Of course, now I've had the delicious fillet steaks with stroganoff, my tastebuds are all excited and I'm finding it hard to imagine a day when I'll want to go back to an honest sirloin.
I found myself veering towards the beef section in Tesco, lingering over the fillets and, almost against my control, sliding a particularly nice-looking specimen into my trolley. I'd seen a recipe in Delicious magazine that was crying out to be tested and I'd filed it in the back of my mind ... but clearly not far back enough!
So: my fillet medallions would be cooked the same as before (if it ain't broke ... ) and seved on a bed of creamy mashed potato. But they'd be topped with a yummy-looking green olive tapenade. It's very simple to make, as long as you have a small food blender/mixer/chopper of some kind.
Throw in a handful of pitted green olives with some lemon juice, flatleaf parsley and olive oil, and blitz it. That's all! Just keep tasting it as you go along to check the flavours are all balancing nicely. Then serve a liberal dollop on top of the steaks. I thoroughly enjoyed it - the steak didn't really need any accompaniment, but this sharp, salty tapenade worked fabulously and brightened a fairly standard dinner into something quite different and refreshing.
I think I'd also like to try it with fish sometime - cod or tuna steaks, probably. I've also discovered (at a Christmas party) that it works very well as a stand-alone tapenade served on cocktail blinis too. At least, they went quickly enough and people went "mmm" ... !
Thursday 27 December 2007
Christmas, Christmas, ching, ching, ching
Oh, those sleigh bells! That roasting turkey smell! The constant feeling of bloatedness and indigestion ... yes, Christmas time is here again!
My traditional dinner didn't disappoint. This year I added some sort-of mulled red cabbage (from Nigella's Feast book, but massively changed to suit my own tastes and ingredients!). I shredded some red cabbage and cooked it in a saucepan with red onions, red wine, sultanas, cinammon, black pepper, nutmeg, brown sugar and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. I have no idea of the quantities - just keep bunging it in and tasting as you go along! It's great because you can just put the lid on, leave it on a very (very, very) low heat and come back in about an hour and a half! Also, I tend to leave it in the saucepan overnight and heat it up again for Boxing day, to go with the cold meat and bubble & squeak.
My other exciting discovery this year is champagne cocktails, made by heating a little bit of brandy with cinammon, cloves, nutmeg, a bit of sugar, some star anise perhaps ... all the things normally used to make mulled wine, basically. You then leave it to cool before adding a teaspoon to each glass of chilled champagne, with a splash of Angostura bitters. It gives champagne an extra Christmassy kick and looks really pretty in the glass, too!
I also discovered Loyd Grossman's nuts. He doesn't show them on his website so I can't provide you with a link, unfortunately. For about £3 one can purchase a decent-sized bag of mixed roasted nuts with caramelised red onion; I bought them from Tesco but I think most supermarkets probably sell them. They've probably got a lot of added salt, but they're delicious and it *is* Christmas, after all!
My traditional dinner didn't disappoint. This year I added some sort-of mulled red cabbage (from Nigella's Feast book, but massively changed to suit my own tastes and ingredients!). I shredded some red cabbage and cooked it in a saucepan with red onions, red wine, sultanas, cinammon, black pepper, nutmeg, brown sugar and a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar. I have no idea of the quantities - just keep bunging it in and tasting as you go along! It's great because you can just put the lid on, leave it on a very (very, very) low heat and come back in about an hour and a half! Also, I tend to leave it in the saucepan overnight and heat it up again for Boxing day, to go with the cold meat and bubble & squeak.
My other exciting discovery this year is champagne cocktails, made by heating a little bit of brandy with cinammon, cloves, nutmeg, a bit of sugar, some star anise perhaps ... all the things normally used to make mulled wine, basically. You then leave it to cool before adding a teaspoon to each glass of chilled champagne, with a splash of Angostura bitters. It gives champagne an extra Christmassy kick and looks really pretty in the glass, too!
I also discovered Loyd Grossman's nuts. He doesn't show them on his website so I can't provide you with a link, unfortunately. For about £3 one can purchase a decent-sized bag of mixed roasted nuts with caramelised red onion; I bought them from Tesco but I think most supermarkets probably sell them. They've probably got a lot of added salt, but they're delicious and it *is* Christmas, after all!
Friday 21 December 2007
Eating dates
Veering away from food ever so slightly, just for a moment ...
If you haven't got a calendar for 2008 yet, or even if you have but it's really, really boring, perhaps you should consider buying this one. It's a full-colour entertaining calendar produced by Wheelybird, a regular contributor to b3ta, the infamous comedy website. Each month features a very funny illustration of a particular day, event or celebration. There's plenty of space for writing notes, too.
And it mentions tea several times, which is nice!
If you haven't got a calendar for 2008 yet, or even if you have but it's really, really boring, perhaps you should consider buying this one. It's a full-colour entertaining calendar produced by Wheelybird, a regular contributor to b3ta, the infamous comedy website. Each month features a very funny illustration of a particular day, event or celebration. There's plenty of space for writing notes, too.
And it mentions tea several times, which is nice!
Thursday 20 December 2007
The goose is getting fat and he's not alone
Christmas = food, in my world. I'm always wildly excited about all the possibilities and new recipes, then end up having the same stuff year after year. Not that I'm complaining - traditional Christmas dinner is one of my favourites, closely followed by bubble and squeak with leftover turkey and pickles!
But, ever the adventurer, I've been through all the supermarket magazines and good ole Nigella's book to find some new stuff to try.
What's your favourite Christmas dinner or recipe? What are you most looking forward to eating over the festive period? Or do you hate it all and long for the traditional January cut-down?!
But, ever the adventurer, I've been through all the supermarket magazines and good ole Nigella's book to find some new stuff to try.
What's your favourite Christmas dinner or recipe? What are you most looking forward to eating over the festive period? Or do you hate it all and long for the traditional January cut-down?!
The steaks are high
I'm always very tempted by beef stroganoff. It has a lot of easy-eating, comforting, warming appeal and seems suitable whatever the season. Imagine my annoyance, then, when attempt after attempt to make it produced mediocre results!
I've followed numerous recipes - this one from the Waitrose website was just strange and bland. Delia's recipe wasn't bad but still didn't give a satisfyingly meaty and flavoursome outcome. The sauce always seemed to be too creamy and flat, and the meat overcooked.
