Good Food Etc.

Sea Fish

2012-02-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

205 Upper Street
London
N1 1RQ

Due to the lack of fish and chips in Paris, T requested some for dinner while he was in London. We decided to get them takeaway and eat them at home. A ordered some scampi, I had some cod, and chips were had by all. (I made the peas myself at home.) The fish and scampi were both pretty well fried - not too greasy and still retaining some crunchiness despite the travel back to ours in a bag. However, the chips were quite flabby and sad - I very rarely enjoy the chips from fish and chip shops (A agrees) - I'd so much rather have chips at burger chains such as Byron. Has anyone found a fish and chip shop that actually does justice to the chips?

Ladurée

2012-02-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Unit 1, Covent Garden Market
London
WC2E 8RF

A's mom was in London before Christmas so we had a fun girls' day out - a bit of window shopping, and then tea and macarons at Ladurée in Covent Garden. When you consider the luxury of being in a beautifully decorated tea room in central London and being served tea in silver pots with elegant china and some of the best macarons in the world, the prices are actually quite reasonable. The three macarons we split were salted caramel, orange blossom and black forest. My favorite was the salted caramel, followed closely by the black forest, which managed to taste exactly like a piece of black forest gateau. We then bought a boxed set of macarons as a gift for S - who we found out later had just asked T to buy some for her in Paris... so double macarons were received, but that was fine with everyone - it just meant more for sharing!

Chicken, Lemongrass, Cauliflower and Potato Curry

2012-02-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

When I saw this recipe on Serious Eats, and found out the little fruit and veg shop at the end of the road had lemongrass, I knew I would try this out - I was given several different curry powders by a friend and am always looking for interesting ways to use them. The original recipe didn't include cauliflower, but I thought it would be a nice addition (and it was). I also didn't have as much chicken as the original recipe called for, but you know what, with the extra cauliflower, I didn't miss it.

Chicken, Lemongrass, Cauliflower and Potato Curry
Adapted from Serious Eats
Serves 4 generously

Ingredients

3 to 4 hefty lemongrass stalks, trimmed and coarsely chopped (about 2/3 cup total)
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder (or other curry powder)
1/2 teaspoon dried red chile flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
One 13 1/2-ounce can coconut milk
800g bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 lime, cut into wedges
4 cups cooked long grain or basmati rice
Handful cilantro

Method

Toss the chopped lemongrass into a food processor. Process until it turns into a "fine, fluffy mass," scraping the sides with a spoon occasionally, about three minutes. Add the ginger, and pulse until it is chopped finely. Then add the onion. Process, scraping the sides with a spoon occasionally, until it is a paste.

Pour the oil into a large saucepan set over medium heat. When shimmering, add the lemongrass paste. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until very fragrant, about two minutes. Add the curry powder and red chiles flakes, stir well, and cook for a minute. Add the salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Stir well with the wooden spoon, and then add the chicken pieces. If the liquid does not cover the pieces add a little bit of water to do so. Once liquid starts to boil, reduce heat to maintain a slow simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Add the potatoes and cauliflower, stir well, and turn heat up again to bring to a strong simmer. Then reduce heat to maintain a bare simmer, and cook until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. When done, turn off the heat, cover the saucepan, and let rest for at least 10 minutes. (This dish just got better and better in the fridge - by day 3 the leftovers were incredible.)

Serve the dish with the lime wedges, cilantro, and white rice.

Black Bean Soup

2012-02-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

During our kitchen clear out, I found some extra packages of dried beans, including some black beans. A coworker had been reminiscing recently about the black bean soup she had in Cuba, and that reminded me of the black bean soup I used to have at Tex-Mex restaurants back home. I cobbled together a few recipes to come up with the below - the bacon is an addition due to my belief that very little makes beans taste as good as a bit of smoked pork. Cumin gives it some warmth, oregano is thrown in because it was in one recipe and I am trying to use up some dried herbs, and I added a few drops of Tabasco to give it a little kick. The picture is quite drab looking, but the flavors are anything but. I topped servings with a little grated cheddar and cilantro/coriander - sour cream would also work for those of you who like that kind of thing.

Black Bean Soup
Serves 8 generously

Ingredients

500g black beans, soaked
8 cups water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
8 rashers smoked streaky bacon
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons cumin (or to taste)
4 teaspoons white vinegar (I used rice vinegar as it was all I had on hand)
1 tsp dried oregano
8 dashes of Tabasco (optional)
grated Cheddar cheese (optional)
chopped cilantro/corinder (optional)

Method

In a large pot, add the water and salt. Add beans and simmer until soft (approximately 90 minutes). Cut bacon strips into lardons and fry until crispy. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and place into pot of beans. Sauté onion, pepper, celery and carrots in remaining bacon fat until the onions turn golden brown. Add garlic, cumin, oregano and vinegar. Cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Drain about 1/2 cup water from beans and add it to the sauté.

Cook over low heat for 30 minutes.

Combine vegetables with beans.

Cook for another 30 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Add Tabasco if using. If you like a smoother soup, you can use a stick blender to blend some of the soup - I did this for a few pulses so that it remained quite chunky but thickened a bit. Also, if you want it to be vegetarian, just omit the bacon and saute the vegetables in olive oil instead.

Fat Cat Cafe

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

119 Church Street
London
N16 0UD

While F was visiting we thought a walk to Stoke Newington might be fun. We'd been out late the night before, watching some bath-related comedy, and the thought of some rejuvenating brunch was quite motivating. We ambled down Church Street, pausing to look at menus of various restaurants, and Fat Cat caught our eye with its promise of bacon and sausage sandwiches. A and F quickly ordered those, while I went with eggs benedict with some of the thickest cut bacon I have ever seen. The hollandaise was bright, creamy and lemony at the same time, and the toasted English muffins provided a nice crunch. Eight quid isn't the cheapest price for this dish, but at least it was executed well, and when I was finished I was full, so it's not like I needed larger portions. All in all, much better than I expected for a place none of us had ever heard of.

Hotel Chocolat Valentine's Chocolates

2012-02-01T08:13:00.000-08:00

The cheesiest holiday of the year is fast approaching. Thankfully, while I try to avoid eating out with the crowds, A and I still like to have a nice dinner at home. A nice dinner isn't complete without some sweets at the end, and Hotel Chocolat is here to oblige with some tempting Valentines Chocolates. In the Season of Love Goody Bag they sent me, I found what is possibly my favorite chocolate in the world, ever - chilli caramels. They have a dark chocolate shell with a spicy liquid caramel filling, and it was hard for me to not just stuff all six in my mouth. I'm not even much of a sweets person, but these chilli caramels have converted me. A also raved about them and has asked for more, so I know where I'll be heading before February 14th...

Mushroom Caviar

2012-01-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

So J makes this amazing mushroom caviar. It's her mother's recipe, I think, like many good recipes are, and it comes out every Thanksgiving, placed strategically around her flat with pita chips to dip in. One year Andy's mum was at J's Thanksgiving and asked for the recipe - ever since I have had a copy of it. Now it's coming to Christmas in Suffolk with me as a lovely snack. Ignore how unappetizing the picture is - it really makes up for that with loads of rich mushroom-y flavor.

Mushroom Caviar
Adapted from the Great J

Ingredients

500g fresh mushrooms
1 medium (1/2 c.) onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 eggs, hard-cooked
2 Tbl parsley, minced (original calls for 1 Tbl)
2 Tbl butter
1 tsp thyme leaves (original calls for 1/8 tsp)
1 Tbl brandy (optional)
2 Tbl mayonnaise (optional)

Method

Rinse, pat dry and finely knife-chop mushrooms or coarsely grate in food processor. (I put all the mushrooms and the onion in my mini food processor to save on chopping time). In large skillet melt butter. Add mushrooms, onion, salt, thyme and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring often, until all liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. (I find this takes longer than 10 minutes - I did a double batch today which definitely took about 40 minutes). Add brandy. Stir constantly until brandy evaporates, about 1 minute. (I omitted the brandy step). Cool. Reserve 1 egg yolk. Finely chop remaining one whole egg and one egg white; add to mushroom mixture with mayonnaise (which I also omitted) and parsley; mix well. Turn into 1 1/4 cup container; cover and chill. At serving time, pack into small serving bowl or unmold onto lettuce or serving plate. Using a small fine-mesh sieve held directly over serving bowl, press reserved egg yolk over top.

Apple Butter

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

A generous bag of apples from our neighbors resulted in some impromptu apple butter today. It took ages but resulted in a sticky, spicy, appley spread - one jar is going back to said neighbors, and the rest is for us.

Apple Butter Recipe

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients

4 lbs of good cooking apples
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
Sugar (about 2 cups, see cooking instructions)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon allspice
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

Method

Cut the apples into quarters, without peeling or coring them (much of the pectin is in the cores and flavor in the peels), cut out damaged parts.

Put them into large pot, add the vinegar and water, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cook until apples are soft, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat.

Ladle apple mixture into a chinois sieve (or foodmill) and using a pestle force pulp from the chinois into a large bowl below. Measure resulting puree (I got about 4 cups). Add 1/2 cup of sugar for each cup of apple pulp. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add a dash of salt, and the cinnamon, allspice, lemon rind and juice. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Cook uncovered in a large, wide, thick-bottomed pot on medium low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to make sure a crust is not forming at the bottom. Cook until thick and smooth (about 1 to 2 hours). A small bit spooned onto a chilled (in the freezer) plate will be thick, not runny. You can also cook the purée on low heat, stirring only occasionally, but this will take much longer as stirring encourages evaporation. (Note the wider the pan the better, as there is more surface for evaporation.)

There are several ways to sterilize your jars for canning. You can run them through a short cycle on your dishwasher. You can place them in a large pot (12 quart) of water on top of a steaming rack (so they don't touch the bottom of the pan), and bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes. Or you can rinse out the jars, dry them, and place them, without lids, in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.

Pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal. If you plan to store the apple butter un-refrigerated, make sure to follow proper canning procedures. Before applying the lids, sterilize the lids by placing them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Wipe the rims of the jars clean before applying the lids. I use a hot water bath for 10 minutes to ensure a good seal.

Makes a little more than 3 pint jars.

Jack's Birthday Cake

2012-01-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

A was participating in his office bake off competition. Being a boozehound, he wanted to make this Jack Daniels cake. It is disastrously sweet and a bit dry, making it no surprise that it placed last. My suggestion is that if you're looking for a Jack Daniels cake, look elsewhere.

Jack's Birthday Cake
Adapted from Jack Daniels Food

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
½ cup Jack Daniel's® Tennessee Whiskey
1 cup chopped hazelnuts (original recipe calls for walnuts)
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Hot Buttered Whiskey Glaze (recipe follows)

Method

Heat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in the brown sugar, eggs, flour mixture, and Jack Daniel's®, stirring well after each addition. Pour batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle evenly with hazlenuts and chocolate chips. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until center of the cake is firm and edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool on a wire rack and drizzle with glaze. Makes 16 servings.

Note: Cake may be baked in a greased 10-inch tube pan. Increase the baking time to 1 hour. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Drizzle with the glaze.

Hot Buttered Whiskey Glaze

1/8 cup melted butter
1 cups powdered sugar
1.5 tablespoons Jack Daniel's® Tennessee Whiskey
1/6 cup Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Whiskey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Blend well with a wooden spoon. Drizzle over the cake. (The original recipe made twice as much but it was way too much for the cake.)

