping with clean flavours. Double yum. Go, go!</p> <p>The cheerful interior:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-KekrNYCFJn0/T_6o3JXhZ_I/AAAAAAAAB0A/uzWetlweAlA/s1600-h/DSC00760%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00760" border="0" alt="DSC00760" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aiSqOg48SO4/T_6o3_BwtAI/AAAAAAAAB0I/wpsqpUPFdEs/DSC00760_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Huevos rancheros – a light, fruity chile/tomato sauce and black beans covering fried eggs and a corn tortilla, totally delicious and a lot lighter and fresher than what you might expect:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-C1DWPAbLHRI/T_6o6Ms5x-I/AAAAAAAAB0U/RpwaqqTRngQ/s1600-h/DSC00805%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00805" border="0" alt="DSC00805" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BkRz8uurjg8/T_6o68J9qnI/AAAAAAAAB0c/Da-RGT1fT-s/DSC00805_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Vegetable tostada – guacamole, spicy vegetables, salad and feta cheese sitting atop a crispy corn taco. Vibrant and refreshing:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aXmBEwH49RI/T_6o86PsT-I/AAAAAAAAB0k/kZiLvuXqlNc/s1600-h/DSC00806%252520-%252520Copy%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00806 - Copy" border="0" alt="DSC00806 - Copy" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4bU0QHMuvds/T_6o9lobmbI/AAAAAAAAB0o/UHMN-DqKa5s/DSC00806%252520-%252520Copy_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Casa Morita’s simple cheese quesadilla: </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-cVt5RsLNMWw/T_6o-mVGbHI/AAAAAAAAB0w/j3QrGKGzq8w/s1600-h/DSC00807%252520-%252520Copy%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00807 - Copy" border="0" alt="DSC00807 - Copy" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-BjFOhe8T6Dc/T_6o_nWhA8I/AAAAAAAAB04/_nH0jU6x2MA/DSC00807%252520-%252520Copy_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>A delicious filling of melted cheddar, feta, guacamole, coriander – really fantastic, I could eaten 10 of these.</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-eeWyKjyjPTM/T_6pApAJNhI/AAAAAAAAB1E/SpnJL87gP6c/s1600-h/DSC00808%252520-%252520Copy%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00808 - Copy" border="0" alt="DSC00808 - Copy" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_2pLdcvY0pU/T_6pB2vvmNI/AAAAAAAAB1M/R3bvwIzKzQ4/DSC00808%252520-%252520Copy_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Excuse the bad pic – this is Sopa Azteca, a smoky tomato broth containing fresh avocado, feta, strips of tortilla and dried chillies. So good I had to eat half of it before I remembered to take a photo.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZlimCNcJqNw/T_6pDDQaxxI/AAAAAAAAB1U/BtR5w1n0WP4/s1600-h/DSC00757%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00757" border="0" alt="DSC00757" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2GAXlEcdNKo/T_6pEJSEFzI/AAAAAAAAB1c/zxMxcStZH2c/DSC00757_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>A cup of Mexican hot chocolate, aromatic with cinnamon and cloves. Perfect treat for anyone needing a spicy pick-me-up.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyu7iEMZ8V2-tkwckdmdRvzmhjx78hFnF3ZjtocFS5rZHvvHDccJOLB_dBIM_vaO48RrN-7d1yh8CsNYObDG1cvEdnIF7BEtj0xcjVDu60jeVqbvUyrc34LV13-qkdGJQa_qWmYmMePnI/s1600-h/DSC00762%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="DSC00762" border="0" alt="DSC00762" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bNRphNvxkVA/T_6pFwzTicI/AAAAAAAAB1s/Vi4sfsT0T1c/DSC00762_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>The waitress is a little, uh, ‘mellow’ when it comes to speedy service, but the cafe is friendly and relaxed. Nobody batted an eyelid as my baby daughter proceeded to throw most of her lunch all over their floor, furniture and walls. You can buy Mexican produce, such as Ibarra chocolate and tinned black beans, and choose from a vibrant display of Day of the Dead tin wall ornaments to kitsch up your home. I can’t wait to come back when I can drink lots beer, fall over and make a real evening of it. </p> <p><a href="http://www.casamorita.com/">Casa Morita</a> <br />Unit 9 <br />Market Row <br /> Brixton Market <br />SW9 8LB <br /> <br />*To be honest, I find the most exciting places to eat never have high chairs. Just cause I have a baby doesn’t mean I want to be constricted to bland kid-friendly places like Giraffe!  </p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-27753646163558355772012-07-03T12:11:00.001+01:002012-07-05T09:35:52.446+01:00Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5yvNR3OsVJU/T_LTQy7B4PI/AAAAAAAABww/t1c-49uscwc/s1600-h/IMG_9024%25255B12%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9024" border="0" alt="IMG_9024" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-cHNcfKi26xQ/T_LTRRT4ePI/AAAAAAAABw4/oduXT845ZA4/IMG_9024_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Once upon a time, we went to eat at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck restaurant in Bray. The legendary tasting menu blew our heads off – we were so overwhelmed by the meal on every level (speeded along by the addition of matching each psychedelic course to a wine, yikes) that we had to go and lie down on Bray village green afterwards, groaning. Passers-by stared. The meal was an unforgettable experience, and neither me nor my husband have ever quite been the same since. It was like being dragged into the strange world of Alice in Wonderland and having your head turned inside out along with all your preconceptions of food and flavour. </p> <p>So – now to Dinner, Heston’s new-ish restaurant tucked away in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London. It’s very different to the Fat Duck – much less of the chilled country vibe, it simply oozes urban adult sophistication from every pore. Think dark woods, leather and glass, gleaming temptingly underneath tasteful lighting. It doesn’t suffer at all from that fustiness which befalls some restaurants located in hotels. A meal here was just what we needed as an antidote to becoming parents last year. We wanted somewhere that was so adult that we wouldn’t remember what a child was by the end of the meal. Ha! (only slightly joking)</p> <p>Admittedly the meal we had here was several months ago, but it is still most definitely worth mentioning and showing you. Heston has chosen to get inspiration from ancient cookbooks – some as old as 14th century – so your meal is like a journey through history, taking in some truly otherworldly flavours. You can shut your eyes and try to imagine yourself in some ancient royal court, feasting on the unusual flavours in front of you. There are some very weirdly delicious flavour combinations that make you scratch your head and think for a bit, and others that are comforting and familiar. Dinner doesn’t do a tasting menu in the style of the Fat Duck, but no matter – you leave full, content and happy, with historical flavours dancing on your tongue. No need for a lie-down in Hyde Park, either.</p> <p>The legendary ‘Meat Fruit’ (c.13th – 15th century). It’s a fruit, right? </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1Zi0UeIkEss/T_LTR4woZKI/AAAAAAAABxA/cTv7BRz3Ixg/s1600-h/IMG_9024%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9024" border="0" alt="IMG_9024" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-yQhuFffUdcc/T_LTSYOxI4I/AAAAAAAABxI/Oh1N3MmgB24/IMG_9024_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Not so fast. ‘Tis an orange in appearance but contains the most delicious meat pate, and the citrus ‘peel’ is a tangy fruit jelly, contrasting brilliantly with the richness of the filling. Clever, huh?</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ceftsmn-OIQ/T_LTTVGcJ5I/AAAAAAAABxQ/mMpjLRdasKg/s1600-h/IMG_9027%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9027" border="0" alt="IMG_9027" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-z81FtjrwsSI/T_LTTqEZhqI/AAAAAAAABxY/PudEHvQLV4I/IMG_9027_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Salamagundy (1720 The Cook’s and Confectioner’s Dictionary by John Nott) – chicken oysters, salsify, marrow bone and horseradish cream. Super tender chicken, some very interesting smoky flavours.</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMp2hyphenhyphenLHDWUJAzgSq27Rptk2zieZxVYS-wvHLOnoCVomCDeyHMF4iv1IFPPorGaRVIBlkco1v1bGZ1L6aeBSN8ww5p1fG52LI2_BLd0ZhQnYHV-cBhUfhFAZcyVred2Z9DOwMmFse2ew/s1600-h/IMG_9025%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9025" border="0" alt="IMG_9025" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54KwPmvd9l-rtvoHBbBkOG155dnDXs33ogf101SegHji3lotxqDe90-eIOOxIIBa1m8GyxcUFwoQTcFlAA_bC8PEWDOn_RHb5eBmmbhZHS5QTH_ut8K6ODROO0T5LSSXFqXbU1Fbe504/?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Some excellent breads: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOUAUIz7AF8hj-SGNeL7LB35hdSvU5J7IDcDPB37PTIeikEMCAyME0sVmNbaYT-pXScIlDwldkIgq1wFyQ-8eCONAqqUH9P347LJDKl5tz_y_o1fpwIhNbFjykdIW-KviYV3uJMx66HA/s1600-h/IMG_9026%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9026" border="0" alt="IMG_9026" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Pr3MBu-iVKs/T_LTWnnkv-I/AAAAAAAABx4/RmTITdeKOJQ/IMG_9026_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Powdered Duck Breast  with smoked confit fennel and umbles (c.1670 The Queene-like Closet or Rich Cabinet by Hannah Wolley): the meat was almost a tad too rare, but delicious nonetheless, and all the flavours on the plate just swam together effortlessly.</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZFcVZk4sDCk/T_LTXXzV9oI/AAAAAAAAByA/a8M-AmFDG6c/s1600-h/IMG_9028%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9028" border="0" alt="IMG_9028" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-g9aprI3RqjA/T_LTX6B-3yI/AAAAAAAAByI/NEtf0A9QBZ0/IMG_9028_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Spiced pigeon with ale and artichokes (c.1780 The Ladies’ Assistant and Complete System of Cookery by Charlotte Mason) – super tender pigeon with smoky spices, marrying cleverly with artichoke – who would have thought?</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Frb3NmnHCKg/T_LTYqThoKI/AAAAAAAAByQ/wP0KLqWtBko/s1600-h/IMG_9029%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9029" border="0" alt="IMG_9029" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-11EqcF-gik0/T_LTZF-UPnI/AAAAAAAAByY/xxFb3H_Phng/IMG_9029_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Fries: Heston’s famous triple-cooked ones, delicious!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vHMIst7g924/T_LTZi7H_hI/AAAAAAAAByg/IpHMaHcsgCQ/s1600-h/IMG_9030%25255B8%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9030" border="0" alt="IMG_9030" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ruScqn0qDRc/T_LTaHAGQbI/AAAAAAAAByo/ZlyGc9xvgLU/IMG_9030_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="262" height="350" /></a></p> <p>Buttered carrots with caraway: INSANELY good</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-EkCs9H-LTfU/T_LTajS6ZQI/AAAAAAAAByw/qjFfxRZ1IzA/s1600-h/IMG_9031%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9031" border="0" alt="IMG_9031" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-bF74Hg4PR_c/T_LTbFolXII/AAAAAAAABy4/ZknCI3OfwfE/IMG_9031_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Brown bread ice cream (c.1830 – A New System of Domestic Cookery by Maria Eliza Rundell) – the ice cream was strangely unsweetened and wasn’t quite the bombshell dessert we were expecting. But still pretty good.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hGPR4L1cwjY/T_LTboTn6PI/AAAAAAAABzA/t47Ktj_9xo4/s1600-h/IMG_9032%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9032" border="0" alt="IMG_9032" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-45MTKyfOBQ8/T_LTcM40vuI/AAAAAAAABzI/NzQfG_Ek3_s/IMG_9032_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Tipsy cake with spit roast pineapple (1810 The English cookery book by J.H. Walsh). Quite literally one of the most delicious things I have ever put in my mouth – the hot, buttery, sugar-encrusted brioche was simply heavenly, and went magically with the caramelly pineapple. Oof!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2lbriiZIce4/T_LTc5WmQiI/AAAAAAAABzQ/xk55XklSxPM/s1600-h/IMG_9033%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9033" border="0" alt="IMG_9033" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hm1jKnfVCpY/T_LTdWvPtGI/AAAAAAAABzY/1eoFjud0HqM/IMG_9033_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>A lovely free addition – a chocolate pot with a caraway biscuit. Not that we needed it, but clearly the waiter thought we needed to kill a bit more time before we returned to the land of babycare!</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYwgjjR7oSiJzGw-Jfi_BTj2eLadDhaLLRznzg68Ts2fQZSEzfGdF_EqoEtg0wQeZVcb2ni2dWey1q1QSDrLDA4WmBTKmMOAo8qyqWk9M741Dt3j-JPmsa0_WL-rQ-nzebx4noT7FjEw/s1600-h/IMG_9034%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9034" border="0" alt="IMG_9034" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ISc-XMbMqUc/T_LTeRKwcHI/AAAAAAAABzo/4P6gqA0ZOsE/IMG_9034_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.dinnerbyheston.com/">Dinner</a> by Heston Blumenthal <br />The Mandarin Oriental Hotel <br />Hyde Park <br />66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA</p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-29056069130610447742012-06-12T12:29:00.001+01:002012-06-12T12:29:09.805+01:00Black olive tapenade<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-qvvtY1U9a-c/T9cn_Wk7_qI/AAAAAAAABwc/afQ9nsQVGy8/s1600-h/IMG_9529%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9529" border="0" alt="IMG_9529" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-T8y0rnIfQv8/T9coBHxV-iI/AAAAAAAABwk/wCAsIKn0aZE/IMG_9529_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>My mum, even though she is French, detests raw garlic. She not only finds it hard to digest, but finds its aroma and taste even more offensive. ‘Oof,’ she’ll exclaim, wrinkling her nose as I approach from 20 paces away. ‘Have you been eating raw garlic?’ She can smell it on me even if I ate it two days previously, and contrary to the stereotype that all French people have garlic running in their veins, simply hates the stuff. Yesterday, she even detected a waft of garlic on my daughter’s bib, even though I’d cleaned it in soapy water. I must have, therefore, inherited my love of garlic in all its forms from my French grandparents, and when I meet up with Mum I often have to stand back because I eat tons of the stuff in marinades or various dips – such as this pokey black olive tapenade, a recipe from the South of France. </p> <p>Tapenade gets its pokiness not only from the raw garlic it contains, but also the salty olives and anchovies. It’s dark, salty and a healthy-slap-round-the-face-of-a-dip – wonderful spread on crusty bread, served with crudites (cherry tomatoes go especially well, as do chicory leaves) or tortilla chips and fabulous in a sarnie with a mild, fresh cheese. Do not skimp on the anchovies – they give it a wonderful ‘umami’ saltiness (but don’t add any fishiness). Lose the chilli if you don’t like any heat, but I think the addition perks everything up. This is not food suitable for a first date, and if you’re going to eat tapenade on your own, avoid social contact for about 24 hours afterwards and hose your mouth out with Listerine. It’s best to eat this with non-judgemental friends, so that you all stink the same. </p> <p>Serves 4 – 6 as a dip <br /> <br />You will need: <br /> <br />220g pitted black olives (if you are feeling rich, use Kalamata olives, but cheap pitted olives in brine are what I use frequently) <br />Extra virgin olive oil (enough to blend, roughly 2/3 cup) <br />Juice of 1/2 lemon <br />3 large cloves garlic, crushed <br />6 anchovy fillets <br />1 fresh birdseye chilli, finely chopped <br /> <br />Rinse any excess brine off the olives. Put everything together in a food processor (or use a stick blender). Whiz together and add more oil if you think it’s a bit dry – you want to aim for thick, glossy consistency that’s similar to houmous. <br /> <br />So easy – takes literally 5 minutes to make. Knock back with some dry white wine or rose…mmm.</p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-37337684223160450862012-05-30T10:47:00.001+01:002012-05-30T10:47:10.702+01:00Spicy Thai chicken kebabs<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifE0zh7-IWV92NAFerHVE_GJ2hgGTktnNJv1N3PwbUhEx6pzJGA7nUK80KNYOLWKM9LBgJo7yBtnUuGTZqXfid6IPO0xm_JlcjrFqpbcSVI1LpCqdhNsDGAXszJ2betiiYXggm_5uPkNc/s1600-h/IMG_9522%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9522" border="0" alt="IMG_9522" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Q0up1Yn-jgc/T8Xsilt9gyI/AAAAAAAABvg/9ZI9i7yMGyA/IMG_9522_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>My friend J recently went to spend a few months in the Thai islands looking forward to a bit of chill time during a break in her frenetic career. What she didn’t bargain for was to be robbed three times (the latter time at knifepoint) of ALL her possessions in the space of about a month – bar the clothes she stood up in. And on one of the occasions to be bullied by local police who accused her of lying about the thefts – apparently it was going to give Thailand a ‘bad name’. Bah! But the silver lining in all of this is that J, currently on Koh Samui, is being helped by a great group of locals and fellow travellers to get herself back on track. She is simply grateful that she was unharmed and that the robberies weren’t more serious. Who needs possessions eh? (Well maybe a sturdy pair of pants, a cravat and a pipe, but apart from that?) <br /> <br />I dedicate the following recipe to her – ‘cause if we were hanging out, I’d make this, and we’d drink a few Singha beers. These barbecue beauties are my attempt to infuse all the flavours of Thai cooking into one handy chicken kebab, and are loosely based on various barbecued street snacks I’ve eaten in Thailand. They’re fiery and they kick ass, much like J who remains optimistic about her travels and is determined to stay longer in Thailand and enjoy herself.  Way to go, J!</p> <p>Serves 4 (makes approx 8 kebabs) <br /> <br />You will need:</p> <p>500 – 600g chicken thigh meat, cut into chunks, about an inch squared (don’t be tempted to use chicken breast meat, as this will dry out on the barbecue) <br />2 thumbs fresh ginger root, grated <br />4 lemongrass sticks, young part minced until fine <br />6 medium lime leaves, central vein removed and minced until fine (buy in frozen packs from Asian supermarkets) <br />2 fat cloves garlic, minced <br />2 birdseye chillies, minced <br />1 medium bunch fresh coriander - roots, stems and leaves, minced until fine <br />Juice of 1/2 lime <br />2 tbsp fish sauce <br />1 tbsp soy sauce <br />1 tbsp runny honey or agave nectar <br />2 tbsp sunflower (or other neutral tasting) oil <br /> <br />Pre-soak some bamboo skewers in cold water. Chop the herbs, chillies, ginger and garlic until finely minced, then combine with the fish sauce, soy, honey, lime juice and oil. <br />Put the chicken thigh pieces in a bowl, stir through the marinade ingredients and leave to infuse in the fridge for a minimum of three hours, at best leave overnight if you have time. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-FNPzPibHg7M/T8XsjseHbNI/AAAAAAAABvo/w6CGIegBpn4/s1600-h/IMG_9504%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9504" border="0" alt="IMG_9504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM_CTDFkeEJ4css6jhHrupO7_eX7iqmU90cIND03WUURiJ2KpwCtq9IbSV9lJtKIaBhD26EEAQzoYCIAgs8BXR96qvDxcqSy7N52zo4Vwp7uA62l8VEAJuzGhmMJbjTSEQXSLsIM51r7w/?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a> <br /> <br />When the meat is ready, remove from the fridge, thread onto your bamboo skewers:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmhD3jLU3tweDpblC85wMz9itEeBeVbjfyDWwk4GRb5QCPw3ezz0sXx7ocJqiQ0K7ybSpwrEfHI5rkSOGZv6AzuelOlmHvGJsBknFXo52D05KW3xcXeQsrgymWA9391xwnBmtgvMiSII/s1600-h/IMG_9513%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9513" border="0" alt="IMG_9513" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4Oq0Xu1xROc/T8XslklSFFI/AAAAAAAABwA/zBg2U0xXw8I/IMG_9513_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Grill for about 5 – 8 minutes on your barbecue, turning frequently, until well cooked through and caramelising on the outside. </p> <p>You can also cook these under a conventional home grill – allow about 10 minutes, turning frequently. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ksmzdLjH-XveU5iRPINa7_6OyKUmnPvOj5ILpgiMs9zqxttCsWcfWoxClep7JFJ1IpOd9AGeXaC6LTu1JbJ3aujPwyR5FqncHUI8-YqBaIC-OloBgITma56tRHtGr9W7MdJ6w3Sbwk8/s1600-h/IMG_9523%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9523" border="0" alt="IMG_9523" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-NqnnQvTzeaY/T8XsnSD7_5I/AAAAAAAABwQ/3ShHqyb2smg/IMG_9523_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-68561868281616590482012-05-24T22:35:00.001+01:002012-05-24T22:35:25.433+01:00Two summer salads<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fXAYZA5BjHE/T76pgRHsWtI/AAAAAAAABuk/hlEJCggdSzI/s1600-h/IMG_9431%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9431" border="0" alt="IMG_9431" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IyKyJGyjDZE/T76pibjET8I/AAAAAAAABus/MU5H3Ek2K6U/IMG_9431_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Ah finally! The sun is shining again after weeks of depressing deluges, the heat has rocketed up, and I want to eat salad. So here are a couple that you might like. They’re very easy to knock up, and contain lots of different mouth-popping flavours -  my favourite current obsession is to put fresh pieces of orange in everything, which contrasts nicely with salty or strong ingredients.</p> <p>My standard <strong>vinaigrette</strong> recipe will work well with both salads – I use a ratio of 3 parts extra virgin olive oil to 1 part vinegar (a mix of half balsamic vinegar and half red wine vinegar), a teaspoon of Dijon or grainy mustard, a few grinds of black pepper and a little squeeze of lemon juice. Just mix everything together in a cup and whisk with a fork until emulsified.</p> <p>1. <strong>Roquefort, chicory and orange</strong> – serves 2 and takes literally about five minutes</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GLeZ0dyu_k4/T76pj02DLII/AAAAAAAABu0/9GZli0eMbI4/s1600-h/IMG_9429%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9429" border="0" alt="IMG_9429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifuW_6iBVR5UJmEtrwCtVYjs3184wk58CChFKM23ACyP4Xnwj_j0MiCg7oFdvHNmp45khV2tJQv59PhLfsa9lKD6ngxgftMgNW1naTWLWRgJrXo0GAS3CtdnsM-W2lXdOdQhQQ9ppLerE/?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a> <br /> <br />You will need: </p> <p>100g Roquefort cheese (The brand Societe is great, but if you know of anywhere that sells the Papillon brand, jump on it, as it’s like the Rolls Royce of blue cheese and well worth the extra expense) <br />1 orange <br />1 large head of chicory <br />3 handfuls of mixed salad leaves (eg lamb’s lettuce, baby spinach etc) <br />20 radishes, sliced into discs <br />1/4 cup of vinaigrette (see above) <br /> <br />Peel the orange then cut the whole orange in quarters. Slice up each quarter into segments, removing excessive pith. Slice the chicory into rounds, then place in a bowl with the orange, sliced radishes, mixed salad leaves. Crumble the Roquefort over the top, then drizzle with the vinaigrette. C’est pret! <br /></p> <p>2. <strong>Carrot, orange, watercress and mint –</strong> serves 2, takes about five minutes</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HRIZTXgnIfc/T76plwYoHWI/AAAAAAAABvE/niDNZA1ahxE/s1600-h/IMG_9431%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9431" border="0" alt="IMG_9431" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dTWvACt9EHA/T76pm-rfCUI/AAAAAAAABvM/6CBCWnExnyg/IMG_9431_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>You will need: </p> <p>1 orange <br />Half a bag of watercress, roughly chopped <br />4 generous stems of fresh mint, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped <br />3 carrots, grated <br />3 handfuls mixed salad leaves (eg lamb’s lettuce, baby spinach) <br />1/4 cup vinaigrette (see above) <br /> <br />Peel the orange then cut the whole orange in quarters. Slice up each quarter into segments, removing excessive pith. Throw all the ingredients into a bowl and pour the vinaigrette over the top and toss. That’s it. If you can wait before eating, it’s nice chilled in the fridge beforehand, but only on the hottest of days.</p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-77022765121010345862012-04-28T09:59:00.001+01:002012-04-28T09:59:48.683+01:00Fragrant turmeric, coconut and fish soup<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-m6kDdUYSp1Q/T5uxfoRBEGI/AAAAAAAABuQ/2jT4scHBaFo/s1600-h/photo%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="photo" border="0" alt="photo" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mfpGfY9I5is/T5uxgfPiWnI/AAAAAAAABuY/LszKbFW_63I/photo_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="261" /></a></p> <p>I just had a holiday in Andalucia, Southern Spain, where I ended up totally grossing myself out on greasy food. It seems that when you eat out in certain regions, vegetables rarely make it to the table (unless dipped in batter). Apparently people only eat them at home, and as a result, restaurant fare in Andalucia ends up being everything and anything dunked into the deep fat fryer. Which is awesome and exciting at first (yum, pass the deep-fried calamari), but dreary and palate-clogging after 10 days. I would snatch at the lemon wedges that arrived on the tapas plates to get a bit of vitamin C and freshness.</p> <p>Which is why I’ve been craving clean Asian flavours ever since we got home. This is a little fish soup I dreamt up – it’s comforting, aromatic and wraps you up with a big hug of creamy, coconutty spiciness. Perfect for this tiresome rainy weather – will perk you up and cheer your spirit with its lovely yellow colour. Just be warned – peeling the skin from fresh orange-coloured turmeric root makes your fingers look as though you smoke 40 Silk Cut a day, but it’s well worth the hassle if you can find it as it has a wonderful mellow, mysterious flavour.</p> <p>Serves 2 hungry people as a generous main course</p> <p>You will need: </p> <blockquote> <p>375g firm white fleshed fish (I used haddock fillet) cut into 2 inch chunks <br />1 x 400g tin coconut milk <br />1 pint chicken stock (using a stock cube is fine) <br />1 large courgette, cubed (could be any vegetables you fancy, broccoli might work well) <br />1 bag/punnet baby leaf spinach <br />Rice noodles – as many as you like, depending on how hungry you are (I use King Soba brown rice noodles) <br />2 tbsps small dried shrimp <br />Juice of 1/2 lime <br />2 tbsps fish sauce <br /> <br />For the spice paste:  <br />1 small onion <br /> 3 cloves garlic <br />3 sticks fresh lemongrass <br />1 tsp Thai shrimp paste (<a href="http://www.seasonedpioneers.co.uk/cuisinedetail.aspx?cuisine=thai">Seasoned Pioneers</a> do a good one) <br />2 Birdseye chillies <br />1/2 thumb-sized lump fresh turmeric (you can get this from Asian supermarkets – not the end of the world if you can’t find it) <br />1/2 tsp turmeric powder <br />1 large thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger <br /> <br />Optional condiment (for those who really like a bit of extra heat) – a chilli sauce kicker: <br />Juice of 1/2 lime <br />1 clove crushed garlic <br />4 birds eye chillies, minced <br />2 tbsps fish sauce</p> <p>Reserve the hard white fat from your tin of coconut milk and put this aside in a wok or large saucepan.</p> <p>Then make your spice paste – roughly chop your onion, lemongrass, garlic, chillies, turmeric, ginger and put them in a food processor. Add the turmeric powder and about 1/4 of the rest of the tin of coconut milk. Blitz to a paste. </p> <p>Cut the fish into large chunks, then do likewise with the courgette. <br /> <br />Put your wok onto a high heat, and fry the hard white coconut fat for about 5 minutes until it separates and you can see clear oil at the edges. Then add your spice paste, and fry it for several minutes until it reduces and becomes really fragrant, stirring frequently so it doesn’t catch and burn. </p> <p>Meanwhile, boil your noodles until cooked, then drain and rinse under cold water so that they stop cooking, and set to one side. <br /> <br />To the bubbling spice paste, add the rest of the tin of coconut  milk and the cubed courgettes. Add the pint of chicken stock. Simmer the courgettes for about 5 minutes until tender, then add the fish,  baby spinach leaves, dried shrimp and cooked noodles. Cook briefly until the spinach wilts, the fish is opaque and the noodles are warmed through – probably no more than 2 minutes. Add the juice of half a fresh lime, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, stir and then take off the heat.