Now, meat being overcooked is the worst possible thing for me, so I decided to take action! I bought some lovely-looking fillet steak for my next attempt. But it looked so plump and so delicious I just couldn't bring myself to cut it into strips! And thus a delicious dinner was born!
I made the stroganoff almost as usual - I gently fried some sliced red onions in a great big frying pan, then added a little bit of brandy and turned up the heat to help it reduce. Then I added some slices of mushroom and stirred in a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, a shake of black pepper and a crumbled beef stock cube (this addition of stock really helps). Lastly I mixed in a small tub of creme fraiche and left it all to simmer for a little while.
Rather than adding steak to the mixture I cooked the medallions of fillet steak just on their own, for about six minutes (but most people probably need it to be cooked for a little longer than that). I gave them a tiny crust of black pepper before putting them into the griddle pan, too. This means I get perfectly cooked, seared-on-the-outside steak, rather than leathery, cold strips!
I always use wild rice with stroganoff, so I cooked this in the meantime and, rather than placing it onto a plate and adding the other stuff on top, I mixed it into the frying pan with everything else for a couple of minutes. This means nothing gets cold and gets rid of any excess water from the rice. So,serving this all becomes very simple: great big dollops of rice and stroganoff mixture onto a plate with a medallion of steak plonked on top!
And, of course, a massive glass of red wine by the side ...
I've followed numerous recipes - this one from the Waitrose website was just strange and bland. Delia's recipe wasn't bad but still didn't give a satisfyingly meaty and flavoursome outcome. The sauce always seemed to be too creamy and flat, and the meat overcooked.
Now, meat being overcooked is the worst possible thing for me, so I decided to take action! I bought some lovely-looking fillet steak for my next attempt. But it looked so plump and so delicious I just couldn't bring myself to cut it into strips! And thus a delicious dinner was born!
I made the stroganoff almost as usual - I gently fried some sliced red onions in a great big frying pan, then added a little bit of brandy and turned up the heat to help it reduce. Then I added some slices of mushroom and stirred in a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, a shake of black pepper and a crumbled beef stock cube (this addition of stock really helps). Lastly I mixed in a small tub of creme fraiche and left it all to simmer for a little while.
Rather than adding steak to the mixture I cooked the medallions of fillet steak just on their own, for about six minutes (but most people probably need it to be cooked for a little longer than that). I gave them a tiny crust of black pepper before putting them into the griddle pan, too. This means I get perfectly cooked, seared-on-the-outside steak, rather than leathery, cold strips!
I always use wild rice with stroganoff, so I cooked this in the meantime and, rather than placing it onto a plate and adding the other stuff on top, I mixed it into the frying pan with everything else for a couple of minutes. This means nothing gets cold and gets rid of any excess water from the rice. So,serving this all becomes very simple: great big dollops of rice and stroganoff mixture onto a plate with a medallion of steak plonked on top!
And, of course, a massive glass of red wine by the side ...
Tuesday 27 November 2007
Such a beautiful horizon ...
I was on holiday in Spain recently, which partly explains why I haven't posted so much of late. But holidays for me are a string of eating and drinking opportunities connected by sleep and travel, so it did actually create a fair few topics for discussion!
Our first port of call was Barcelona. This was the first visit for all of us, so I thought it would be a good idea to try and find out about some fallback restaurants and bars before we arrived. I was delighted to discover that Toptable now offers bookings in several cities abroad, including Barcelona. I even got some bonus points for booking it!
We ended up going to Trobador Rambla Catalunya, part of a chain of restaurants across the city. This one was just on the corner at the start of las ramblas and only a short walk from most of the exciting-looking bars.
The food was good ... for Spain! It was good-quality, reasonably good value, reasonably well-presented, but still only average overall. Spanish restaurants just don't seem to do things with quite so much style as most Europeans: silver service, for instance, is practically unseen. Our veal steaks were served shish kebab-style, which just seemed an odd style of presentation!
One thing stood out, though: this restaurant had proper puddings. A lot of Spanish restaurants simply have a colourful laminated card showing pictures of pre-prepared, frozen desserts from their chiller cabinet. Here we were offered a choice which included an apple tart, crepes with chocolate sauce and other proper-sounding dishes.
Generally I'd recommend Toptable's service more than the restaurant itself, as it's nice to have a meal planned for the day of arrival. In high season this'll probably be even more of a benefit.
More of Barcelona hereafter ...!
Our first port of call was Barcelona. This was the first visit for all of us, so I thought it would be a good idea to try and find out about some fallback restaurants and bars before we arrived. I was delighted to discover that Toptable now offers bookings in several cities abroad, including Barcelona. I even got some bonus points for booking it!
We ended up going to Trobador Rambla Catalunya, part of a chain of restaurants across the city. This one was just on the corner at the start of las ramblas and only a short walk from most of the exciting-looking bars.
The food was good ... for Spain! It was good-quality, reasonably good value, reasonably well-presented, but still only average overall. Spanish restaurants just don't seem to do things with quite so much style as most Europeans: silver service, for instance, is practically unseen. Our veal steaks were served shish kebab-style, which just seemed an odd style of presentation!
One thing stood out, though: this restaurant had proper puddings. A lot of Spanish restaurants simply have a colourful laminated card showing pictures of pre-prepared, frozen desserts from their chiller cabinet. Here we were offered a choice which included an apple tart, crepes with chocolate sauce and other proper-sounding dishes.
Generally I'd recommend Toptable's service more than the restaurant itself, as it's nice to have a meal planned for the day of arrival. In high season this'll probably be even more of a benefit.
More of Barcelona hereafter ...!
Friday 16 November 2007
Monkeying around!
I spotted this blog post the other day, from The Monkey Blog.
Doesn't Monkey's lifestyle sound strangely similar to mine ...?!
Doesn't Monkey's lifestyle sound strangely similar to mine ...?!
Comfort food
Yesterday a colleague advised me to "just go home and have some beans on toast". So I did (almost) exactly that!
I had three slices of toasted white bread with baked beans on top (Branston baked beans are the best - far nicer than Heinz!). I normally splash a bit of worcestershire sauce into the beans as I'm cooking them, just for a laugh. I topped it with some grated cheddar and some black pepper.