The Islington Barn

2012-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

133B Upper Street
London
N1 1QP

Delightfully, one of my favorite food providers, Farm Direct, have created a pop up on Upper Street called The Islington Barn. It's full of hay bales and checkered tablecloths, and you can buy fantastic farm produce from the shop or sit down and have a hearty meal made from those same farm ingredients. When J and I went, the special dish of the day was beef stew. The bowl above was massive - generous chunks of beef with potatoes and carrots and fresh parsley. The beef fell apart with the mere prod of a spoon and the bread soaked up the rich gravy well. There were other things on the menu, including cakes, but sadly we were so full after the stew that we couldn't fit in anything else. I'm hoping to pop in again before they have to close up.

Crane & Tortoise

2012-01-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

39 - 41 Gray's Inn Road

London

WC1X 8PR

P heard of this place and knew I would always be up for visiting a Japanese pub, so off we went to give it a try. P was pleased to see Asahi on draft - cold beer goes wonderfully with Japanese home cooking. I started with octopus (a mistake - it was rubbery and tasted of very little) but chose better for my main - the deep fried pork cutlet curry. The pork was crisp and juicy and the curry sauce was heartwarming, with lovely chunks of potato and carrot throughout. P got some gyoza and then went with this dish: rice fried with chicken and onions wrapped in an egg omelette, flavoured with tomato ketchup. What appeared was the thing that looks like a burrito above. It was weirdly sweet (maybe the ketchup?) but essentially was some fried rice with a very thin egg wrapping it all into a neat bundle. I'd go back and probably skip the burrito thing next time - stick with the katsu curry!

Bruno's French Bakes

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Masterchef Live /Wine Show festival is something P, A and I all look forward to now. This year, we came armed with bags to carry our purchases, plenty of cash, and empty stomachs. Above, that glorious array of salted butter caramel and dark chocolate tarts was one of my favorite tastes of the day. Upon further investigation, I have learned that Bruno's French Bakes operates stalls at various markets and also sells that heavenly filling as a spread. I almost bought a jar but feared for my own health as it is likely I would have eaten the entire thing, hoarding it from others. I'm not usually that into sweets but this stuff is like crack.

Jack's Firehouse

2012-01-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

2130 Fairmount Ave
Philadelphia PA, 19130

USA

Jack's Firehouse was definitely our best food find in Philadelphia. We were in the area since we did an excellent tour of Eastern State Penitentiary (good idea A!) I had clam chowder which was almost over-the-top in creamy clammy flavor, and a side of scrapple which is a specialty in Pennsylvania. I'll let you click on the link if you want to know exactly what it consists of. A got a massive BBQ plate that was demolished, and K's pancakes were also a treat. There's a great cocktail list to go along with the food - no complaints from any of us as we had our last meal of the weekend together.

Rotten Ralph's

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

201 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
USA

Hmm. What to say about this, except that since we were in Philadelphia, K, A and I all thought we should have Philly cheesesteaks. The place I'd heard about had lines down the block and WE DO NOT WAIT FOR FOOD. So we came here, where there were no lines, but as a result served up rather dry cheesesteaks. Won't be back, but it did fuel us for a 2 hour walk to Best Buy, so we still win.

Kelliann's Bar and Grill

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

1549 Spring Garden Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
USA

My first post of 2012 is devoted to buffalo wings! Ah how I've missed them - the crispness of fried chicken wings, paired with the genius that is Frank's Red Hot mixed with butter. PLEASE can someone in London start doing them well? Anyway, A&K, being the good friends that they are, agreed to find me some buffalo wings in Philadelphia. This led us to the website The Best Wings in Philly, which then led us to Kelliann's. After a rather harrowing walk through some dark industrial streets, A managed to get us there and we gratefully settled at a table and proceeded to order a plate of 25 chicken wings (I think we went with mild? Though I thought they were really spicy, perhaps because I have been away too long), along with some fries. It wasn't a particularly atmospheric place, but as I have come to realise, the company is way more important than the atmosphere, which meant I had an amazing time. Oh yeah, and the wings are pretty damn good.

Dock Street Beer

2011-12-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

701 South 50th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19143
USA

One of the best parts of going to Philadelphia for work was getting to see old friends. M & K moved to Philadelphia recently so it was great to see their (palatial) new apartment and also find out about their first pregnancy. We decided to have dinner in their neighborhood and they suggested Dock Street Beer - I can't remember which beer I had with dinner but it was pretty good, and dinner itself was a lot of fun. The fried calamari above plus a mixed basket of fries, sweet potato fries and fried leeks was a nice way to kick off a feast. I then had a roasted beet salad in an attempt to get some actual nutrients (but M's sausage pizza was far tastier). Not sure if I'll be back in Philadelphia any time soon, but I would recommend this place to anyone who's a bit closer...

Chickie & Pete's

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Philadelphia International Airport

I'd never heard of Chickie & Pete's before, but as food options in the airport were quite limited on a Sunday night, I gave it a try. I have no idea why the above basket of fries are called World Famous Crabfries, but they were decently crisp and crunchy and came with a cheese sauce for dipping that at least tasted of cheese. I also ordered a jumbo shrimp cocktail (I love how big shrimp are in the US!) and they were fresh and bouncy, which was a surprise for airport food. Don't make it a point to go here, but it was a more pleasant experience than I expected.

Oscar's Wine Bar and Bistro

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

27 Swinegate
York
YO1 8AZ

Since we were in York for W&W's wedding, we thought it would be a good idea to explore the city a little bit and see some sights. Of course, that also means asking for recommendations for food, and A's friend J said that he had a pretty good burger at Oscar's. When we dropped by during the lunch hour, the place was packed, so we decided to come back after 3pm when burgers went on special, 2 for £10. The picture above shows what we got when we ordered cheeseburgers - I'm ok with grated cheese, but I would think the only reason for doing that is to make the cheese melt better, so if you're not going to serve it warm enough to be melted, what is the point? The bun was overly large and dry, and the meat cooked to well done. Chips were clearly from a big bag of frozen. All in all, disappointing, but then again, also only £5, so I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised.

Diwana Bhel Poori House

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

121-123 Drummond Street
London
NW1 2HL

I really dislike being so behind with blogging, but all I can do at this point is attempt to catch up. This was a dinner with F, H and S after an interesting talk regarding speech and brain patterns at the Wellcome Collection. Apparently the three of them had been to the restaurant before and really enjoyed it, so I happily tagged along. It's vegetarian, but South Asian food is one of the cuisines that I don't miss meat in - I ordered the dosa pictured above and it was enormous and crisp and spicy in just the right way. There was a fantastic starter too, of tiny little puffed balls of dough that you broke into and then spooned in a sweet/sour chickpea sauce. If I find myself looking for food around Euston again, this will certainly be on my mind.

Matthew’s Spicy Sauteed Corn

2011-12-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Holy cow, if ever there was a recipe that I would scream MAKE THIS NOW, this is it. It is so so so easy, and so so so delicious, that I ate the entire bowl in one sitting and that was my dinner. And now, when I want a quick and easy dinner, this is what I have. The browned, buttery nubs of corn pop in your mouth and just release the most amazing flavor, and the lime juice cuts right through and sings. I love corn, and now I love corn even more.

Matthew’s Spicy Sauteed Corn
Adapted slightly from Spilled Milk and Orangette

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Kernels from 3-4 ears fresh corn (I used frozen with good results)
1 small birds eye chilli, seeds removed if desired, minced
2 Tbsp. water
Salt
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

Method

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high until bubbling. Add the corn, scallions, and jalapeno, stirring to coat with butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn begins to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes. (You might hear some kernels popping toward the end.) Add the water and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any extremely delicious brown bits. When the water has boiled off, add salt to taste. Remove from the heat, and stir in the lime juice. Serve immediately, with additional lime wedges.

The Britannia

2011-12-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

44 Kipling Street
London
SE1 3RU

Mr. AB had his birthday drinks here on a Saturday night - it was quiet as anything but meant that we could all have a nice conversation without shouting, which at our age is something we value ;) Anyway - since it was clear that we should eat something while downing pints, we perused the dinner menu and I have to say, considering the state of the other meals, I chose well. My grilled fish was fresh and crisp-skinned, and the pile of chips underneath was cooked, at least. Others had the burger which was a sad, grey puck of meat surrounded by overly large, stale buns, and Mr. AB even had undercooked chips with his meal. Basically - don't go here to eat - go here to have a drink and try one of their whiskies, as that is what they excel in. We asked too much and in return received too little.

Hotel Chocolat Christmas Choccies

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's cold outside and time to get ready for Christmas again! Hotel Chocolat very kindly sent this Signature Dark Collection to me for review. These rich dark chocolates should do the trick for anyone who likes the bittersweet goodness of high quality dark chocolate - my favorites being the ones spiked with chilli and the ones with gooey caramel filling. The packaging is beautiful as well, which makes it a lovely gift to take to a Christmas party; the hosts are sure to thank you. Of course, not everyone loves dark chocolate - but that's ok, Hotel Chocolat makes all different kinds of chocolate collections - check out their Christmas gift page if you need some inspiration. I'm celebrating my first British Christmas this year, and I think some Christmas crackers would be a nice addition to the traditional dinner - or this adorable reindeer would be an excellent stocking stuffer.

Delhi Grill

2011-12-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

21 Chapel Market
London
N1 9EZ

P had raved about this place a while back, and I had also heard wonderful things about it, so it was an easy choice when we were thinking about places to go for dinner. I do love Tayyab's but the wait and the atmosphere can leave much to be desired - and now that I have found a place that is polite, clean, and also serves a fantastic mixed grill, there is no need to drag myself out to Whitechapel anymore! We enjoyed gnawing on the bones of that giant pile of meat and also treated ourselves to dhal and aloo gobi - all of this with pilau rice and a couple of beers came to just a little over a tenner a head, which is also just as much of a bargain as Tayyab's - so long live Delhi Grill, you've taken over as my go-to place whenever I need some tandoori lamb chops.

The Royal Standard

2011-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

For the August bank holiday, a few of us went to A's mum's house in Falmouth, Cornwall. For one of our meals out, we chose The Royal Standard in Flushing - I've written about it before here but it was noteworthy enough the second time around that I'm posting again - definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Cornwall. Above is a glorious plate of fish and chips - crunchy batter, fresh fish, and peas that taste very much like peas (none of this weird mushy pea stuff, thank you). Can't wait to go back again and again!

Chickpea stew with pork sausage meatballs

2011-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Amazing recipe, as usual, from HF-W in the Guardian. Some recipes make you want to make them as soon as you read them, and this was one for me. Of course, being impatient (and knowing I had sausages in the freezer), I subbed in pork sausages which worked wonderfully. This made excellent lunches and dinners for several days.

Chickpea stew with pork sausage meatballs
Adapted from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

A great, spicy stew for a chilly day. Serves eight.

Ingredients

6 pork sausages
3 onions, peeled and finely diced
6 dried bay leaves
6 thyme sprigs
1 head of garlic, peeled and sliced
3 small red chillis, membrane and seeds removed, finely chopped
3 tsp ground cumin
3 400g tin plum tomatoes
500ml chicken or vegetable stock
500g dried chickpeas, soaked and cooked
500g baby spinach
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

First make the meatballs. Take the sausage out of the casings and pinch off walnut sized chunks of sausage. Wet your hands and roll each chunk into small meatballs. Place in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, and fry the meatballs until lightly browned on all sides, about five minutes. Set aside.

Next, make the stew. Warm the remaining oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat and fry the onions gently with the bay leaves and thyme, stirring from time to time, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli and cumin, and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes (crushing them roughly against the side of the pan with a fork), stock and chickpeas. Season and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Add the meatballs to the stew and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the spinach and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve. Add parsley garnish on top if using.

