Eats the World

Vegetarian cottage pie with cheesy parsnip and sweet potato topping - recipe

2012-01-24T16:25:00.000Z

So, happy (very belated) New Year! I hope you're all having a good start to 2012.

After a really excellent festive period, split between Wiltshire with my parents and Portugal with Marc's it was back to earth with a bump for me, as I faced a mountain of Uni work. Three weeks later and I've emerged blinking into the daylight and am making a return to social media. Miss me?!

January's such a miserable month that it's nice to treat yourself to some hearty comfort food. This recipe for veggie cottage pie is a real winter-warmer. It's going to wrap you up in a big warm snuggle and make you forget all about the grey day outside.

The cheesy parsnip and sweet potato mash is also really delicious on its own (try not to scoff it all before you top your pie with it!) and would work well as a side-dish.

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
100g mushrooms, sliced
Good glug of red wine (optional if you're still on a January detox!)
400g tin chopped tomatoes
400g tin green lentils
1 teaspoon each of thyme, oregano and rosemary (or your favourites)

For the topping:

400g sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped

2 parsnips (about 250g), peeled and roughly chopped

100g cheddar cheese
Knob of butter

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c

Gently fry the onions and carrot in a good glug of oil for 5 minutes, until softened.

Add the mushrooms and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Add the lentils, tinned tomatoes and dried herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Gently simmer for 20-30 minutes.

In the meantime, boil the sweet potato and parsnip for 10-15 minutes, until thoroughly soft. Take off the heat and mash, with butter and cheese. Season to taste.

Place the sauce in the bottom of an ovenproof lasagne dish. Top with the sweet potato mash. If you feel like you need an extra treat, you might want to grate a little more cheese over the top.

Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until nicely browned and slightly crispy on top.

Serve with green veg and a dollop of ketchup. Classy!

Easy smoked mackerel pate - recipe

2011-12-29T12:57:00.000Z

Merry Christmas all. Hope Father Christmas brought you everything you wanted and you enjoyed some quality time with friends, family and several boxes of mince pies.

With the festive season not quite over yet (phew!), lots of people this year seem to be planning to celebrate New Year's Eve with a party at home. So, for those of you who need some ideas for nibbles or a buffet, I thought I'd share my smoked mackerel pate recipe.

This couldn't be easier; it's ready in about two minutes and tastes delicious. Ideal served with crusty bread for a starter, on mini crackers as a canape, or with crudites for a buffet.

Ingredients:
1 packet smoked mackerel fillets
1 tablespoon soured cream**
1 tablespoon double cream
1 dessert spoon creamed horseradish (from a jar)
Juice of half a lemon
Black pepper to season

Method:
Remove the skins from the smoked mackerel fillets. These peel off really easily.

Put mackerel, soured cream, double cream and horseradish into a blender. Blitz for 30 seconds to a minute - the consistency is up to you but I prefer mine with a little bit of texture, not completely smooth.

Taste and add lemon juice and pepper as required.

The pate will keep for a couple of days covered in the fridge, so you make well in advance of your party.

*If you have any spring onions or parsley that need using up, you can add them when you blend the ingredients.

**This recipe is fairly foolproof and you don't need to be exact with ingredients. If you prefer you could use Greek yoghurt instead of sour cream.

Oysters with Japanese dressing - recipe

2011-12-21T12:03:00.000Z

They might not be very traditional but I think oysters make the perfect starter over Christmas. When you're eating so much rich food, oysters provide a welcome change. Not only that but they're surprisingly affordable (around 70p per oyster) and most fishmongers will even open them for you - so very little effort is required.

You can serve them au natural with just a squeeze of lemon, or with a simple shallot and red wine vinegar dressing, or if you fancy, you can add a few more flavours.

One of my favourites is a Japanese twist. I made these yesterday for Marc with a dressing made of soy sauce, sushi vinegar and grated ginger. I also topped them with a touch of very finely chopped cucumber and spring onion and a little dot of wasabi. Perfection.

A couple of months ago, we went to an oyster tasting event at Wrights Bros, Soho. Have a look here for some more oyster inspiration.

Oysters with Japanese dressing

Canapés from the East at Hashi Cooking

2011-12-19T11:53:00.000Z

One of the best things about Christmas is party food (also known as canapés!). I love drooling over the supermarket ads showcasing their festive offerings but have to admit that, if you can find the time, homemade canapés always taste better.

With my love of the bite-sized treat, the Canapes from the East class at Hashi Cooking sounded like the perfect pre-Christmas night out.

The class is just one evening, during which you learn how to make six different Asian canapés. Reiko demonstrates first, then you get the chance to make them yourself. Most importantly, you get to enjoy them all with a glass of fizz at the end!

My three favourites are below. You also take away all the recipes, making it easy to recreate them at home. Hope they give you some festive inspiration.

Watercress, calamari and prawn tempura

Little gem lettuce with chestnuts and sweetcorn

Prawn noodle salad with sesame dressing

Best Christmas presents for foodie friends #7 - cookery courses

2011-12-16T12:59:00.001Z

One of the best things I've done this year is Japanese cookery lessons at Hashi Cooking. I think a cookery course is an ideal present for any foodie friends or family.

The added bonus is that they can try out their new skills on you!

Here's my top three suggestions:

Billingsgate Seafood School
They offer a variety of different one and half day courses, some of which include a guided tour of the World famous fish market.

The Ginger Pig Butchery classes
Not one I'd be keen to do (due to my non-meat eating ways!) but I've heard good things about these classes. Maybe one for the man in your life?

Hashi Cooking
I think the one day sushi/sashimi making class would make a great present.

Best Christmas presents for foodie friends:

#1 For Japanese food lovers:

Hashi: A Japanese Cookery Course

#2 For those who like an unusual tipple:

Violet liqueur

#3 For those who like the finer things in life:

White Alba truffle

#4 For the chilli-heads:

Chilli presents

#5 For pizza addicts

Pizza stone

#6 For cheese chompers
Slate cheese board

Best Christmas presents for foodie friends #6 - slate cheese board

2011-12-14T16:57:00.000Z

This slate cheese board is a brilliant idea, as you can write the name of the cheeses directly on it with a piece of chalk. I recommend doing this before you start dinner, whilst you can still remember what they all are!

The Handpicked Collection stocks them here

Best Christmas presents for foodie friends:

#1 For Japanese food lovers:

Hashi: A Japanese Cookery Course

#2 For those who like an unusual tipple:

Violet liqueur

#3 For those who like the finer things in life:

White Alba truffle

#4 For the chilli-heads:

Chilli presents

#5 For pizza addicts
Pizza stone

Best Christmas presents for foodie friends #5

2011-12-13T17:47:00.000Z

I'm a huge pizza fan but rarely make it at home. Perhaps I would if I had my own pizza stone though, this is definitely on my Christmas list!

The idea is that you place your pizza on the stone in the oven. The stone heats up, giving you a super crispy base. My local pizza delivery outlet might just find themselves out of business. Sorry guys!

You can find them in most kitchen shops and there are loads online, for example this one on Amazon

Best Christmas presents for foodie friends:

#1 For Japanese food lovers:

Hashi: A Japanese Cookery Course

#2 For those who like an unusual tipple:

Violet liqueur

#3 For those who like the finer things in life:

White Alba truffle

#4 For the chilli-heads:
Chilli presents

Best Christmas presents for foodie friends #4 - For the chilli-heads

2011-12-08T12:09:00.000Z

You probably know someone who loves hot food. The hotter the better. They order the hottest curry on the menu and insist on adding extra chillies to anything you make them.

Marc is one of these people. I used to get offended when he immediately tipped a pile of chilli flakes over any of my creations, without trying it first but these days I just accept it. In fact, I think I like my food spicier as a result of living with a chilli-head!

There are loads of chilli related presents out there, so this Christmas present suggestion is actually three-in-one.

1. First up, chilli chocolate. Yes, it's becoming ubiquitous among artisan producers but it really is good and makes a great stocking filler. One of my faves is Montezuma's They do chilli chocolate by the bar, in various flavour combinations. It's an independent British company, so worth supporting. There are a few shops in London and the South-East but they also do mail-order.

2. I grew chillies for the first time this year and can vouch for the fact that it's pretty fool-proof and actually quite rewarding. For someone who loves chilli, I think a grow-your-own-chillies kit is a fab pressie. There's plenty of them around, try Amazon.

Some good tips on growing them in this article

3. Now, the only problem with growing your own is that it does take aaaagges. So, if you're looking for a more instant hit, check out Capsicana This online shop sells all manner of dried chillies, including the World's hottest chilli, Bhut Jolokia - guaranteed to spice up your Christmas dinner! My favourite is the chipotle, which has a lovely smoky flavour. I've used it to make patatas bravas very successfully in the past. Prices at Capsicana are reasonable, so why not put together a selection pack. Guaranteed to be more popular than your standard chocolate one!

Best Christmas presents for foodie friends:

#1 For Japanese food lovers:
Hashi: A Japanese Cookery Course

#2 For those who like an unusual tipple:
Violet liqueur

#3 For those who like the finer things in life:
White Alba truffle

Best Christmas presents for foodie friends #3

2011-12-06T10:29:00.000Z

Truffles might seem like an obvious Christmas present but I'm not talking about a box of chocolates. How about snuffling out some truffles and arranging for a White Alba truffle to be be delivered to your loved one in time for Christmas?

Earlier this year I bought a truffle from Mister Truffle and had a very decadent weekend making all sorts of truffle-y delights - check out my post on Truffle Fest 2011 for more information.

Mister Truffle is arranging deliveries for Christmas, so get in touch with the lovely people there for a present guaranteed to be more popular than a box of chocolates!

Present ideas:
#1 Hashi: A Japanese Cookery Course
#2 Violet liqueur
#3 A White Alba Truffle

Best Christmas Presents for foodie friends #2 - violet liqueur

2011-12-02T23:43:00.000Z

If you're thinking a bottle of something naughty might be in order, why not make it something a little bit different?

This violet liqueur comes in a gorgeous bottle - it almost looks like it belongs on a dressing table in fact - and is the most stunning colour. It puts me in mind of an old fashioned apothecary but there's nothing medicinal about the taste: this is Parma violets in a bottle. Divine.

Pour a little into a champagne flute and top with champagne or prosecco to make a Parma violet Princess. Perfick.

It's not easy to get hold of but I found it on Amazon

Best Christmas presents for foodie friends #1

2011-12-01T20:12:00.000Z

Love it or hate it, it's most definitely that time of year again (and for the record I LOVE it!). So, it's chocolate for breakfast, mince pies for elevenses and mulled wine whenever I can get my mitts on it. Ace.

Along with all the eating and drinking I'll be trying to get my Christmas shopping done in plenty of time this year. There's always a few people who are difficult to buy for, so, being a generous sort of person, I thought I'd help you out with some pressie ideas.

And I'm starting you off with a cracker(!). Even if your loved one's bookcase is already groaning with cookbooks, I can guarantee they'll make room for this one. Shiny, spanking brand new: Hashi: A Japanese Cookery Course, by Reiko Hashimoto.

As you might remember, I've done Reiko's Beginners course and am currently doing the Gourmet course, so I'm familiar with a fair few of the recipes and I can reliably inform you that they're all delicious. In the book, they are throughly explained step-by-step, with useful cook's tips throughout.

This book does what Reiko does so well in person: it demystifies Japanese cookery and makes it accessible. A reference section at the front gives you all the information you need on equipment and utensils, as well as lots of interesting facts about the cuisine itself. Reiko's down-to-earth approach comes across well in the text and there's plenty to learn, without it being overfacing.

The book is beautifully styled and the photography is stunning. I bought my copy yesterday and I'm over the moon with it. I'm sure anyone you buy it for will be too.

Sweetcorn fritters - recipe

2011-11-30T13:35:00.000Z

These golden sweetcorn fritters are a real crowd-pleaser and are the recipe most often requested by Marc! The crispy batter, juicy sweetcorn and hit of chilli is a match made in heaven.

They're also really easy to make and work well for canapes, starters or even breakfasts.

Sold yet? Go on, give them a go. Guarantee you'll love them, or your money back (except not the second part).

Ingredients (Serves four for starters):
125g self-raising flour
1 egg
100ml milk
340g tin of sweetcorn, well drained
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 red chilli finely chopped (more or less, to your taste)
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to season
Vegetable oil to fry

Method:
Sift the flour into a bowl.

Make a well and add the egg.

Gradually beat together, adding the milk a little at a time, until you have a lovely smooth batter.

Add the sweetcorn, spring onions and chilli and a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Drop in spoonfuls of the batter and press down gently to form fritters.

Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden and crispy.

Serve with a simple salsa, or chilli sauce to dip.

Eat, enjoy.

Chestnut, mushroom and red onion pie - recipe

2011-11-25T17:58:00.000Z

You just can't beat a pie on cold winter's evening. This one is particularly seasonal, with chestnuts and mushrooms making up the filling. It's also quite hearty and I guarantee it will appeal to veggies and carnivores alike (the Committed Carnivore said he'd like to eat it every day!).

I recommend using ready-made puff pastry - apparently even chefs don't bother making their own at home, as it's so fiddly, so don't feel guilty!