Ok, so you don't need a recipe for beans on toast and it's not exactly tricky or fancy, but it was delicious comfort food and it goes really well with Scrubs repeats on TV!
I had three slices of toasted white bread with baked beans on top (Branston baked beans are the best - far nicer than Heinz!). I normally splash a bit of worcestershire sauce into the beans as I'm cooking them, just for a laugh. I topped it with some grated cheddar and some black pepper.
Ok, so you don't need a recipe for beans on toast and it's not exactly tricky or fancy, but it was delicious comfort food and it goes really well with Scrubs repeats on TV!
Wednesday 10 October 2007
Eating out age calculator
Here's one of those clever little number tricks that works out your age based on how often you want to eat out ...
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to go out to eat (more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1757. If you haven't, add 1756.
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should now have a three digit number. The first digit of this was your original number (ie how many times you want to go out to restaurants in a week).
The next two numbers are your age!
Innit clever, though. I love these little tricks.
The most exciting bit for me, though, was trying to work out how many times a week I'd like to eat out. I worked it out as follows: there's 21 meals in a week, and I'd like to eat out for a third of them, cook for a third and be lazy (buy something or shove something in the oven) for the rest. But, oh! the soul-searching involved in that decision process! I did probably give it a bit more thought than was intended ...!
How many times did you say you'd like to eat out??
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to go out to eat (more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1757. If you haven't, add 1756.
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should now have a three digit number. The first digit of this was your original number (ie how many times you want to go out to restaurants in a week).
The next two numbers are your age!
Innit clever, though. I love these little tricks.
The most exciting bit for me, though, was trying to work out how many times a week I'd like to eat out. I worked it out as follows: there's 21 meals in a week, and I'd like to eat out for a third of them, cook for a third and be lazy (buy something or shove something in the oven) for the rest. But, oh! the soul-searching involved in that decision process! I did probably give it a bit more thought than was intended ...!
How many times did you say you'd like to eat out??
Tuesday 9 October 2007
Ham please
On Sunday I made the old experimental-restaurant-chicken for dinner, so I had a bit of leftover Parma ham knocking around. I thought I'd try out my new apple and whatnot salad, but with the ham instead of Wensleydale for lunch on the next day.
Hmm ... not as good! But please give it a go yourselves and let me know what you think.
Hmm ... not as good! But please give it a go yourselves and let me know what you think.
Salad days
It's hard to believe, looking out the window at the drizzle and gloom today, but we had a nice spot of weather last Friday. The sky was a deep blue and there was a good showing of autumnal sunshine too - a perfect day to be out of London and have the chance to do a spot of driving with the roof down!
I spent the late morning in Bishop's Stortford and took the opportunity to meet a friend for lunch at The Lemon Tree, a great restaurant. In fact, probably the only restaurant in Stortford I'd call 'great'! I often pop in here with my husband when we're in town shopping on a Saturday, and we've also enjoyed a few evening meals here too.
On Friday we took advantage of the lunchtime special offer - one course, a glass of wine and a tea or coffee for £7.50. We both chose the smoked trout, anchovy and cheese salad (I can't remember what kind of cheese, but it was akin to parmesan!), which I've had before but just couldn't resist. The trout was perfectly flaky and pink, the anchovies sufficiently oily and salty, with just the right amount of salad leaves, croutons and dressing to bring the whole thing together. I love the coldness of anchovies in a salad - it reminds me of good tapas in Spain.
We both decided to add a pudding, since there was a cup of tea included in the offer! My friend chose a chocolate pavlova with poached pears and blackberries, which I'd had the week before and recommended very highly. The meringue isn't too sweet but is very rich and chocolatey, with the delicious foil of warm, tangy fruit. I ordered apple compte (yes, more apples!) with a spiced syllabub and hazelnut biscuits. The apple was smooth and tart, and the syllabub was like an early taste of Christmas!
The only minus point I can think of is the limited choice for tea - more or less 'normal' or Earl Grey. My hazelnut biscuits would have gone very well with Darjeeling or something else a bit paler. I never understand why restaurants have varieties of coffee but only the one (sometimes two) choices of tea!
But that's another post ... !
I spent the late morning in Bishop's Stortford and took the opportunity to meet a friend for lunch at The Lemon Tree, a great restaurant. In fact, probably the only restaurant in Stortford I'd call 'great'! I often pop in here with my husband when we're in town shopping on a Saturday, and we've also enjoyed a few evening meals here too.
On Friday we took advantage of the lunchtime special offer - one course, a glass of wine and a tea or coffee for £7.50. We both chose the smoked trout, anchovy and cheese salad (I can't remember what kind of cheese, but it was akin to parmesan!), which I've had before but just couldn't resist. The trout was perfectly flaky and pink, the anchovies sufficiently oily and salty, with just the right amount of salad leaves, croutons and dressing to bring the whole thing together. I love the coldness of anchovies in a salad - it reminds me of good tapas in Spain.
We both decided to add a pudding, since there was a cup of tea included in the offer! My friend chose a chocolate pavlova with poached pears and blackberries, which I'd had the week before and recommended very highly. The meringue isn't too sweet but is very rich and chocolatey, with the delicious foil of warm, tangy fruit. I ordered apple compte (yes, more apples!) with a spiced syllabub and hazelnut biscuits. The apple was smooth and tart, and the syllabub was like an early taste of Christmas!
The only minus point I can think of is the limited choice for tea - more or less 'normal' or Earl Grey. My hazelnut biscuits would have gone very well with Darjeeling or something else a bit paler. I never understand why restaurants have varieties of coffee but only the one (sometimes two) choices of tea!
But that's another post ... !
Monday 1 October 2007
How d'you like them apples?
Yesterday we went to Apple Day at Audley End House, not far from where we live. We set out with little idea of what an apple day actually was, and somewhat sceptical about the 'apple-themed activities'! Still, there was a lovely autumnal feel in the air, and Audley End House always provides a nice day out, so set out we did.
On arrival we stopped at the entrance gate to flash our English Heritage cards at the young lady on the desk. She printed off our receipts and then leant forward, with a vaguely conspiratorial smile, and said "Are you here for the Apple Day? Don't blame you - I would go too, if I could!" She looked so wistful and envious, I felt myself grinning and slightly rubbing my hands together, almost on the verge of licking my lips with anticipation for some forthcoming pleasure, of which I had only the very vaguest idea!