Mussels in White Wine

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

As much as I love mussels, I have never cooked them at home. I know they're easy, I know they're cheap, but somehow I never found time to grab some and make them in my own kitchen. (Perhaps this is because my local grocery store doesn't carry them and I am too lazy to go to the fishmongers. This is where Farm Direct steps in - fresh mussels to your door! And no, I don't get paid by them, I just love them.) Anyway - my first bag of mussels was obtained, and then I had a rummage around for what else to throw in. Onions, carrots, thyme, sage, chives, two puny red chillies - all of it was in the fridge or garden, so that's what went in. Oh, and the duck fat I've been using in everything lately - crazy good with every dish so far. And last but not least, a bottle of white that has been sitting on our counter, waiting for a chance to be used/drunk. So here you go - and yes, it is as easy to cook mussels as everyone says. This felt like a luxury lunch even though it was cheap and quick.

Mussels in White Wine
Serves 4 as starter, 2 as main
Ingredients
1 kg mussels
1/2 bottle white wine (I used a pinot grigio from Italy)
2 small carrots, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
4 sprigs of thyme
10 sage leaves, shredded
2 small red chillies
handful of chives to garnish
butter (or duck fat, if you have it on hand)
crusty baguette for dipping
Method
1. Add 1 tbsp butter (or duck fat) to a large pan/pot that has a fitted lid. Place over medium heat until fat is melted, and then add carrots and onions and give it a good stir. Cook for a few minutes until onions are translucent.
2. Add wine, thyme, sage and chillies. Bring the liquid to a boil and let it boil for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the mussels and put the lid on the pot. Cook for 10 minutes - all of the mussels should be open now.
4. Serve portions of the mussels in bowls (make sure you get some of the cooking liquid in the bowl to dip the baguette into). Garnish with chives. Serve with sliced baguette.

Bahn Mi Bay

2011-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

4-6 Theobald's Road
London
WC1X 8PN

I always get excited when I see bánh mì on a menu - these sandwiches are absolutely amazing when they are done right. I pass by this place on my walk to and from work so it made sense one day to pop in and see if they were making bánh mìs to my specifications. The guy behind the counter recommended the Bahn Mi Bay Special, which includes pork pate, pork roll and spiced pork. They also have an option of a special Vietnamese baguette - it costs a bit more but is more authentic as it is made with rice flour rather than wheat.

When I took a bite, I was a little disappointed by the bread-to-filling ratio - the flavors of the filling weren't punchy enough to stand up to all of the bread. I love all of the ingredients that go in, especially the pickled vegetables and cilantro, but for some reason everything tasted a bit muted. That said, it's still a bánh mì and so I still finished it - it just wasn't one that I would necessarily rave about or go back for.

The Driver

2011-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

2-4 Wharfdale Road
London
N1 9RY

The Driver is just off Caledonian Road and occupies a lovely building with five floors of options, from the pub downstairs to the restaurant on the first floor, going up to the the additional bars and roof terrace on top. A Groupon deal was what attracted A and me to the place and it was lovely to find another nice place to have dinner in the area.

We started with pan fried queen scallops and a chorizo, halloumi and new potato salad. Of the two, the salad was definitely the winner with the spicy savoury chorizo playing well with the halloumi. Mains were a venison steak (perfectly rare and with a great hint of gamey flavor) and a rib-eye with Diane sauce that A polished off with a smile. We were so full that we didnt' attempt dessert, even though I am usually unable to resist sticky toffee puddings.

Service was friendly and even though the upstairs floors were occupied by private parties, our waitress went to ask whether the roof terrace party was winding down and when she found out it was, she encouraged us to go up and finish the last of our wine there since it was such a unique spot. Roof terraces are hidden gems in this city, and now I've got one more filed away for sunny days.

The Big Chill House

2011-11-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

257-259 Pentonville Road
London
N1 9NL

King's Cross is becoming a better area for eating and drinking, as The Big Chill House has set up almost across from the station, providing a nice space to have a meal or snack or stiff drink before boarding trains to destinations galore. I was kindly invited to try out their new breakfast offerings, and not just once, but 5 times, so I could make sure that the experience was consistent. Each and every time, I was incredibly pleased with the food. The atmosphere was certainly a bit still on my first visit, as I don't think the breakfast option was common knowledge yet, but by the last visit I felt like it was starting to pick up, especially for weekend brunch.

The pictures show a Breakfast Muffin, two Full English Breakfasts (thumbs up from both me and the Brit), and the Creamy Scrambled Eggs with smoked salmon (a real bargain at 3.75!) Another early morning train meant that I grabbed a Breakfast Muffin to go, which was packaged nicely in a cardboard box with napkins. A Homemade Rosti was the weakest link, but it was still nicer than many breakfast offerings I've had elsewhere (and for a much more reasonable price to boot). So all in all, I would recommend The Big Chill House to anyone looking for a good breakfast place around King's Cross - there's no one else in the area doing such nice breakfasts at such good prices.

Melissa Clark's Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp

2011-11-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you who read food blogs regularly, you're probably sick to death of this recipe (and also think I'm several years behind, which might be true...) For everyone else, let me just say that this recipe is beloved by many because it is easy and fantastic and makes your kitchen smell wonderful. It's healthy, it can be paired with different types of starches if you need something more filling, and roasting the broccoli and shrimp really bring out the best flavors in each. If you don't believe me, believe someone who lots of people listen to, the Wednesday Chef.

Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp
Serves 4

Ingredients

2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot chili powder
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 1/4 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
Lemon wedges, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

2. Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges, about 10 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli just before serving.

Andrew Edmunds

2011-09-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

46 Lexington Street
London
W1F 0LW

Andrew Edmunds is a place that A and I passed by before several years ago. I remember on a dark night, the glowing candles on each cozy table made it look like the most magical restaurant in London. But there was no sign announcing its name, and then some time passed and I forgot about it. Cue some food blog reading a couple of years later, and suddenly a post about this place rang a handful of bells in my head. Could this be it, the place I had been meaning to find and try? IT WAS. And man oh man, am I glad I found it. To start, I had goose rillettes with toasted granary bread and onion jam while A slurped up a potato, chorizo and chard soup. Sipping on glasses of red wine in between courses, we admired how pretty the lighting made everything look and how well laid-out the tables were - the space just conjures up a welcoming feeling with enough of a buzz to lubricate your conversation without having to actually overhear other people's talking. Next up for me was a whole lemon sole with fried capers and roasted fennel while A opted for poached salmon with samphire and new potatoes. My dish was the winner of the two, as A was left wishing that he had ordered steak instead. Still, as we eased out into the summer evening, we decided we would come back in winter for an even cosier meal.

Akari

2011-09-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

196 Essex Rd
London
N1 8LZ

Akari is a local Japanese restaurant inside a space that still looks like it could be a nice pub. What I love most is that they have a very interesting menu - it's not just the generic Japanese food you find at all the chains that have sprung up around town. For example, they sell the bellies of various fish. Above is our grilled yellowtail belly, which is fatty and absolutely wonderful (at least to me). With A and A's mum, we also had an assorted nigiri set, salmon teriyaki, tuna fry (enormous portion of large cubes of tuna, breaded and fried, with a superb tartare sauce and salad), salmon and avocado inside out roll, and cold sake. Prices add up quickly here, as in most Japanese places, but I could happily just have a portion of tuna fry for dinner and make this a place I visit more often.

Morito

2011-09-04T00:01:00.001-07:00

32 Exmouth Market
London
EC1R 0

More fun with A's mum! Since the sun was shining and we were thinking about a little snack before a late dinner, A and I brought her to Morito for a few tapas and an afternoon drink. We selected four dishes: salt cod croquetas, mussel empanadilla, crispy aubergine with miel honey and potatos with chilli and cilantro sauce. All of it was lovely but the potatoes were a real revelation. I don't know what they do to those things, but they were perfectly cooked and the verdant green sauce on top made me wish for a basket of bread to mop up every last drop. I will be back and I am always choosing Morito over Moro, no matter what anyone else says!

Freebird Burritos

2011-09-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Rupert Street
W1F 0RG
(CORNER OF RUPERT ST & BREWER ST)

In my quest to try most of the burritos available in London, a few have eluded me (mostly due to their locations, which are often inconvenient for me). On one of our days off, A, C and I were walking around Soho and stumbled on Freebird Burritos. Since A is always up for a burrito, we got a carnitas burrito to share. It was pretty reasonably priced compared to other burritos in London (around 5 quid) but it seemed a bit smaller than others. The other thing that threw us off was the overpowering taste of orange juice in the carnitas. I know carnitas is often cooked with OJ, but all I could taste was oranges, and if you know me and my issues with fruit & meat combos, you know I wouldn't be a big fan of this. It's okay though, I've found enough other burrito places in London to keep me satisfied.

Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream

2011-08-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

917 East Pine Street

Seattle, WA 98122

Seattle was hot over July 4th weekend! Afer basking in all that sunshine, when we passed by Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream, we all swerved inside with the same idea. I asked for one scoop of strawberry balsamic (look how big it is!), while others chose cucumber mint sorbet, salted caramel, and thin mint. Everything was good, though the cucumber mint sorbet was particularly refreshing that afternoon. My ice cream fell off its cone, but somehow I managed to catch it in my arms and save it. I smelled like strawberry ice cream for the rest of the afternoon, but that's not actually so bad.

Beecher's Handmade Cheese

2011-08-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

1600 Pike Place
Seattle, WA 98101-1529

Another sad photo that totally does not match how wonderful the food is. A big bunch of us met up at Beecher's Handmade Cheese where we tried cheese curds (squeaky) and then went with more traditional options of macaroni cheese and grilled cheese sandwiches. O kindly shared some of her macaroni cheese with me and it was creamy, tangy, cheesey goodness. Could be improved by a crisp breadcrumb topping, I think, but that is a minor quibble. N loved her grilled cheese with fresh tomato and basil (so much so that she also returned a couple of days later for more). Outside, C and I watched the giant machine creating curds and the workers inside straining giant bucketfuls of curds and whey - well worth a stop.

Chicken Valley Farm Stores

2011-08-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Pike Place Market

Seattle, WA

Call me crazy (or Chinese) but I love chicken gizzards and hearts. When I heard that there was a little stand inside Pike Place Market selling fried chicken gizzards and hearts (and liver), I was determined to hunt it down. Chicken Valley Farm Stores also sells "normal" fried chicken (N & V shared a drumstick and liked it so much that they brought K back a couple of days later to have more) but I was concentrating on a tray of mixed fried gizzards, hearts and liver. Crispy (and surprisingly ungreasy), these were a huge treat for me. If only somewhere in London would do this...

High 5 Pie

2011-08-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

1400 12th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98102

Oh man, I have to apologize for the horrible looking photo above as it does not do that pie justice at all. High 5 Pie was a lucky find - we all happened to need a Citibank ATM and walked to Capitol Hill to the nearest 7-11 and passed by this pie shop and were sucked in by the fantastic looking pies. I chose rhubarb custard and N had a hard time choosing between lemon blueberry and apple, so she got lemon blueberry first, and then a small apple hand pie right before we left. She liked the apple better (she always likes apple better). What was truly amazing about these pies was the crust - I'm generally not a crust fan, but these crusts were so flaky, crisp and fantastic that I had to ask the guy behind the counter what their secret was. His answer: "A lot of butter."