Ingredients (makes 2 substantial pies):

1 pack chestnuts 350g
1 red onion
Knob of butter or glug of oil
Glug of balsamic
150g shiitake mushrooms
200g chestnut mushrooms
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
100ml red wine
Handful fresh herbs (parsley and thyme)

1 pack ready-rolled puff pastry

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200c

Using a small, sharp knife, cut a cross into the round side of each chestnut. Place cross-side up in a baking tray and roast for 25-30 mins. Peel tough outer shell and inner skin and roughly chop. **You can use ready cooked chestnuts if you prefer**

Whilst the chestnuts are cooking, slice the onion and gently fry in a little butter or oil for 5-7 minutes. Add a good glug of balsamic vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes over a low heat.

Add the garlic. Cook for a further minute. Add the mushrooms and chestnuts and stir to coat with onion mixture.

Pour in the red wine. Simmer for 5-10 mins, until the wine has reduced down.

Season with salt and pepper and add the herbs.

Pour the mixture into individual pie dishes and top with puff pastry, cut to fit your pie dishes and crimped at the edges to seal.

Cook in oven at 200c for 25-30 mins, until the pastry has risen and is golden brown.

Mushrooms

Roasted chestnuts ready to peel

Ready to tuck in

Franco Manca - review

2011-11-21T17:55:00.002Z

I eat a lot of pizza (an awful lot in fact!) but it occurred to me that I rarely talk it about it here. I think there's some really great pizza places in London - not necessarily hidden gems but I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you.

First up, Franco Manca in Chiswick. The original restaurant is in Brixton Market but, mainly due to limited opening hours, I've never made it over there. The new-ish branch in Chiswick is bigger, takes bookings and is open every day until 11pm.

The restaurant has a casual, rustic feel to it, with wooden tables and benches, a tiled floor and hanging ham legs. The menu is short, apparently showcasing seasonal ingredients, although I was a little surprised to see they were still offering the summer menu in mid-November...

But no matter, the food we had was excellent. We started with beautiful, rich burrata (Italian cheese made with mozarella and cream) and panouzzi (flame grilled bread) topped with ricotta, roasted cherry tomato and truffle oil. Both starters were delicious and just served to whet our appetites for the main event.

Oft cited as London's best pizza, I have to say it really does live up to the hype. The pizza base is made from slow rising sourdough and cooked in a wood burning oven. The result is a base slightly charred and crispy on the edges and soft and chewy in the middle. I'm sure it would be delicious with just a drizzle of olive oil but of course, it's even better with additional toppings. I went for the veg special: caramelised red onion, gorgonzola and spinach. Marc went for a similar pizza with the addition of Serrano ham.

Full and happy, the bill was a pleasant end to the meal. At just over £40, including three glasses of wine and three beers, this is extremely good value - particularly when you take into account the quality of the ingredients.

I will most definitely be going back. As often as possible!

Burrata

A neglected blog and a Japanese cookery lesson

2011-11-16T21:41:00.001Z

As most of you know, I recently decided to quit the rat race and go back to University to study Psychology. I thought making the decision was the hard part but I definitely underestimated just how much work would be involved. For the last few weeks, I've found myself with my nose in a book (yup, they still do use those!), or with my head so swimming with statistics that stringing a sentence together has been a challenge (let alone a blog post).

But I've decided it's time to rejoin the real, albeit online, world, give my blog a bit of TLC and tell you about my latest Japanese cookery adventures.

My sister and I are back at Hashi Cooking to do Reiko's gourmet course (check out the lovely new website). As ever the food was fantastic and we met some great people. Reiko is, of course, the star of the show though - she is a fantastic teacher and a very talented chef.

Some pictures below. I'm planning on recreating some of the dishes at the weekend, so I'll post my efforts and recipes then.

Reiko's signature dish being prepared

Ready for the oven

Et voila: scallops with spicy sauce and
sushi rice (the best scallop dish I've ever had)

Tofu steak with wild mushrooms

Mackerel with apple and ginger sauce

The Bingham - restaurant review

2011-10-19T22:39:00.001+01:00

As I've been working so hard at Uni (trust me, my brain aches), Marc took me to The Bingham, in Richmond, for lunch. Sooo much better than a gold star!

The Bingham is a boutique hotel, in a Georgian townhouse, overlooking the river. It's also home to Shay Cooper's restaurant. Sadly, the restaurant has lost it's Michelin star in the 2012 guide. All I can say is the inspector must've visited on a bad day, as the meal and service we had were absolutely top notch.

Like many other fine-dining establishments, The Bingham offers a very good value lunch menu. This is also available on a Saturday, which is extremely accommodating! The set menu is £22.50 for two courses or £26.00 for three. Remarkably, there is no surcharge for cheese - and a mighty fine cheese selection it is too.

The dining room itself is bedecked in gold hues; luxurious but modern. The full length windows offer views over the river. Perfect on a sunny day, when you can watch boats passing by.

Cute lightbulb vase

We started with an absolutely delicious amuse bouche: rich, earthy cep mousse beautifully complemented by a cauliflower truffle foam. I could've eaten buckets of it. Truly delicious.

The freshly baked bread selection was almost too tempting. I really wanted to ask for one of each (potato and rosemary, foccacia, seed and white baguette). I settled on the potato and rosemary. With lashings of salted butter.

Amuse bouche

The menu is a cacophony of seasonal goodies and the starter was a perfect example: truffle spatzle (a sort of German pasta), with mushroom puree, girolles, confit egg yolk and shaved chestnuts. This was exceptional. In fact the lady on the table next to us actually came over when she saw it arrive on our table to tell us it was the best starter she'd ever had. It really was that good; beautifully cooked and with the flavours and textures in perfect harmony.

Truffle spatzle

My main was sea bream fillet, with glazed chicory, sauteed squid and bitter orange vinaigrette. This was picture perfect and I particularly liked the effect shredded squid.

Sea bream with glazed chicory

Marc's poussin was served with honey glazed root vegetables, crisp bacon and smoked pearl barley. The poussin had been de-boned and Marc said he enjoyed it all the more for being 'unfiddly'.

Poussin with honey glazed root vegetables

The cheese selection is impressive, all the more so for being included on the set lunch menu. Our waitress was happy to explain what each of the cheeses was (and put up with our indecisiveness in choosing!).

The cheese selection

The chocolate tart was the best I've had. Served warm with a chocolate biscuit crust and a filling like a chocolate fondant. It was rich, satisfying and did exactly what a chocolate pud should.

Bitter chocolate tart

Raisin bread, crackers and fig chutney

This was our final cheese selection. Unfortunately I didn't note down what they were (could've been the wine!) but we both agreed we'd chosen well!

Our cheese selection

A fancy meal is never complete without a plate of petits fours and The Bingham didn't disappoint.

Petits fours

And, the piece de resistance: a cocktail enjoyed on the terrace in the afternoon sun. Perfect end to an extremely good lunch. Star or no star, I'd highly recommend the restaurant at The Bingham.

Rose fantasia

Mussels, clams and an Italian island hideaway - recipe

2011-10-12T13:22:00.000+01:00

Last week's gorgeously hot weather made me wish I was on a beach somewhere eating fresh seafood and sipping chilled wine. I couldn't do anything about the beach but I did manage to rustle up a pot of clams and mussels (and maybe a cheeky glass of wine or two!).

Last year, after going to an amazing wedding in Rome, we spent a few days on a tiny island called Ventotene. It's a beautiful island, with crystal clear blue seas and picture-perfect pastel buildings. The pace of life is leisurely, with days spent sunbathing, or wandering round the little village square and evenings enjoying the freshest seafood, washed down with carafes of house wine. One of our favourite dishes was 'cozze e vongole' - mussels and clams. My version below.

Ingredients (serves two for main, four for starter):
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
Good glug of olive oil
1 glass of white wine
1.5kg (total weight) clams and mussels
Handful of fresh parsley

Method:
Clean the mussels and clams by running under cold water. Remove the beards from the mussels. Discard any that do not close when run under cold water, or tapped firmly.

In a large saucepan, gently heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the white wine and turn the heat up a little.

Add the clams and mussels. Put a lid over the pan and allow them to steam, shaking the pan occasionally.

After 4-5 minutes they should be cooked. They're ready when the shells are open.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve with some crusty bread. And some sunshine if you can!

'Cozze e vongole'

Delicious served with some fresh bread

The view from our hotel in Ventotene

The local supermarket!

Ancient Roman harbour

Back in Rome, everyone travels by scooter!

Tea for two and two for tea: Espelette at The Connaught review

2011-10-06T18:22:00.001+01:00

I have been pondering what makes afternoon tea so blimmin fantastic. Is it because it's so quintessentially British? Is it because it's reminiscent of a bygone era? Perhaps because it feels so civilised to sip tea whilst nibbling on dainty sandwiches?

And then it struck me: afternoon tea adds a whole extra meal to the day's proceedings. Amazing.
None of this messing around with squashing two meals together (you know who you are, brunch). Just an extra, cake filled, meal. What's not to love?

I'd be quite happy to reinstate afternoon tea as a daily affair but sadly it is but an occasional treat. Most recently enjoyed at Espelette at The Connaught

This is a very 'proper' afternoon tea, with the usual selection of finger sandwiches, scones and delicate cakes all done to an extremely high standard, all graciously replenished if you wish (we did!). The service is top class and you're well looked after from the moment you enter the door to the moment you're rolled out.

I particularly enjoyed the jam menu.

Yes, you heard me right, a menu. For jam. You're able to pick two jams for the table from a selection of 16. After much deliberation, we plumped for raspberry & violet and rhubarb & vanilla. The rhubarb jam was exceptional and, somewhat surprisingly to me, went perfectly with the scones and clotted cream. And those scones - yum, yum, yum. Plain and ginger scones are served straight from the oven and they were perfect specimens.

The cakes tasted as good as they looked. The maple syrup and blackcurrant jelly 'religieuse' and the strawberry jelly cheesecake were particularly good.

By the time the final cakes, a raspberry and rose and chocolate loaf cake, were served we were can't-eat-another-mouthful stuffed. After the beautiful delicacies from the cake stand, these seemed rather plain and probably a little bit superfluous but just a minor quibble.

All this food is washed down with an excellent selection of loose-leaf teas. Silver needles was my favourite and we were given a complimentary sachet to take home, which was a very nice touch.

All in all, this is a fabulous afternoon tea. As you might expect, it's not cheap (£35 a head without champagne) but it is an experience. And one I'd definitely like to repeat in the not too distant future.

Afternoon tea: my favourite of all the meals.

Before we got stuck in

The maple syrup religieuse on the left. Strawberry cheesecake in the middle.

The first plate of sandwiches.

Perfect scones

Rhubarb jam on the left

Which one will you choose?

The cake that defeated us.

Tea to take away

What's in season: October

2011-10-04T10:57:00.000+01:00

I've thoroughly enjoyed every second of our amazing Indian summer but there's no denying that it is actually Autumn. With normal service set to resume over the next couple of days, I'm quite looking forward to tucking into mushrooms, squashes and beetroot and putting stodgy stews and soups back on the menu.

Vegetables: Artichokes, aubergines, beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, courgettes, cucumber, fennel, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, rocket, sorrel, squash, swede, sweetcorn, turnips.

Fruit: Apples, blackberries, chestnuts, crab apples, cranberries, figs, loganberries, pears, plums, quinces, sloes, tomatoes, walnuts.

Maki - restaurant review

2011-10-03T16:54:00.001+01:00

I think I eat Japanese food more than any other cuisine. I just can't get enough of it. I tend to get my Japanese fix at lunchtime, often buying sushi take-out for lunch. Incidentally, did you know the reason sushi from a sandwich chain or a supermarket doesn't tend to be very good? It's because the fridges are set too cold: sushi rice reacts under super-cold temperatures and becomes very dry. Japanese places tend not to have their fridges as cold, so the sushi rice stays a better texture for longer.

But I digress. I was just about to tell you that, despite it being a firm favourite, we rarely go out for Japanese in the evening but that looks set to change. We've been living in leafy Richmond for a few months now and have just happened upon a rather good neighbourhood Japanese restaurant: Maki

The restaurant is decorated in typical Japanese style, in reds and blacks, with a sunken seating area. The service is friendly and attentive, the menu extensive (in a good way) and the prices reasonable. I won't go into all of the dishes but highlights include the sashimi, which was incredibly fresh, black miso cod (less than half the price of Nobu) and ebi (prawn) tempura rolls. The only slight disappointment was the gyoza, which had been deep fried.

If you're in the area I highly recommend it for a reasonably priced taste of Japan.

Edamame with plenty of salt, as I like them best

Sashimi bento box

Ebi tempura roll

Salmon sashimi (a little complimentary gift from the chef)

Soft shell crab roll

Why we should all be drinking beer

2011-09-29T11:17:00.000+01:00

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited along to an event at Young's Brewery pub The Orange Tree in Richmond. This event was a beer and food matching event for the ladies, hosted by beer expert (and lady) Melissa Cole.

Melissa took us through a potted history of beer and brewing methods before we moved on to the important business of tasting some beers with appropriately matched foods.

Now, although I studiously took notes all evening, I have managed to misplace them. Idiot. Fortunately for us all, the lovely Jassy has written up the evening on her blog Gin and Crumpets and done a much better job than I would've done. Please check it out. I'll be testing you.

Just to prove I was paying attention, I thought I'd share with you a few of the things that I found really interesting.

1. The term 'beer' covers ales and lagers. What we were introduced to was Artisan beers - rather than mass produced, commercial beers. I was amazed by the differences in taste. Beers vary just as much as wines. I can almost guarantee that with a bit of experimentation you'll find one that you love. My personal favourite from the evening was the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, from California (amber coloured with a fragrant bouquet and notes of orange blossom, don't you know!).