Our first port of call was the restaurant, where the apple theme was prevalent. I had parsnip and apple soup served with a big wedge of delicious bread (quite literally peppered with ...well, pepper!) and a slice of Applewood smoked cheese. The soup was beautiful and made me long to start up my soup-making again. I remember attempting a parsnip and apple one last year, but I can't recall the exact recipe, nor how successful it was. I love the flavours together and the overall taste was very seasonal, warming and comforting - definitely one for a cold, crisp autumn Sunday. We also ate apple pie (apparently very appley) and some apple fruit loaf.
From the restaurant I also bought a bottle of Appletree Hill fresh apple and rhubarb juice, made by Stoke Farm Orchards. It's one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted from a bottle - just the half-sweet, half-tangy flavours of apple and rhubarb complementing each other perfectly!
The rest of the day was a little beyond us, really. Apple experts were busy identifying specimens brought by visitors and classifying them all. There was a huge display of apples from around the UK, divided and labelled by type, class, location, date of discovery, etc. I'm not quite enough of an apple lover to appreciate this kind of dedication, personally! But I do love the committment to locally grown produce and I love the fact that people had travelled to the event from far and wide to discuss the humble apple!
It's just this sort of wonderful seasonal, locally-focused event Stansted Airport should promote more readily. Uttlesford is an amazingly rich area and there's shows, events, sites and projects like this one going on every weekend - far more interesting, far more 'English' than boring old London!
On arrival we stopped at the entrance gate to flash our English Heritage cards at the young lady on the desk. She printed off our receipts and then leant forward, with a vaguely conspiratorial smile, and said "Are you here for the Apple Day? Don't blame you - I would go too, if I could!" She looked so wistful and envious, I felt myself grinning and slightly rubbing my hands together, almost on the verge of licking my lips with anticipation for some forthcoming pleasure, of which I had only the very vaguest idea!
Our first port of call was the restaurant, where the apple theme was prevalent. I had parsnip and apple soup served with a big wedge of delicious bread (quite literally peppered with ...well, pepper!) and a slice of Applewood smoked cheese. The soup was beautiful and made me long to start up my soup-making again. I remember attempting a parsnip and apple one last year, but I can't recall the exact recipe, nor how successful it was. I love the flavours together and the overall taste was very seasonal, warming and comforting - definitely one for a cold, crisp autumn Sunday. We also ate apple pie (apparently very appley) and some apple fruit loaf.
From the restaurant I also bought a bottle of Appletree Hill fresh apple and rhubarb juice, made by Stoke Farm Orchards. It's one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted from a bottle - just the half-sweet, half-tangy flavours of apple and rhubarb complementing each other perfectly!
The rest of the day was a little beyond us, really. Apple experts were busy identifying specimens brought by visitors and classifying them all. There was a huge display of apples from around the UK, divided and labelled by type, class, location, date of discovery, etc. I'm not quite enough of an apple lover to appreciate this kind of dedication, personally! But I do love the committment to locally grown produce and I love the fact that people had travelled to the event from far and wide to discuss the humble apple!
It's just this sort of wonderful seasonal, locally-focused event Stansted Airport should promote more readily. Uttlesford is an amazingly rich area and there's shows, events, sites and projects like this one going on every weekend - far more interesting, far more 'English' than boring old London!
Tuesday 25 September 2007
Eggs-perimental
Italian-style stuffed chicken
Now: I stole this recipe from a restaurant. No, actually, that's not strictly true - I don't wish to imply chicanery. This recipe was in fact passed onto me in a legitimate fashion from a friend who acquired it from the chef of a restaurant I used to eat in a few years ago. Sadly, the experimental restaurant in question is no longer open. But, on the up side, I now know how to make one of the chef's easiest and most delicious dishes!
I made up the title of the recipe based on the fact that most of the ingredients are of Italian origin. I use really good quality sunblush tomatoes and mozzarella, although I think you can compromise a bit on the quality of the ham (it doesn't matter so much when it's oven baked).
Firstly butterfly a chicken breast (ooer!). I always deliberately choose round and plump pieces of chicken for this, so that my knife doesn't just slice right through. Press your hand down flat onto the top and slide a sharp knife into the side so that you can flap it open completely. Inside the chicken, stuff some fresh mozzarella cut into small pieces and a few finely sliced sunblush tomatoes. Then flap the chicken back over the top and wrap the whole thing in two slices of Parma ham. I normally put these in the oven under some foil (see my previous ranting about chicken not being too overcooked!) for about half an hour, sprinkled with a bit of black pepper and olive oil.
That's about all there is to it! I serve these with green vegetables - something like mangetout or sugar snap peas is ideal - and some roast potatoes. I have also perfected a really simple sauce made from double cream heated with a small spoonful of red pesto.
It's the sort of recipe that's a little bit fiddly at the outset but can happily be left in the oven while you go and do something else. And not only is it delicious, but it particularly complements the rose Rioja to which I'm currently addicted!
Now: I stole this recipe from a restaurant. No, actually, that's not strictly true - I don't wish to imply chicanery. This recipe was in fact passed onto me in a legitimate fashion from a friend who acquired it from the chef of a restaurant I used to eat in a few years ago. Sadly, the experimental restaurant in question is no longer open. But, on the up side, I now know how to make one of the chef's easiest and most delicious dishes!
I made up the title of the recipe based on the fact that most of the ingredients are of Italian origin. I use really good quality sunblush tomatoes and mozzarella, although I think you can compromise a bit on the quality of the ham (it doesn't matter so much when it's oven baked).
Firstly butterfly a chicken breast (ooer!). I always deliberately choose round and plump pieces of chicken for this, so that my knife doesn't just slice right through. Press your hand down flat onto the top and slide a sharp knife into the side so that you can flap it open completely. Inside the chicken, stuff some fresh mozzarella cut into small pieces and a few finely sliced sunblush tomatoes. Then flap the chicken back over the top and wrap the whole thing in two slices of Parma ham. I normally put these in the oven under some foil (see my previous ranting about chicken not being too overcooked!) for about half an hour, sprinkled with a bit of black pepper and olive oil.
That's about all there is to it! I serve these with green vegetables - something like mangetout or sugar snap peas is ideal - and some roast potatoes. I have also perfected a really simple sauce made from double cream heated with a small spoonful of red pesto.