Cafe Paloma

2011-08-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

93 Yesler Way
Seattle, WA 98104-2530

And here begins some posts from Seattle, where I managed a quick weekend to see K & D get married (woohoo!). I met up with A & C on Friday evening, straight after 18 hours of travelling, and A took us to Cafe Paloma which a friend of his had recommended. We sat outside, enjoying the gorgeous weather, and had some cold beers. I am going to blame my tiredness/jetlag for my lack of memories about the place - I think we had some cheese, olives and hummus to start, and then split a chicken dish and a lamb kofte dish. Whatever was in the mashed potatoes with the chicken was pretty incredible - it was definitely my favorite part of the whole meal. Everything else was fine, but I do remember being way more excited about seeing A & C than I was about the food.

Gelupo

2011-08-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

7 Archer St
London
W1D 7AU

Post-Spuntino, we wanted a wee bit of sweetness and P cleverly remembered that we were very close to Gelupo. A cupful of salted caramel gelato later, I was ready to roll home. Of course, the next time we ended up in Spuntino, we also ended up in Gelupo (I am sensing that the two go hand-in-hand now). I enjoyed my black forest gelato, but the real winner was P's combination of coconut sorbet (so creamy! how?!) and mandarin orange sorbet, which was the perfect touch of acidity to counteract the coconut.

Spuntino

2011-08-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

61 Rupert Street
London
W1D 7PW

P is my eating buddy. We meet, we eat, we catch up on things, we eat some more. This time we agreed to eat at Spuntino. We did not regret it at all, even though there was a short wait for two spaces to open up next to each other. The whole menu looked desirable, but sadly with just two of us, we had to make some choices. Duck ham salad, truffled egg toast, shoestring fries, pulled pork slider, some kind of lentil/sausage dish - we gobbled it all down, but what really won us over was the fried stuffed olives. Savoury green olives stuffed with the briny punch of anchovies, then breaded and deep fried. We kept returning to them until one bowl was gone, which we quickly replaced with another bowl. And then we both dreamt of them until we passed by a few weeks later and were able to pop in for some more. In my last meal on earth, I want these fried stuffed olives to make an appearance.

Moro

2011-08-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

34-36 Exmouth Market
London
EC1R 4QE

With J&A in town, we decided to try out Moro which several friends had raved about. Perhaps our expectations were raised too high, but I found it mildly disappointing. Our favorite part of the meal were the tapas that we ordered to start -grilled chorizo, piquillo peppers, fried chickpeas (especially nice!) and tortilla (also an exemplary dish). Things all fell down a bit when we got to mains - A and I shared the wood roasted chicken with chermoula and cooked Moroccan salads and the charcoal grilled lamb chops with garlic purée and slow cooked green beans, while J&A had wood roasted pork with turnips cooked with sherry vinegar, lentils and slow cooked piquillo peppers and pan fried bream with clams, scapes and salsa verde with new potatoes. A left quite a lot of her bream, saying it tasted extremely fishy, and it was also swimming in an oily pool of liquid. J thought the pork was pretty fatty, and while the chicken and lamb were decently cooked, there was nothing special enough about them to justify the high prices.

Drinks were slightly better - a Manzanilla sherry - La Goya Delgado Zuleta- went down quite well to start, and we had a chilled Borsao (Garnacha/Syrah/Tempranillo) Joven Seleccion Campo de Borja, Spain '09 to go with our mains. Service was polite, but somehow the whole meal was underwhelming and I doubt I'll be back, considering how much it cost. A much better option, I think, is to go next door to Morito for the tapas - which we did a few weeks later.

Le Marché du Quartier

2011-08-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Recently my brother J and his wife A came to London for a visit before heading off to France for the rest of their holiday. This meant that I wanted to show off some cool things about London that I thought they would enjoy, and one of those things was Borough Market. I know there's a lot of controversy surrounding the changes that are being made to the market traders there and you can read all about them elsewhere - it's still a nice place to bring visitors since you get to see and try so many strange foods in one place, and the potential for deliciousness is high. I saw a few people go by with duck sandwiches, which meant I was searching for where to buy them while walking around, and finally when we made it over to Brindisa, I saw it - a giant pan (much like those enormous paella pans) filled with duck confit. The shop is called Le Marché du Quartier and I think they sell imported French goods. I went straight for the sandwich and asked for some extra crispy bits, which the guy manning the pan was happy to oblige with. Salty, fatty, crunchy ducky bits on a roll with some rocket and a swipe of mustard - my idea of heaven for a measly 5 quid. Others complain that the duck is dry - I did not have any issues with its juiciness and would highly recommend it if you love duck.

Kimchi Cult

2011-08-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

P and I had bought tickets to go to the London Zoo Lates. This was exciting because 1) cute animals and 2) no children. Alas, the day we were scheduled to go, it was raining. Pouring. But we are hardcore, and went anyway. A different P had been a couple of weeks before and told me there were a lot of food options, so we did a quick scouting trip, sloshing through puddles, and then decided on kimchi sliders from Kimchi Cult. Of course, my vision was blurred by the water streaming everywhere and I mis-read the sign and ordered what I thought were bacon and kimchi sliders (i.e. bacon and kimchi on top of a hamburger slider) but was instead just bacon and kimchi in a tiny bun. I say "just" but bacon and kimchi is totally enough to make a great snack, no need for beef. Anyway - of course the kimchi burger at Hawksmoor is better, but if you just want a tiny bite to take the edge off a craving for kimchi, this works too.

The Drapers Arms

2011-07-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

44 Barnsbury Street
London
N1 1ER

After hearing wonderful things about The Drapers Arms from various blogs and Twitter, I finally managed to go there for dinner with J, who had been before but was happy to revisit. The menu was full of things I love, which made it difficult to choose what to have, but I ended up with a grilled quail on lentils. I am drawn to quail whenever I see it, and it was an excellent choice here - tender, juicy and savory. By the time the waitress came by to clear our table, all that was left was a small pile of bones, which pretty much says everything you need to know about this dish. The chips that J ordered to share were also demolished quickly. Seeing as how it's kind of in my neighborhood, I expect to be back sooner rather than later.

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

49 - 51 Edge St
Manchester
M4 1HW

The twee name, Home Sweet Home, is actually quite an accurate description of the atmosphere of this little cafe/restaurant. The day before, H, F and I had been walking past to go to the Manchester Craft and Design Centre and noticed a menu full of fabulous sounding toasties. It was immediately decided that we would go there for brunch, so on a rainy Sunday morning, we all piled in for some rejuvenating vittles. Sadly, in my attempt to order something lighter, I passed up a cheeseburger toastie in favor of a crab and avocado sandwich. It was pretty good, but tiny and rather unsatisfying after seeing other peoples deliciously messy toasties. However, H cleverly ordered two portions of their fresh baked chocolate chip cookies - so freshly baked that you have to wait 10 minutes for them! These came with glasses of milk and were scarfed down (F, who claimed she didn't want any, had half of a cookie and then snaffled another cookie straight after, which says something about the addictive properties). If you go, get a toastie, and then follow that up with those magic cookies.

Taps

2011-07-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

1A Watson Street
Manchester
M3 4EE

Self service beer! That is reason enough to go to Taps. Sure, it's a bit hit-or-miss since each table has different taps, so hopefully you sit somewhere with beers to your liking, but we certainly managed to try everything at our table (and drain the Blue Moon tap dry). To go with the beer, we had some dinner - moules frites for me and A (you choose what liquid to have them cooked in and one topping, so we chose beer and bacon). It was all perfectly decent - nothing extraordinary, but it went well with the varieties of beer available and we all had a very good time there. In summary, go for the drinks, but don't be afraid to eat there as well. I'd say it's not that expensive, but when you're pouring yourself beers, I think your tab may shoot upwards rather quickly, so just beware if you're on a tight budget.

Cabbage Peanut Salad

2011-07-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

This is an incredibly refreshing and interesting salad - I am really starting to enjoy raw cabbage, but it needs a good dressing to bring it all together. I dislike mayonnaise-based dressings, so anything that resembles coleslaw is a no go for me, but this peanut dressing is perfect - the right balance of a nutty creaminess with the sharpness of rice vinegar and the kick of chilli flakes.

Cabbage Peanut Salad
Adapted from I Made That!

Peanut Dressing:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 TBSP soy sauce
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 inch knob of peeled ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp dried chilli flakes

Blend all ingredients with an immersion blender until smooth.

Salad:

1/2 head small green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 head small red cabbage, thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, peeled with vegetable peeler into ribbons
1/2 cup packed cilantro, roughly chopped
handful of rocket (arugula)
1 cup sliced white button mushrooms
1/2 cups roasted peanuts (I didn't have any, but they would probably add a nice crunch)
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Toss all of the salad ingredients except for the sesame seeds together with the dressing. It looks like there is a lot of dressing, but the salad can handle it all. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top to garnish.

Baekdu

2011-07-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

77 Shudehill
Manchester
M4 4

After meeting up with A and his friends in Manchester, we decided the first order of business would be to find a place for lunch. Korean food appealed to everyone, so we hiked over to Baekdu. This unassuming joint had a pretty broad menu - some of the group went with sushi options while I focused on the Korean options. Seafood pajeon (or pancake) is usually the first thing I order, so I tried it out here. Chock full of seafoody bits and a little greasier than I would prefer, it still won raves from the rest of the table. For my actual lunch, I went with a kimchi tofu stew that was brilliantly spicy and warm - the perfect antidote to the cold grey weather outside. It comes in a burning hot bowl and therefore stays warm through the entire meal - which means you can't just shovel it down as you would burn your tongue off. So I was probably the slowest eater at the table, but thankfully everyone was happy to eat and catch up while I patiently worked my way through the stew, spoonful by spoonful. Glad to see that Mancunians have access to good Korean food.

Caffe Caldesi

2011-07-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

118 Marylebone Lane
London
W1U 2QF

A and I met up with friends who kindly offered to take us out as a belated birthday celebration for me. Our original destination was Le Relais de Venise, but after taking one look at the ridiculous queue, we popped across the street to Caffe Caldesi. The bottle of Italian white wine was decent but the food was clearly the centre of attention - I chose La Milanese, a "classic breadcrumbed veal chop with roast potatoes and salad leaves". It was fantastic - crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, and the roast potatoes were just as good as chips without giving me that greasy feeling. A had a pasta with pork and beef ragu, which was also very good, but my dish was definitely more coveted. It was a great way to start a fantastic evening that finished with cocktails at Purl - if you are ever in Marylebone I would recommend both!

Spring Rice Salad

2011-07-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a salad from Ottolenghi, I created this. It's not a very close match, but it is delightful nonetheless, and perfect for the warmer spring (or summer) weather. All the greenery in it reminds me of spring, so that's what I named it after.

Spring Rice Salad

Ingredients

3 cups cooked rice, refrigerated overnight
1 cup peas (frozen is ok)
100g green beans
handful of dill, chopped
10 basil leaves, chiffonaded
10 mint leaves, chiffonaded
1 lemon
1/4 cup of olive oil

salt and pepper

Method

1. Steam green beans lightly until tender-crisp. Defrost peas if necessary. Mix rice, peas, green beans, dill, basil and mint in a large bowl.

2. Juice the lemon and mix with the olive oil. Generously season with salt and pepper and shake or whisk to combine. Pour this dressing over the salad and combine well. Taste salad to make sure there is enough salt and lemon flavor. Serve at room temperature.