2. Some of the best Artisan produced beers are now coming from the States, as the Sierra Nevada proves. So, for those of you that think that our American friends don't know their beer, think again.

3. Beer and food matching is far from a gimmick. Melissa paired the food with beers that were designed to either complement or cut through the foods. Check out Gin and Crumpets for some examples. It was amazing to experience how the various beers transformed. Something I'm keen to replicate at home.

4. You should taste beers in a very similar way to how you taste wines:

Hold the beer to the light to check the colour
Hold your hand over the glass and swirl
Keep your hand over the glass until you have the glass up to your nose. Sniff and identify the different aromas
Take a large mouthful and ensure your whole mouth is covered
Now, the good news, in contrast to wine tasting, you need to swallow the beer. Bonus!

I, for one, am a convert and think I may just become a beer nerd. At the very least, I'll be on the lookout for new and interesting beers when I'm out and about. Step away from the wife-beater and give it a go yourself!

Goats cheese and red onion tart - recipe

2011-09-27T19:33:00.002+01:00

Would you think I'd totally lost it if I told you I'd got this recipe from a goat?

Well, I 'kid' you not (sorry!). I met the lovely people from Capricorn goat's cheese at the recent Tech 'n' Taste blogger event. It's quite possible that these people are certifiable: they have created blogs and Twitter accounts for their goats and are currently running a recipe competition between Beryl and Ethel - check it out, it's pretty funny.

This cheese is tasty stuff, very creamy and mild, so I jumped at the chance to recreate one of Beryl's recipes at home. My version below, which makes six tartlets. One is enough for a starter, served with a bit of peppery watercress. Yum, yum, yum.

Ingredients (makes six tartlets):
2 x 100g packs of Capricorn goats cheese, each pack cut into three slices
1 jar ready-made red onion marmalade/chutney
1 packet ready rolled shortcrust pastry
A few sprigs of thyme (optional)

Watercress to serve

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180c and grease a muffin tin.

Using a pastry cutter, cut six circles out of the ready rolled pastry. Carefully place the rounds into the muffin tray, prick the pastry, line with baking parchment and place baking beads in them. Bake 'blind' for 8-10 minutes. Remove the beads and baking parchment, return to the oven and bake for a further ten minutes.

Half fill the pastry cases with red onion marmalade, whilst still in the tin. Top each with a round of goats cheese and put them back in the oven.

Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the goats cheese is bubbling and golden brown.

Top with a sprig of fresh thyme and serve with a little dressed watercress on the side.

Goats cheese tartlet

Texture - restaurant review

2011-09-25T17:20:00.002+01:00

Chef Agnar Sverrisson, joined forces with Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons Head Sommelier, Xavier Rousset, to launch Texture in September 2007. The restaurant won a Michelin star in 2010, with Agnar being the first Icelandic chef ever to be awarded one.

I have to admit, I hadn't really heard much about Texture before we went. Little B, my fine dining chum, found a lunchtime special offer (and we all know how much I like a special offer!) and a quick bit of research showed that people actually thought rather highly of it, so we duly booked.

Maybe the lack of buzz is just down to the fact that it's been knocking around for a little while? I guess the blogosphere tends to favour the shiny and new.

We were a little underwhelmed by the venue itself, which is (strangely) attached to the Best Western Hotel, on Bryanston Street. The decor in the high-ceilinged restaurant is pretty unremarkable and seems to be lacking a consistent theme. It could really do with an injection of Scandi-style.

But anything lacking in the decor is quickly made up for by the food, which is super stylish. From the presentation to the crisp, clean flavours and interesting (um) textures, this was a memorable meal.

We started with a plate of paper-thin wafers, served with a yoghurt and barley dip. The cod skin was the most interesting, feather light with a delicate tang of fishiness.

Bread was served alongside a faux pas. When I asked the (head) waiter what the bread was, he informed us that it was 'just plain bread'. Maybe something was lost in translation there. Nonetheless, it was very tasty and the accompanying butter, flecked with Icelandic seaweed, was delicious.

An amuse bouche of tomato gazpacho with tomato 'snow' was flavoursome and refreshing.

We both had the Icelandic prawns to start. Served with sorrel, cucumber and crisps of rye bread, this was a beautifully fresh and light starter. The constituent flavours and textures worked perfectly together, ensuring that, although the dish was complex, it wasn't overly complicated. I also loved the bold crockery used throughout, a welcome change from a plain white plate.

For the main course we had pollock with leeks, 'soil' and girolles. The fish was perfectly cooked, although it isn't one of my favourites. We weren't able to identify what the 'soil' actually was. I really should've asked but I was far too busy eating. The highlight of this dish was the leek, which was smoked and really added another dimension flavour-wise.

Our pudding was divine. It had us oohing and aahing like kids at a fireworks display. The cool, crisp cucumber cut through the rich Valrhona white chocolate mousse and ice cream perfectly and the sparks of dill added another layer of flavour.

The food at Texture is inventive and exciting. And £24 for three courses at lunchtime is an absolute steal. Because the chef doesn't use cream or butter in his savoury dishes, the food is light enough to scoff 3 courses at lunchtime and not need to lie down for the rest of the afternoon. I'm keen to go back of an evening and have a proper look at the extensive wine and champagne lists!

A weekend in Guernsey

2011-09-20T13:13:00.000+01:00

The freshest crab, rich yellow butter, punchy cider and the sweetest tomatoes are just some of the things I associate with Guernsey. As an island (one of the eight inhabited Channel Islands) Guernsey naturally has access to some amazing seafood but the warm climate also allows people (both commercially and personally) to grow an abundance of fruit and veg. My parents moved to Guernsey eleven years ago, so I’ve spent quite a lot of time there. The food is always a highlight.

The waters around Guernsey offer an amazing variety of seafood, including oysters, lobster, crab and sea bass. The best place to buy crab from is the Crab Cabin, in the parish of Vale, where you can buy pots of freshly picked local crab. Seafresh Fishmongers, on the fishing quay in St Peter Port, sells high-quality, local fish and shell fish, supplied straight from the fishing boats. It’s also possible to hire fishing equipment locally, if catching your own appeals.

Classic 'Hedge veg' box. I love the sign at the top.

If you visit Guernsey, you’ll quickly notice the ‘Hedge Veg’ boxes – these are boxes that people put out in the hedges in front of their houses, to sell the excess produce from their gardens. Payment is made via an honesty box. I love this system. It really is the best place to buy fruit and veg for extremely reasonable prices. Can’t see it catching on in London though!

The farmers market , held very Saturday at Sausmarez Manor, is a great place to pick up local produce, including jams, cheeses, bread and eggs. When we were there last, there was also a French food market in St Peter Port.

Lovely garlic display at the French food market

One of my favourite things about Guernsey is the stunning coastline. The dramatic cliffs give way to clear, blue waters and more than 20 beaches. Several offer long stretches of white sand, others have rock pools to play in at low tide. Many are easily accessible by car, others take a little more effort to reach on foot. I love Fermain Bay: a ten minute walk through some very pleasant cliff-side woodland and you’re rewarded with a pretty little bay and a very popular cafe. If you can bag yourself a seat, the best thing on the menu is the crab sandwich – packed full of locally caught, sweet crab.

It's that way

Fermain Bay

Fermain Bay Cafe

Cobo Bay, on the West coast, is the best spot to catch the sunset and people queue up for fish and chips, to eat whilst the sun goes down. Vazon is Guernsey’s surfing beach and you’ll see people out all year round.

Pembroke beach is another of my favourite spots – with its long sweep of white sand.

Pembroke beach

Lancresse Common golf club overlooks the beach, so watch out for flying golf balls. One of the reasons our dog, Molly, loves this walk is because she can steal them!

Molly hunting for golf balls

There are a few cafes on the beach, including The Beach House, which is a gorgeous spot to take in the view over a glass of wine. When you're on the coast, it’s worth hunting out proper Guernsey ice cream. Disappointingly, many of the cafes now only seem to serve standard packaged ice creams or Mr Whippy-esque cornets. Persevere, Guernsey ice cream is delicious and unbelievably creamy.

Cafe at Pembroke

As you make your way around the coast, you can’t help but notice the scale of the German fortifications – bunkers and towers pepper the coastline. The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be invaded, and occupied, by German forces during World War Two. Liberated on the 9^th May 1945, the islands celebrate a national holiday each year on this day. If you fancy a bit of a history lesson, there are plenty of places to learn more about the German occupation, including Castle Cornet, The Underground Museum and The German Occupation Museum.

I think Guernsey is a great place to visit for the weekend, or even longer. It’s also possible to do day trips to some of the other islands, including Herm, Sark and Jersey. Sark is my favourite and i’ll put up a blog post soon on our recent day trip to the island.

Eating out:

The Auberge

Stunning cliff-top location with views across St Peter Port and the other islands. Contemporary restaurant, serving seasonal food, including seafood and excellent steaks. Service can be very hit and miss.

Pier 17

Located in St Peter Port, with great views of the harbour and Castle Cornet. Good selection of fish and seafood.

Le Nautique

A traditional restaurant, with a wide selection of fish and seafood. Ask for a window table, for views over the harbour. It's best to eat quite early here, as service can be slow when the restaurant gets busy.

The Pavillion

A brasserie that makes great use of local produce. Fantastic puds.

Accommodation:

There are numerous options for self-catering. Otherwise, Fermain Valley Hotel and The Old Government House Hotel get consistently good reviews. I understand that the Bella Luce has also been refurbished, although I haven't visited it myself.

Getting there:

Three airlines fly to Guernsey:

Aurigny

Flybe

Blue Islands

Prices tend to be broadly similar. Flybe charges extra for hold luggage.

Condor Ferries offer regular services to Guernsey

Good sources of information:

Good Food Guernsey

Visit Guernsey

Shiny new name: Eats the world

2011-09-19T11:49:00.001+01:00

As you've probably noticed, I've decided to change the name of my blog to: 'Eats the World'. Don't worry, I'll still be posting the same content but I think this name better describes what appears here: recipes and restaurant reviews of many different cuisines and a trip abroad here and there. Hope you like it!

Oh and I have a new twitter name too: @eats_world

Sort-of-vegetable bhajis (Indian vegetable fritters) - recipe

2011-09-18T21:15:00.000+01:00

I don't know about you but I find a curry always hits the spot on a Sunday night - particularly when the rest of the weekend has been a little on the boozy side!

If I make the curry myself, I like to make these Indian-spiced vegetable fritters to go with it. Although it sounds like quite a lot of ingredients they're actually really easy to make, as everything is grated straight into one bowl.

Ingredients (makes 4):
1 medium carrot
1 small courgette
Half an onion
3cm finger of fresh ginger
1 red chilli
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of salt
50g self raising flour
Sunflower oil for frying

Method:
Grate the carrot, courgette, onion, ginger and chilli into a bowl. Add the chopped coriander, mustard seeds, cumin and salt. Use your hands to scrunch all the ingredients together.

Add half the flour and mix again. If the mixture is thick enough to form patties, you don't need to add any more. If the mixture is still a little wet, add the rest of the flour.

Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan, over a medium heat. The oil should be about 1cm depth. Drop in a tiny bit of the mixture to check the temperature; if it sizzles and rises to the top, the temperature is right.

Form the mixture into patties - this recipe should make about four. Fry for around 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy.

Serve with curry, or as a starter - they're really good with mango chutney.

Simple to make in one bowl

The beautiful colours of the ingredients

Grand Imperial - restaurant review

2011-09-16T12:20:00.002+01:00

The Grand Imperial Cantonese restaurant opened earlier this year in The Grosvenor Hotel, Victoria.

There isn't a wealth of good eateries in the area, so I was keen to try it out, particularly when I heard they had a dim sum set lunch.

Entering the restaurant from the hustle and bustle of Victoria station, you find yourself in an altogether more serene environment. The room itself is, fittingly, grand. High ceilings, marble pillars, dark wood furniture and crisp white table cloths are the order of the day. It's the sort of place where you almost feel the need to whisper - although this may have been because the restaurant was almost empty on a Friday lunchtime.

The express dim sum lunch is £20 for two people and allows you to choose five dishes to share, from a fairly standard selection. We enjoyed all the dishes we ordered but only one was particularly memorable; the deep fried whisker black cod, which was served with a delicious creamy, fruity dipping sauce.

Unfortunately, although the deal is reasonably priced, it really isn't enough food for two and we left slightly hungry. If we were to go again, I'd definitely order a bowl of noodles on the side.

Zucca - restaurant review

2011-09-14T17:07:00.003+01:00

Taking an Italian to an Italian restaurant is always a risky business. Particularly when the Italian in question isn't shy about expressing his opinions. Nonetheless, we'd heard great things about Zucca, so thought we'd be on safe ground.

Zucca opened last year on Bermondsey Street, London Bridge (also home to Jose, Village East and a number of other good pubs, bars and cafes). It's had rave reviews from critics and bloggers alike, praised for reasonable prices, use of seasonal ingredients and consistently good food.

After a delicious cocktail in Village East, (some of the best in London in my opinion, well worth stopping off here for an aperitif), we headed across the road to Zucca.

The restaurant is a Daz-doorstep-challenge-white, contemporary space largely reminiscent of an art gallery. Flashes of orange are a reference to the name - zucca means pumpkin in Italian.

The complimentary bread selection went down a treat, served with grassy olive oil. My favourite was the salty focaccia. We were also treated to a small plate of a sort of potato and chilli omelette/tortilla.