It's the sort of recipe that's a little bit fiddly at the outset but can happily be left in the oven while you go and do something else. And not only is it delicious, but it particularly complements the rose Rioja to which I'm currently addicted!
Monday 24 September 2007
The Cricketers (not the Cricketer's Arms!)
It was my dad's birthday last week, so I wanted to take my parents out for a pub lunch. I also wanted them to see some of the nicer parts of Essex, so we decided to go to The Cricketers in Clavering. It's famous for being owned/run by Trevor and Sally Oliver, parents of good old Jamie 'put it in me 'elmet' Oliver. Indeed, as soon as we walked in the door we were confronted by a fairly large selection of his cookery books (signed copies, of course!). I'm all for this: parents spend a lot of money bringing up their kids, so why not make a little back if your son makes it big?!
The decor was typical of an Essex country pub - a shade on the twee side with, unsurprisingly, a lot of cricket memorabilia dotted around the place. We'd reserved a table in the bar area, which turned out to be a good move because it was fairly busy, even at a quarter to one. We were shown to our table by a very young barman/waiter - in fact all of the serving staff seemed very young, but also very helpful. I mentally awarded a few Brownie points straight off because nobody pounced upon us to ask what drink we wanted to order as soon as we had sit down. Also, the bread with dipping oil on the table was a nice touch and raised my expectations from 'good pub grub' to 'restaurant-standard food'.
The menu was extensive and quite impressive - it's proper food with some nice touches and twists here and there. We're a fairly big-eating family, so haute cuisine-style portions wouldn't have gone down at all well! We all ordered a starter - I went for artichoke hearts wrapped in Parma ham with a beetroot salad. I expected the beetroot to be very sweet and moist, to cut through the saltiness of the ham and I wasn't at all disappointed. I tasted a little of the duck liver parfait too, which was pretty good. My husband's salad of avocado with almonds and pomegranate was the only disappointment - the avocado was a touch on the mushy side and the whole thing was over-saturated with vinaigrette.
For my main course I chose lamb shank with root vegetables and mash. The lamb was cooked to perfection and I liked the fact that this was also served with mixed vegetables and new potatoes. The meal on its own would probably have been filling enough, but ... well, better safe than sorry!!
My family also sampled the lemon sole (served really simply with only lemon) and the guinea fowl (topped with delicious parsnip crisps) and both seemed to go down extremely well. Not a lot was left on the plate, at least!
As usual, I was underwhelmed by the puddings, although they were of a higher standard than your usual pub fayre. I had a semi-freddo with fig and prune - nice, but far too much. But it was the only thing that stood out from a list of creme brulees and apple pies ...
I'm very glad we decided to try this pub and I think I'd go again, though probably only for Sunday lunch. I don't see it as much of a weekday or Saturday evening venue. I was pleased, however, by the seeming committment to local produce and I definitely liked the attempt to bring some fancy touches to traditional pub cooking. This is the sort of place Stansted airport should promote far more in their marketing, rather than banging on about London all the time (... but that's another post!)
The decor was typical of an Essex country pub - a shade on the twee side with, unsurprisingly, a lot of cricket memorabilia dotted around the place. We'd reserved a table in the bar area, which turned out to be a good move because it was fairly busy, even at a quarter to one. We were shown to our table by a very young barman/waiter - in fact all of the serving staff seemed very young, but also very helpful. I mentally awarded a few Brownie points straight off because nobody pounced upon us to ask what drink we wanted to order as soon as we had sit down. Also, the bread with dipping oil on the table was a nice touch and raised my expectations from 'good pub grub' to 'restaurant-standard food'.
The menu was extensive and quite impressive - it's proper food with some nice touches and twists here and there. We're a fairly big-eating family, so haute cuisine-style portions wouldn't have gone down at all well! We all ordered a starter - I went for artichoke hearts wrapped in Parma ham with a beetroot salad. I expected the beetroot to be very sweet and moist, to cut through the saltiness of the ham and I wasn't at all disappointed. I tasted a little of the duck liver parfait too, which was pretty good. My husband's salad of avocado with almonds and pomegranate was the only disappointment - the avocado was a touch on the mushy side and the whole thing was over-saturated with vinaigrette.
For my main course I chose lamb shank with root vegetables and mash. The lamb was cooked to perfection and I liked the fact that this was also served with mixed vegetables and new potatoes. The meal on its own would probably have been filling enough, but ... well, better safe than sorry!!
My family also sampled the lemon sole (served really simply with only lemon) and the guinea fowl (topped with delicious parsnip crisps) and both seemed to go down extremely well. Not a lot was left on the plate, at least!
As usual, I was underwhelmed by the puddings, although they were of a higher standard than your usual pub fayre. I had a semi-freddo with fig and prune - nice, but far too much. But it was the only thing that stood out from a list of creme brulees and apple pies ...
I'm very glad we decided to try this pub and I think I'd go again, though probably only for Sunday lunch. I don't see it as much of a weekday or Saturday evening venue. I was pleased, however, by the seeming committment to local produce and I definitely liked the attempt to bring some fancy touches to traditional pub cooking. This is the sort of place Stansted airport should promote far more in their marketing, rather than banging on about London all the time (... but that's another post!)
Tuesday 18 September 2007
Spanish rose
My new favourite wine is this rather nice Gran Familia rioja rose, available from Tesco. It's made with Tempranillo grapes and is as good quality as any red rioja I've ever tasted.
It's surprisingly dry for a rose wine and has some lovely fresh berry flavours. I think it tastes great chilled but not as icy cold as I'd have a white wine. I'm not going to spout any nonsense about what food it goes with - drink it whenever you like!
It's surprisingly dry for a rose wine and has some lovely fresh berry flavours. I think it tastes great chilled but not as icy cold as I'd have a white wine. I'm not going to spout any nonsense about what food it goes with - drink it whenever you like!
Wednesday 12 September 2007
Press lightly to coat
Incidentally, you may have noticed that I don't use 'recipe-speak' - y'know, all that "Drain, toss and serve" nonsense. I don't care if it's a recognised convention, a short cut, a time-saver or whatever - I just don't like it at all.
There's something so ridiculously bossy about the whole thing. I don't take kindly to instructions being snapped at me in this way. "Drain! Toss! Leave! Serve!" It's not very polite. I also find it very impersonal and I get the impression these people have never cooked a day in their lives, let alone the recipe they're describing. There's no engagement with the subject matter, no "don't you find ...?" about it.