Ottolenghi

2011-07-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

287 Upper St
London

N1 2TZ

Embarassingly, A and I had been given a gift certificate to use at Ottolenghi as part of a wedding gift. Fast forward over two years later, and we finally used it with A's mom. Despite not going until 3.30pm in an attempt to avoid the queues, there was still a queue. This place is ridiculously popular! While you're standing in the queue, you can look at all the bright and vibrant salads that are piled up high on plates and start thinking about what you want. Alas, our late timing meant that by the time we ordered, the restaurant had run out of one of the salads that we really wanted. Still, we managed to try almost every type of salad left, and some very good seared tuna as well. Ottolenghi is not cheap, but the variety of ingredients, some of which are difficult to source, that are in every dish, make it a deal when you think about how much you would have to spend at the grocery store just to recreate one of the salads. I tried to remake a rice salad at home (recipe to come soon) which was nice, but nowhere near as complex as what we had. Plus, the white room full of chattering, happy people is a nice place to have a meal, so on the whole, I would recommend it. Not sure how you beat the queues though - only you can decide if the wait is worth it.

Kimchee

2011-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

71 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6EA

P somehow knew about Kimchee even though it had barely opened, so we planned a dinner there since we both like Korean food. Obviously we ordered kimchee. We also had some sukju namul (beansprouts). You can refer to my many other posts about Korean food and my irritation with being charged for banchan, since I should probably stop sounding like a broken record. Anyway, despite the fact we had to order and pay for those side dishes, they were good. I wasn't massively hungry so I ordered a side dish called "Tofu Kimchee" as my main, described as "Sliced fried tofu served with stir-fried kimchee and pork". This was fantastic - cubes of deep fried tofu, topped with a spicy, salty mix of kimchee and bacon. It was surprisingly satisfying considering how small it was - perfect for me that evening. P went with bibimbap, which he enjoyed, I think. Good to know of a Korean restaurant around Holborn for those times that a craving hits - it's a much more polished environment than the little Korean restaurants around Tottenham Court Road, and feels like it is ready to be rolled out as a chain - but the food I had was good enough that I would go back and even eat at other locations, should they appear.

Zigni House

2011-06-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

330 Essex Road
London
N1 3PB

J joined me at Zigni House for a nice catch up over dinner. A Keynoir pass had given us £32 to spend at the restaurant, so we dived into the Combo Special for 2 people for £30 and then added a bottle of wine to go with it. Service was friendly but the food was very slow to come out - we probably waited about 45 minutes before it came out. Thankfully, it was good enough to be worth the wait. Using the soft, slightly sour injera bread to scoop up different meat and veggie dishes is one of my favorite ways to eat - then when you finish the little piles of food, you can attack the injera bread underneath which has soaked up all the remaining sauces and flavors. I've snapped up another Keynoir pass and will definitely be back.

Terroirs

2011-06-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

5 William IV St
London
WC2N 4DY

A blustery rainy night meant that P and I changed our original plans to go to Chowpatty Beach on the Southbank. After checking out the Ai Wei Wei exhibit at Somerset House, we headed towards Trafalgar Square and P had the brilliant idea of going to Terroirs. This cozy wine bar is hidden away but still popular, and we waited at the bar with a lovely bottle of refreshing white wine until we managed to snag a table. I believe their menu changes frequently so some of these dishes might not always be available, but we put together a delicious meal with some saucisson, duck rillettes, anchovies, artichoke, steak tartare and a beautifully wobbly vanilla panna cotta. It's a fantastic place to go to catch up with a friend over nice wine and perfectly prepared small dishes, and beats the pants off of most of the other restaurants in the area.

Asian-Style Cabbage Salad

2011-06-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

A glut of veggies in the fridge meant that I had to think up something to do with them, fast. Here's a great way to use up crunchy vegetables when you don't feel like cooking.

Ingredients

1/2 head of white cabbage, shredded
2 cups of snowpeas (mange tout), sliced into thin strips
3 carrots, julienned
1/3 cup of dark soy sauce
1/4 cup of sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp ground pepper
1/4 cup of sesame seeds, toasted

Method

Place soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar and pepper in a container and shake hard to mix. Toss with cabbage, snowpeas and carrots in a big bowl. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Salmon and Dill Fishcakes

2011-06-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Ridley Road market is one of my favorite places to shop for food - the fruits and veg are cheap and fresh, and there are several fish stalls with great deals, especially for mackerel and salmon. I picked up a bag full of the salmon bones that are left when the fishmonger has cut off the salmon fillets for about two quid - and by quickly pan-searing them and pulling off the cooked salmon, I ended up with a medium-sized bowl full of juicy flaked salmon. When I was thinking about what to do with it, I remembered my new dill plant in the garden and how it was overflowing, so salmon and dill fishcakes became the plan.
Ingredients
2 cups flaked salmon
2 cups mashed potato
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
a small bunch of chives, chopped
1 cup of breadcrumbs (usually I use panko but this time I had some ground up wholewheat breadcrumbs in the freezer)
salt and pepper
Method
Mix salmon, potato, dill and chives together in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste (and make sure you add enough salt). Take spoonfuls of the mixture and form them into patties with your hands. Pour the breadcrumbs onto a plate and then press the patties into the crumbs, making sure both sides are covered well. Heat a pan over medium heat with some vegetable oil and then fry on both sides until golden brown and crisp. Serve with a salad on the side (I paired this with the cabbage salad I'm posting next and it was devoured by A within seconds).

Jee Cee Neh

2011-06-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

74 Burlington Road

London

KT3 4NU

A trip to Surrey for a wedding meant that we could stop in New Malden on the way home. (A also managed to cajole me into a trip to Ikea but that is less relevant to this blog.) I've read a lot about this neighborhood as it boasts the highest concentration of Korean people in the London area and therefore is home to many Korean restaurants. I have a deep love for Korean food, kimchi and pajeon and barbecue being a few of my favorite foods. I've probably mentioned before that I really hate how banchan is usually charged here, unlike New York where you get amazing arrays of small dishes that come free before your meal. Thankfully, Jee Cee Neh has followed the NY tradition, and four dishes appeared shortly after we were seated - bean sprouts, kimchi, pickled spicy cucumbers and shredded radishes. The seafood pajeon was light and crispy and full of bits of clams, octopus, squid and prawns - and the spring onions had been carefully laid down parallel to each other before the pancake was cooked, making for a very attractive presentation. Since we weren't hungry enough, the barbecue that you cook yourself was not an option - instead we had some bulgogi which came on a hot metal cow-shaped plate - it was tender and balanced the sweet and savoury flavors well. This was A's first experience with Korean food and I am happy to report that he is a fan, which means we should be seeing more Korean food on here in the future.

Tortas Frontera

2011-06-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Chicago O'Hare Airport

Thankfully, if you don't get a chance to go to XOCO, you can still eat the same menu at Tortas Fronteras, Rick Bayless' outpost in the airport. A choriqueso pressed sandwich full of homemade chorizo sausage, roasted poblano, artisan jack cheese, tomatillo salsa was split between A and me. $8 is not cheap fora sandwich, but the ingredients here are interesting and therefore more justifiable for the price. It was gone all too fast and made for one of the tastiest airport experiences I've had. Next time I'm in O'Hare, I know exactly where I'm heading for grub.

Portillo's and Barnelli's Pasta Bowl

2011-06-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

100 West Ontario Street
Chicago, IL 60654

Obviously, on A's first trip to Chicago he was pretty keen to try a Chicago-style hot dog. We ended up at Portillo's after a failed attempt to get into a Rick Bayless restaurant (it was closed) but it turned out to be one of the best meals of our trip. In addition to the great hot dog, we had a combo Italian beef and chargrilled sausage sandwich, which was trashy and messy but fantastic, and my parents ordered a half slab of baby back ribs from the Barnelli's Pasta Bowl that was also inside the restaurant - they were fall apart tender and we certainly stripped the bones clean. I think my brother had a decent chicken parm and his wife got the chicken al'diavolo pasta which unfortunately came out swimming in grease. She only managed a bit before giving up in disgust. So my recommendations would be to stick to the Portillo's menu and the ribs - don't bother with the pastas.

Pasta e ceci

2011-05-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

So I recently read about this dish, pasta e ceci, here, and it was mouthwatering enough to get me to try and make it at home. Some Googling resulted in a few recipes, here and here, which I used to cobble together a version of the dish using what I had around the house. Served it up for dinner to three hungry men and they wolfed it down, so I would consider that a success.

Pasta e ceci
Serves four hungry people

Ingredients

500g dried chickpeas
2 carrots
1 stalk of celery
4 small tomatoes, skinned,de-seeded then chopped
1 litre of cooking water (or use plain water/mild stock)
250g of small pasta shapes (ditalini, short cut macaroni, etc)
4 small onions, finely chopped
2 sprigs of rosemary
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
olive oil
Salt and pepper to season

Method

1. Put dried chickpeas, carrot, celery, and one sprig of rosemary into large pot. Cover with water by at least 2 inches. Simmer for 2-3 hours (check for doneness - the chickpeas should be tender but not mushy). When done, drain and reserve at least 1 liter of the cooking water, and discard the carrot, celery and rosemary.

2. Pour the olive oil into a heavy based saucepan and heat gently. Finely chop the other rosemary sprig and add it to the pan and fry over a gentle heat till it begins to release its aroma.

3. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and fry over a gentle heat till soft and golden.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for just a couple of minutes before adding the cooked chickpeas, water and the seasonings. Simmer for approx 20mins, then remove about half of the soup and process through a food mill (use a blender if you don\'t have a food mill). Return the pureed soup to the pan.

5. Add the raw pasta then simmer gently, stirring regularly to make sure the pasta doesn't start sticking to the base of the pan. Add a little more water/stock if necessary.

6. Once the pasta is done, let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

7. Serve with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (I didn't bother, but served some crusty bread and rocket on the side which paired nicely).

Carrot and Feta Cake

2011-05-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist this recipe from good old Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Savoury cakes are fantastic - they feel a little bit indulgent but it's ok to eat them for dinner!

Carrot and feta cake

Adapted from The Guardian

Ingredients

50g butter, plus a little extra for greasing the tin
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
100g plain flour
100g cornmeal
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 carrots (about 200g), peeled and grated
200g feta, crumbled (recipe calls for 180g but my packet of feta was 200g)
2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped (original recipe calls for dill but I had thyme in the garden)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
150ml skim milk

Method

Warm the butter in a small frying pan over a medium-low heat and sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Add the cumin, stir for a minute, then set aside to cool.

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Butter a 1.5-litre loaf tin, or a loose-bottomed Victoria sandwich tin, and line with baking parchment. Butter the parchment, too (you can also make smaller ones in muffin tins or mini loaf tins, in which case simply butter the smaller moulds and dust with flour).

Sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper. Stir in the cooled cooked onion, grated carrot, feta and thyme. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, then mix into the flour mixture until just combined, and pour into the prepared tin (or tins).

Bake large cakes for 40 minutes, smaller ones for 12-15 minutes, until a toothpick or skewer comes out with no crumbs attached. Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with a nice salad on the side to make for a light meal.

The Riding House Cafe

2011-05-09T03:52:00.000-07:00

43-51 Great Titchfield Street
London
W1W 7PQ

After hearing several raves about the Riding House Cafe, reservations were made to take advantage of their soft opening 50% off special. The cocktail list was so fun that I had to start with a Pony Club which was a nice way to ease into the evening. A chopped salad with avocado and palm hearts was ordered to share, and while it was certainly good, I think I might agree with A that it can be a bit disappointing to order something that would be easily replicated at home. Mains were much more successful - the chorizo hash browns were a nice breakfast-for-dinner dish, and the rack of pork was juicy and perfectly cooked. Usually we would skip dessert but the table next to us ordered the hot fudge sundae, complete with macaroons and honey comb, and it looked irresistable. Perfect for sharing, it would have been too sweet for just one person to consume. With the soft opening discount, dinner was very reasonable - too bad it's already over...