</p> <p>Make your chilli sauce kicker condiment for drizzling over the soup - finely chop your 4 birdseye chillies and garlic, add to a small dish with the juice of half a lime and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce. </p> <p>Serve in two large bowls, and drizzle with the chilli sauce kicker to taste. </p> <p>Flipping marvellous with a large glass of chilled dry sherry or white wine!</p></blockquote> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-55768880465247253842012-03-29T20:04:00.001+01:002012-03-29T20:04:35.141+01:00Drowning in a sea of twee<p><img src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRO0sh4A4lybD7Yr62lKUyhUT63zBKcSXpRPcAeu2Kyrz1daH0wuw" /> <br /> (Photo: Woman & Home)</p> <p>I’m more than a bit hacked off with the recent trend of lifestyle-over-content cookery programmes. I feel that less and less is about the recipes and the cooking, and more about what sort of vintage crockery I should be serving my desserts in, or what kind of salvage tiles I should be coveting for my kitchen. In the new series ‘<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01dy7yt">The Little Paris Kitchen</a>’ I’m so distracted by what Rachel Khoo is wearing that I actually forget what it is that she is cooking at all. (Yes, yes, I do covet all her lovely bright vintage dresses, so very annoying that I rise to the bait like this!)</p> <p>I was lunching with friends P and M yesterday, and they urged me to watch this new show as they knew it would get my goat on many levels. So of course I couldn’t resist the challenge and watched two episodes as soon as I got home, and found myself so irked by the programme that I actually can’t wait to watch the next episode… hah! It’s not just the over-stylised way the programme is made (each and every piece of crockery is a beautiful and lustworthy vintage item, everything is cute and twee and pretty) but the premise of the programme is confusing. </p> <p>Why on earth would you want to watch a British girl re-interpret French dishes? She makes very strange re-hashes of classics such as muffin-style Croque Madame (strange) and Coq au Vin skewers (why? Whatever next, a beef borguignon kebab?) She interviews people in a leaden and stilted way, asking a Moroccan tea specialist if he used boiling water in his kettle to make tea (really?) and showing off her matiness with the local fishmongers. I’d be more interested in watching someone French cook really great French food, instead of cringing while a Brit ex-pat tries to re-invent the wheel and demonstrate her palliness with the locals. Not to say that all of Miss Khoo’s food looks bad, and some of it does look tasty enough, it’s just a question of why would anyone want to make French-style food when the real deal is pretty much perfect and not difficult to make in the first place? As P said, ‘I want to hold her face onto her stupid hotplate’. It’s like someone going to Italy and teaching the Italians how to make pasta…gah…really rather bloody irritating. Even if she has done a Cordon Bleu course!</p> <p>I haven’t finished…remember Sophie Dahl’s much-panned ‘The Delicious Miss Dahl’ cookery programme? She seems like a very lovely lady, but I found I was rather more entranced by all her chipped enamelware ladles, rustic chopping boards and the fabulousness of the kitchen, which had been over-styled to within an inch of its life to resemble a delightfully bohemian enclave, complete with ‘authentic’ travel knick-knacks, bunches of gnarly onions hanging from rustic twine, and gorgeous pottery plates (all mismatched and chipped, of course). I have very few memories of what Sophie actually cooked (apart from one roasted tomato soup), but do remember tittering while Miss Dahl went and sat on a vintage velvet chaise longue and read out some poetry or stared winsomely out of a window at the rain. I kept expecting Jamie Cullum (her husband) to pop in and start singing. Everything was incredibly stilted and smacked of fakery, especially as I then learned that the kitchen where the series was shot was completely mocked up to look as though Sophie lived there. (But of course it would be, what was I thinking!) </p> <p>Nigella was probably the original vehicle for all the over-styled over-sexed lifestyle-mag cookery show trend, what with her lusty glances as she licked spoons batting her eyes to camera, while her gorgeous KitchenAid mixer twinkled under strings of artfully festooned fairy lights and beautiful bouquets of flowers drooped handsomely near her Le Creuset cookware. Not to mention her flirtatiousness with the camera – it could be so hilarious at times that the food really does take a back seat. You are either agog at Nigella’s brazen raunchy moves, or coveting that lovely salad bowl (from her product line, of course). When I found out that, unsurprisingly, Nigella’s beautiful home had been recreated on some industrial estate to enable filming of one of the more recent series, I still felt cheated. </p> <p>All of these programmes and their ilk leave me wondering whether any of the people in them know anything much at all about food, and whether we should really be blaming the stylists and producers of such shows who appear to all be in league to make us feel inadequate for not living in chic and retro bohemian splendour – and all the while the food sulks moodily in the corner. What do you lot think? Am I just a dreadful curmudgeon? Or are you also sick of feeling like you’re being preached to by the home and style police?</p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-46757494539151034452012-03-14T12:11:00.001+00:002012-03-14T12:11:02.490+00:00Pineapple Tarte Tatin<p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-k3YFbg58as8/T2CKmZFCxvI/AAAAAAAABsQ/QnQ1kpUI5KA/s1600-h/IMG_9042%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9042" border="0" alt="IMG_9042" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iBFwRq9zfQE/T2CKnP4eI8I/AAAAAAAABsY/z5aIEDsUZkQ/IMG_9042_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Greetings. I hardly ever have time to blog anymore. I have a small baby and she has eaten up all my spare minutes. So you can imagine, it’s a miracle that I can actually sit down and type anything whatsoever, given that I am existing on roughly six hours’ broken sleep a night and consuming the equivalent of the EU wine lake in the evenings (parenthood needs its perks, <em>ah oui</em>). When I do get any inspiration for the blog, my baby has other ideas, and then when I finally get to my laptop, I forget what it was that I wanted to write in the first place as I’m so very weary…</p> <p>It’s also incredible that I manage to cook any proper meals at the moment,  so when I do get a little window of time, it’s actually a real treat to make a proper recipe. Which is how this tart came about – we were having friends over for lunch on Sunday and the main course of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/mar/24/how-perfect-coq-au-vin">coq au vin</a> needed a nice French pud to round it off. Tarte Tatin is such a classic, but instead of sticking to the traditional filling of apples, I played around a bit with a mixture of recipes (Roux Brothers for technique, Thomasina Miers for the pastry) and used pineapple instead, as I was feeling a bit festive. It tasted pretty damned good, even if I do say so myself. I ate three slices that day. Enjoy. </p> <p>Serves 6</p> <p>You will need: <br /> <br />Pastry: <br />250g plain flour <br />25g icing sugar <br />125g butter <br />2 egg yolks</p> <p>Filling: <br />1 ripe pineapple, skin removed, flesh cored and cut into large chunks about 3cms thick – you might have leftovers <br />100g butter <br />150 sugar <br /> <br />To make the make the pastry, whiz the butter, sugar and flour in a food processor and then add the egg yolks, using the pulse button intermittently until you have a mixture that is almost coming together, like big breadcrumbs. Add a tiny bit of water bit by bit until the mixture comes together into a ball. Turn out onto some clingfilm, press into a flattish disk, wrap it up in the clingfilm then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 220C.</p> <p>Cut up your pineapple, then blot on kitchen paper to absorb excess juice. Grease a non-stick ovenproof frying pan (make sure the handle won’t melt!) that is about 20cm in diameter, then cut the rest of the butter up into cubes and dot on the frying pan bottom. Cover with the sugar, then add the pineapple chunks making sure you don’t leave any large gaps. </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGBSoRS8kDXZVCNnF9v8N7VgWBg9T6PbzI63ImZT13LHM-tUfGyoFlSQX6qftUHMwSjIIDcoQMqkEaEEXFX8yzfrBRfQYStuhHehql323A0SSQew8LzDoRZ4TzITR0iDOIDD6iR7natsM/s1600-h/IMG_9036%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9036" border="0" alt="IMG_9036" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPekQjt7hke1jgZ5970zDBKoV_IcahP1lb_0hMsGLLX16R6RFlBtU1wJUPXLosonCZzutuyPOg15Mj4OinxX5HIOUJ7glFvnRtz65mIYAsxAghLiOa_JfeM2d3gD6SslSBZ4v02fPYiw/?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6WtTYdFdk6o/T2CKqPuG_dI/AAAAAAAABsw/trQ6_pIKcSU/s1600-h/IMG_9035%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9035" border="0" alt="IMG_9035" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-k8nGzTJN_A0/T2CKrOtXC9I/AAAAAAAABs0/Qs-Pi5NTTM8/IMG_9035_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-J_iORGpcZfw/T2CKsTY7p0I/AAAAAAAABtA/krLvGKnDR5c/s1600-h/IMG_9037%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9037" border="0" alt="IMG_9037" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-8h1Bv4v-5VE/T2CKtDKtZtI/AAAAAAAABtI/W1ufAt3aDxY/IMG_9037_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Roll out the pastry until it’s wide enough to cover the diameter of your frying pan, then cover the fruit, allowing for a 2cm overlap all round. Tuck the pastry in around the edges, then trim the ragged edge with a knife to neaten. Chill the tart in the frying pan in the fridge for 20 minutes. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vbIUaE16xLI/T2CKue_AYTI/AAAAAAAABtQ/2Z6QNi0ipvY/s1600-h/IMG_9038%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9038" border="0" alt="IMG_9038" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VkT8Dowb_oI/T2CKvAMjGsI/AAAAAAAABtU/o5q9504C-oY/IMG_9038_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a> <br /> <br />Take the frying pan out of the fridge, then fry the tart on a fierce heat on the stove for about 10 – 15 minutes to allow the fruit to caramelise. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VBxP1qrLBxU/T2CKwDBlkjI/AAAAAAAABtg/tr9GXPgzQM0/s1600-h/IMG_9039%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9039" border="0" alt="IMG_9039" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabt3eK3abDIjro100rQjZPRcBSuZ52YW4bfCc_1XSMUSTF-Uy6G1-nhnJbYsxdD9gPMVp3ltlMztWTlS6J4ASaQkRqusMYn_ysf_qr4TL9GDCP8dQUspfI6gxYBhza8eV7dtRdrVahro/?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Then bake in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes, keeping a close eye on the pastry to ensure that it doesn’t over-brown, as the oven will be very hot, and everyone’s oven is different! The tart is ready when the pastry is golden brown. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1zkKtezmwrw/T2CKyFVX6uI/AAAAAAAABtw/rlXPvBXWs-8/s1600-h/IMG_9040%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9040" border="0" alt="IMG_9040" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FYpqXvV0V1M/T2CKy-7CgjI/AAAAAAAABt4/-S7bv7tJizw/IMG_9040_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>Allow the pan to cool down for a few minutes, but when it’s still warm, very carefully (using oven gloves and tea towels for protection against burning yourself) tip the frying pan and the tart upside down onto a serving plate. Voila – you will see your beautifully caramelised fruits on top of the pastry. Some of the fruit will have come away, so reposition it on the pastry. </p> <p>Serve with whipped cream flavoured with vanilla extract and sweetened with a little icing sugar. Cut the tart with a very sharp knife, as the pastry is quite short and prone to breaking when you cut it. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Sl1lOqjpzis/T2CK0NqZJrI/AAAAAAAABuA/oylphTjr7zk/s1600-h/IMG_9041%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="IMG_9041" border="0" alt="IMG_9041" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16ta6_b5DQmxCt-9sdrmw0za3mt3WMGnKLrzrLBR4XdDWVfsNgu6RF8v2HNIGdh4pUhkFrJcAo01R5zoE4eW09lZMWf4q_27Afnt_dJ0HWZFPUzYoSQo9im0zVwOsiOUuXlCYUiTb9-I/?imgmax=800" width="350" height="262" /></a></p> <p>(I had tried sprinkling the fruit with cardamom powder and a little ground black pepper before covering it with the pastry lid, but I was too light-handed and you could barely taste it. Next time I’ll go at it with the big guns, ‘cause pineapple goes so well with spice). </p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-91726982602817290022012-01-26T10:06:00.001+00:002012-01-26T10:08:59.824+00:00Berry muffins<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Zl3rG30u8GE/TyElhl_7vHI/AAAAAAAABrs/M5fdjaE78OA/s1600-h/IMG_8899%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_8899" border="0" alt="IMG_8899" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iDRduxy9Ua0/TyEliaMouUI/AAAAAAAABrw/u8MUeIvssLQ/IMG_8899_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a> </p> <p>What spurred me on to make these here muffins? A near-disaster ending in almost-mutilation! Not to myself, I hasten to add. The other day my lovely friend N was blending ingredients for a butter chicken recipe using a stick blender, and accidentally whizzed her left thumb into the mix while trying to prise out a cashew nut from the blades. Aaaaaaarrrrgh. Thankfully, she has now been stitched back together again, and retains her thumb but sadly not her fingernail. I thought only one thing could bring a smile to her face. Muffins! Yes!!!!