But of course, it can all be pretty confusing too!
"Leave for 20 minutes", it says. What, I've got to go out?! But I'm in the middle of cooking dinner! Halfway through a recipe last week I read "Remove from pan, leave and keep warm". So, I slung a a few blankets around my shoulders, put on my hat and coat and set off out the back door. "Where are you off to?" shouted my husband. "Just following a recipe - it's going to be delicious!" I yelled back, while rubbing my hands together and stamping my feet. Got to keep warm - it might be an essential element!
As you can see, I get into all kinds of pickles (mmm ... pickle!). But I think the impersonality and lack of foodie enjoyment is my main reason for disliking cookery books. I certainly prefer to receive recipes through word of mouth or tasting and testing, rather than reading. I also prefer trying things out and learning for myself instead of following instructions to the letter.
That's not to say all recipe books are confusing, dreary or bossy. Good old Nigella writes her recipes like stories or poems and she fully engages with everything she says. There's no doubt that she's cooked every one of these dishes and has had a great time trying out and changing the details. There's always a "I usually find ..." or "it's up to you, but I prefer ..." thrown in. Her use of language, too, is a cut above a standard recipe-writer - things like "blitz until you've got a ruby-glowing pile of shreds" inspires me so much more than "process into small chunks"!
I'll leave you with one of my favourite Nigella sections, taken from Feast (by Nigella Lawson, 2004). The recipe in question is cornbread, cranberry and orange stuffing, for a Christmas turkey, and this bit appears at the end. I just love the gratuitous nature of this random 'kitchen' hint:
"Should you have any stuffing left, here's what I suggest you do with one or two slabs. First, fry a rasher or two of bacon in a drop of oil then, when it's crispy, remove it to a plate and quickly fry the leftover stuffing in the bacony fat. When done on both sides, let it join the bacon and eat them together, joyfully".
There's something so ridiculously bossy about the whole thing. I don't take kindly to instructions being snapped at me in this way. "Drain! Toss! Leave! Serve!" It's not very polite. I also find it very impersonal and I get the impression these people have never cooked a day in their lives, let alone the recipe they're describing. There's no engagement with the subject matter, no "don't you find ...?" about it.
But of course, it can all be pretty confusing too!
"Leave for 20 minutes", it says. What, I've got to go out?! But I'm in the middle of cooking dinner! Halfway through a recipe last week I read "Remove from pan, leave and keep warm". So, I slung a a few blankets around my shoulders, put on my hat and coat and set off out the back door. "Where are you off to?" shouted my husband. "Just following a recipe - it's going to be delicious!" I yelled back, while rubbing my hands together and stamping my feet. Got to keep warm - it might be an essential element!
As you can see, I get into all kinds of pickles (mmm ... pickle!). But I think the impersonality and lack of foodie enjoyment is my main reason for disliking cookery books. I certainly prefer to receive recipes through word of mouth or tasting and testing, rather than reading. I also prefer trying things out and learning for myself instead of following instructions to the letter.
That's not to say all recipe books are confusing, dreary or bossy. Good old Nigella writes her recipes like stories or poems and she fully engages with everything she says. There's no doubt that she's cooked every one of these dishes and has had a great time trying out and changing the details. There's always a "I usually find ..." or "it's up to you, but I prefer ..." thrown in. Her use of language, too, is a cut above a standard recipe-writer - things like "blitz until you've got a ruby-glowing pile of shreds" inspires me so much more than "process into small chunks"!
I'll leave you with one of my favourite Nigella sections, taken from Feast (by Nigella Lawson, 2004). The recipe in question is cornbread, cranberry and orange stuffing, for a Christmas turkey, and this bit appears at the end. I just love the gratuitous nature of this random 'kitchen' hint:
"Should you have any stuffing left, here's what I suggest you do with one or two slabs. First, fry a rasher or two of bacon in a drop of oil then, when it's crispy, remove it to a plate and quickly fry the leftover stuffing in the bacony fat. When done on both sides, let it join the bacon and eat them together, joyfully".
Monday 10 September 2007
The old ones are the best
A variation on a cottage pie
Yes - I don't really have a proper name for this dinner. It's a bit like a cottage pie but with minor twists, essentially!
First of all I get the boring bit out of the way - peel two potatoes (Maris Piper seem to do the trick), cut them into small cubes and boil them for a while ... probably about ten minutes. Just a bit longer than you'd usually boil potatoes for, so that they're starting to break up and are very soft to the touch. Once they're done, drain them and add a little bit of double cream (or milk, if you don't want it to be too calorific) and mash them until they're very smooth. And phew - that's the potatoes done. I hate mashing!
Next I slice one small red onion very finely and gently fry it in a tiny bit of olive oil. Once it's started to go opaque I add a splash of red wine and turn up the heat until the alcohol evaporates. You can tell when this is, because if you bend your head over the pan and sniff it shouldn't sting your nose!
So - winey onions coming along nicely, I turn my attention elsewhere by peeling and chopping one small carrot, placing it in a bowl in just enough water to cover it, and blitzing it for about a minute and a half in the microwave. When it's done, I add the drained carrot pieces to the pan with the onions and use the water to make up about a third of a pint of gravy (usually three teaspoons of beef gravy granules, half a vegetable stock cube and another splash of red wine - but this can be varied to 'the gravy of your choice', if you're the sort of person to have such a thing!).
Next I add the minced beef to the onions and carrots. I always go for lean steak mince - a little more expensive, but it's worth the extra cost not to have fat seeping out as soon as it starts to cook. Once it's started to brown I add a pinch of paprika, some black pepper and squeeze of tomato puree to the pan, then stir in the gravy and let the whole lot simmer for about five minutes on a really low heat.
To assemble the whole thing, I spoon the mince mixture into a shallow baking dish and place thin slices of tomato across the top, just enough to cover the mince. The creamed potato is usually just sufficient to provide a thin layer on top, and I scatter some grated Parmesan over it before placing it into a hot oven for about ten minutes. I just like to wait until the cheese is melted and stringy, and some potato peaks have gone brown and crispy. I normally serve this with some green vegetables and a glass of red wine on a cool autumn evening!