Benito's Hat - Wedding Special!

2011-04-28T02:37:00.000-07:00

Benito's Hat is one of my favorites for burritos in London - I used to visit the Goodge Street location but now there's one in Covent Garden, quite close to where I work (hmm... dangerous). I was invited to try their chicken mole that they're doing as a wedding special until May 8th, so A and I headed over for lunch to check it out. We both had it in burrito form - Ben, the owner, recommended it with black beans and without salsa so that you don't lose the flavor of the mole sauce. The chicken was unbelievably tender and the spice and chocolate notes in the mole sauce were fantastic. It's nice to know that there are places willing to source authentic Mexican ingredients to make these dishes. The horchata (a rice based drink) and hibiscus flower drinks were refreshing - I have a soft spot for horchata and now I know another place to get it! Since it was my birthday, I also splurged on a dessert - the buñuelos which are crispy tortilla strips covered in cinnamon sugar, with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. If you're at all interested in trying out mole, head over soon - it's terrifically difficult to make so well worth ordering out.

The Bull

2011-04-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

2 High St
Ditchling
Hassocks
BN6 8TA

After an invigorating walk on Ditchling Beacon to build up an appetite, we headed down to The Bull for Sunday lunch. The pub is adorable and picture perfect for parents - sadly the food was not nearly as stunning as the decor. I had fish and chips - the fish was very soggy on the underside and the chips were disappointingly mushy as well. Everything was a tad underseasoned. My dad's Sunday roast rib of beef was ok, but the roast potatoes were nowhere near crispy and the Yorkshire pudding was burnt. Mom fared a little better with her fried calamari. Dessert was ok but didn't redeem the entire meal - a pain au chocolat bread pudding was good enough to finish, and the deconstructed Black Forest gateau was mostly eaten. Basically, I'd come back for a drink to soak up the charm of the place, but I think I'll give the food a miss in the future.

Bali Brasserie

2011-04-07T00:01:00.001-07:00

Kingsway Court
First Avenue
Hove
BN3 2LR

We were looking for a restaurant that A's aunt and uncle and my parents would all enjoy, and since Bali Brasserie came with many good reviews, we headed off to try some Indonesian and Malaysian food. The restaurant is in a strange location, but once you make your way through what looks like the lobby of an apartment building, you come into a karaoke bar area and then through that is a surprisingly nicely decorated restaurant in the back. There was an option for a buffet dinner, but we decided to go a la carte as no one was hungry enough to do justice to a buffet. We ordered so many dishes it is hard to remember them all, but the beef rendang, sambal udang, ikan lemak and nasi goreng stood out. I'd definitely go back here - the atmosphere was buzzy but not too loud, and the food ranged from very good to absolutely amazing. A great way to introduce everyone to each other over a fabulous meal.

El Mexicano

2011-04-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

7 New Road
Brighton
BN1 1UF

We were looking for a quick bite to eat next to the Royal Pavilion and El Mexicano fit the bill - a cheap lunch special of 4.95 for a panini and glass of wine caught our eye, and A and I tried the grilled chicken and meatball paninis. I always thought paninis were grilled, pressed sandwiches - what emerged was actually on a baguette and was decidedly not grilled. Nor was it Mexican. But for a fiver a head, I suppose it did the trick. My dad finished his grilled chicken panini without much commentary, and my mom had nachos, which at least were generous and came with proper tortilla chips, not the travesty that is Doritos that you occasionally find in Mexican restaurants in the UK. Wouldn't necessarily come back here, but nor was it the worst thing to eat in the vicinity.

Curried Lentil Soup

2011-03-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

When it's March and still cold outside (I'm so jealous when my parents tell me about the balmy weather in Texas!) I comfort myself with soup. This one was particularly attractive since I received some lovely curry powders for Christmas - the curry adds a warm depth to the soup which pairs nicely with the thick and slightly creamy texture of the soup. Who knew pureed chickpeas would be such a spectacular secret ingredient?

Curried Lentil Soup

Slightly adapted from Feast with Bron

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil,

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, chopped, divided

2 tablespoons curry powder, or more to taste

1 cup French green lentils

4 cups water

400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed or a large handful of dried ones, soaked and cooked

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

In a large heavy pot, heat half the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, celery and carrot, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until onion is translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes, then stir in curry powder. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent spices from burning, until spices are fragrant.

Add lentils and water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, puree chickpeas, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, and 1/4 cup of water. Stir puree into lentils. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and/or additional curry powder, then thin soup with water until desired consistency. I didn't end up thinning the soup at all.

Divide amongst soup bowls and serve garnished with green onion and with lemons on the side.

Hotel Chocolat Easter Eggs

2011-03-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's time for Easter eggs again! I never really had them growing up, but now that I'm older and living in the UK, I've discovered that some people get really upset if they don't get a chocolate Easter egg each year. This year Hotel Chocolat sent me a deluxe egg, called the "You Crack Me Up" - two thick halves of an Easter egg with loads of smaller truffles inside in the shapes of mini-eggs, bunnies and chicks. The packaging is adorable and I had a hard time eating the mini-eggs with their googly eyes (but it wasn't too hard, they're still tasty after all, even if they've been anthropomorphised). This chocolate is so nice that it would probably be wasted on children anyway - buy it for someone more grown up who can appreciate its quality!

Pumpkin and Rosemary Muffins

2011-03-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

J saw this demonstrated on the TV and also happened to have canned pumpkin lying around, so this became our Saturday afternoon baking project. These muffins are more savory than you might expect, but the combination of rosemary and pumpkin is pretty inspired. The original recipe calls for roasted cubes of pumpkin - I think the puree probably makes the muffin fluffier and more uniform. I love pumpkin in all forms though, so this was certainly very enjoyable, even with the tweaks.

Pumpkin and Rosemary Muffins
Adapted from Baking Made Easy

Ingredients

60ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
180g self-raising flour
130g wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch salt
3 fresh rosemary sprigs, finely chopped
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
100ml plain yoghurt
275ml milk
1 tbsp honey
240g pumpkin puree
handful pumpkin seeds

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Oil a 12-hole muffin tin and line with 12 squares of baking paper. (I don't think you actually need to oil the muffin tin - isn't that the whole point of using the baking paper liners?!) Push the squares down into each hole so that the paper sticks up.

Sift the flours, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Stir in the salt and rosemary. (Reserve any wholegrain left in the sieve.)

Meanwhile in another bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, eggs, yoghurt, milk, honey and vegetable oil until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold the ingredients together, but be careful not to over-work the mixture.

Sprinkle the reserved wholegrain and the pumpkin seeds over the muffins. Bake in the centre of the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the muffins are well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Serve and eat at any time of the day.

Le Bouchon Breton and Androuet

2011-03-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

Old Spitalfields Market
16 Horner Square
London
E1 6AA

Groupon was offering steak frites at Le Bouchon Breton for a bargain price, and J agreed to come along on a Saturday lunchtime to give it a try. We had a bit of difficulty finding it - it's actually upstairs in Old Spitalfields Market (don't even bother looking for any signs for Horner Square). With a couple of bloody marys and some spinach and peppercorn sauce on the side, it made for quite a relaxing lunch - I only wish the market was open on Saturdays so that we could walk around afterwards. My other tip - there is a fantastic cheesemonger called Androuet in Old Spitalfields Market and they do a cheese called Brillat Savarin, which is some of the creamiest, most deluxe cow's milk cheese I've had, and quite reasonably priced at 2.75 for a quarter of a round. Go forth and eat!

Ba Shan

2011-03-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

24 Romilly St
London W1D 5AH

P and his friend L were up for some spicy Chinese food, so we ended up in Ba Shan. So many things looked good on the menu, it was actually difficult to decide what to order. We got a garlicky plate of smacked cucumbers to start, and then there was some brisket in a spicy sauce, sliced lamb with loads of chillies and coriander, and some dry fried green beans covered in minced pork. All of it was fantastic, though I had an especially soft spot for the lamb - the leftovers from dinner made for a very exciting lunch the next day. It's got more atmosphere than a lot of Chinese restaurants, which makes it a nice place to go if you want to actually enjoy a long evening over food rather than rushing in and out.

Beef Chili

2011-03-06T06:11:00.000-08:00

Another winter day, another pot of chili. This one was one of those let's-see-how-many-spices-I-can-use-in-one-pot chilis, so here's the list of ingredients:

500g dried kidney beans, cooked with the No Soak method
500g beef mince
2 small onions, diced
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp ground cloves
1/4 cup vinegar
1 small glass of red wine

As for instructions, it's pretty simple. Preheat the oven to 200C. Put a little oil in a heavy, oven-safe pot. Fry the onions and garlic for a couple of minutes, then add the beef. Cook until a little brown, then add everything else in the ingredient list, put the lid on, and shove in the oven for 2 hours. When you take it out, if it's a bit watery, then just simmer on the stove with the lid off until it's thickened up a bit. Fantastic served over a baked potato or rice.

Red N Hot

2011-02-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

37 Chalton Street
London
NW1 1JD

Red N Hot is a small chain of Szechuan restaurants that also has outposts in Manchester and Birmingham. Since there's one in London, P and I had to try it out to continue on our attempt to eat at as many Szechuan restaurants as possible. C joined us as well and we quickly dove in with "Cucumbers in Garlic Sauce", "Fire Exploded Kidney Flowers", their specialty dish of "Dry Fried Boneless Chicken Leg Marinated in Cumin & Dry Chilli" and some gai lan on the side, just to be healthy. The chicken was the star of the night - little chunks of dark meat, deep fried in a light batter with a good hit of cumin and fiery spice, and crunchy addictive peanuts mixed in. Chopsticks returned to this dish again and again, picking out everything aside from the red hot chillies. I'm sure I'll be back, once I'm satisfied that I've tried as many places that serve this cuisine as I can find.

Kimchi Jjigae

2011-02-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite dishes when it's cold outside is fiery kimchi stew with cubes of tofu strewn throughout. While my rendition suffered a bit since I didn't have any silken tofu to hand and instead made do with firm tofu that had been frozen, giving it a chewy texture, it was still exactly what I wanted on a gray Sunday afternoon.

Kimchi Jjigae

Adapted from Serious Eats and Tamarind and Thyme

200g pork belly, thinly sliced
1 medium sized onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 loose cupful of kimchi, cut into bite-sized pieces and all the kimchi juices
3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine (or mirin)
2 tbsps gochujang

2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 block of soft tofu (silken, if possible)
3 spring onions, chopped

salt to taste

Add pork belly to cold large dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once fat starts to render off pork belly, add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to soften, about 2 minutes. Add kimchi and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kimchi liquid, water, dried ginger, shaoxing wine, gochujang and soy sauce. Stir well, and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to low, and simmer. Add tofu. Cook for 20 minutes, adjusting to keep to maintain simmer. Add salt to taste (you may not need any – I found mine fine as is) and throw in the spring onions at the end. Serve piping hot with white rice on the side.

Chinese No Clay Pot Chicken Casserole

2011-02-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

While the highlight of Chinese New Year dinner was dumplings, I also tried a new dish that seemed to go over well. It's a quick and easy one - and feeds the masses - so I'd certainly recommend it for dinner parties if you want something tasty and comforting.