</p> <p>For years I have searched high and low for a muffin recipe that would replicate those ones you get in upmarket cafes – basically, soft and juicy on the inside, crisp on the top with a bit of crunch, with a satisfying overhang over the muffin case. I never seemed to be able to make them that way, the muffins I made always had something slightly earnest about them…but then I found this recipe by <a href="http://www.donnahay.com.au/" target="_blank">Donna Hay</a>. Donna Hay is a bit like an Australian Martha Stewart, but younger and trendier. She lives in a world of tasteful decor and food styling (she is, after all, a food stylist first and foremost, a cook second), and strikes me as the kind of woman who would take your head off if you DARED to be messy in her kitchen. In the series ‘Fast, Fresh, Simple’, currently airing on the Good Food channel, she serenely puts together recipes in the kitchen of her gorgeous magazine-spread of a lofty beach house that looks out onto the ocean, and her kitchen is white, white, white. Her gaze seems to X-Ray its way right through you, via the screen.  Check out ‘<a href="http://www.donnahay.com.au/_blog/Donna's_Diary" target="_blank">Donna’s Diary’</a> – yikes...I would be terrified to be one of her kitchen interns, for sure…</p> <p>Anyway, any muffin recipe from the Hay style factory was bound to be perfect, accurate and good-looking. And it was! Plus, very easy and quick to make.</p> <p>I have tweaked it a little bit and added a mix of frozen berries, plus lemon zest. </p> <p>Based on Donna Hay’s Blueberry Muffin <a href="http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/646252" target="_blank">recipe</a></p> <p>Makes 12 large muffins</p> <p>You will need: </p> <p>375 g self-raising flour, sifted <br />1 tsp baking powder <br />200 g golden caster sugar <br />125 ml vegetable oil <br />1 egg <br />Zest of 1 lemon <br />125 ml milk <br />1 tsp vanilla extract <br />300g mixed berries (blueberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants etc – Sainsbury’s do a great ‘Forest Fruits’ in their freezer section) <br />Granulated sugar, for sprinkling</p> <p>Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Place the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, milk, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Pour this wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon until just combined – do not worry if the mixture seems fairly solid and almost dry. Add the blueberries and mix gently to combine. </p> <p>Spoon the mixture into paper muffin cases placed into a 12-hole (125ml per hole) muffin tray (I use an ice cream scoop to measure it out which makes it really easy) and then sprinkle the top of each muffin with a dusting of granulated sugar. Bake for 30 – 35 mins until golden on top, and a skewer poked into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Remove each muffin from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool. </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-PbOhURo7Dec/TyEljHOKb8I/AAAAAAAABr8/arhlMZ5sWus/s1600-h/IMG_8901%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMG_8901" border="0" alt="IMG_8901" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6OSSCNJifTM/TyElk4VLVBI/AAAAAAAABsA/j9KXRa-jREI/IMG_8901_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-49339469278866238382012-01-19T20:44:00.001+00:002012-01-19T20:44:03.666+00:00Anatomy of a wedding cake<p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HBG4PHf4EBg/TxiAWMrPlnI/AAAAAAAABpc/U91arpk5PEg/s1600-h/IMG_88532.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8853" border="0" alt="IMG_8853" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jkQJZHI-UZ4/TxiAW5GrTBI/AAAAAAAABpk/mob8jeIU41I/IMG_8853_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>I have recently completed a terrifying task – making a wedding cake for my good friends C and M. There was no way I could not take the bait – after all, C made my wedding cake four years ago: a towering edifice in deepest darkest chocolate, decorated with chocolate leaves. It was dangerously delicious, and I wolfed down about 16 slices on the day (I was never the bride who lost weight for her wedding)! Poor C had a total nightmare making the chocolate ganache icing, dispatching her ex boyfriend in his car to drive the length and breadth of the Kentish countryside on a quest for dark chocolate to make a second batch when the first failed. I still feel mortified about that…</p> <p>Anyway, when C recently got engaged to M, I was incredibly flattered to be asked to make their wedding cake. If not a bit flipping scared. I had never made one in my life – and all my cakes come out of the oven slightly uneven and looking rustic. I am strictly a home baker. But am quite stubborn and like a challenge…</p> <p>C wanted a lemon cake, so in November I made three different types of lemon sponge, ranging from a ridiculously buttery french lemon ‘<a href="http://tinykitchentales.blogspot.com/2009/09/mini-lemon-drizzle-cakelets.html" target="_blank">Quatre Quarts’</a> cake, to a BBC Good Food <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4576/wedding-cake--zingy-lemon" target="_blank">lemon wedding cake</a>, and then, the winner, an Annie Bell ‘Rich Lemon Curd Sponge’, from her book ‘<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gorgeous-Cakes-Published-Association-Magazine/dp/1856266141/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327004202&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Gorgeous Cakes’</a>. C borrowed a massive tin from a chef friend for the bottom tier, and I made a final test cake over Christmas, because my oven has a mind of its own and I was terrified that such a large cake would never cook properly.</p> <p>The sponge was to be filled with lemon curd and iced with lemony cream cheese frosting, so I used Nigel Slater’s lemon curd recipe and used C’s frosting recipe pimped up with some lemon. So, four test cakes later, this is how the final process went last week…with a little help from some ‘how to’ <a href="http://www.monkeysee.com/play/987-cake-decorating-how-to-put-icing-on" target="_blank">videos</a>!</p> <p>The big, bad-ass bottom layer:</p> <p> </p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-wiL8t5cyftU/TxiAXotJGDI/AAAAAAAABps/A00ykWszTnQ/s1600-h/IMG_88462.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8846" border="0" alt="IMG_8846" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uclRHy1WWuk/TxiAYvRdO1I/AAAAAAAABpw/sjnUS3deam8/IMG_8846_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>Putting lemon curd into the middle of a big, gorgeous lemony cakey sandwich: </p> <p> </p> <p> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZNdekXh8qTY/TxiAZWHP9gI/AAAAAAAABp8/tdPt9_GVd4I/s1600-h/IMG_88482.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8848" border="0" alt="IMG_8848" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ig0Nbt_z-UM/TxiAaFoX96I/AAAAAAAABqE/_AbcStoOblk/IMG_8848_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-gYbeH9geZOA/TxiAbXpJeXI/AAAAAAAABqM/wiNqUTe56x0/s1600-h/IMG_88471.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8847" border="0" alt="IMG_8847" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-T-EbuVQ7DG0/TxiAcTygoOI/AAAAAAAABqU/6BfCMVqZto4/IMG_8847_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="262" height="350" /></a></p> <p>The bottom layer with its undercoat of frosting (to enable the top layer of frosting to go on smoothly):</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--Wk5OIx66d8/TxiAdcAe2BI/AAAAAAAABqc/IDuS6VOU_GA/s1600-h/IMG_88492.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8849" border="0" alt="IMG_8849" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-y1O6LoyTEDc/TxiAd5tFQMI/AAAAAAAABqk/epWS4w_uR_A/IMG_8849_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Ta-daaaa! Complete with marzipan ducks (made bleary eyed at 1am the morning before the wedding, their heads held onto their bodies with cotton bud sticks): </p> <p> </p> <p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWrqWziNI5IlofNPuPKGVtxECDf94X2Ze62MQD1ld143ZhXRt-_l8769_7qxxNXaxaZ9CLydXvptPil7iWOqkjoUfsL5BrLsCIVS9LZd6wCwFaycFKS1Vba-RIThUkb-VrLTA8VNfG7I/s1600-h/IMG_88511.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8851" border="0" alt="IMG_8851" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-WTsc6nnhNac/TxiAfd7dtMI/AAAAAAAABqw/cdX0pXnDE5o/IMG_8851_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="262" height="350" /></a></p> <p>I pressed flaked almonds onto the edges of the cakes and stuck fresh roses into the gaps between the sponges:</p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HBG4PHf4EBg/TxiAWMrPlnI/AAAAAAAABpc/U91arpk5PEg/s1600-h/IMG_88532.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8853" border="0" alt="IMG_8853" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jkQJZHI-UZ4/TxiAW5GrTBI/AAAAAAAABpk/mob8jeIU41I/IMG_8853_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>The big moment when C and M cut the cake (I almost couldn’t watch, was terrified that the cake would disintegrate or that it would topple): </p> <p> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-IuH_4B9uYms/TxiAgKLoRQI/AAAAAAAABq8/1t5KTnYviT0/s1600-h/IMG_88832.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8883" border="0" alt="IMG_8883" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OCwJmHw_c1c/TxiAg1jdepI/AAAAAAAABrE/L2AHg_d3FCo/IMG_8883_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Cake dissected, ready to eat: </p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ggn5YFuE8aM/TxiAicNyFmI/AAAAAAAABrM/88kUczSKehw/s1600-h/IMG_88862.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8886" border="0" alt="IMG_8886" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYk9sWdNDDbuwvYwrxevXMBIEUJwDAMdPbwJXaGlsKo74TghjwiJtRCNSFobM56tX6PuApzrlEB1eEz6QGRDxnVEcacOrp4RitKLUdw0zdnXqZjnG1HcBAO6s3jKtYau1N1UqMq6_sY4o/?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-A2O0Wbu7Daw/TxiAj4ItLII/AAAAAAAABrc/VZfxSHCx_Gw/s1600-h/IMG_88872.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8887" border="0" alt="IMG_8887" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IeRjcY-vc38/TxiAkn3oJ9I/AAAAAAAABrg/oiNaXNTi8ks/IMG_8887_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p>And now, the recipes: </p> <p><strong>Cake</strong>, based on Rich Lemon Curd Sponge recipe by Annie Bell: (this will make a 20cm cake – NOT a massive wedding cake!)</p> <p>225g unsalted butter, diced <br />225g golden granulated sugar <br />225g self-raising flour <br />2 tsps baking powder <br />4 medium organic eggs <br />50ml double cream <br />Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon <br />2 tbsps dark rum (I used Havana Club)</p> <p>Topping: <br />Juice of one lemon <br />50g golden granulated sugar <br /> <br />Preheat your oven to 170C fan/190C/gas mark 5 adn butter a 20cm cake tin 9cm deep with a removeable base. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and cream together. Transfer the mixture to the cake tin, smooth the surface and bake for 50-55 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Run a knife around the edge of the cake. Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl, stirring evenly to distribute it, then spoon over the top of the cake. Leave it to cool, allowing the juice to sink into the sponge. <br /> <br /><strong>Lemon curd filling</strong>, based on recipe by Nigel Slater: </p> <p>Zest and juice of 4 unwaxed lemons <br />150g sugar <br />100g unsalted butter cut into cubes <br />3 organic eggs and 1 egg yolk</p> <p>Put the lemon zest, juice, butter and sugar into a heatproof bowl set over a simmering pan of water – make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir from time to time until everything is melted. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and egg yolk with a fork, then stir into the lemon mixture. Let the mixture cook over the simmering water, using a whisk to stir regularly, for between 10 and 15 minutes, until it thickens up like custard. Take off the heat and let cool down. As it cools, give it an occasional stir with the whisk. (If you can wait that long, it will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge)</p> <p><strong>Cream cheese frosting</strong>, recipe by C: </p> <p>150g unsalted butter, softened <br />150g icing sugar <br />225g full fat cream cheese <br />Zest and juice of 1 lemon <br />2 tsps vanilla extract</p> <p>Cream the butter and icing sugar together with an electric whisk. Then add the cream cheese and mix together. Finally, add the vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest. <br /> <br />To ice the cake, first do a thin layer of cream cheese frosting and chill the cake in the fridge. Then add another layer of frosting, spreading around with a palette knife. Decorate with flaked almonds. </p> <p> </p> <p>YUM! Congrats to C and M who make the most amazing couple. I proper welled up at their wedding, it was just amazing…aaaaah you guys!</p> <p> </p> <p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWrqWziNI5IlofNPuPKGVtxECDf94X2Ze62MQD1ld143ZhXRt-_l8769_7qxxNXaxaZ9CLydXvptPil7iWOqkjoUfsL5BrLsCIVS9LZd6wCwFaycFKS1Vba-RIThUkb-VrLTA8VNfG7I/s1600-h/IMG_88511.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8851" border="0" alt="IMG_8851" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-WTsc6nnhNac/TxiAfd7dtMI/AAAAAAAABqw/cdX0pXnDE5o/IMG_8851_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="262" height="350" /></a></p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-54332566388363858652011-11-22T21:37:00.001+00:002011-11-22T21:37:57.974+00:00Salted caramel chocolate brownies<p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qsHlvuwlgL8/TswV72A6ImI/AAAAAAAABnM/gOBlxzR8qF8/s1600-h/IMG_86562.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8656" border="0" alt="IMG_8656" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Us9t-QASbVw/TswV8hDKyTI/AAAAAAAABnU/phAyhGkoyoQ/IMG_8656_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5InBl174pzE/TswV9wcoWTI/AAAAAAAABnc/4ta3MfEs9xU/s1600-h/IMG_33532.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_3353" border="0" alt="IMG_3353" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PD4vPHsqI4Q/TswV-1AF6II/AAAAAAAABnk/9J6OwTntvU4/IMG_3353_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mm1J-wkSgzE/TswV_20bcvI/AAAAAAAABns/bD16UVWhf0A/s1600-h/IMG_33542.