The food at Zucca is extremely reasonable, a refreshing change in London. Starters ranged from £3.95 to £4.75.

First on the list was a generous chunk of creamy mozzarella, with a sort of courgette stew, spiked with capers and liberally dressed with olive oil. Delicious with the bread and could be shared between two.

Mozarella with courgette and sorrel

Buttery seabass carpaccio came with flecks of mild red chilli and more of that olive oil. At £4.75, this was extremely good value and is a regular on the menu.

Seabass carpaccio

The two pasta dishes on the menu: papardelle with veal ragu and ricotto and taglierini with chanterelles and parmesan were a resounding success and got a big thumbs up from the Italian (who knows his pasta!).

On to the mains. There are six choices, priced from £14.25 to £14.95, with no real need to pay for extra sides (which, by the way, is a pet peeve of mine, as it often pushes prices up to ridiculous levels)

I went for the grilled sea bream with cannellini, potato and romanesco. This was a flavoursome, substantial, rustic dish. The fish was perfectly cooked, with a lovely crispy skin.

Sea bream

Zucca's signature dish is the veal chop, served with spinach and lemon. This is an almost obscenely large portion - guaranteed to make the day of any carnivore. Perfectly chargrilled on the outside, pink in the middle. And apparently 'bouncy' in texture (no, I'm not sure what that means either. You'd have to ask my dining companion himself). Funnily enough, I didn't hear much about the accompanying spinach...

The star of the show: veal chop

Although we were already full, the food had been so good that we couldn't resist trying the puddings. The panna cotta with poached plum was the lightest option and a perfect example of its kind.

The pistachio tart, although lighter than it appeared, was still something of a heavyweight choice. Lovely flavour with a delicious short, buttery crust. Definitely best shared.

Pistachio tart

The food was fantastic from start to finish and I just had two little niggles. Firstly, the open kitchen isn't ventilated well enough; although we sat right by the window, when we left all our clothes had taken on the smell of cooking meat fat. Secondly, whilst the food is very well priced, the wine is less of a bargain. There's just one bottle at £18 with the rest priced at £23 plus. It would be nice to see a small selection of house wines for under £20 a bottle.

All in all, Zucca is a fantastic restaurant and I'm highly jealous of anyone who can call this their local. And it was a resounding success with the Italian, which is high praise indeed.

**Sorry the photos are a bit rubbish. Camera phone, dim lighting blah.

Truffle Fest 2011

2011-09-13T11:32:00.002+01:00

I absolutely love truffles (the super-expensive fungus variety, although I am also rather partial to the chocolates) but had never really considered buying a whole truffle, as I always thought it would be too pricey.

Thanks to the joy of Twitter, I recently came across a website that specialises in truffles: www.mistertruffle.com According to Missus Truffle, English truffles (no, I didn't know they grew here either) were in season and, even better, you could order your truffle by the gram to be delivered to your home.

The English summer truffles come from a wood in deepest, darkest, Dorset. They're vacuum packed and last up to five days in the fridge. The flavour of Summer truffles is much more subtle than winter black or white truffles and you do need to use a little more to get a similar effect.

Admittedly truffles aren't cheap but being able to buy as much, or as little, as you like by the gram makes it much more economical. Also, as the flavour works well with very simple ingredients, you don't need to spend a fortune on other items. And, the cost of the truffle, wine and all the other ingredients was far less than a meal out. Hence, Truffle Fest 2011 began.

The menu:
Posh cheese on toast
Toasted ciabatta, rubbed with garlic and topped with melted gruyere. Sprinkled with shavings of fresh truffle

Asparagus, poached egg and fresh truffle
Spears of lightly griddled asparagus, topped with a poached egg, flakes of fresh parmesan and a generous grating of fresh truffle

Linguine with parmesan and fresh truffle
Fresh linguine tossed in butter and a drop of cream, topped liberally with shaved parmesan and fresh truffle

Chocolate and home-grown mint mousse

Our deliciously decadent meal was washed down with a chilled Rousanne (thanks to a recommendation from the lovely people at Hello Vino )

I will definitely be buying a Winter truffle from Mister Truffle (or Missus) when they're in season. They offer a fantastic service and I highly recommend reenacting your own Truffle Fest!

http://www.mistertruffle.com/
@missustruffle

**Update** if you love truffles as much as I do, you'll enjoy drooling over Greedy Diva's truffle & wine weekend in Provence. Jealous much?!

Watercress soup - recipe

2011-09-11T19:26:00.001+01:00

There's something extremely soothing about a steaming bowl of homemade soup, particularly when the the days start to get a little chilly around the edges. Soup is one of the easiest things you can make and you can use just about any old veg you have lying around.

Watercress, with its punch, peppery flavour, is great in salads but also makes a delicious soup, whizzed up with a bit of potato, onion and stock. I particularly love the colour of this soup - a really intense, deep green.

Ingredients (serves 2):
Half an onion, finely chopped
1 small potato, cut into small cubes
Large knob of butter
500ml vegetable stock
1 bunch watercress, roughly chopped (including stalks)

Method:
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and potato and cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until softened. (Keep stirring to avoid sticking).

Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.

Add the watercress and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Using a hand blender (my absolute favourite piece of kitchen equipment!), blend until smooth.

Serve topped with a little dollop of creme fraiche.

Watercress soup

What's in season: September

2011-09-09T17:44:00.001+01:00

September is a great month for fruit and veg. I'm still clinging on to hopes for an Indian summer, so I might make some strawberry tarts to coax the sunshine out! There's no denying that the nights are starting to draw in though, so I think the time might've come to start making satisfying homemade soups.

Vegetables: Artichokes, aubergines, beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, chard, chillies, courgettes, cucumber, fennel, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, wild mushrooms, onions, spring onions, peas, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkins, sorrel, spinach, squash, swede, sweetcorn, turnips, watercress.

Fruit: Apples, apricots, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, chestnuts, cobnuts, crab apples, damsons, elderberries, figs, gooseberries, loganberries, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, redcurrants, strawberries, tomatoes, walnuts.

Perfect patatas bravas - easy recipe

2011-09-06T17:46:00.001+01:00

Patatas bravas appear on the menu in most tapas bars and restaurants. At best, the potatoes are crisp and golden, topped with a punchy tomato sauce and a garlic spiked aioli. At worst, they're just a soggy, bland disappointment.

On a mission to use up bits and pieces, I decided to make myself a little tapas feast, including my version of patatas bravas. I was really pleased with the results. Well worth a try.

I used new potatoes but using normal potatoes cut into approximately 2cm x 2cm chunks would be more traditional.

Ingredients (Makes enough for four good size tapas portions):
750g new potatoes (with larger ones cut in half)
Sunflower oil
Sea salt

For the brava sauce:
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 chipotle chilli, rehydrated and finely chopped)**
400g chopped tinned tomatoes

For the aioli:
4 tablespoons ready made mayonnaise
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200c

Par boil the potatoes for around 5 minutes, until starting to soften. Drain well.

Heat a few good glugs of sunflower oil in a roasting tray. Add the potatoes, giving them a good shake to coat in oil, and return to the oven. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are crispy and golden.

In the meantime, make the brava sauce. Gently fry the onions until soft. Add the garlic and chilli and cook over a medium heat for a further 2-3 minutes (being careful not to burn the garlic). Add the tinned tomatoes and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

To make the aioli, mix the olive oil, mayonnaise and garlic together.

To serve, sprinkle the cooked potatoes with sea salt and top with brava sauce and aioli.

**You can substitute 1 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika instead

Mien Tay, Battersea - restaurant review

2011-08-31T22:05:00.002+01:00

A lot of good stuff has been written about Mien Tay (restaurants on Lavender Hill, Battersea, and Kingsland Road, Shoreditch). The resulting popularity means it can be quite difficult to get a table, even on a weekday. We finally got round to making a booking in advance (thanks Sara!) and arrived with quite a sense of anticipation...

The restaurant decor could be politely described as kitsch, or less kindly as garish (and the less said about the outfits the waiting staff are forced to endure the better!). Nonetheless, this adds to the atmosphere of the place, which was predictably heaving even on a Wednesday night.

To get the bad bits out of the way upfront, I have to tell you the service was awful. It was hard to get anyone's attention, our waiter was grumpy as hell, glasses of water never materialised and we waited half an hour for one of the starters to arrive. Maybe they were having a bad day

Now, let's move on.

The bring your own booze policy took the edge off and happily they don't charge corkage. That said, I would've happily paid a couple of quid for a cooler or ice bucket.

The menu is extensive, somewhat overwhelmingly so. For someone as indecisive as I am, it was a challenge. We ordered a starter and a main course each. The portions are pretty big though, so for the less greedy, sharing would most definitely be an option.

Mien Tay spring rolls were crisp and crunchy, served with a nice little side of pickled vegetables and a delicious sweet and spicy dip.

The crispy pancake with chicken and beansprouts was particularly impressive - Findus this was not! A huge portion with tender chicken and thin, light pancakes.

Summer rolls with shrimp were fresh and light, served with a gloopy satay sauce (check out my summer rolls recipe if you fancy trying them at home)

Salt and pepper squid was well cooked and not at all greasy. It could've done with a little more seasoning though.

Two of us went for the whole crispy fried sea bream with mango and fish sauce. This is one of the house specialties and probably the best dish we had. The skin was perfectly crispy and the mango and fish sauce worked in perfect harmony.

Sea bream with lemon grass and chilli was good but was overshadowed by the mango dish.

We also had the chargrilled chicken with honey and spices. This needed a little more spice but was a generous portion for just £5.80. Unfortunately my iPhone picture really didn't do it justice, so I haven't included it.

The bill was extremely reasonable, largely due to the lack of booze on it! Starters range from £3.50 to £8.00 and mains from £5.80 to £12.50, with most at the lower end of the price bracket.

I think the food was good enough to chance the bad service a second time, I'll let you know when I do.

Apricots with goats cheese and rosemary - easy canape recipe

2011-08-31T09:10:00.001+01:00

I made up this recipe to make the most of some sweet, juicy end-of-season apricots. They work in perfect harmony with tangy goats cheese. Add a sprinkle of fresh rosemary and you're in business.

These could also work well served with mixed leaves as a light lunch.

Ingredients:
150g soft goats cheese
10 apricots
3 stalks of fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped

Method:
In a bowl, mix the rosemary with the goats cheese.

Half and de-stone the apricots.

Top each apricot half with a teaspoon of the cheese mixture.

As you like it - easy okonomiyaki recipe

2011-08-27T18:36:00.004+01:00

Okonomiyaki is quintessential Japanese street food. Fitting then that the first time I tried it was from a street stall off Brick Lane earlier this year.

I was over the moon to find out that Reiko included okonomiyaki on her home cookery course and even more delighted to find out how simple it was to make.

The beauty is, the quantities don't need to be too precise and you can use whatever toppings you fancy. In fact, the name okonomiyaki means 'what you like'. I've made versions using squid, prawns and mushrooms. Meat eaters might want to add ham or bacon. You can read more about regional variations in the Wikipedia entry
What really makes this dish is the okonomiyaki sauce and the bonito flakes, which are both very distinctive flavours. If you can't find an Asian supermarket near you, you can buy them online.

Ingredients (Makes 2 pancakes):
125g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon dashi powder (you can leave this out if you don't have any)
150ml water
2 eggs
4 leaves from a pointed cabbage (also known as sweetheart cabbage), chopped

To top:
Okonomiyaki sauce
Japanese mayonnaise
Bonito flakes
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Your choice of squid, prawns, mushrooms, ham

Method:
Mix the flour with the dashi powder in a large bowl. Add the eggs and water and mix to a smooth batter.

Add the cabbage and mix.

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Spoon in half the mixture into the pan and gently flatten to about 1cm thickness. Repeat with the remaining mixture (If your frying pan is big enough, cook both in the same pan).

Lay the squid/prawns/bacon on top of the pancakes.

Cook for about 10 minutes on a medium-low heat, until lightly browned on the underside.

Flip over and cook for a further 5-10 minutes.

Transfer the pancakes to plates. Spread with okonomiyaki sauce, sprinkle with the spring onion, drizzle with Japanese mayonnaise and top with bonito flakes.

Okonomiyaki - how I like it!

Okonomiyaki

The Greenhouse effect - restaurant review

2011-08-24T22:36:00.002+01:00

Always on the lookout for a culinary bargain, last week Little B* and I took advantage of the lunchtime special offer at The Greenhouse - and three courses and coffee for £25 at a Michelin starred restaurant is pretty special.

The restaurant is situated in a maze of Mayfair streets. As you leave the pavement, you enter a lush, tropical garden with a wooden walkway. It's a fabulous entrance that fills you with a sense of anticipation. Once inside the restaurant, the botanical theme continues, with pale green leather chairs and leaf motifs on the glass and walls. But the effects are subtle, this is a chic, elegant room, hardly the Rainforest Cafe!

From the minute we walked in the door, service was ultra efficient but friendly and, I'm pleased to report, we got looked after every bit as well as other tables who were dining a la carte. Not always the case when you're eating from the set menu (as we sadly found out at Arbutus). We also enjoyed all the fancies and fripperies that I love so much about fine dining.

