Mussels, clams and an Italian island hideaway - recipe

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

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

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

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