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_3354" border="0" alt="IMG_3354" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Epi3CAwsjIY/TswWAn2qFEI/AAAAAAAABn0/67EcOvIbAj4/IMG_3354_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Who doesn’t love a good brownie? Purists out there might not like a brownie to be anything else but flavoured with pure chocolate, and I know that ‘salted caramel’ seems to be featuring everywhere on menus these days in tarts, ice creams and other guises, but it is a seriously awesome combination, trust me. I’ve been making these deeply dangerous salted caramel chocolate brownies for about three years now, and wherever people eat them they tend to go a bit weird. I’ve had people chasing me across a field at a rock festival where I’ve been selling them, and deranged drunken folk accosting me at a wedding where I made a big batch for dessert, all wanting MORE! (I’m very flattered, I thank you) I featured this recipe on the blog a long while ago, but I think that it deserves a repeat mention – you could make a batch of these for a Christmas present and the recipient would love you forever because these brownies are insanely good.</p> <p>They are gooey, dark and rich (no flour here, just ground almonds) and also with the added dimension of having the tang of the buttery caramel chunks inside. I always make a large batch of these, cut them into squares, and freeze them – that way I always have a steady supply of these bad boys to hand, and there’s nothing quite like biting into a half frozen sweet/salty brownie. Double-yum. </p> <p>The process is fairly time consuming, because you have to make the salted caramel first and have the chunks ready before you make the brownie mixture. But it’s a delicious way to spend half a day or evening, trying not to face-plant your head into the chocolatey mixture…</p> <p>Makes 24 medium sized, or 18 large brownies:</p> <p>First, you’ll need to make the salted caramel, which you can make a day or two in advance and store in an airtight container until you make the brownies. </p> <p>You will need: </p> <p>100g flaked almonds <br />100g golden caster sugar <br />50g salted organic butter <br />1/2 tsp sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling</p> <p> <br />First lightly toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, taking care to stir them regularly so that they don't burn. This will take about 3 minutes, and when you can smell that lovely nutty almond smell and see the nuts turning a light brown they are ready. Spread them out on a layer of non-stick baking parchment, and lay on a heatproof surface. Then put the sugar, butter and salt in a non-stick frying pan and add 4 tablespoons of water. Bring everything to the boil, then turn the heat to medium and stir frequently. Watch like a hawk as it bubbles away, and keep stirring to ensure that some bits don't caramelise before others. When the mixture begins to look creamy, you're nearly there:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PETYTSxqjp0/TswWBwpfqaI/AAAAAAAABn8/v1QyDLgvDjQ/s1600-h/IMG_33472.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_3347" border="0" alt="IMG_3347" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-LW4WJYotapQ/TswWCrexs7I/AAAAAAAABoE/YsU9jJc8BoY/IMG_3347_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a> </p> <p>You want the mixture to turn a light brown colour - this will take anything between 5 and 9 minutes. Then QUICKLY pour the mixture over the almonds - don't dally because the caramel solidifies instantly. Sprinkle over an extra pinch of sea salt. Leave it to cool down, then shatter into pieces holding a knife with the blade pointing downwards. You might want to do this over a chopping board so you don't dent your surfaces! <br />The result:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--RV10BeOMzU/TswWDmo9rMI/AAAAAAAABoM/_lRtah4MWJ8/s1600-h/IMG_86443.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8644" border="0" alt="IMG_8644" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qbIzZpt75yBb6MVqaSJwrhGa5rEUd1bCQimnpyGLvZ9ibTJRNnC8K2MNY98BgwQn39yyJB0peXPHPwYnSqWydSK_1ksleWWsZ64RUDJ454siGhlPuz_XVYca1SEunkbj70ONVMrZ3q0/?imgmax=800" width="250" height="334" /></a></p> <p>And now for the brownie mixture…you will need: </p> <p> <br />375g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids, preferably Fairtrade and/or organic) <br />375g butter <br />400g unrefined caster sugar <br />6 medium free range eggs <br />4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder - again, Fairtrade and/or organic <br />½ tsp bicarbonate of soda <br />250g ground almonds <br />1 double espresso-worth of strong coffee <br /></p> <p>Preheat the oven to 180C. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, set over a pan of cold water and bring the water to the boil (bain marie). Turn the heat down to a low simmer and stir the mixture occasionally with a spoon until the chocolate and butter melt. Put the bowl to one side to let cool for a couple of minutes. </p> <p> <br />Whizz the sugar, eggs, cocoa and bicarb in a food mixer or with an electric whisk, until frothy. Add this to the chocolate mixture, then stir in the ground almonds, the melted chocolate and the coffee.</p> <p>Try not to faceplant THIS:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ec_e5LTI_XQ/TswWFm7RndI/AAAAAAAABoc/9aTogGHNJs8/s1600-h/IMG_86422.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8642" border="0" alt="IMG_8642" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mZIqLlnd55Y/TswWGq3USZI/AAAAAAAABok/w4qwifjFt-M/IMG_8642_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Pour in your chunks of salted caramel to the mixture, reserving larger pieces for decorating the brownies: </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8ndImSxRyk4/TswWHsUklWI/AAAAAAAABos/pgNCICUuTls/s1600-h/IMG_86472.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8647" border="0" alt="IMG_8647" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dAslOpkDGTI/TswWIW8wmpI/AAAAAAAABo0/W8GNKHkEvJ0/IMG_8647_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mFNulzxRAVE/TswWJk2JiKI/AAAAAAAABo8/IJ-9KlFpUkc/s1600-h/IMG_86482.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8648" border="0" alt="IMG_8648" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJWczYeo_DOtQZytrLPW5j73F1P4cC2spHm8yGHM-64HqWOtLwHZrN7FVFwd_lOz4waP2Sr6viK4SYFjbWyTjcTs-OJ3W8SaL1J6d4vGzwVQ9ujBWm767sFFuwztziJ1-l0PcCGliQlI/?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a> <br /></p> <p>Pour the mixture into a large baking tray lined with greaseproof baking parchment and bake for roughly 30 minutes, depending on how deep your baking tray is, how fierce your oven is and how squidgy you want the brownies to be.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-x7YEnkGpZHA/TswWL6TwxLI/AAAAAAAABpM/IlA-CDf9s6Q/s1600-h/IMG_86502.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMG_8650" border="0" alt="IMG_8650" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Ya17BeZ-5OE/TswWM4tEdKI/AAAAAAAABpU/YN4aQqTXYdA/IMG_8650_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" height="262" /></a></p> <p> <br />When you take the tray out of the oven, place it on a wire rack to cool down completely. Do not attempt to cut the brownies up until they have cooled completely - otherwise they might fall apart! They keep well in a Tupperware container for 4 - 6 days, and also freeze really well. </p> <p>Anyone out there got any other pimp brownie flavours and combos they’re keen to share? </p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-52454351573088127472011-10-27T17:58:00.001+01:002011-10-27T17:58:00.271+01:00Greek spinach and feta pie<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-zdKsjvrBPwA/TqmNchfJoeI/AAAAAAAABkk/C75W6nlnjzI/s1600-h/DSC00413%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00413" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00413" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-1pPM3B_EJmA/TqmNdVTrC9I/AAAAAAAABko/XbUO_B2zr7c/DSC00413_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4mGKgz6uwSA/TqmNeAYa_ZI/AAAAAAAABk0/qzfJHIij5Sg/s1600-h/DSC00416%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00416" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00416" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mM7dlG622J8/TqmNey_HXhI/AAAAAAAABk8/KpkjXLqg-rg/DSC00416_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>The rain is lashing down outside and I have the central heating turned on. I long for the scorching heat of a holiday in the Greek islands, with enough cheap pink wine to sink a ship, sandy beaches and Euro pop blaring out of cafes and rolled-down taxi windows. I want to go to a cheesy nightclub where they serve dreadful cocktails containing weird mixtures of blue curacao, Baileys and cream (urgh!) and dance the night away. One of my happiest memories is being on holiday in Naxos years ago and being brought glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice and little deep-fried cheese pies to where we wallowed on our sun loungers – total bliss. Right now, I want food to remind me of all of this, so I’ll settle for a slab of spinach and feta pie, <em>spanakopita</em>. </p> <p>Cooking holiday food is a good way to lift a gloomy autumnal day, and to be honest, a piece of this feta and spinach pie is good all year round. It’s pretty easy to make, as you don’t need to make the pastry, you use shop-bought filo. </p> <p>Serves 6 </p> <p>You will need:</p> <p>1kg bag frozen chopped spinach, defrosted <br />2 medium white onions, chopped into small dice <br />2 bunches spring onions, chopped into small pieces <br />1 bunch each of fresh dill (approx 25g), mint and parsley, finely chopped <br />4 large organic eggs <br />400g feta cheese <br />250g ricotta <br />1/4 tsp nutmeg <br />Salt and pepper <br />1 packet frozen filo pastry, 270g – defrost before use <br /> <br />Put your defrosted spinach into a saucepan and cook almost all the water out of it over a medium flame – takes about 20 minutes. While you are doing this, shallow-fry your chopped white onion until translucent, then add the chopped spring onions and cook until wilted, about five minutes. Set aside, with the spinach. </p> <p>Beat the eggs together, then add the ricotta and crumble the feta into the same bowl. Add the nutmeg and a few grinds of salt (go easy, as feta is salty anyway) and pepper, and roughly mix together. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FzyaFdoQyRQ/TqmNfvqAunI/AAAAAAAABlE/elDSpGKWKLk/s1600-h/DSC00408%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00408" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6OiLPVfuBcvqfCZ3KmahCuKffb2CexkmXWJTw4kWXo2Gi0fwLD1kbecPHDim7nhf67vc6BO-Ns_fKj6bgW1kPZE-YUa4rD8KQbF9tRje2SOhhs0jXi2Dgs99piq-gcbjMvQkL_HU470/?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Tip in the chopped fresh herbs. Add the spinach and fried onions as soon as they are cool, then mix everything together. </p> <p>Grease a rectangular baking dish with olive oil. Line the dish with two layers of filo, making sure to brush in between each layer of pastry with olive oil, then add half the spinach/cheese filling, then add another two layers of filo on top of this, with olive oil brushed between them, then repeat, adding the rest of the filling, then finishing with 2 layers of filo pastry to make the top. Generously brush the top of the pie with more olive oil. You can roughly fold in the edges, and don’t have to be neat about it.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zU3wwgfTUi4/TqmNhedVu5I/AAAAAAAABlU/O8szUfV3mqk/s1600-h/DSC00411%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00411" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00411" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bagUJipYAFY/TqmNiPc5OBI/AAAAAAAABlc/0a-YDQLXteU/DSC00411_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Rwd1xxx3Uwg/TqmNjLbUySI/AAAAAAAABlk/SYEC2jsnD5A/s1600-h/DSC00412%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00412" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFiB7dCEScEZjc_YH-8OyL3iyZJ-_MtB2onUB-gHEsXVXGjP-yE42RWyhoAQyeDJ37Liqg-n5rdmtkST2RJOgbHPq24XjJcNU6-KJz0dvdMmjCUBngBmFYVdusCWC25Xa5doaIdu0kcXk/?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Bake in a preheated oven at 180C, for about 35 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown on top. Serve wedges of pie with a nice tomato salad and a carafe of wine. Darned good! <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zPMVrXcnEvM/TqmNlFIsRPI/AAAAAAAABl0/tEZGLVovSCQ/s1600-h/DSC00415%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00415" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00415" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1jgiwd64jzQ/TqmNl_-vpRI/AAAAAAAABl8/BrINnk_ydow/DSC00415_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-56392486944952022822011-10-17T19:59:00.001+01:002011-10-17T19:59:58.658+01:00Mighty big bangers<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Nv9Lh5KWm7s/Tpx7AtrIi2I/AAAAAAAABiU/VJO7SVBWJDo/s1600-h/IMG_8575%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8575" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8575" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8JRq8Uzn2cc/Tpx7BNx4wxI/AAAAAAAABic/Na54Ud1B9uQ/IMG_8575_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p>My husband N loves sausages almost more than life itself, and probably slightly more than me and our baby. If he’s not eating sausages, he’s thinking about when he can next eat them. He takes his sausage-worship to almost evangelical heights – not only does he have selected friends that he talks about sausages with in great detail (stop tittering at the back) but he’s now taken it upon himself to make his own bangers at home, using a meat grinder that his sister gave him for his birthday, that of course came with a special sausage attachment!