An amuse bouche of smooth, creamy avocado mousse, topped with bright jewels of salmon roe, was served with salty squid ink crackers and a cool little parcel of cucumber filled with cream cheese and mint. A great way to start, which had us eagerly awaiting the rest of the meal. The bread certainly didn't disappoint: butter bread, baguette or cereal. I tried the butter bread, which was similar to a brioche, followed by a nutty cereal bread. The bread was served with a choice of salted or unsalted butter (always salted for me!)

Vegetable “tart fine”

Parmesan cream and herb jus

I had the vegetable summer tart to start; a lovely selection of fresh seasonal veg atop a melt-in-the mouth super-short parmesan pie crust. Delicious.

Pachino melon and watermelon

mozzarella and basil

Little B's starter was unusual and very refreshing. The quality of the ingredients really shone through in this dish.

Steamed sea bream

ratatouille and bouillabaisse sauce

I'm a big sea bream fan and this was perfectly cooked. Serving the fish with the skin separated was a nice touch.

We both went for the warm chocolate ravioli with coconut ice cream for pud and both agreed it was a real highlight. The chocolate pasta was surprisingly light with a little burst of rich, hot chocolate sauce in the middle. The creamy coconut ice cream was a lovely accompaniment.

The BEST petits fours

Nonetheless, it was the petits fours that were the real show stopper. Exquisite. I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that we hoovered ours up!

The wine list also deserves a mention. Whilst we weren't able to indulge on this occasion, we enjoyed a good read of the weighty, leather-bound tome - apparently the largest wine selection in London.

The Greenhouse is home to some exceptional food, with service to match. I most definitely recommend.

*A lot of other food bloggers use pseudonyms for their dining companions and my fine-dining chum quite fancied one too... She is small. Her name begins with 'b'. Geddit?!

The best Japanese restaurant in London?

2011-08-22T21:53:00.001+01:00

Last week, Reiko of Hashi Cooking very kindly invited me to take a class from her Japanese Home Cooking course.

I did the Beginners course with my sister a couple of months ago, so I knew I was in for an absolute treat and couldn't wait to go along. Whilst I love learning how to make all the dishes, I have to admit that eating the dishes Reiko creates is my favourite part of her cookery classes.

The classes are taught in Reiko's kitchen in her gorgeous house in Wimbledon. Never more than six students, you get plenty of attention and chance to ask any questions you might have. Reiko pitches the classes just right - some of the prep work is done for you but you still get chance to get your hands dirty. Once the dishes are prepared you get to eat the fruits of your labour washed down with a nice chilled glass of white wine.

I make the recipes I learnt on the beginners course all the time (including tofu bags, miso aubergine and somen noodle soup). I'll definitely be doing the same with the recipes I learnt last week: okonomiyaki, Japanese potato salad and tonkatsu skewers.

Reiko offers a range of four week courses, from beginners through to gourmet, as well as one day classes to learn to make gyozas, canapes and sushi. At first glance, the classes might seem expensive but all of the high quality ingredients are included and you get to eat in one of the best Japanese restaurants in London!

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki, garnished and ready to eat

Japanese potato salad

Tonkatsu skewers

Sizzling away

Served

La Flotte - Ile de Ré, France

2011-08-20T13:46:00.003+01:00

So, as promised some more piccies and recommendations from our little trip to beautiful Ile de Ré. Next up was a trip to La Flotte.

A quaint harbour village, much smaller and quieter than St Martin but with all the charm (and another branch of La Martiniere if you're craving another hit of their delicious ice cream).

After a couple of drinks by the harbour (amazing people watching), we headed to Le Richelieu for dinner. We'd booked a table in advance and were extremely pleased to get a front row seat, with fabulous panoramic sea views.

It's quite an old fashioned venue, with dark red carpets and waiters in dicky bows. We went for the 'menu gastronomique' - six courses, including lobster and cheese for 65 euros.

An amuse bouche of refreshing cucumber gazpacho was perfect for a warm summer evening. Sauteed seafood in broth was extremely tasty but not particularly imaginative. The lobster course was much more interesting: lobster three ways - in filo pastry (a sort of lobster spring roll!), tartare and consomme. This was thoroughly enjoyable. Unfortunately, the main course was decidedly average and even less enjoyable as we ended up waiting an inordinately long time for it to arrive.

Cheese and puds were definitely the highlights of the meal. We were spoilt for choice with the cheese selection and thoroughly enjoyed our choices (afraid I don't know what they were called though!).

Desserts were pretty as a picture. We particularly enjoyed the lemon meringue pie, which came with a little pipette of raspberry coulis - a fun touch.

Petit fours were fantastic, although the staff were clearly ready to get rid of us at this point as they arrived as our desserts were cleared. With the bill.

It's hard to say if I would go back to Le Richelieu on another visit. Whilst the view and some of the courses were exceptional, the service and some of the food detracted from the overall experience. I'd probably have to try some more of the island's offerings before I could make a judgement... oh what a hardship that would be!

La Flotte

I think I would like to live here

There are beautiful wild flowers all over the island

Le Richelieu restaurant

Lobster three ways

d.i.y pud - love it

Beautiful petit fours

Mushrooms with pine nuts, blue cheese and crispy breadcrumbs - recipe

2011-08-17T13:36:00.001+01:00

This is another recipe I made for a recent BBQ. Extremely quick, extremely tasty. Good for veggies, good for carnivores. (Bad for nut allergies - sorry Ellie!)

Ingredients (makes 12):
12 field mushrooms
150g Blue cheese (I used Danish blue - but any would work)
50g pine nuts, toasted
1 slice bread, made into breadcrumbs
50g parmesan, finely grated

Method:
Divide the blue cheese and pine nuts between the mushrooms. Mix together the parmesan and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the mushrooms.

Grill for approx 10 minutes on medium heat, until the cheese is melted and the breadcrumbs toasted. Alternatively, cook on the BBQ for 5-10 minutes and finish off under a hot grill to crisp the breadcrumbs.

Saint Martin de Ré - Ile de Ré, France

2011-08-15T22:31:00.004+01:00

I just spent a fab few days with my sis on the Ile de Ré in France. Needless to say we ate and drank extremely well and thought I'd share some of my foodie finds with you.

Ile de Ré has a number of small towns and villages on it, including the main town of Saint Martin. The favoured way to get around the island is by bike but, as the weather was a bit dodgy, we took the bus.

We soon came across the La Martiniere ice cream stand on the harbour front. They sell over 50 flavours of ice cream and sorbet, with flavours ranging from the pedestrian to the downright bizarre. We were actually brave enough to try the oyster and caviar flavour, which was surprisingly good - creamy and salty.

Whilst wandering the narrow shop-lined streets that lead up from the harbour we came across L'Atelier, which it turned out also belonged to La Martiniere. L'Atelier sold some of the most beautiful little cakes I've ever seen - including the sushi cake below. We sampled some of the macaron glaces (ice cream filled macarons). The caramel fleur de sel, was particularly outstanding.

As far as I can tell, the only other La Martiniere outlet is in La Flotte, a smaller town on the island. I want to go back to Ile de Re for a number of reasons, not least of which is those ice cream macarons!

The harbour

Over 50 flavours... where to start?!

Puts Greggs to shame...

One of each please

Ice cream filled macarons

The sushi cakes were my fave

Oyster Feast at Wright Bros, Soho - Review

2011-08-10T17:17:00.002+01:00

I love eating oysters but am far from a connoisseur. Actually, I think I was something of an oyster-ignoramus before going to the Oyster Feast event at Wright Bros, Soho on Monday!

The three-floored Soho restaurant is the latest venture from the Wright Bros, expanding on the success of the iconic Borough Market oyster bar and the Ferryboat Inn, Cornwall. Wright Bros also run the Duchy of Cornwall oyster farm, cultivating and harvesting over 5 million native and pacific oysters a year. This makes the Duchy Oyster Farm one of the largest oyster farms in the UK. Suffice to say, they know their stuff.

The evening began with a glass of prosecco and a presentation from Wright Brother (in-law) Robin Hancock on all things bivalve. Lots of interesting facts and figures about oyster consumption (the French eat two billion oysters a year, compared to the UK's 20 million), nutrition (oysters contain just six calories each - I am soo doing the oyster diet!), production, history and so on. I'm a food geek, so I love this stuff.

On to the main event, we started with an oyster shot - a mini bloody mary with a whole oyster. Very fun - would be a nice touch at a dinner party.

Next we moved on to the more serious business of trying different varieties of oyster: Carlingford Lough (Ireland), Speciale de Claire (France) and Maldon (Essex). We had a rather nice glass of Chablis, whilst chatting to Robin and his team about the differences between the oysters. Whilst they were all delicious, I think my favourite was the Maldon, which was plump and sweet.

Rockefeller oysters (oysters topped with breadcrumbs, spinach and herbs) were followed by deep fried oysters and tartare sauce. These were washed down with a glass of Picpoul. Both very interesting ways to serve oysters that worked really well.

The last of the oyster courses was oyster rarebits. Oysters, bread and melted cheese, what's not to love?

Finally we had a little palate cleanser of Gelupo white peach sorbet.

We paid £26 each for the event, which I think was very good value. This included a glass of prosecco, a glass of Chablis and all of the food. The Oyster Feast events will run monthly. If you're a bivalve lover, I highly recommend going along.

None of the oysters on the night are from tins!

The oyster shot, with a caper

The star of the show

Ostrich leg stools

Deep fried oysters. Deep fried is good.

Rockefeller oysters

We bought one of these

Not for the purist but I love a drop of Tabasco

Oyster rarebit. Melted cheese, mmm.

What's in season: August

2011-08-08T15:14:00.000+01:00

Better late than never, here's my round up of what's in season in August. I've linked some existing recipes and will endeavour to make the most of seasonal produce in my recipes over the next few weeks. Later this week I'll be blogging recipes for apricots with goats cheese, rhubarb martinis and stuffed mushrooms.

Fruit: Apples, apricot, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, cherries, damsons, elderberries, figs, gooseberries, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, redcurrants, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes

Vegetables: Artichoke (globe), aubergines, beans (broad, french, runner), beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, celery, chard, courgettes, cucumbers, fennel, garlic, kohlrabi, lettuce, mushrooms (wild), onions, peas, peppers, potatoes, radish, rocket, samphire, shallots, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, squash, sweetcorn, watercress.

Chipotle chilli barbecue sauce - recipe

2011-08-08T10:45:00.001+01:00

On Saturday we held a, slightly overdue, housewarming bbq. We got through a whole lotta food and a whole lotta booze! I'll share a few more of the recipes later this week, including my fabulous rhubarb martini.

First things first though, what's a barbie without some barbecue sauce.

The lovely people at Capsicana recently sent me a package of some of their finest chillies, including my favourite - chipotle, which I fell in love with when travelling in Mexico. Chipotle chillies are jalapenos that are smoked for several days over mesquite wood fires. The smoky flavour makes them a natural choice for a barbecue sauce. Capsicana sell dried chillies from all over the world on their website, so you're sure to be able to source your favourites, as well as some more unusual varieties.

This recipe made a very mild sauce, to up the heat, use 4 chipotle chillis.

Ingredients:
2 chipotle chillies, soaked in hot water for 30 mins to rehydrate and finely chopped (reserve the water)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 dessertspoon caster sugar
Few glugs of balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes

Method:

Cook the onion in oil over a very low heat for 10-15 minutes, until well softened. Add the sugar, balsamic and garlic and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until lightly caramelised.

Add the tomatoes and chipotle chillies. Simmer for 10-15 minutes to develop the flavours. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved soaking water to keep the sauce nicely liquid.

The sauce will keep well for a few days in the fridge. This is a fantastic sauce with any meat or veggie dishes and would even be nice with pasta, if you have any leftover.

Not the prettiest picture but they taste amazing

Village of the damned tasty - guest post

2011-08-05T10:26:00.003+01:00

My (not so) little brother Dan recently said hasta luego, as he set off for Colombia to teach at the University of Bogota. Via Iceland and New York, of course...

During a brief stopover in sweltering NYC, he did the Greenwich Village foodie tour. Muy celosa - I'd love to do this. Dan's musings and excellent pics below.

Check out his blog: https://losttribeofdan.wordpress.com/

Central to my brief stopover in New York City was the much lauded foodie tour of the Greenwich Village offered by foodsofny.com.

Savouring local cuisine ranks amongst my absolute favourite aspects of travel, so you can imagine my eager anticipation (stoked in no small way by exemplary TripAdvisor reviews) as I zeroed in on Bleecker Street in the West Village to meet my guide and fellow epicurious tourists. I should say that I'm pleased to be sharing my account of what was to follow in conjunction with my sister's blog of her own food infatuation in London. She was inordinately envious of the tour so it's only fair she gets an early mention!

Our guide, Kurt, immediately set our group of 16 food explorers at ease, and proved to be an energetic, entertaining and knowledgeable guide to the area and its culinary offerings throughout the three hours of the tour.

First stop proper was Joe's Pizza on Carmine Street for a slice of Joe's speciality for the past 35 years. The base was judiciously thin and crisp, the topping an unassuming but studied margherita. In fact, I noted that the entire menu was rather minimalist. It couldn't be further away from the 'more is better', dozen-topping culture more familiar to me, and popular amongst the multinational pizza chains. Joe clearly believes in keeping things simple: it pays off. Peter Parker worked here for a bonus point.