Chinese No Clay Pot Chicken Casserole
Adapted from The Kitchn
Serves 8

Ingredients

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
450g boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 scallions, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
1 handful coriander, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly grated
2 ounces / 55g smoked sausage, such as Chinese lapchang or good Italian salami, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
300g fresh button mushrooms, caps thinly sliced
8 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
3 cups Chinese long grain rice
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups chicken stock

Method

Heat the oven to 350°F. Whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Stir in the chicken, scallions, garlic and ginger, and toss so that they are coated with the liquid. Place this mixture in the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 15 minutes (I marinated them overnight) while you cook the mushrooms.

Place an oven-safe pan, like a 3-quart Dutch oven, over medium high heat on the stove. When it is hot, add the sausage and turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the sausage slowly release its fat. When the bottom of the pot is slick with the sausage fat, add the mushrooms. Turn the heat back up to medium high heat and let the mushrooms cook, without stirring them, for 5 minutes. Flip them over and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pot, and sauté the rice briefly to develop some toasty flavor (you don’t want to brown the rice here, just sauté it for 1 minute or so), then add the salt and the chicken mixture from the fridge. Pour in the stock. Bring to a boil.

Turn off the heat, cover with a lid or with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Make sure to taste the rice for doneness before taking it out of the oven. I like my rice a little chewier; some might want it more cooked. Let stand 5 minutes, covered, before serving. Stir up the rice before serving, as the chicken and mushrooms will have risen to the top during baking. Stir thoroughly so that they are incorporated throughout the rice.

Garnish with chopped coriander and scallions and serve with extra soy sauce and chili garlic sauce, if desired.

Nian Gao

2011-02-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

After my failure to make the nian gao of my childhood last year, I tried again this year. I think the baking dish shape made a difference, as the pan was too small last year so it took too long to cook all the way through. This time, the cake turned out perfectly, and I was actually excited to serve it to my friends so they could taste what it is supposed to taste like.

Nian Gao
Adapted from Frances Kai-Hwa Wang

Ingredients

450g glutinous rice flour
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs baking soda

Method

Mix everything with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Beat for 2 more minutes at high speed.

Oil or spray a 9"x13" baking dish with Pam. I used a nonstick baking pan that helped.

Pour batter into pan.

Bake in oven at 350F / 180C degrees for 40 minutes.

Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick—if it comes out clean, it is done.

Skylon Grill

2011-02-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Royal Festival Hall
Belvedere Road
London
SE1 8XX

January is great for eating out at bargain prices - P found a deal at Skylon Grill for 2 courses and a glass of wine for £15. It occupies a great location on the Southbank with huge windows overlooking the Thames. We settled in and opted for glasses of South African red. I chose the chickpea and goat's cheese salad with lemon dressing for my starter, while P had the pumpkin soup. While the picture of my salad is terrible, it was a refreshing mix of flavors and perfectly dressed with the tart vinaigrette. We both chose the confit duck leg with parmesan polenta and red wine jus for mains, and the duck was tender and crispy, just as it should be. The bed of polenta soaked up all the ducky juices and we both cleaned our plates. We were too full to go for a third course, which shows how generous the portions are. I think Skylon Grill runs special menus pretty often so it can be a fantastic place to have a special meal with a view at a very reasonable price.

Bill's

2011-02-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

The Depot
Brighton
BN1 1YE

After drinking far too much wine and Bailey's the night before, we met up with R & S for some rejuvenating breakfast at Bill's. I went straight for the bubble and squeak, on M's recommendation, and it was indeed scrumptious, though the extra addition of hollandaise sauce would probably be overkill on another not-so-hungover morning. I do love the fresh herb garnishes that Bill's uses on various dishes, but I'm still wedded to my bubble and squeak at Banners - no one has managed to top them yet!

Quinoa and Red Lentil Stew

2011-02-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

A trip back to Austin meant that I came back with some odd food supplies in my suitcase, including quinoa. Seeing as how January always inspires me to try and eat a bit healthier, this recipe seemed perfect, especially when I found a half-empty bag of red lentils in the back of our cupboards. Since I wanted to finish the bag, I added more than the recipe calls for, but it gave the stew a nice body and texture - I've put the amount that I used in the recipe below since I liked it. This stew just gets better as it gets older - the flavors keep mingling and A was pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoyed this as leftovers.

Quinoa and Lentil Stew
Adapted from Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. chili flakes
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup red lentils
5 cups vegetable stock (I used some pork stock)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh coriander
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Method
1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently for several minutes, until translucent. Stir in the spices, tomato paste and then the carrots, and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.

2. Add the quinoa, lentils and vegetable stock, and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, until quinoa and lentils are tender. Add the chopped bell pepper and simmer, uncovered, for another 5 minutes.

3. Remove stew from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and chopped coriander. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then season to taste and serve.

Hotel Chocolat Valentine's Collection

2011-02-04T00:01:00.001-08:00

Valentine's Day and chocolates go hand in hand. It's the quintessential Valentine's gift, and guaranteed to please (unless your partner is one of the two people I know that don't like chocolate, in my not-very-scientific poll of my friends). Hotel Chocolat was kind enough to send me the Be Mine Concierge Gift Bag, packed full of goodies of varying kinds. Since my own Valentine and I were not quite ready to eat everything inside for fear of going into sugar shock, we shared with a couple of other friends. I was pleasantly surprised by the Love Me Do Dark Truffles, as I usually don't like white chocolate, but in this case the white chocolate shell was a lovely counterpoint to the decadently smooth dark chocolate truffle filling. These were promptly scarfed by our guests. We also thought the packaging was great, as the bag had a clever little card tucked into a discreet envelope on the outside of the bag - you won't even need to buy a separate cheesy card (unless you want to, of course). I like the quality of the chocolate that Hotel Chocolat uses, which is why I'm always excited to see a box of their sweets. Go on now, treat someone you love!

Harold's Chicken Shack #62

2011-02-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

636 S. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605

Harold's Chicken Shack #62 is part of a chain of many Harold's Chicken Shacks all over Chicago. This one happened to be on my walk home from where I was working, and I saw that perch was included in the list of foods sold on the awning. Lake perch is a specialty in the Great Lakes area, so I decided to treat myself to a little snack. I ordered a piece, and they're freshly fried to order so I had to wait for a few minutes before it was ready. I was offered hot sauce to go with it, so I dipped a couple of pieces in, but I think it was so tasty on its own that the hot sauce was unnecessary. The lake perch was moist and the breading seemed like a light cornmeal crust - a nice crisp crunch that gave way to the fresh, flaky fish. I wish I had more time to try other things - I noticed fried gizzards on the menu as well - but alas, I couldn't stay. Next time I see one of these places, I'll be in to try more.

Garrett Popcorn

2011-01-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

Garrett Popcorn is a Chicago institution - you'll see them scattered all over town and no one can get enough of it. K took me there after lunch to make sure I had my authentic experience of The Chicago Mix. A small bag is still enormous, and what makes it special is the mix of cheesy popcorn with caramel popcorn. Many of my friends will know that I have issues with mixing salty and sweet, and while I did have a couple of bites with cheese and caramel together, I definitely preferred them separately. I ended up pouring it into a bowl, eating all the cheesy ones first, and then finishing with caramel for dessert. This stuff is incredibly moreish, so watch out - you may find yourself finishing a bag even though it seems impossible at the start.

Green Zebra

2011-01-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

1460 West Chicago Ave.

Chicago, IL 60642

More fun with M & C (baby O stayed at home, it was a grown ups night!) They chose the Green Zebra, since they had been once before for the tasting menu and really liked it. It's a vegetarian restaurant, but so creative that you really don't notice. A bit like Terre a Terre in Brighton. Plates are small, so they recommended that we order three or four dishes per person - we went with three each, and then shared a dessert, and it was a perfect amount of food. Here's what we ordered:

Fresh Burrata, crispy crimson lentils, pickled peppers, Nichols Farm radish, pistou
Potato & Spring Garlic Dumplings, roasted garlic, aioli, smoked paprika
Couscous with cauliflower, confit artichoke, arugula and parmesan tuile
Roasted Pumpkin Soup, whipped creme fraiche, Thai basil, pepitas, garlic
Trio of Onion Soup, Vidalia onion, grilled ramps, leeks, sherry
Foraged mushroom bread pudding with fennel brown butter and chestnut puree
Slow Roasted Shittake Mushrooms, crispy potato, savoy cabbage
Spence Farm Poached Egg, smoked potato puree, country sourdough
Risotto (can't find this on menu, I think it was made with something other than rice though)
Spiced Pumpkin Cake, butterscotch puddding, pistachios, apple

I've italicized the ones that were particularly outstanding (three of which were my choices, wow I'm good!) With a lovely bottle of half price Spanish Garnacha wine, we had a fantastic evening with extraordinary food for quite a reasonable bill. I'd certainly be keen to go back if I lived in Chicago.

Sun Wah BBQ

2011-01-21T00:01:00.002-08:00

5039 N Broadway
Chicago, Illinois 60640

A lucky trip to Chicago for work meant that I could hang out with M, C and their adorable baby O. N also came along because we're generally unseparable when we have the chance to be in the same place. Anyway, since M lives pretty close to this place and it was dinner time, we headed off here for a girly meal. Apparently they are famous for their Peking duck, but we opted for a mixed BBQ platter instead, which came with roast pork, roast duck, and soy sauce chicken. I also ordered some Chinese broccoli and a small order of the fried chicken (which is not at all what you would think - it's not battered, it's just lightly fried so the skin gets a bit brown and crisp). M got some wonton noodle soup which she finished, so I assume she enjoyed it. Everything tasted fresh and I really liked the BBQ meats - plus it's all really reasonably priced. Funnily enough, when I met up with my cousin later, she said this was her favorite place for Chinese BBQ in Chicago and goes there all the time herself, so there you go - two stamps of approval.

Bear Moon Bakery & Cafe

2011-01-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

401 S Main St
Boerne, TX 78006

While wandering around Boerne, A and I passed by this little bakery and had to stop in. The first thing A said was "cheesy pigs", and I agreed immediately. We were planning on having lunch so we only got one to share - the bakery warmed it up and we went outside to continue walking. One bite into this, though, and we stopped in our tracks. The sausages had cheese inside them, and the bread was soft and perfect. We scarfed it down greedily, then debated getting some more, but in the end, reason won out and we kept moving. Secretly, I wish we had just bought an entire bagful and skipped the relatively bland lunch we had later on.

Magnolia Cafe

2011-01-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

2304 Lake Austin Blvd.
Austin, TX 78703

On our way out of Austin for a trip along the Wine Road 290, we stopped at Magnolia Cafe to fill our tummies with some breakfast. A and I decided to share, so he ordered a special of fried eggs over a mini-mountain of home fries mixed with cheese and sausage. I had the Big Breakfast Tacos, which were stuffed with scrambled egg, avocado, cheese and bacon. Strangely, we both thought the portions looked a little small when they came out (maybe we'd already been in Texas for too long) but it turned out to be the perfect amount of food - we left full but not grotesquely so, and we headed off to get started on our tastings of Texas wine in good spirits.

Hula Hut

2011-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

3825 Lake Austin Boulevard
Austin, TX 78703

Once I had both my A's with me in Austin, we headed out to Hula Hut to enjoy the sunshine and some festive drinks. To use up a Groupon deal I had, we ordered Queso Compuesto (queso with fajita beef, guacamole and pico de gallo), Shrimp Quesadillas, and Chicken Flautas. The flautas were my favorite - crispy cigars of tortillas stuffed with tender chicken - and the shrimp quesadillas made me realize I'm not too fond of shrimp with cheese. Cocktails were fun as well - I wish my memory was better but all I can remember is that mine had sweet tea vodka in it. Sadly, later on the same day we were there, the pier where we sat caught on fire due to some errant fireworks from the restaurant next door - I hope they repair it soon so that Austinites can continue to enjoy eating outdoors during the winter months!