Yes - I don't really have a proper name for this dinner. It's a bit like a cottage pie but with minor twists, essentially!
First of all I get the boring bit out of the way - peel two potatoes (Maris Piper seem to do the trick), cut them into small cubes and boil them for a while ... probably about ten minutes. Just a bit longer than you'd usually boil potatoes for, so that they're starting to break up and are very soft to the touch. Once they're done, drain them and add a little bit of double cream (or milk, if you don't want it to be too calorific) and mash them until they're very smooth. And phew - that's the potatoes done. I hate mashing!
Next I slice one small red onion very finely and gently fry it in a tiny bit of olive oil. Once it's started to go opaque I add a splash of red wine and turn up the heat until the alcohol evaporates. You can tell when this is, because if you bend your head over the pan and sniff it shouldn't sting your nose!
So - winey onions coming along nicely, I turn my attention elsewhere by peeling and chopping one small carrot, placing it in a bowl in just enough water to cover it, and blitzing it for about a minute and a half in the microwave. When it's done, I add the drained carrot pieces to the pan with the onions and use the water to make up about a third of a pint of gravy (usually three teaspoons of beef gravy granules, half a vegetable stock cube and another splash of red wine - but this can be varied to 'the gravy of your choice', if you're the sort of person to have such a thing!).
Next I add the minced beef to the onions and carrots. I always go for lean steak mince - a little more expensive, but it's worth the extra cost not to have fat seeping out as soon as it starts to cook. Once it's started to brown I add a pinch of paprika, some black pepper and squeeze of tomato puree to the pan, then stir in the gravy and let the whole lot simmer for about five minutes on a really low heat.
To assemble the whole thing, I spoon the mince mixture into a shallow baking dish and place thin slices of tomato across the top, just enough to cover the mince. The creamed potato is usually just sufficient to provide a thin layer on top, and I scatter some grated Parmesan over it before placing it into a hot oven for about ten minutes. I just like to wait until the cheese is melted and stringy, and some potato peaks have gone brown and crispy. I normally serve this with some green vegetables and a glass of red wine on a cool autumn evening!
Wednesday 5 September 2007
Salad days
Today's lunch recipe:
I saw a nice-sounding packaged salad in Tesco and thought I'd buy the ingredients and copy it, rather than spend a fortune on it.
First of all I sliced an apple fairly thinly and placed it into a dry frying pan (no oil or butter). I blasted it (blast - ha ha!) on the hob for a minute or two before transferring the whole pan to the grill for about five minutes. See, I'm all smug now I have a gas hob and can actually heat something intensively like that at the drop of a hat. I don't know whether I'd have employed a different technique if I'd been using an electric hotplate.
So - on with the salad. Along with the apple I tossed some walnuts, red grapes, sunflower seeds, mixed lettuce and chunks of Wensleydale.
I added a very tiny amount of a variation on the usual dressing (lemon, olive oil, wholegrain mustard - without the honey on this occasion) on the if-it-ain't-broke basis. But really, just a very tiny amount because otherwise it wilts the lettuce and makes the cheese go mushy.
That's all. Yum!
I saw a nice-sounding packaged salad in Tesco and thought I'd buy the ingredients and copy it, rather than spend a fortune on it.
First of all I sliced an apple fairly thinly and placed it into a dry frying pan (no oil or butter). I blasted it (blast - ha ha!) on the hob for a minute or two before transferring the whole pan to the grill for about five minutes. See, I'm all smug now I have a gas hob and can actually heat something intensively like that at the drop of a hat. I don't know whether I'd have employed a different technique if I'd been using an electric hotplate.
So - on with the salad. Along with the apple I tossed some walnuts, red grapes, sunflower seeds, mixed lettuce and chunks of Wensleydale.
I added a very tiny amount of a variation on the usual dressing (lemon, olive oil, wholegrain mustard - without the honey on this occasion) on the if-it-ain't-broke basis. But really, just a very tiny amount because otherwise it wilts the lettuce and makes the cheese go mushy.
That's all. Yum!
Tuesday 4 September 2007
Currying favour
I went to Katana @ The International last night, after spotting their excellent offer on Toptable. Two courses and a glass of Prosecco for £12 - a mere snip!
I'm not particularly a connoiseur of Asian and Oriental food, but I do like it and I'm getting more used to the flavours involved. I started with Malaysian lamb satay, because I thought it would make a nice change from chicken and I liked the idea of it being marinated in ginger. The peanut sauce was highly coconutty, which actually made it very refreshing and a good foil to the spicy lamb.
For my main course I ordered a Thai green chicken curry, which is slightly out of my comfort zone. Thai green curry always looks tempting but usually gets shelved in favour of something more familiar because I'm not a fan of anything too hot. I'm glad I gave it a go because the flavours were lovely and the chicken was cooked perfectly for me. It was slightly on the hot side which, I find, just deadens the taste. I wish more restaurants would tone down the spiciness just a tiny bit so that the fresher flavours have a bit more room to come out and play!
As Thai food goes, though, this was well-presented, exactly right in terms of portion size and of a high standard. I'd certainly recommend it while this special offer is going on. The cocktail bar downstairs also looked fairly tempting, if we'd had more time!
I'm not particularly a connoiseur of Asian and Oriental food, but I do like it and I'm getting more used to the flavours involved. I started with Malaysian lamb satay, because I thought it would make a nice change from chicken and I liked the idea of it being marinated in ginger. The peanut sauce was highly coconutty, which actually made it very refreshing and a good foil to the spicy lamb.
For my main course I ordered a Thai green chicken curry, which is slightly out of my comfort zone. Thai green curry always looks tempting but usually gets shelved in favour of something more familiar because I'm not a fan of anything too hot. I'm glad I gave it a go because the flavours were lovely and the chicken was cooked perfectly for me. It was slightly on the hot side which, I find, just deadens the taste. I wish more restaurants would tone down the spiciness just a tiny bit so that the fresher flavours have a bit more room to come out and play!
As Thai food goes, though, this was well-presented, exactly right in terms of portion size and of a high standard. I'd certainly recommend it while this special offer is going on. The cocktail bar downstairs also looked fairly tempting, if we'd had more time!
Wednesday 29 August 2007
No such thing as a free lunch
I had lunch bought for me today, because I have been on a training course. My colleagues and I were taken to The Eagle pub just off City Road*, having been given the chance to choose our lunch earlier in the morning so that it was all ready when we arrived.