</p> <p>You have to be serious about sausages to want to make them, as it’s a loooong laborious process. For starters, you have to order hog casings from a specialist on the internet. (There are sites that actually sell these kinds of things!) The slippery looking casings are basically pig intestines stored in salt, which need soaking in water for 2 hours prior to sausage making. Then you have to peruse various sausage recipes and pick the type of bangers you want to make. Then it’s off to the butcher to buy a tonne of pork belly and pork shoulder meat, then you have to sort out your seasonings – for example, fresh herbs and spices and salt. After this, you come home and chop the meat into dice, before chilling it for two hours. Then you grind the meat into mince, prepare your seasonings, then mix everything together. Now you’re ready to push the hog casings onto the mincer’s sausage attachment, then squeeze the meat mixture into it (it’s hard not to think of condoms when you do this!) and then watch your sausages come out. It’s really fun to do, but quite a palaver – you totally need an entire day! </p> <p> </p> <p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Sok4rO27ayXEF4_FCyys1G3irwsK1nEJTwaWTcCUBr8oGk1wei_swz1iiVCg9isrXI_HN-hI-HhupRByNawH2xL4Z_tDX2aNIcl5ZGuqerjux2D2rcorYiOAICXcGIi4H86D_gtIF-s/s1600-h/IMG_8553%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8553" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8553" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EuGjHrpwdZ4/Tpx7CHQcsqI/AAAAAAAABis/SMEICLKeoLQ/IMG_8553_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="196" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AOqd7wndKgc/Tpx7CwQuRBI/AAAAAAAABi0/2Z68SMfTR9A/s1600-h/IMG_8554%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8554" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8554" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rQo8dGddLqA/Tpx7DcWgwpI/AAAAAAAABi8/2V8TJ1iUbJo/IMG_8554_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="196" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHskJ646NHZBWTXF1UYexeBI9LHKRS2mcmD2CY8Pdnjai4MlEHgPK0So-_cB-ih3FcTheOUGH7FC584FeYi0xGRd1t2ujxF2K4ZjdoOXOMGBiWBszCQcfnaAXaRJM4oQe4S3wxY0S9Bn8/s1600-h/IMG_8558%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8558" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8558" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EWdmTfDn6oQ/Tpx7EfN_VuI/AAAAAAAABjM/8VCaCFDRqIc/IMG_8558_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="196" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>  <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1WfSN143PDk/Tpx7FMpWgEI/AAAAAAAABjU/DZo6j1CzuQ4/s1600-h/IMG_8569%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8569" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8569" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--Is4PxyzVH0/Tpx7Fr13y3I/AAAAAAAABjc/1TtQpVenAco/IMG_8569_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> <br /> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Nv9Lh5KWm7s/Tpx7AtrIi2I/AAAAAAAABiU/VJO7SVBWJDo/s1600-h/IMG_8575%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8575" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8575" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8JRq8Uzn2cc/Tpx7BNx4wxI/AAAAAAAABic/Na54Ud1B9uQ/IMG_8575_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p>  </p> <p>We made pork sausages with fennel, lemon and garlic, and another batch of pork sausages with lemon thyme, sage, nutmeg and coriander. They were impressively chunky, didn’t shrink disappointingly in the oven and tasted absolutely delicious. N thought the texture might be better next time using proper sausage rusk instead of fresh breadcrumbs to bind everything together, but I cared not, I was too busy devouring them. Not sure how cost-effective making your own sausages actually is, but it’s satisfying to do. And makes one feel rather smug. This was our Sunday lunch:</p> <p> </p> <p>For what are bangers without mash?</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4QNqdbTuDNU/Tpx7GUoWbcI/AAAAAAAABjk/k3FFhIFU-Yo/s1600-h/IMG_8576%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8576" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8576" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mYUcuvOh4Mg/Tpx7G0tQ5VI/AAAAAAAABjs/PFTPirRIPOk/IMG_8576_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>If you want to make the sausages above, this is what you need: </p> <p>Makes approx 10 big bangers</p> <p>290g pork belly <br />630g pork shoulder <br />18g salt <br />110g fresh breadcrumbs or sausage rusk</p> <p>- Flavouring for the fennel sausages: </p> <p>Juice of 1 lemon, made up to 165ml with water <br />Zest of 3 lemons <br />10g crushed fennel seeds <br />6 cloves crushed garlic</p> <p>- or, flavouring for the herby sausages:</p> <p>165ml liquid – half water, half white wine <br />15 small fresh sage leaves, finely chopped <br />2 tbsps finely chopped lemon thyme <br />2 tsps ground coriander <br />1/4 nutmeg, grated <br />2 tsps ground white pepper <br /></p> <p>Pre-soak your sausage casings for 2 hours. Chop the meat into small chunks, then put in the freezer for 45 minutes, which makes mincing easier. Then feed it through the mincer. Mix in the liquid and flavourings by hand until you have a sausagemeat consistency. Then feed the mixture through your mincer and sausage stuffing attachment into your hog casings, making sure that once the mixture nearly reaches the end of the tube that you have tied a knot in the casing. Pinch the sausagemeat at each place where you want your sausages to begin and end, then twist four times to create the divisions. Voila, you have created sausages! Chill them in the fridge for 24 hours to develop the flavour and texture, before cooking in the oven at 180C for about 40 minutes, or until nicely browned.</p> <p>We took inspiration from <a href="http://www.sausagemaking.org/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.lartigiano.co.uk/Documents/SausageMaking.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. </p> <p><strong>The Dogfather</strong></p> <p>You might be amused to know that this same day revolved around sausages in its entirety – even before we’d gone to the butcher for the sausage ingredients, we lunched at a great street food stall in East Dulwich called ‘The Dogfather’ which served posh hotdogs, or ‘Haute Dogs’. I’d never eaten a gourmet hotdog before, and was seriously impressed by these bad boys – no nasty mechanically-recovered meat, but instead tasty kosher beef sausages that have a pleasing bouncy texture to them when you bite in: </p> <p>The ‘Boss Hogg’: beef dog, chorizo, onions, red pepper sauce – mmm savoury goodness!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CfhYyYmbpDY/Tpx7H9cA2dI/AAAAAAAABj0/lmSIk3nozZ8/s1600-h/DSC00442%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00442" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00442" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7fjjhrGLGPw/Tpx7IdX9m0I/AAAAAAAABj8/InSVHEn5Cn8/DSC00442_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" border="0" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>‘The Mexican’ – beef dog, guacamole, cheese, hot sauce, beans, peppers, onions – arriba! </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qGo-03tnujY/Tpx7JQlNZtI/AAAAAAAABkE/GhhT8O2PnZ8/s1600-h/DSC00444%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00444" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00444" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WB5CMZ9ZkUw/Tpx7J9uOaZI/AAAAAAAABkM/3dqfqHAZcKU/DSC00444_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a>   </p> <p>Spot the dawg: </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-i7wVRw5rXA0/Tpx7K6_ipqI/AAAAAAAABkU/bn01PdaLbpk/s1600-h/DSC00443%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00443" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00443" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wAww-quxgpM/Tpx7LW2Ea6I/AAAAAAAABkc/d2815DCbLxM/DSC00443_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>I’ll be back soon to try the ‘Snoop Dog’, ya dig…</p> <p>The Dogfather <br /><a href="http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/10005/markets/252/north_cross_road_market/1">North Cross Road Market</a> <br />East Dulwich <br />SE22 9EV</p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-58335964708597145262011-10-02T19:01:00.001+01:002011-10-02T19:01:30.670+01:00Brixton market: revitalised!<p>I have a real fondness for Brixton and its outdoor and covered markets. When I was a penniless freelancer for a number of years, I used to traipse there on the bus and spend an hour or two rootling among the fruit and veg stalls for my weekly shop, grabbing great bargains and soaking up the sounds of booming reggae and dancehall from various shops, wandering the covered arcades and soaking up the diversity of the produce – tiny colourful booths selling anything from giant piles of soap and Brillo pads, to a shop selling nothing but wigs, and others selling yams and African land snails. There was – and still is – a shop that terrifies and fascinates me in equal measure – it sells religious items and accessories for what I can only guess to be black magic rituals – black wax heads, spells, pungent smelling unguents in bottles. I once bought a friend a Virgin Mary candle there as a present, and we fell out irreparably about a year later – but that’s another story…</p> <p>As much as I loved my trips to Brixton in those days (we’re talking about five-ish years ago) there was something a little mournful about it. The arcades were often empty of people during the week, and many shops spaces were unoccupied. I would trudge around the corridors sometimes feeling a bit forlorn, feeling sad at the sight of so many unused shop spaces and closed down businesses. </p> <p>But all that has changed…a few years ago, the legendary pizzaria <a href="http://francomanca.co.uk/" target="_blank">Franco Manca</a> set up in the Market Row arcade, and before long people were queuing round the block to get their teeth into their amazing pizzas. <a href="http://rosiesdelicafe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rosie’s Deli Cafe</a> was turning brisk trade in fantastic home cooked seasonal lunches, great deli produce and coffees. A few new shops and cafes opened nearby, continuing the trend, and soon there was a sense of regeneration in the markets. Then an organisation called ‘Space Makers’ saw the potential in the arcades’ empty shop spaces and decided to pave the way for small businesses setting up shop here for low rents, and the transformation has been really positive, especially for those that like eating! There has literally been a food revolution, with what seems like about 15 new restaurants and cafes opening here…and I have been to taste a little crumb of it. Now that the arcades are open on Thursday and Friday evenings until 10pm, it’s a great place to come and hang out – why not have a main course at one place, dessert at another, and coffee somewhere else?</p> <p><a href="http://brixtoncornercopia.ning.com/" target="_blank">Cornucopia</a> restaurant – tasty British produce cooked seasonally and with skill. Daily changing menu, and you sit on hessian cushions at rustic trestle tables and eat off enamelware – rustically trendy, but not annoyingly so, and the staff are really friendly: </p> <p> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xpUJEa8nPFo/Toimq0HOJ1I/AAAAAAAABgc/tmpGHroKRv8/s1600-h/Brixton6%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Brixton6" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="261" alt="Brixton6" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wq_XU0eLb9s/Toimrc5LmJI/AAAAAAAABgg/Hz-mhjPTPS0/Brixton6_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>White onion soup with truffle oil:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kIkVq6mi3Ng/ToimsdAeQzI/AAAAAAAABgk/fpmltNbbOyM/s1600-h/Brixton7%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Brixton7" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="261" alt="Brixton7" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-aZWN9swn2ZE/ToimtIbMzuI/AAAAAAAABgo/TvYWVDLGbE8/Brixton7_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Chicken liver pate with fruit jelly and toast:</p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kE82GiWgPxU/Toimt_Zgb_I/AAAAAAAABgs/2JJjjEsmNIQ/s1600-h/Brixton8%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Brixton8" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="261" alt="Brixton8" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-xD32IwBr1z4/ToimuVIrDJI/AAAAAAAABgw/0hvUnM5ipz4/Brixton8_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p>John Dory with mussels and clams:</p> <p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMBTFEcS1NGhSsWfggHPjqfandOvIi5rI8Txes-3LlMB6FpM5M1T4_c2RcuiwUuEyAk4DImyKYYGrtcY24nW7x6HtqtBj42GaPZnW-1S2_QGaerkHvtKMSRfPRUCqVILOXH2E4RltU7-E/s1600-h/Brixton9%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Brixton9" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="261" alt="Brixton9" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-nzi91CLR1lc/Toimvx3tSsI/AAAAAAAABg4/_XMnJX8hf_8/Brixton9_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Pork belly:</p> <p> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-WDO3JPhOpjI/ToimwpdouFI/AAAAAAAABg8/T1PsixCHHog/s1600-h/Brixton10%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Brixton10" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="261" alt="Brixton10" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Ujdz2juclrU/ToimxGHQxUI/AAAAAAAABhA/PtFFVTOeUY4/Brixton10_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Sticky date pudding with cream:</p> <p> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74Vnb2rRVqBWCounYZ55fxFprUr0JmmZveERTFbLFCLN6X2NI9Gx3AVZzXr9kYw5pvvqLsN2kNuBGZtD7uEvNzn7l69467e02maPseDA9K89Bayxt0_C19-4PjlGzIOeGpomv7Q_eg0g/s1600-h/Brixton12%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Brixton12" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="261" alt="Brixton12" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkipM7_8eWk3Wsz3SgdQ2ZTf4UwoX-Nyi6w3a2q9Q73gKhWXyKvCgtZt4_JPdgMLbXiEm8RLcIElMUNiIVh6G5G4KVkgClixWAbw9_Nx6IAOHM5S68VnIBccLcrEt2Juwnxkc3D15yM9M/?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Saffron pear with pistachio cake:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2mTzp0sfQm-ZfQb2DHRZTEnsvVDdo_2ZyFOmrWdxFY_q-1mid-Tkbvf397FZ4VXw5Yq5h8azlSZgIAdsenwtrrxrtOYGBo_ktDuU6aGfPqw0EnQR069v3Kf07ln_LK45Ld7XpDLqnxI/s1600-h/Brixton13%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Brixton13" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="261" alt="Brixton13" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-EIgeRjwXgZA/ToimznmweqI/AAAAAAAABhQ/QQLpspqxjOE/Brixton13_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Pizzas at Franco Manca – total perfection and very addictive: </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-wcLxvGxGdaM/Toim0BpJq_I/AAAAAAAABhU/e21_w7VqlLQ/s1600-h/IMG_8458%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8458" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="350" alt="IMG_8458" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-yqXdPj9QzYI/Toim0yzFZuI/AAAAAAAABhY/l20kLJackEs/IMG_8458_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="262" border="0" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>Get your caffeine fix at <a href="http://federationcoffee.com/" target="_blank">Federation Coffee</a>: </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ZoObCXCL5f4/Toim1nehW6I/AAAAAAAABhc/PC5ARUTTqV4/s1600-h/IMG_8468%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8468" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QYlj5u60D4UcFF5QEpcL6jDbLaetaDQTFMXliUUv7mArrU8bkTwWZdmwK450C3fnDaEfXXLNXwDEA9Fd2pB1waOnTstTc88EVXZrr0GUCMaLVqSuj_BqeCspD9963BQM-ryQenr0OHo/?