59 Diner

2011-01-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

3801 Farnham St
Houston, Texas 77098

We took another of E's recommendations for breakfast - 59 Diner is also open 24 hours and serves the most ridiculous portions of food. The three plates at the bottom of the picture above are one breakfast. One. For one person. There is an entire chicken fried steak in there, in addition to three eggs, a pile of hash browns, and two pancakes. Cream gravy on the side. Thank god A and I split this - I cannot imagine anyone eating this entire breakfast without taking years off their life. This breakfast cost a grand total of $9, which explains a lot about the obesity problem in America. But dang, it was good, and J enjoyed his migas as well. The kitschy 50s decor made it fun for the Brits, and I got my helping of Southern food, so it ticked all our boxes for that meal.

House of Pies

2011-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

6142 Westheimer Rd.
Houston, TX 77057

More Houston experiences - House of Pies was a recommendation from E, who has fond memories of 2am pie fests from her college days. Clockwise from top: a New York style cheesecake, a piece of Bayou Goo pie, a piece of pumpkin pie, and a piece of strawberry-rhubarb pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Why do we have four slices of pie for three people? We each ordered one, and J insisted on a fourth "comedy" pie, which was the Bayou Goo. A accurately described it as a "festival of cream" and it was sickly, over-the-top sweet. The cheesecake was terrible, but that's what we get for ordering something other than pie. Thankfully the pumpkin pie convinced J that it is actually a great idea to put pumpkin in pie, and the strawberry-rhubarb was probably the nicest pie we ordered as it wasn't too sweet. I suppose if you need pie 24 hours a day, I would send you here - but I think maybe I'm not the kind of person that needs pie 24 hours a day.

Onion Creek Cafe

2011-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

3106 White Oak Blvd.

Houston, TX 77007

On a visit to Houston to see J, we ended up at Onion Creek, ostensibly for a drink, but then the dinner menu looked nice so we ate there as well. I made J try a Frito pie since it's such a Texan dish, and A had a chili cheese dog. I am pretty sure I ordered a tuna panini, but that is not what I received - looking at the menu I think I got a Julius panini instead, which is supposedly Italian herbed chicken, creamy caesar spread, tomato and parmesan cheese. Since it was good, I didn't bother sending it back. The potato salad on the side was a disappointment though - incredibly mayonnaisey, which overwhelmed the other ingredients. Slightly sad pickle as well. But while I wouldn't necessarily recommend Onion Creek for the food, it was great for atmosphere - a really chilled out place to have some interesting beers with friends - and sometimes that is more important.

Empress of Sichuan

2011-01-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

6-7 Lisle St
London WC2H 7BG

P and I continued our quest for numbing Sichuan food at the Empress of Sichuan. This came highly recommended by some friends and as soon as we walked in, I thought it was one of the more nicely decorated Chinese restaurants I've been to. It's certainly a more luxurious joint than Chilli Cool (which I thought I blogged but apparently haven't yet), and the service was some of the most helpful and gracious I've ever experienced (P and I wanted to hug our waitress, she was so sweet). But what about the food, you ask? Brilliant. We went a bit nuts with the ordering - spicy duck tongues, some pickled vegetable that was crisp and chewy at the same time, kung pao chicken full of chillies and crunchy cashews and peanuts, dong po braised pork knuckle which fell off the bone with the slightest prod of a chopstick, and beef tripe in extremely spicy soup, which carried a powerful kick of heat that became more and more enjoyable as we ate. We managed to finish almost everything, which is a testament to how good it was, and certainly plan on returning, once we've tried a few other places to make sure we've covered all our Sichuan bases in London.

Amaretti Biscuits

2010-12-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

My (male) boss at work brought these in one day and I loved them so much I asked for the recipe. Here it is:

Amaretti Biscuits

Beaten egg whites (4), caster sugar (300g), ground almonds (250g), amaretto (a big glug). Fold it together and bake for 15 minutes at 180C.

My version is slightly tweaked. I beat the egg whites with a tsp of cream of tartar to help them stay foamy. Once they formed soft peaks, I added the caster sugar and continued to beat until they were smooth and glossy. Ground almonds were folded in, along with 1 tsp of almond extract as I was out of amaretto. The first batch I baked for 15 minutes but they colored a bit more than I liked, so I adjusted the baking time to 12-13 minutes instead, so the centers of the biscuits are still a bit chewy.

Banana & Chocolate Muffins

2010-12-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

I was watching old episodes of Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers on BBC iPlayer when he started making this banana chocolate cake in order to use up old bananas. Hmm, I thought. There were four gross old bananas on the counter that I wanted to turn into something else so I wouldn't have to look at them any more. Perfect. They're a little naughty for breakfast, but what do I care? I don't even eat bananas.

Banana and Chocolate Muffins
Adapted from Nigel Slater's Simple Suppers

Ingredients

175g butter, melted
175g sugar
2 large eggs

4 overripe bananas, mashed
175g flour (I used 75g whole wheat flour and 100g plain flour)

100g semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla extract (I totally forgot to put this in, oops)

Method

Heat oven to 180C. Beat butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then mix in the bananas. Add the vanilla (if you remember to). Add the flour to this and mix to combine (do not overmix). Fold in the chocolate chips and then spoon into a greased muffin tin. Bake at 180C for 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Turkey Noodle Soup

2010-12-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Poor A was feeling under the weather after Thanksgiving. Luckily, I had rescued the carcass of the turkey from J & D's house and I put it to use, making a soup that had A back on his feet in no time at all!

Turkey Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 turkey carcass
4 star anise
1/4 Sichuan peppercorns
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
200g dried pasta (I used farfalle)

Method

Pick all the turkey meat off the carcass (I ended up with about 2 cups of meat). Break the carcass into pieces small enough to put it in a large pot and cover with water. Add star anise and Sichuan peppercorns to the pot, and bring it to the boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 2 hours. Strain out all the solids and discard, and put the broth back into the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste (be quite generous with the salt, as you're adding vegetables and pasta to this).

Add all of the vegetables to the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. In the meantime, dice all the turkey meat. Add pasta and turkey meat to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes. Taste the pasta for doneness and adjust any seasonings. Serve.

Chocolate Cashew Toffee

2010-12-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

I've never made candy before but this simple recipe is the perfect place to start. I was looking for something easy to make that would be pretty in gift bags for the holidays, and since I had all the ingredients readily available, I gave this a test run. It passed, and will be included in my secret Santa gift at work next week!

Chocolate Cashew Toffee

Adapted from The Kitchn's Skillet Toffee

Ingredients

1 pound (450g) salted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 handfuls of good quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or in chips
200g cashews, toasted (other nuts would probably work well too)

Method

Line the bottom and sides of a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large heavy pot (I used my Dutch oven), melt the butter over medium high heat. As the butter melts, stir in the sugar. Continue stirring constantly and rapidly with a wooden spoon. The mixture should bubble as you stir. Cook until the mixture turns a deep golden brown, taking care not to burn it. (Note: I tried to be clever and made a half batch of this - it was a terrible idea and the toffee burnt very quickly. I think the full amount makes it cook at a speed where it is much easier to get it to come together without burning it.) When it is ready, it should look like a smooth mixture with no separated butter fats, and it will be around 300F. If you take a small amount and put it in cool water, it will harden. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the mixture into the lined baking sheet. Allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then sprinkle the mixture with the chocolate. When the chocolate looks glossy, spread it with an offset cake spatula or a wooden spatula, and sprinkle with the nuts. Gently press the nuts into the chocolate with the palms of your hands.

Cool completely (I stuck mine in the fridge for a while) then break the toffee into chunks.

Pierre Herme Macarons

2010-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Pierre Hermé, London
Foodhall, Ground Floor, Selfridges
400 Oxford Street
London
W1A 1AB

A visit from N and J meant tramping around our old semester abroad neighbourhood, conveniently located next to Selfridges. J was picking up fancy English teas for his parents, while I headed straight for the Pierre Hermé counter to try some macarons. They're certainly not cheap - but they are worth it for a treat, and anyway, sometimes you enjoy things that come in limited quantities more, right? Above are a salted caramel, dark chocolate and green tea macaron. Salted caramel blew the others out of the water, and we nibbled away happily. It was the perfect tiny sweet to follow a gargantuan meal at Mangal Ocakbasi - from cheap and cheerful to luxury in no time at all.

The Wine Show and Masterchef Live

2010-12-10T01:46:00.000-08:00

I admit, I've been a little remiss lately with writing things up - I'm still eating loads of wonderful things but finding the time and willpower to document them is a whole other matter. Anyhoo, I was lucky enough to win a pair of tickets to The Wine Show and Masterchef Live through Unearthed Foods, so P bought a ticket as well and joined me and A for a Sunday full of ridiculous eating and drinking. Many things were consumed, but the outstanding items for me were the sea bass with chorizo dish that Jose Pisarro made at the Campo Viejo Tapas Time stall, and the arancini in the bottom picture which were crisp little rice and cheese bombs that I couldn't get enough of. A really liked some salt-spiked dark chocolate from Cornwall, but it wasn't really to my taste, and we had some decent food at the stalls in the middle of the hall where you bought little coins to exchange for small plates, but like I said - the two pictures above are what I still remember clearly, which says something.

Yuforia Soup Kitchen

2010-11-29T06:29:00.000-08:00

Covent Garden Piazza
Southeast corner

Living Social was doing a deal on Yuforia Soup Kitchen's soups - you could get 5 meals for £12, which works out to a very reasonable £2.40 for soup and bread. With the wintry weather we've been enduring in London, soup is often exactly what I'm looking for at lunch time, so I bought a voucher to give Yuforia Soup Kitchen a try. The soup is actually made by a company called GLORIOUS! (which makes me want to snark on them a little, because I detest names for companies that are such ridiculous overstatements), but thankfully their soups are actually quite good. So far I've had the tomato & chorizo (which also had thickening lentils in it, perfect for keeping you full through the afternoon) and the Malaysian chicken pictured above in a bread bowl. I adore bread bowls for soup - you get something to dip in the soup, and then you get to eat the soup, and then you get to eat more soup-soaked bread - it's like the dish that keeps on giving. The only thing that could make this perfect is if they had some clam chowder on the menu, so I could transport myself back to San Francisco in my tummy.

The Cricketers

2010-11-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Cricket Hill Lane
Yateley
GU46 6BA

The Cricketers was helpfully located a short distance away from the M3 on our drive back to London, so it was chosen for a Sunday lunch gathering before the last leg of our return. Considering the dire state of the three pubs that we popped into and rejected before finding The Cricketers, it didn't really need to be all that nice for us to pick it, but thankfully it was actually quite lovely inside, with friendly staff and sturdy tables that fit seven hungry guests well. I had very ordinary scampi and chips, and was quite jealous of W's Sunday roast wrap (a huge flat Yorkshire pudding wrapped around roast beef, peas and mash, with a boat of gravy on the side). The real star of the meal was the dessert board though - see above for the ridiculous selection that arrived. The cheesecake was some of the best I've had in England (I know! I was surprised too!) Hilariously, when Googling to get the address of the pub for this post, I also discovered it was the site of an robbery, complete with machetes, in September - thankfully nothing that exciting happened while we were there.