We then ambled back to boutique food store O & Co. for a taste of their own brand of first-/cold-pressed extra virgin. Why wait until everyone else has had their fun with the olives? Fantastic stuff as you'd imagine. Unbeknownst to us, the second taster had been sprinkled with what may be the closest things we earthlings have to crystallised angel tears. White truffle salt. Truly phenomenal.
As we dipped in and out of the local establishments throughout the tour, Kurt assailed and regaled us with a mix of local history and culture to illustrate the scene. As an example, Stefani Germanotta waited on tables at our next destination until his meteoric rise to fame. [allegedly]

Palma. We were ushered through the small rustic dining area and courtyard and into the rear kitchen on the ground floor of the restaurateur's family home. Once again simplicity was the order of the day, and Kurt was soon spooning out a dish so easy to make you wonder why you hadn't discovered it before. Tiny cauliflower florets, pine nuts, breadcrumbs and finely chopped parsley came together to form something far greater than the sum of their humble parts. My relationship with cauliflower is often begrudging at best due to my tendency to over-/under-cook it: this dish of fragmented florets (key to a consistent al dente) may just herald a new dawn, a thawing of the frost in cauli-Dan relations. Moving on...

Faicco! Not Italian profanity but a superlatively equipped Italian charcuterie back on Bleecker Street. We only wandered in to gawk at the sheer array of pork produce on display and to nibble on a prosciutto ball (superb) but you'd be hard pressed to find a better selection of Italian sausage and other porcine sundries from the Old Country at what seemed to my eye, unexpectedly reasonable prices for an area that's so gentrified it hurts. But my head was swamped with krona and pesos, as well as dollars, pounds and ounces, so who knows?

Seventh Avenue was crossed in short shrift as the call of a heat tempering drink beckoned. Centro Vinoteca was our next port of call and it served up a few canapés to accompany their entirely guilt-free 3pm cocktails. Figs wrapped in bacon, artichoke topped with razor-thin parmesan and an as-yet unidentifiable third, mystery (delicious) canapé jostled for palate supremacy with a Long Island Iced Tea. Outside, the heat still radiating from sky above and pavement below made this respite seem like an indulgence. It felt like it couldn't have come at a better time.

Savoury yielded effortlessly to sweet as we rounded the corner to the soporifically named Milk & Cookies for a bite of the latter. Melt-in-the-mouth doesn't begin to describe their oatmeal cookie, but it's a start.

By now, the food trajectory had locked onto its final target of a probable afternoon snooze, and we pressed on for our cheese course back at Murray's. Not before a stop at the narrowest house in New York City (9 feet wide and a snip at just $2.7m) and the "off-off-Broadway" Cherry Lane Theatre for some local infotainment from Kurt.

Murray's cheese counter is a sight to behold: Kurt confidently assured us the staff were conversant in the qualities and food pairings of all 300-400 cheeses on offer. We tried but a handful from Europe and the States, and greatly appreciated they were too as counterpoint to the fondly lingering cookie!

I, for one, was well on my way to food and culture surfeit by this stage, so fortunately our final stop was just the shortest of waddles across Bleecker Street. Scali Caffé is the easy-going, Village outlet for a couple of chefs with much more expensive Italian restaurants uptown (Il Postino and Scalinatella) so we were briefed to expect the best. The offering was pitched at just the right level: a sliver of cheesecake so miraculously light that only Kurt's repeated exhortations that it wasn't some eggy flan in disguise could make me believe otherwise.

The tour was priced at $50 from foodsofny.com, and I would highly recommend this or another of their many food-inspired tours on the back of what was a great experience one sultry afternoon in Manhattan. Thanks to Kurt and the many food impresarios we encountered along the way.

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon - restaurant review

2011-08-04T12:54:00.002+01:00

Last week Marc treated me to two Michelin stars for our two year anniversary, at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. Looking forward to three already ;-)

Going into the restaurant feels like going into an upmarket nightclub - it's all dark wood and moody lighting. The staff, also dressed in black, almost blend into the walls.

One of the things I like best about L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is the open plan kitchen. You can gawk at the chefs all the way through your meal. But this is no kitchen nightmare. You won't witness any effing and blinding here. The kitchen is astonishingly calm and serene. Amazing to watch each chef so completely focused on their part of the jigsaw.

The menu contains a page of 'small dishes', as well as a more traditional a la carte and the tasting menu. We went for three small dishes to share, as starters and then a main each. (Be warned though, small dishes do not mean small prices - these range from £11 - £19)

My favourite thing about fine dining is all the little surprises and treats that don't appear on the menu. At Joel Robuchon we started with a plate of wafer thin flat bread, unsalted butter and a really flavoursome olive oil. I think it would have been nice to have a more inventive canape, as this was closely followed by the bread basket. Our amuse bouche was an interesting zingy, tart lemon jelly topped with artichoke foam - definitely woke the palate up!

Of the small dishes, the razor clams with shallot butter and parsley arrived first. These were beautifully presented on piles of rock salt and were tender and sweet. Just a shame there was just the one clam! (I made a similar razor clam recipe a few weeks ago).

We had a little problem with the langoustine ravioli, which unfortunately arrived topped with a creepy crawlie bug. To be fair, it was whipped away pretty sharpish and replaced but it did put me off that course.

Marc was delighted with his seared foie gras. Normally served cold, this brought out the flavours in a totally different way.

The lobster was the star of show though. Unusually, it had been removed from its shell - and with some considerable skill, as all the meat was intact. The lobster was perfectly cooked, sweet and juicy, served with summer vegetables. Main courses were served with a mini pan of mashed potato, which must've been at least 50% cream but oh so delicious for it.

Too full for a cheese course, we ordered puds. The menu recommended a dessert wine for each of the puddings, which I thought was a nice touch.

Before the desserts arrived, we were treated to a star shaped ice lolly - apricot ice cream, coated in white chocolate with popping candy. Loved, loved, loved this.

My chocolate pud (Manjari chocolate, white chocolate ice cream and Oreo cookie crumbs) was beautifully presented but, tastewise, nothing to write home about. Marc's pudding was a bit more interesting: honey and rosemary panna cotta, melon pearls and sorbet, crunchy meringue. I can confirm that both went very well with their matching dessert wines!

The 'happy anniversary' plate was a lovely gesture - a little taste of rather nice lemon tart.

The finishing touch was a plate of petit fours to select from. The salted caramel chocolates were divine.

A meal at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon is a real experience and I'd highly recommend it for a special occasion.

You gotta roll with it - Vietnamese summer rolls recipe

2011-08-02T16:30:00.001+01:00

Vietnamese summer rolls are fresh and light, filled with aromatic herbs - making them perfect for the hot weather. Oh, and unlike spring rolls (are there such things as winter or autumn rolls I wonder?), they aren't fried - but served cold.

As with most recipes, there are tons of different versions. It's really up to you to pick the flavour combinations that work best for you. I used basically the same ingredients as I used in my Vietnamese prawn salad

These weren't super quick to make, mainly due to the time it took me to roll them. The wrappers are extremely fragile when wet and my technique was clearly not great. (I did eat all my 'mistakes' along the way, which still tasted yummy). I'd allow up to an hour to be on the safe side.

Ingredients (Makes 8-10):
About half a packet of glass noodles, soaked for 10 mins in warm water
180g pack cooked & peeled tiger prawns, cut in half lengthways
Half a cucumber, deseeded and cut into matchsticks
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 packet Vietnamese summer roll wrappers (dried rice paper rounds - available in Asian supermarkets)
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
20 fresh mint leaves

For the dressing:
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 dessertspoon caster sugar
Juice of 1 lime

Method:

Whilst your noodles are soaking, prepare your vegetables.

To make the dressing, put all the ingredients in a pestle and mortar and grind.

Drain the noodles and pour over the dressing. Mix well.

To assemble the rolls, dip one wrapper in warm water for a couple of seconds. Let the water drain off, then place on a flat surface. Lay 3-4 prawns on the wrapper, about a third of the way up. Layer noodles, carrot sticks, cucumber and coriander on top. Start to roll, folding the sides in after the first roll. Place the mint leaves at the top of the roll, so they can be seen clearly (this is purely decorative). The damp wrapper will seal itself.

Repeat until you run out of ingredients.

These make a perfect starter, snackette, or light lunch. They'll keep overnight in the fridge (well covered) if you want to eat them for lunch the next day.

Delicious on their own, or served with a chilli dip.

Ready to rock (and roll!)

The finished article

How does your garden grow?

2011-08-01T22:23:00.001+01:00

One of the things I love most about our new house is the little garden. Although it does take a bit of work, I find pottering in the garden extremely therapeutic and there's nothing better than being able to pop into your garden to pick the herbs you need to cook with. I bought Thai basil and chocolate mint at the Foodies Festival to add to the collection.

My courgette plants are doing well - I'll be posting more courgette recipes soon. But, exciting garden news of the day is that my tomato plants finally have some tomatoes on them! Can't wait for them to ripen so we can try them.

Little green tomatoes

Foodies Festival - Battersea Park

2011-08-01T11:54:00.001+01:00

I couldn't be happier that the sun has decided to grace us with a guest appearance. The world seems a better place when the skies are blue and the sun is shining. It was perfect weather for the Foodies Festival in Battersea Park this weekend and we had a fab day out eating and drinking in the sun. (Rather too much of both tbh - oops!)

We enjoyed a guest chef demonstration from Richard Kirkwood from J Sheeky - although disappointed we didn't get to taste any of the food. We missed out on tickets for the wine tastings, huge queues for these annoyingly.

Nonetheless, we still managed to eat and drink our way around the world: Jersey oysters, fresh coconuts with rum, Thai green curry, raclette, champagne, paella, pink cider, ice cream, prosecco. Hmm, no wonder i felt so rough yesterday ;-)

One of my favourite stands sold all sorts of fresh potted herbs, with some unusual varieties. I went home with chocolate mint, thai basil and cat nip (for the cats!).

There are lots of independent producers at the show and it's good fun to talk to people who are so passionate about their food. There are two more festivals this summer, one in Oxford, the other Edinburgh.

Raclette

Vegetarian BBQ ideas - Halloumi kebabs

2011-07-29T10:25:00.002+01:00

People always seem horrified when they find out they've inadvertently invited a vegetarian to a bbq. Fret not though carnivore hosts, these halloumi kebabs are a real crowd pleaser - make these and any veggies in your life will love you forever. Promise!

Watch out though, meat eaters seem to be rather keen on them too...

Ingredients (makes about 6 large kebabs):
Selection of vegetables. I use:
2 courgettes (cut into chunks)
1 pack button mushrooms (no need to cut)
1 pack cherry tomatoes
1 red & 1 yellow pepper (cut into chunks)
1 pack halloumi cheese (cut into cubes)

Packet of wooden skewers

Method:
Thread the veg and cheese onto the skewers.

Grill on bbq, or under the grill until the cheese is lightly browned.

(I also made a sort of herb marinade for these - chopped herbs mixed with olive oil and drizzled over the top.)

Halloumi kebabs

Halloumi kebabs ready to eat. Yum.

Cheeky cherry pavlovas and a Geordie joke - recipe

2011-07-28T16:10:00.002+01:00

A Geordie is having tea with the Queen. She says "Will you have a
cream cake or a meringue?"
He replies "Nah, ya not wrang pet, ah'll have a cake!"

I have to admit, I didn't get this joke on first telling but Marc (a bona fide Geordie) thought it was absolutely hilarious, so I thought I'd share.

I've been doing some research into the difference between a meringue and a pavlova. Opinion seems to be split, so I'm not entirely clear... Some say that the difference is that a meringue is solid and dry throughout, whereas a pavlova is crisp on the outside and squidgy in the middle. In which case, these are most definitely pavlovas.

I used Nigella's recipe, which worked well, although I found you have to whisk the eggs more than she recommends. My version below. I topped my pavlovas with whipped cream, sweet, juicy cherries and a sprig of mint from the garden. You can use any fruit you fancy.

Ingredients (makes approx 12 mini pavlovas):
4 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
250g caster sugar
2 teaspoons cornflour
Few drops of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 or 2 baking trays (depending on size) lined with baking parchment

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt until stiff. Gently add in the sugar, spoonful by spoonful, whilst still beating. Sprinkle the cornflour, a few drops of vanilla and the vinegar on top and fold in to combine.

Draw small circles on the baking parchment - I used a highball glass. Use a dessert spoon to dollop the meringue mix onto the baking parchment, using the circles as a guide. Make indentations in the middle of each meringue with the back of the spoon.

Place in the oven, turn it down to 150ºC/gas mark 2, and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave them in for another 30 minutes, then take out of the oven to cool.**

Top with whipped cream and fruit and serve.

**Once cool, the pavlovas keep well for 2-3 days in an airtight container.

José: not just jamon - restaurant review

2011-07-27T12:29:00.003+01:00

A lot has been written about Jose Pizarro's new tapas joint on Bermondsey Street and many of the reviews have focused on the (apparently) exceptional jamon.

Tapas can be tricky for veggies, with meaty dishes often dominating the menu, so I was interested to see what was on offer for non-carnivores and pescatarians. I'm very happy to report that, although the menu is relatively concise (with the addition of a daily specials board), there were a few veggie dishes and several more fishy ones.

Jose is a teeny-tiny, traditional tapas bar. If you're lucky you might grab a stool to perch at the counter, otherwise you'll have to stand. This certainly doesn't deter anyone. On a dull Tuesday lunchtime, the place was packed and buzzy.

The staff are very pleasant and know their stuff. They're happy to give advice on food and provide recommendations on sherry to go with your order - particularly helpful if you know nothing at all about sherry (me).