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> <br /></p> <p> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8LtSWSeztdg/Toim2hQwHMI/AAAAAAAABhk/obr_mWpOJ-o/s1600-h/IMG_8467%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8467" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8467" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Aga1r8Zwt8o/Toim3Wqr5RI/AAAAAAAABho/yqmoJ9QdfK0/IMG_8467_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Ice creams from Italy and Argentina opposite Franco Manca pizzeria – the mango and passion fruit sorbets are to die for: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9mcjTrbNgKJ4hgiDWu3owKxP55OxQU2XibyhmussbJENmQ7yYO7wqLig0I-6EsH9XWgVeg9R_vHiAEiWolbybOWmFFJW48A5lmZrEUNMB4wCo6ihA4qR8k_mrA7dP1uGwPBkN5YlWEw/s1600-h/IMG_8463%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8463" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="350" alt="IMG_8463" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-264nz5z2ALc/Toim4_-O95I/AAAAAAAABhw/CN1M4Og-AUU/IMG_8463_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="262" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>The arcades come to life in the evenings:</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-BLZEk8GXHkY/Toim5uzfb8I/AAAAAAAABh0/_eojR426EL4/s1600-h/Brixton2%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Brixton2" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="261" alt="Brixton2" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BgE05BS11qM/Toim6OCg8rI/AAAAAAAABh4/5y22ltq0XQY/Brixton2_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-O2rSbcz3-J4/Toim6-We3BI/AAAAAAAABh8/rp8PtNPsqjk/s1600-h/Brixton5%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Brixton5" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="261" alt="Brixton5" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5vMP0MXQ1kE/Toim7g_yyjI/AAAAAAAABiA/T568eyuKaOE/Brixton5_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a>  </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBEUCHBQXLmJPpvt2DQt0KKnCYYv6QeEhfVhLFl46NXdB7YgX715eDsXh2jJSHRh0tUT9TCOwiPQjlAcwOQB3cFXiMIBqlb3q4bp530sfDfPuEddBkHqOlhn4079ywHNQdYBiEtkFR7s/s1600-h/Brixton3%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Brixton3" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="261" alt="Brixton3" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-iWr8nrVmfdo/Toim9M_r9DI/AAAAAAAABiI/zOQzR4DHsjw/Brixton3_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>I’m hoping to go back soon to try Mexican, Thai and Columbian food – and I also spied this great looking burger place too:</p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-p6CAkHxOyXQ/Toim9_ANPLI/AAAAAAAABiM/DefWNXrFH-g/s1600-h/Brixton1%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Brixton1" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="261" alt="Brixton1" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-NseVNLMxH9k/Toim-edW9FI/AAAAAAAABiQ/-FY1FK9m-y8/Brixton1_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>There are also cake stalls, an old-fashioned sweet shop, a sourdough bread bakery, cool little boutiques selling vintage wares and jewellery, and more. No excuses not to get your booty down here!</p> <p>- Space Makers and the Brixton Village project – <a href="http://spacemakers.org.uk/projects/brixton/" target="_blank">read</a> all about it.</p> <p>- More info on <a href="http://brixtonvillage.wordpress.com/brixton-village-traders/" target="_blank">Brixton Village</a></p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-13159369112917743082011-09-09T15:08:00.002+01:002011-09-09T15:51:23.894+01:00Koya<p>I wish I had taken photos of my dinner here, but I just couldn’t stop eating for long enough to get the camera out. And some nights, I just don’t feel like taking pictures – it really is ALL about the food. Needless to say, the meal we had at this dinky Japanese noodle bar in Soho last week was beyond excellent. </p><p>If you’ve been a bit ‘blah-ed out’ by the bland bowls of Japanese-style noodle soup in chains such as Wagamamas (which I find about as exciting as dish water), you should really give Koya a go, as the soups here don’t resemble these at whatsoever. The restaurant makes its own fresh udon noodles from scratch. These are the fat, wormy ones that have a satisfying chew to them. You can get them in hot or cold broths with all sorts of seasonings, toppings and adornments. The broths are out of this world - they all taste different, according to which soup you choose. I blissed out with a bowl of clear, smoky bonfire-flavoured broth, chewy udon noodles on the side, and a plateful of crispy tempura prawns and veg to add in whatever amounts I chose. My husband had a bear-hug of a bowl of warm miso broth with pork, really salty and satisfying, with side dishes of fermented beans and a jewel-bright mound of seaweed. </p><p>Starter plates are not to be missed either – we wolfed down the crispiest tempura treats, such as sand eel with samphire, and prawns coated in jagged fragile light batter. House pickles were thin disks of beetroot marinated in spicy vinegar. I had a strange but not unpleasant cold Oolong tea that came in a can like a Coke.</p><p>We ate like lords, seated at the ‘bar-style’ counter at the back of the restaurant where we could observe the chefs making the noodles by hand. There was a great atmosphere – staff were attentive but not overbearing, the hubbub from the diners rose to the rafters, and the chefs focussed silently on their tasks, churning out plate after plate of beautiful tempura and steaming bowls of aromatic soups. This is food that makes you feel good on the inside, and it’s really good value too.</p><p><a href="http://www.koya.co.uk/" target="_blank">Koya</a> <br />
49 Frith Street <br />
Soho <br />
London <br />
W1D 4SG</p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-88824179869141046212011-09-01T20:24:00.001+01:002011-09-01T20:24:31.240+01:00It’s all about the cake…<p>My life revolves mainly in a tight orbit around cake. Even more so than usual these last few months, cause a girl has to keep her strength up. I have been lucky enough to consume a great deal of very wondrous cakes and puds of late, and I hope you enjoy these pictures of what I have been hoovering:</p> <p> </p> <p>C’s death-defyingly-good pavlova which we devoured at a summer barbecue (I still have dreams about it):</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xLGjfGBC7HQ/Tl_byook5HI/AAAAAAAABfc/50R64Osivjw/s1600-h/IMG_8219%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8219" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8219" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-oiARb76lJdo/Tl_bzGH27UI/AAAAAAAABfg/fHbMJ29PLj4/IMG_8219_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>Macaroons at Bar Boulud:</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZDapASr6r0vIZLauJch6LJFD4Qh5XybU6PLf9ch2GDlzBfkgwreIAXLbHJY4sP5ciynMJ2xwKGHXvDNTgyFfoGpOqyTUdXc56ZQb5grDsm7qDaKn5lcyLOhDJvBOMcGT3Mx18xZZFyg/s1600-h/DSC00296%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00296" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00296" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-tzZRYluvYCY/Tl_b0Swi7eI/AAAAAAAABfo/_jc2JatHYhM/DSC00296_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>A Victoria Sponge filled with blackberries from my garden:</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-EptpYX9Aauk/Tl_b1AtCLbI/AAAAAAAABfs/WHEv1RHG-is/s1600-h/DSC00333%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00333" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00333" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zQ2yWAT9FIg/Tl_b15fn2yI/AAAAAAAABfw/_BMKIE8J-w4/DSC00333_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>'Come hither, you are defenceless against my vanilla-soaked sponge and indecent fillings…’</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_xxCPXcYBt_oBdW1WnesQ-U1Oi4p_OE7m94OLD69OirvEwpMBJm4MAT6jwRXLxSikSHAdTcqGKZt_TJItdtwkAA5LZrzEfJJkoppA-UHPJjypUsiHWppQqo-lAvou0BQyy00r5_h2-E/s1600-h/DSC00335%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00335" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00335" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ks0PE6JV4Os/Tl_b3RIEJvI/AAAAAAAABf4/sb1radYX3mQ/DSC00335_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Little apple and orange zest muffins, perfectly handbag or fist-sized: </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-whg-V-DhssE/Tl_b4Y5SIJI/AAAAAAAABf8/td2wQyx1sFQ/s1600-h/DSC00385%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00385" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00385" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2IU5PZGS3yw/Tl_b5DWD5BI/AAAAAAAABgA/0ThKYzjUr6A/DSC00385_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>C and K’s wedding cake – guys please tell me I wasn’t the only one stuffing a large section of this into my bag to take home? It was a delicious lemony sponge, just heavenly…</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gscq38hX0gE/Tl_b5ockexI/AAAAAAAABgE/5NHMLd29Iu4/s1600-h/IMG_8259%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8259" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8259" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-qt9KrMCCcb4/Tl_b6Lhw6TI/AAAAAAAABgI/EqsLzgt38ME/IMG_8259_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>My godson A’s chocolate birthday cake complete with animals wading knee-deep in chocolate – that’s what I want to be doing…</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jaCJJuNjsbk/Tl_b7BP_ohI/AAAAAAAABgM/ph6XRXViT5Y/s1600-h/IMG_8233%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="IMG_8233" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="IMG_8233" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-xxN3mVrcTo4/Tl_b7uwaFQI/AAAAAAAABgQ/D-ApDXCn6WQ/IMG_8233_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Hope those have got you sprinting to the nearest establishment of baked goods…remember: a daily injection of cake brings spiritual happiness. Just ignore the increasing circumference of your thighs!</p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-34847684766993657202011-08-30T21:08:00.001+01:002011-08-30T21:08:08.504+01:00Kitchen coq-ups!<p> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MQ4CGkzuuaY/Tl1DHo2D8XI/AAAAAAAABfM/CCc0-PBbHVk/s1600-h/DSC00387%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00387" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00387" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WtKrkqwMn-g/Tl1DIZjFdoI/AAAAAAAABfQ/-E90G9EsDuA/DSC00387_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> </p> <p> </p> <p>Of late I have been clumsier than usual in the kitchen. Thank goodness I have a sense of humour, that is all I can say. Because the latest disasters have been on a fairly surreal scale. </p> <p>Recently some good friends asked me to make <a href="http://tinykitchentales.blogspot.com/2009/08/brownies-and-blondies.html" target="_blank">salted caramel brownies</a> for their wedding dessert – enough for 100 people. No problem, I said. I’ve made hundreds of these over the past few years. But for some reason the trusty hardwearing plastic bowl I had always used to melt the chocolate in, using the bain marie method, decided to melt itself over the edge of the saucepan, filling the kitchen with lovely chemical fumes. Then the melted chocolate inside it escaped into the seething heat below via a melted hole in the base of the bowl, burning and crusting into an angry black carbonised layer on the saucepan base. I had actually left the room for a few moments (duh) and on my return almost wept to see the mess, and the waste of good chocolate. Scarier, though, was the thought that I could have poisoned the wedding guests with melted plastic in their brownies. What a total plonker I was thinking that a plastic bowl would have ever done well for the job of melting the chocolate and butter mixture, but it served me well for several years despite this gap in my brain. Jesus!