We enjoyed everything we ordered but three of the dishes really stood out for me. Firstly the mackerel escabeche: two little fillets (no bones, hurrah!) perfectly cooked with a crispy skin, was delicate and fresh. Secondly, boring as it may sound, the tomato bread was exceptional: a crunchy crust with the tomato juices soaked through the top of the bread (no picture I'm afraid, we wolfed it down). Finally the patatas bravas - another seemingly standard choice but they're so often badly done. These were golden and crispy with just the right amount of sauce.

If you want to read a bit more about Jose, I'd recommend the Dos Hermanos write up - lots more about the meat too!

Jose is a fantastic little tapas bar, I can't wait to go back. I'm also looking forward to the opening of 'Pizarro', Jose's next venture on Bermondsey Street, which will be a much larger, sit-down restaurant.

Squid with salmorejo (tomato cream sauce)

Perfect patatas bravas

Mackerel escabeche

Crispy duck egg with pisto

Vietnamese prawn salad - recipe

2011-07-26T11:47:00.003+01:00

As summer seems to have returned, albeit in a rather half-hearted way, I thought it was time for a fresh, lively salad recipe. As you've probably noticed, I'm really into Asian flavours at the moment and this recipe has a Vietnamese feel to it.

Ingredients (Serves 2):
1x 375g packet thin rice noodles, pre-cooked (in the fridge section of supermarket)
180g pack cooked & peeled tiger prawns, cut in half lengthways
Half a cucumber, deseeded and cut into matchsticks
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

For the dressing:
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon caster sugar
Juice of 2 limes

For garnish:
3 spring onions, finely chopped
Handful of coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed

Make the dressing by mashing the garlic, chilli and sugar in a pestle and mortar. Add the fish sauce and lime juice and mix.

In a separate bowl, combine the noodles and vegetables. Pour the dressing over and mix well. Top with garnish ingredients and serve.

Vietnamese prawn salad

Salmon tartare shots - recipe

2011-07-25T13:09:00.001+01:00

I have a tendency to make work for myself. When we had friends over for afternoon tea last weekend, I wasn't content to just make scones, oh no, I also felt the need to make whoopie pies, gougeres and these rather pretty salmon tartare shots too. (My afternoon tea was awesome though ;-) )

They were actually very quick to make (it was the baking that took time). Nice fresh flavours; they'd also work well as a starter.

Ingredients (serves 4 in small shot glasses):
200g fresh salmon fillet
2 teaspoons capers
Half a red onion
Juice of 1 lemon
Half a cucumber
4 teaspoons of creme fraiche
2 teaspoons caviar (I use lumpfish caviar, which is only a couple of quid)

Method:
Finely chop the salmon, capers and red onion. Mix with the lemon juice. Distribute evenly between 4 shot glasses.

Finely chop the cucumber. Layer on top of the salmon mixture. Top that with a teaspoon of creme fraiche and half a teaspoon of caviar.

Salmon tartare shots

Gougeres (cheese puffs) recipe

2011-07-21T23:04:00.003+01:00

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The only time I've eaten gougeres before was at The Dorchester (Alain Ducasse), where they're served as canapes. They're basically a cheesy choux pastry bun (without the cream!) - very light, very moreish.

We had friends over at the weekend, so I thought I'd give them a go. I was a bit nervous making them but they turned out perfectly - maybe not quite such uniform shapes as Mr Ducasse produces but nonetheless very tasty. Perfect little canapes - and if they're good enough for a 3* restaurant, they're good enough for me!

I used this basic recipe: http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/8377/cheese-puffs--gougeres-.aspx

My version below - I didn't use a food processor, so thanks to my sister for assisting with the mixing when my arms got tired (weakling!)

Ingredients: (makes about 20 canape sized puffs)
60g plain flour
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, very finely chopped
Large pinch cayenne pepper
125ml full fat milk
65g butter (cut into small cubes)
3 large eggs at room temperature
50g finely grated Gruyere cheese

1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons Parmesan, finely grated

Method:

Preheat oven to 220c

Combine the flour with the salt, pepper, rosemary and cayenne in a large bowl.

Separately, put the milk and butter in a saucepan, over a medium heat. Bring to the boil. Once the butter melts, turn the heat to low. Add the seasoned flour in one go. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, until a dough forms in a ball.

Place the dough in a large bowl. Beat vigorously. Keep beating and add one egg, until absorbed. Repeat with the second egg. Separate the white from the yolk of the third egg and add only the white into the dough (reserving the yolk). Once the eggs have been incorporated, the dough should be smooth and satiny.

Add the Gruyere and mix thoroughly.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Use a teaspoon to drop small balls of the dough onto the sheet. Keep the size uniform, if possible.

Beat the remaining egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of milk to make a glaze. Gently brush the tops of the gougeres with the glaze and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 150c and bake for 10 more minutes, or until puffs are golden brown.

Remove trays from oven and leave puffs on tray until cool enough to serve. Eat whilst still slightly warm.

New chocolate discovery - Chocoholly

2011-07-20T16:09:00.000+01:00

To be honest 'discovery' is a little bit of an overclaim, I was actually given this rather lovely bar of chocolate at a work conference. Bonus. It's a brand I haven't come across before so thought I would share with you (well not physically share, I'm afraid I've scoffed the lot!)

Anyway, the Chocoholly story: apparently Holly Caulfield, a Brighton based artist, was so inspired by the film Chocolat that she decided to train to become a chocolatier.

All ingredients are organic and ethically sourced. Most importantly the chocolate tastes delish. I had the milk chocolate infused with geranium, which tastes of rose but that's by the by. I'd like to get my sticky mitts on the cardamon and the chilli & coconut flavours too.

Very lovely packaging - I assume designed by Holly as she's an artist.

I had a quick peek at the stockists on the website, so I could tell you where to buy this yummy stuff. Harvey Nicks and John Lewis in London, a load of places in Brighton and available online: http://www.chocoholly.com/where-to-buy/

Apparently Holly also runs chocolate workshops in Brighton, which sound pretty darn good.

Geranium infused chocolate

The Japan Centre - my new favourite place

2011-07-19T14:16:00.001+01:00

The Japan Centre, on London's Regent Street is truly an Aladdin's Cave. Packed to the rafters with all sorts of Japanese food and drink goodies - you'd be hard pressed to find anything they didn't stock. With my new found love of Japanese cooking, I'm pretty sure I'll be back to fill up my cupboards.

Now this isn't exactly an undiscovered gem, I've known about it for some time but just haven't quite got round to visiting - largely because I'm rarely in Central London these days (due to living in the sticks and working in the ar*e end of nowhere).

You'd don't have to be into cooking your own Japanese food to make the most of Japan Centre. At the front of the shop is a vast array of sushi, sashimi, tempura, gyoza etc etc, for takeaway or (if you're lucky, or it's not lunchtime) to eat at one of the wooden benches. The range is impressive and it's much cheaper than Itsu or Yo Sushi!

Whether you live in London, or are just visiting I highly recommend a visit to Japan Centre. I just wish my office was closer!

Courgette & lime cake with lime cream cheese icing - recipe

2011-07-18T16:10:00.001+01:00

When we moved to 'the sticks'** a couple of months ago I came over all Good Life and, before we'd even finished unpacking (still haven't - oops), had planted up the garden with herbs, chillies, tomatoes and courgettes.

The herbs are doing well and I get very excited when I can just pop into the garden to pick them when I need them. The chillies and tomatoes are doing ok - but yet to produce anything. The courgettes on the other hand are a roaring success - yippee! I've only had a couple off the plants so far but reckon I might have a glut on my hands before long - so expect to see plenty more courgette recipes over the next few weeks.

This cake is extremely more-ish - surprisingly light and very moist.

**Ok, so Richmond is exactly the most rural place in the world but it's a hell of a lot more 'sticky' than Wapping, where we used to live practically next door to naughty Uncle Rupert!

Ingredients:
1 large courgette, grated
150g caster sugar
100ml vegetable oil
Good pinch of salt
Half a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of baking powder
Zest of 1 lime

For the cream cheese icing:
100g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia)
1 tablespoon caster sugar
Juice of 1 lime

Lavender petals to decorate

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 C . Grease a loaf tin.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the courgette, sugar, egg and oil.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder; stir in the lemon zest. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the courgette mix, until they are blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin.

Pop in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 45 minutes. When it's done, a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.

Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes or so in the tin, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake is cool, beat together the icing ingredients until fluffy. Spoon the icing over the cake and sprinkle with lavender petals.

Padron peppers - recipe

2011-07-17T21:16:00.002+01:00

I first had Padron peppers in Portugal, which is slightly strange as they're actually Spanish - unique to the Padron region in North West Spain. These are the Russian roulette of tapas - most of the peppers are very mild but around one in 20 is super hot.

Most tapas restaurants have these on the menu but if you fancy making them at home, Waitrose** at least definitely stocks them.

**And Lidl and M&S too apparently!

Ingredients (makes enough for a tapas style dish, or starter for two):
1 bag Padron peppers (150g)
Olive oil
Sea salt

Method:
Heat a good glug of olive oil in a frying pan.

Cook the peppers over a medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until the skin starts to blister.

Put the peppers into a serving bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.

Watch out for the hot ones!

Padron peppers

The Devonshire Arms - Restaurant review

2011-07-16T14:31:00.003+01:00

The Devonshire Arms in Chiswick used to be a Gordon Ramsay establishment. It closed down last year, with its lack of success blamed on it being 'the wrong end of the road'.

The location obviously hasn't deterred Nick Gibson, of Islington's Drapers Arms, who's teamed up with head chef David Philpot (ex Dean Street Townhouse) to re-open the pub.

The menu features seasonal British food, at reasonable prices (starters from £4.75 - £8.50, mains from £11.50 - £15.00). The wine list is similarly fairly priced, with the majority of bottles under £30 and a good selection by the glass.

It's fair to say that we had a good, but not great, meal. Two things really stood out as needing work. First the chips. Now I love chips - fat ones, thin ones, triple cooked ones - and usually order a side of them if they're on the menu. It's almost unheard of for me to leave any but that's exactly what happened last night. They were soggy and a bit anaemic looking. They were also grey and green in parts, where no care had been taken to remove the bad bits of potato. Not good. Second, the staff, who appeared to be mainly children. Nothing wrong with this in theory but, although they were perfectly pleasant, they just didn't seem to know what they were doing: they couldn't answer questions on the menu and spent most of their time chatting to each other, whilst studiously avoiding eye contact with customers.

Anyway enough of the negatives and onto the good stuff. The bread was delicious (rosemary and raisin) and duck rilletes starter very tasty. Not so sure about the scallops but we'll move on. The Cornish mackerel was excellent - well cooked and fresh tasting. I always find whole fish a bit of a faff but in this case it was worth it. The grilled onglet steak was well cooked and Marc enjoyed the whole garlic. We ordered two sides: chips and heritage mixed tomato salad. The tomato salad was a delight. Beautiful colours and intense flavours.

For pud we shared the pecan and Jack Daniels tart with vanilla mascarpone. Thoroughly enjoyable. The tart was lovely and crispy and the Jack Daniels cut through the sweetness of the pecans.

Being greedy, we then shared a cheese plate. This was very good - a generous portion of stichelton, Montgomery cheddar and a third which we didn't catch the name of! The homemade chutney was very tasty.

All in all, I'd be very happy if I had a pub like the Devonshire Arms at the (right or wrong) end of my road. I'm sure Nick Gibson will whip the staff into shape soon enough and, if he promises to sort the chips out, we'd go back.

Scallops, shaved fennel & piccalilli

Duck rillettes with pickled plum tomatoes

Cornish mackerel, broad bean relish, pea shoots & lemon salad

Grilled onglet, chips, peppercorn sauce & confit garlic

Heritage mixed tomato salad

Pecan & Jack Daniels tart, vanilla mascarpone

Cheese plate

The Real Food Market - London's Southbank

2011-07-15T16:16:00.001+01:00

I've been planning to go to the Real Food Market at the Southbank Centre for ages but we seem to have had torrential rain every Friday lunchtime for weeks.

Today, the sun had his hat on, so I popped down there.

Great selection of artisan food and drink producers. And plenty of samples (most importantly). The market's on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It's not as big as Borough Market but it's way less crowded, which has to be a bonus!

A couple of quick snaps below.

Amazing baked goods (I had a cheese straw!)

Comte cheese - one of my favourites

Beautiful macarons

Phat Phuc - restaurant review

2011-07-14T15:59:00.003+01:00

The name apparently translates as 'happy Buddha' in Vietnamese. Totally genius name for a really cool little courtyard cafe just off the Kings Road in Chelsea.

Serving authentic Vietnamese food at very reasonable places, this is the perfect place for lunch in the sun.

We shared the steamed prawn dim sum (£3.50), followed by Vegetable Pho - rice noodles, tofu and shiitake mushrooms in vegetable broth (£6.50)

Prawn dim sum

Vegetable pho

Razor clam gratin with sauce vierge - recipe

2011-07-13T12:41:00.001+01:00

Every now and then you come across a recipe that totally blows you away and this razor clams dish is definitely one of them. I made it for my sister at the weekend and we practically hoovered it up - these were some tasty clams! The cheesy breadcrumbs added a nice crunch and the tomato sauce perfectly complemented the sweet, juicy clams.

It would make a great starter for a dinner party - it's fairly quick and simple to prepare, looks great and tastes fantastic. A real crowd pleaser this one.

The recipe comes from the lovely James Martin from Saturday Kitchen. My version below.

Ingredients (Serves two as a starter or snackette)
4 razor clams, rinsed
50 ml white wine
2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely grated cheese (I used parmesan)

For the sauce vierge:
Glug of olive oil
A quarter of a red onion, finely chopped (or a shallot if you have one)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tomato, deseeded and finely chopped (I didn't bother skinning mine)
Small handful of fresh herbs ( I used parsley and basil), finely chopped
Juice of half a lemon

Method:

Preheat the grill to high.

Heat the wine in a saucepan. Add the clams. Cover with a lid and steam for 1-2 minutes. Drain the clams and discard any that don't open.

Remove the clams from their shells, reserving 6 of the shells. Cut the grey bit off the clams and throw it away.

Lay the shells on a baking tray. Roughly chop the clam meat, then distribute between the shells. Put to one side.

Mix together the chives, breadcrumbs and grated cheese and sprinkle over the clams.

Place under the grill for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.

In the meantime, to make the sauce vierge, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and fry gently for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the parsley, basil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, lay the shells on a plate and spoon the sauce vierge over the top.

Razor clam gratin with sauce vierge

Thai cooking - fried spring rolls recipe and some pics

2011-07-12T09:58:00.001+01:00

I have a bit of a weakness for fried food and love a good spring roll.

I'd never even thought about making them myself before, so was very pleased when they were on the menu for our Thai cookery course at Ao Nang Cookery School.

Although they seemed easy peasy to make when we were there, I did have a couple of problems when I made them at home. Mainly due to the fact that the wrappers I'd bought here were very different to the ones we used in the class. The ones I bought (below) needed to be soaked in water for a couple of minutes before use and then were extremely delicate. They were also round, whereas the ones we used in Ao Nang were square! They worked out really well in the end though and were delicious, served with a (shop bought) sweet chilli dip.

You could adapt these to use whatever filling you fancy. My recipe is vegetarian but you could add chicken or prawns. Adding cabbage and/or celery would also work well.

Oh, and a couple of Thailand pics below too.

Ingredients:
50g mushroom (I used oyster mushroom) thinly sliced
1 small carrot, thinly sliced in matchsticks
2 spring onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger (optional)
100g glass noodle, pre-soaked in cold water for 10 minutes*
1 tablespoon oil for cooking

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

Spring roll wrappers (soaked for two mins in cold water)

1 egg yolk, to seal wrappers

Vegetable oil for frying

Method:
Stir fry filling ingredients for 2 minutes. Add the sauce ingredients and cook for further 2 minutes.

Take one spring roll wrapper at a time. Place a heaped tablespoon of filling in bottom third of wrapper (see pics). Fold over the bottom, then the sides. Keep rolling until you get to the top. Brush the top with a little egg yolk to seal.

In a pan, heat vegetable oil to about 2-3 cm. Deep fry the spring rolls for about 5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Chop in half and serve with sweet chilli dip.

*Confusingly, glass noodles are also known as cellophane noodles, Chinese vermicelli, bean thread noodles or sai fun. They are very fine noodles, which go translucent when soaked - hence first two names.

Chopped ingredients ready to stir fry

Assembling the spring roll

Rolling

Brush with egg yolk to seal

Spring rolls ready to fry

Served with sweet chilli dip

Beautiful dragon fly

View of the islands from our beach

Miso aubergine - recipe

2011-07-09T14:16:00.001+01:00

This is another of Reiko's recipes from Hashi cooking

Reiko has a recipe book coming out in October, which I'm sure will do her recipes justice much more than my amateur attempts!

Ingredients (4 generous side portions):

2 good size aubergines

3 tbsp miso paste

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp sunflower oil (or whichever oil you prefer)

Using a veg peeler, peel vertical one inch strips off the aubergines (see the pic below). Cut the aubergines into one inch thick pieces

Brush one side of each piece and place under a medium grill (oiled side up). Grill for about 8 minutes until lightly browned.

Turn over, brush the uncooked side with remaining oil and put under the grill for another 5 minutes, until lightly browned on that side too and soft to the touch. If the aubergine is still firm, it may need a couple more minutes.

Whilst the aubergines are cooking, mix the miso, sugar and mirin in a bowl. Heat in the microwave for one minute (or simmer in a small saucepan for 2-3 minutes). The sauce needs to be thick enough to sit on top of the aubergine, if it's too watery add a little more miso and sugar; if too thick, add a little water.**

Paste the miso sauce on top of each piece of aubergine, giving a good covering. Put the aubergine back under the grill (paste side up). Grill for 1-2 minutes, until the miso sauce starts bubbling. Watch them carefully, as the miso sauce burns easily.

I served them with tuna steaks and wasabi mashed potatoes and saved a little of the miso paste to use as a sauce on the side. Absolutely delicious!

**This sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks. It makes a delicious dip.

Aubergines: peeled and ready to grill

Cooked aubergines, with miso paste ready for the final grilling

Not a great pic - but miso aubergine with tuna steak and wasabi mashed potato

Moomba - restaurant review

2011-07-08T12:11:00.002+01:00

I probably should learn my lesson and lay off special offers for a while but hey, the credit card's maxed out and a girl's gotta eat.

This week's disappointment was Moomba in Putney - according to the website this is "Putney's favourite neighbourhood restaurant and bar". Really??

We went along because a) it looked rather nice on the website and b) there was 50% off food with a Tastecard.

The bar itself is perfectly pleasant and the staff nice enough. Unfortunately the food just wasn't very good. Nor was the wine.

I won't spend too much time going into it - after all, the prices are reasonable to start with and we got 50% off, so it didn't break the bank.

In short:
Prawn and avocado cocktail: watery sauce, weirdly mushed up avocado, average prawns
Chilli & lime Cornish crab cakes, mango salsa: Tasted like Mum had gone to Iceland. No evidence of chilli, lime or mango.
Grilled sea trout, crayfish ravioli, samphire, champagne sauce: So salty it was inedible.

The side order of fries on the other hand were very good, so I'm willing to concede that some items on the menu might be better - perhaps the sharing plates, or something simple like a burger. Unlikely to find out though, as I shan't be going back.

Summery salad (for not-so summery weather) - recipe

2011-07-07T16:17:00.002+01:00

I actually made this salad just before I went on holiday but didn't get round to writing a post on it. Lovely, light summery lunch. I'm sure it tastes just as good in the rain though! The peppery rocket works well with the tart lemon dressing and salty feta cheese.

I made it using English asparagus. As the season has sadly now ended, you could replace asparagus with sugar snap peas if you wanted.

Ingredients (serves 2):
1 bunch asparagus (or sugar snap peas if you prefer), woody bit removed and spears cut into three pieces
1 courgette, cut into thin slices
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 bag rocket
100g feta cheese crumbled or cubed (you could also use goats cheese)
Handful of fresh herbs, chopped (I used mint, basil and parsley but you could just use one)
Juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
Drizzle of olive oil for cooking

Method:
Drizzle asparagus and courgette with a little olive oil and cook in pre-heated griddle pan for 3-4 minutes, turning once during cooking. Allow to cool slightly.

Mix spring onions, rocket, herbs in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice to make a salad dressing.

Add the asparagus and courgette to the leaves, dress according to taste. Serve sprinkled with feta cheese.

courgette, asparagus, feta, lemon, spring onion, rocket

What's in season: July

2011-07-06T12:10:00.000+01:00

One of the great things I've found about food blogging is that it's given me a whole new understanding of what food is in season.

Being armed with this knowledge means I can buy local produce, saving on evil food miles, but it also gives me inspiration for new recipes.

So, I'm thinking this might be useful for other people too, so my plan is to write a quick blog post at the beginning (ish) of each month with a list of what's in season. Let me know if I miss anything.

What's in season: July

Fruit: Apricots, blackcurrants, blueberries, cherries, elderflowers, gooseberries, loganberries, peaches, raspberries, redcurrants, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes

Vegetables: Artichokes, aubergine, beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, courgettes, cucumber, fennel, garlic, horseradish, kohl rabi, lettuce, mange tout, onions, spring onions, peas, new potatoes, radish, rocket, runner beans, samphire, shallots, sorrel, watercress.

Thai cooking - Tom yam soup recipe

2011-07-05T22:04:00.004+01:00

We've just got back from an amazing trip to Krabi in Thailand - some more pics to come. We only had eight days but tried to pack in as much as possible, including a half day Thai cookery course at Ao Nang Thai Cookery School

For around £20 (1000 Baht) we got to choose five items to make and then eat the fruits of our labour.

The cookery school certainly wasn't high tech but it was in a beautiful setting and we'll definitely be making all the recipes again.

First up, Tom Yam soup. This sour, spicy soup is ubiquitous in Thailand and we ate it most days of our holiday. Typically this stuff is fire water and, although the flavours were always amazing, my delicate English palate meant I could rarely finish a bowl.

At Ao Nang cookery school, we were advised to add just two Thai chillis, although Sow told us she might add as many as ten when making it for her family!

Marc has definitely been inspired by our cookery course and came home today with all the ingredients for Tom Yam soup. It was absolutely delicious - just the right balance of chilli, fish sauce, lime and sugar. It's pretty simple to make, ready in about ten minutes or so, and you can get all the ingredients in an average supermarket.

Oh and you don't eat the lemon grass, ginger or lime leaves - they're just in there for flavour. Whether you eat the chillis or not depends on how brave you are.

Ingredients (serves two for main or four as a starter):

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1 fish or vegetable stock cube

250g - 300g king prawns (raw if possible)

1 stalk lemon grass, bashed and chopped into 2cm pieces

1 piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thickly sliced (use galangal if you can find it)

3 kaffir lime leaves, torn (stem peeled out)

1 shallot, bashed and roughly chopped

2 Thai chillis, chopped

75g mushrooms roughly torn (oyster mushroom if possible, but ordinary mushroom will do)

1 tomato, roughly chopped

To garnish:

1 spring onion finely chopped

Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method:

Bring half a litre of water to the boil, add the stock cube, lime juice**, fish sauce and sugar.

Add the prawns (if using raw), lemon grass, ginger, lime leaves, shallot, chilli and mushroom and simmer for five minutes or so, until prawns are pink and cooked through.

Add the tomato (and prawns if pre-cooked) and cook for further two minutes.

Serve topped with spring onion and fresh coriander.

** You might prefer to add the lime juice at the end - it gives a fresher flavour.

Ao Nang cookery school, with little helper.

Ingredients fresh from the market

Tonight: Tom Yam soup back in Blighty

Marc, in traditional Thai dress(!), knows a thing or two about cooking....

Arbutus not-so-special offer - restaurant review

2011-06-24T12:07:00.002+01:00

I'd wanted to eat at Arbutus for ages, so booked a table immediately when I saw an offer for the pre-theatre menu plus a glass of champagne for £18.95 ppn. It's not often you can eat in a Michelin starred restaurant for that little.

Unfortunately there was very little 'special' about the offer. The set menu only offers two choices for starter and main courses and one pud. Luckily we were able to find things we liked, although the waiter was quite pushy in trying to get us to order a la carte instead.

As we're talking about the service, it was amateur at best. We waited ages for our order to be taken at the beginning and our waiter disappeared at the end of the meal, so we waited again for the bill. Wine was sloshed into our glasses in very heavy handed measures AND without offering it to us to taste first.

The food was good but nothing to write home about, so I shan't. I can only assume they save the Michelin-quality stuff for the main menu...

The biggest gripe of the evening though was the cheese plate - talk about miserly. We had one piece of cheese and a little pile of chutney - have a look at the pic below. Mean, mean, mean.

All in all a totally underwhelming experience.

Putney Fish & Grill - review

2011-06-22T22:35:00.003+01:00

In spite of initial reservations, we had an excellent pre-Father's Day dinner at Putney Fish & Grill

The fish display at the entrance was half-hearted to say the least - a measly selection of old looking fish on ice. This should either be done properly, or not done at all. I also object to paying a cover charge for bread.

We shared starters, as we'd already had a hefty selection of canapes at home. Rach and I shared the scallops with green beans and hazelnut butter. Nice enough but nothing to write home about. Mum and Dad plumped for salt cod fritters with crushed pea aioli. These were good - although bizarrely the peas weren't crushed...

The biggest success of the night was Rachel's whole crab. Rach loves fiddly food. She's in her element if her dinner requires tools. The lamb chops were also declared excellent by Mum.
There was an interesting, varied wine list, including some low sulphur wines. (Although they didn't have our first or second choice...)

The bakewell tart was thoroughly delicious.

Wasn't sure if we were supposed to look at the beans or eat them!

Salt cod fritters.

Scallops with hazelnut butter

Tools ready for action

Lobby lobster

Whole crab - Rachel's dream meal

Rach in action

Rather nice cherry bakewell

slightly sorry fish display

Brula - restaurant (sort of) review

2011-06-19T22:14:00.002+01:00

Life has been super busy of late. Obviously still enough time to eat and drink very well but not quite enough time to document!

We're lucky enough to have a couple of really good restaurants within walking distance of our new house. One of these is Brula, a very lovely, very proper French restaurant.

The service was fantastic and the food very good. I'll write more when I get chance but thought I'd share my photos for now.

Cornish crab with curried mussels, cauliflower rémoulade, pickled apple and coriander

Sauté of king scallops, chilled pea panna cotta, radish, black pudding, chilli and mint dressing

Wild black bream and pickled Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, sauce nantaise

28 day aged beef fillet with Agen prunes and chicken liver parfait, pommes Anna, bacon and home smoked garlic