</p> <p>Today I decided to make an industrial quantity of coq au vin, since a friend gave us a massive bladder of red wine and we’ve been making lots of wine-based food. Nice. It’s also a great thing to have something large to bung in the freezer and eat on nights when we are too tired to cook. I found a great <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/mar/24/how-perfect-coq-au-vin" target="_blank">recipe</a> and got going. There were lots of components to the dish – infusing and reducing the wine, browning the chicken pieces in butter, peeling vast amounts of shallots, scraping leaves off a bush of thyme and so forth – it’s no wonder my brain was a bit addled by the time I got to strain the wine through a colander. I then dropped the pan of wine onto the colander because it was a bit heavy, which then smashed the ceramic bowl beneath it, causing the 1.5 litres of wine that I had been reducing for OVER AN HOUR to pour down the sink amid smashed pieces of porcelain. Poor hubby was dispatched to fetch another load of cheap red plonk, and I had to start that part all over again. I then burnt myself when a hot piece of butter fat spat itself out of the pan at my face, and hubby had to administer an ice cube wrapped in a cloth to a small burn…needless to say, the later part of the recipe where I had to set fire to some cognac poured over the chicken made him very nervous (actually he mainly did this bit for me)…</p> <p>Chicken + cognac + fire = this:</p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS80tBjWOgMUracc8gN8xtnm2M8E_RE7LapWD-eSutxZmqVlrVPEHS7HGwARzFg5OXeu7-0oq-Ly5uy_XOdYmeiV8ZXJmNRP_viCo6k0izJf6ZbhKrvSW9P3lwzHL909WDTHyrrRsWKto/s1600-h/DSC00389%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00389" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00389" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RQbiXzB7eGE/Tl1DJ_u8wWI/AAAAAAAABfY/zc8aYPlap1U/DSC00389_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Perhaps at the moment I can only be trusted to make toast – oh, wait, I burned that at the weekend too…spectacular plumes of smoke rose from the toaster, breakfast had to be started again…</p> <p>I am taking my poor friends C and M some lunch tomorrow, and if they read this they might think twice! </p> <p>Anyone else going gaga in the kitchen? I don’t want to feel too alone with my ineptitude…I must now go and singe something in the oven…</p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-56622436295157534832011-08-14T17:03:00.001+01:002011-08-14T17:03:18.907+01:00Blackberry and cassis compote<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-h-ujtQFDbdM/Tkfxo-7-L0I/AAAAAAAABec/253mx7Di4to/s1600-h/DSC00349%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00349" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00349" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-pX9bRpeWbKc/TkfxphiUVkI/AAAAAAAABeg/TOIZTfkSA6w/DSC00349_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-8HbQhnGxOTo/Tkfxq06HFkI/AAAAAAAABek/PFSxeGnjTGM/s1600-h/DSC00375%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00375" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00375" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-oNsAJW1sAcc/TkfxsRuKOeI/AAAAAAAABeo/M83UmsAmqoA/DSC00375_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a>      </p> <p>Not known for my love of raiding a JD Sports for a pair of crap trainers, I prefer to do non-aggressive form of looting: foraging for free fruit. It’s not stealing as such, it’s just picking fruit off the bushes, but not having to pay for it. I probably sound like a smug middle class bore. Oh well – at least I haven’t set fire to someone’s house or mugged someone for no good reason. (Come on London, grow up!)</p> <p>So having just come into possession of a terrifyingly overgrown garden, which has triffid-like brambles, I have had my paws on the blackberries for the last few weeks. They are ripe right now, and even though it feels a little early in the year to be picking them, the strange hot/wet weather we’ve had means that they have ripened early. Brambles grow literally everywhere, from urban spaces to country lanes, so get out there and loot some free fruit while it lasts – it feels really satisfying to see the berries glistening beadily in the sunshine, then popping them into a tub, knowing that less tasty versions are being flogged in supermarkets for silly money. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FHgw0d-EMkI/TkfxtGdNomI/AAAAAAAABes/BSQZFZSTU_Q/s1600-h/DSC00373%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00373" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00373" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dlzpREBdDBA/TkfxtvFHuII/AAAAAAAABew/PxoJtEE4dKo/DSC00373_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p>All I have done with the berries recently is make them into a sort of compote, laced with a little booze and sugar. Delicious served with thick Greek yoghurt (I use Total full fat), or draped onto scoops of vanilla ice cream. </p> <p>You will need:</p> <p>600g (ish) blackberries <br />About 2 tablespoons golden caster sugar <br />Creme de Cassis (blackcurrant) liqueur (I use the French Gabriel Boudoir of Dijon one) <br /> <br />Take your blackberries and rinse well, removing all bits of twig, grit and cobweb. Let them drain for a little while in a colander. Tip into a heavy based saucepan and sprinkle over the golden caster sugar and 2 capfuls of cassis (or more, depending on how boozy you like your berries, but don’t add too much more because it will overpower the flavour of the blackberry). </p> <p>Simmer over a low heat for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you have a bit of bubbling up and a dark purple syrup. They are ready to go! Let them cool down.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yv3wO9pKwIU/TkfxusS6nrI/AAAAAAAABe0/ESBKEphkKds/s1600-h/DSC00351%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00351" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00351" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-EVEncU27GYk/TkfxvBAWPzI/AAAAAAAABe4/1mFJGvRNBFk/DSC00351_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p>You could use the compote mixed with apple for an awesome crumble or pie, or even strain it to make ice cream (which I intend to do soon, watch this space). </p> <p>You could also make a refreshing drink with a spoonful of compote at the bottom of the glass, topped with fizzy water: </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19_BYOT6Clom0VdYXMBDeTsa3CGrtw_k6ZFi2vAfjYGP7A2lxqRBHC4JCWMMK4FaiZ9Gn1phw1esu36vVODjlllVTgfhiwvxhnm9-UGw8P4itkLHbdtrkP3qyzBzFDWCl5shpoB-Q4fg/s1600-h/DSC00350%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00350" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00350" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uparSZPOGtQ/TkfxwQnmOsI/AAAAAAAABfA/AYv3Wp5RYWc/DSC00350_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>I have also foraged these elderberries – anyone got any idea what I can do with them? I hear that if you eat too many of them, they have a laxative effect! </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ToXRtOilzBs/Tkfxw-FBRWI/AAAAAAAABfE/ZAA6ZUKOla0/s1600-h/DSC00374%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00374" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00374" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-0HvCIz6aSdc/TkfxxriJBUI/AAAAAAAABfI/JxX4SMKqRnA/DSC00374_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-13044419032691190392011-08-04T18:09:00.002+01:002011-08-04T18:26:58.891+01:00All I want…<p>…is one of these* installed in my house – probably at my bedside: </p><p> </p><p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Yf8DGUSMtyw/TjrSLYy3s-I/AAAAAAAABeM/yfzjzqTs2Rc/s1600-h/Press%252520for%252520Champers_crop%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="Press for Champers_crop" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="Press for Champers_crop" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-rNsz3b_0v-E/TjrSL3iCPtI/AAAAAAAABeQ/5WjOex8yA6o/Press%252520for%252520Champers_crop_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="288" border="0" /></a> </p><p></p><p> </p><p>Can anyone help? Surely every home should have one…</p><p> </p><p>* Failing having a champagne button at one’s bedside, go instead to <a href="http://bobbobricard.com/" target="_blank">Bob Bob Ricard</a> in Soho, where every booth has one of these charming additions for your amusement. <br />
<br />
While you're there, you could press the champagne button as much as you can get away with, and also put one of these cake assortments into your face:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QbO9Gm8RJeeaF-evWjdmcmkBU-jhRutUCDtd7iNeZf4xERib6YCFxfLQQz850pqGIOL1GvmGVEc1_mz1z2MmnGxpCTXQJ42MLE0NX0OKyRhNyvajg-uJu4XgT5-SbJB9V04vyopcESg/s1600/DSC00353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7QbO9Gm8RJeeaF-evWjdmcmkBU-jhRutUCDtd7iNeZf4xERib6YCFxfLQQz850pqGIOL1GvmGVEc1_mz1z2MmnGxpCTXQJ42MLE0NX0OKyRhNyvajg-uJu4XgT5-SbJB9V04vyopcESg/s320/DSC00353.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I'm such a greedy mare!<br />
<br />
</p>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6494360051404789311.post-31818932415438957942011-07-31T21:52:00.001+01:002011-07-31T21:54:15.389+01:00Spuntino<p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-N5Q8US0wAxQ/TjXAcDpm-FI/AAAAAAAABdc/m9nJJKSpZGk/s1600-h/DSC00344%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00344" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00344" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-jb8laTm4eNE/TjXAcp1Ty6I/AAAAAAAABdg/YdTtrc3KQPI/DSC00344_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Some days I just cry out to do something that feels a little spontaneous. I’ve been going through a soul-sapping house move, and it seems as though every evening has been filled with endless boring domestic tasks, so much so that I sometimes can’t remember what it feels like to have a night off and do something fun just for the HELL of it… I decided that the perfect antidote to this was to have a meal out in Soho somewhere fun where you could feel responsibility slipping off your shoulders. (yeah I know it’s not exactly skydiving on acid, but we do what we can!) So I picked Spuntino – a rather groovy newish place that raises two fingers to sensible planning, because it doesn’t take reservations and doesn’t have a phone number. Hah – feeling daringly spontaneous already!</p> <p>It’s situated on the rather seedy Rupert Street , and the only clue to its name is a small chalk scribble on the front of the building. Inside it’s very much like a New York bar – tiled walls, zinc counter, low wattage bulbs hanging down from the ceiling, trendy good looking bar staff with beards/flatcaps/Scandinavian cheekbones. There is the happy roar of chatter and loud music, the atmosphere is laid back. You have to queue up, but as long as you’re happy to have a chinwag and a drink to kill the time for 30 mins or so, you’ll be fine. Mind you, we did arrive at 7pm, and by the time we left a couple of hours later, the queue was snaking out of the door…</p> <p>The food is basically what you could call American ‘tapas’-style comfort food – by which I mean it comes in small plated portions, which is great if there’s two of you because you can try lots of different things on the menu. I don’t recommend trying to come here in a larger group, because you will all be sitting in a row at the counter and it’s hard to chat.</p> <p>It’s entirely possible to consume a week’s worth of calories in one sitting at Spuntino, because the food is not for the faint of heart – it’s cholesterol-laden goodness mainly of the deep-fried-molten-cheese variety, with the requisite burgers and cheesecakes, but all done with a novel twist. I’d imagine many a happy American ex-pat coming here for a taste of New York and not being disappointed.</p> <p>Here is what we ate…</p> <p>Clockwise, from top: pulled pork slider with pickled apple (tender meat, tart apples and a soft bun - yum), eggplant chips with fennel yoghurt dip (very interesting flavours, fresh tangy dip), deep fried olives (these were stuffed with meat and tasted wonderfully of pizza crackers!), soft shell crab with Tabasco mayo (slightly over-crunchy crab, but tasty nonetheless):</p> <p> </p> <p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSWY6xHXMqLC_ANUA4ZMfSUqG-G_XDPJ-xAVf6pnW_-_-IkvnwK-234OVt95M1tdXiATRyg4NxDqRWQIQk9ekPTTQLbKkXeXA1GUfa73N8lm8jJV8ClbvH9fdvfUngM0bVvG4FvKkol0/s1600-h/DSC00340%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00340" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00340" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gWfvryv7qb8/TjXAeMLQ6tI/AAAAAAAABdo/L9mPjhkaKnI/DSC00340_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a>    </p> <p> </p> <p>Truffled egg toast – ooh la la, this was SEXY. The poshest cheese on toast tasting of truffles, with a runny egg in the centre. Filth!</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31Q03X-yNRKKp1rZgj1cnJF5EdNlYmEyM_3NuRIVWsWBKpE4abd8AIH9JZhHFLbTvYoBpe9xkZOa3J31Z7wVYgZyM1HunCPYeKO6hN412q1GFy51-0ehzL5dDKMAm5z5unNlwQghVbTw/s1600-h/DSC00342%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00342" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00342" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CyBGOLl1fr8/TjXAfMhuzEI/AAAAAAAABdw/_AIVNJPwrNc/DSC00342_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Mac ‘n cheese – lordy, this was AMAZING. It was like a rich, creamy hug in a bowl, with a lovely crispy topping. It nearly finished us off – I could feel my arteries hardening with every delicious scoop. I nearly couldn’t finish it, but gave myself a talking to:</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ygE1UEdFkfQ/TjXAf2KiHBI/AAAAAAAABd0/p2Rghz7hX-E/s1600-h/DSC00343%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00343" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00343" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbzWCHpN6WXzU_5JZXaEaOILssf6yU4B6HxrJsSoAkYKBXLSJ2AGXAUoGYILexqVlAurNrvliESR9LXg_O7bmd0TyPiT1DhcJemDexMLkfXOPi6A0RPAukiWUb-GztvbECuu4seO0avM/?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>To not save room for dessert would have been a sin, even though I could feel that the savoury items I had consumed contained enough fuel to keep the UK alight on the National Grid for a week. So soldiering on, we ordered this pair of beauties…</p> <p>Peanut butter jelly sandwich: woah, this is a very clever dessert. The slices of ‘bread’ are actually two slabs of peanut butter-flavoured ice cream, sandwiched by a tangy raspberry filling and sprinkled with crunchy sugary peanut brittle. Sensational – and I’m not usually that fond of peanuts:</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-8TXdpPZSUyc/TjXAhNqOlAI/AAAAAAAABd8/fmYDaUlf9KI/s1600-h/DSC00345%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00345" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00345" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SkJMlErETZk/TjXAhtZPsAI/AAAAAAAABeA/eirVzKIEecs/DSC00345_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Brown sugar cheesecake with drunken cherries: simply a lovely cheesecake with the mellow flavour of brown sugar, complemented perfectly by the booze-soaked cherries:</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8vIcSS8tY8M/TjXAiK1blRI/AAAAAAAABeE/8JvQuRztH4I/s1600-h/DSC00346%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="DSC00346" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="262" alt="DSC00346" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-DLgjEnUxCFc/TjXAip9vyMI/AAAAAAAABeI/M0IzhWSXTqU/DSC00346_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="349" border="0" /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>After this gastronomic blow-out I fell into the heaviest sleep imaginable (a lard coma) and felt full for a whole 24 hours afterwards! If you are going to Spuntino for a heavy sesh, take a defibrilator…</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://spuntino.co.uk/" target="_blank">Spuntino</a> <br />61 Rupert Street <br />Soho <br />London W1D 7PW</p> Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14873449129184212792noreply@blogger.com4