I chose a chorizo and stilton salad, mainly because I was intrigued by the combination! I just couldn't imagine how they would go together because both have quite a strong flavour. I normally expect stilton to be served with green vegetables or with pastry because of the excellent way it melts and adds a certain tangy, cheesy saltiness.
I have to say, though, it was a good combination. It was served with mixed leaves and new potatoes, which both balanced the saltiness. The chorizo was a little on the chewy side but was very nice - not too garlicky. All in all I was only slightly jealous of my colleague's fish finger sandwich!!
But I have had to sit through a fairly boring and inappropriate training course to get this lunch, so ...!
*Apparently this pub appears in the nursery rhyme 'Pop Goes The Weasel', interestingly enough.
I chose a chorizo and stilton salad, mainly because I was intrigued by the combination! I just couldn't imagine how they would go together because both have quite a strong flavour. I normally expect stilton to be served with green vegetables or with pastry because of the excellent way it melts and adds a certain tangy, cheesy saltiness.
I have to say, though, it was a good combination. It was served with mixed leaves and new potatoes, which both balanced the saltiness. The chorizo was a little on the chewy side but was very nice - not too garlicky. All in all I was only slightly jealous of my colleague's fish finger sandwich!!
But I have had to sit through a fairly boring and inappropriate training course to get this lunch, so ...!
*Apparently this pub appears in the nursery rhyme 'Pop Goes The Weasel', interestingly enough.
Tuesday 28 August 2007
Lidl pigs
I went to Lidl the other day! I know - I was fairly surprised myself! I wanted to get something to eat in the evening - just a small snack and some alcohol. I quite fancied some serrano ham and Spanish red wine, as usual. But I had a bit of trouble on the tube and couldn't find time to get to Tesco or M&S.
So ... I found myself at Tottenham Hale station with a bit of time to spare and there's a branch of Lidl just a couple of minutes' walk away. I just knew they'd have a good selection of cured meats and Spanish wine in there - I was absolutely confident of finding it. As I walked in, I realised the reason for my confidence: the only other branch of Lidl I've been to is the one in Tarifa, in Spain, and therefore I subconsciously think of it as a Spanish supermarket! One branch of Lidl is amazingly like another and, as I walked through the doors, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I'd somehow been transported to southern Spain. I wasn't at all surprised to find endless aisles of cheap maize snacks and chocolatey breakfast goods. I walked unflapped past the humungous bottles of cheapie shampoo and the massive sacks of onions. I nearly said 'excuse me' in Spanish, even!
Surely enough, their range of cured meats was pretty good. I had several kinds of ham to choose from and was momentarily tempted by some good-looking chorizo too. I bought some serrano ham and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. I also had a bottle of Rioja, for just under a fiver, which was fairly decent. I'm not quite a Lidl convert, but it more than did in an emergency!
So ... I found myself at Tottenham Hale station with a bit of time to spare and there's a branch of Lidl just a couple of minutes' walk away. I just knew they'd have a good selection of cured meats and Spanish wine in there - I was absolutely confident of finding it. As I walked in, I realised the reason for my confidence: the only other branch of Lidl I've been to is the one in Tarifa, in Spain, and therefore I subconsciously think of it as a Spanish supermarket! One branch of Lidl is amazingly like another and, as I walked through the doors, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I'd somehow been transported to southern Spain. I wasn't at all surprised to find endless aisles of cheap maize snacks and chocolatey breakfast goods. I walked unflapped past the humungous bottles of cheapie shampoo and the massive sacks of onions. I nearly said 'excuse me' in Spanish, even!
Surely enough, their range of cured meats was pretty good. I had several kinds of ham to choose from and was momentarily tempted by some good-looking chorizo too. I bought some serrano ham and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. I also had a bottle of Rioja, for just under a fiver, which was fairly decent. I'm not quite a Lidl convert, but it more than did in an emergency!
Wednesday 22 August 2007
Sausage blast
Last night I wanted to make a dinner that was quick and simple to create, undemanding, easy to eat and went with red wine.
I ended up making a sausage and spinach salad. It's dead easy and it's really not going to win any awards for style or anything, but it was quite delicious and fulfilled the brief!
Basically, I just threw loads of spinach, a little bit of rocket and some cherry tomatoes onto the plates. I then added some boiled new potatoes and green beans, along with chunks of grilled sausages. It's a good opportunity to choose a particularly lovely kind of sausage because it forms the dominant taste of the whole dish. I chose some pork and tomato chutney ones, but I think more or less any kind would go well.
As a dressing for this I always used to mix a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar with olive oil, but I'm slightly off balsamic just lately. So I went for the good ole honey, mustard and lemon mixture - now I've perfected it I may as well make the most of it! In retrospect I'd take out the lemon because it detracted a little bit from the flavour of the sausages.
Apart from a liberal sprinkling of black pepper, there's nothing more to this dish. It went down particularly well with a nice glass of Spanish shiraz (well, what wouldn't?!).
I ended up making a sausage and spinach salad. It's dead easy and it's really not going to win any awards for style or anything, but it was quite delicious and fulfilled the brief!
Basically, I just threw loads of spinach, a little bit of rocket and some cherry tomatoes onto the plates. I then added some boiled new potatoes and green beans, along with chunks of grilled sausages. It's a good opportunity to choose a particularly lovely kind of sausage because it forms the dominant taste of the whole dish. I chose some pork and tomato chutney ones, but I think more or less any kind would go well.
As a dressing for this I always used to mix a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar with olive oil, but I'm slightly off balsamic just lately. So I went for the good ole honey, mustard and lemon mixture - now I've perfected it I may as well make the most of it! In retrospect I'd take out the lemon because it detracted a little bit from the flavour of the sausages.
Apart from a liberal sprinkling of black pepper, there's nothing more to this dish. It went down particularly well with a nice glass of Spanish shiraz (well, what wouldn't?!).
Thursday 16 August 2007
The best kind of window shopping
I was slightly disappointed with my lunch today so I spent ten minutes or so indulging in one of my favourite hobbies - perusing menus.
I just like to look: I can almost imagine the tastes, textures and fragrances as I read through and choose what I'd have! It's by far the most enjoyable form of window shopping, in my opinion.
Which reminds me: I get really cross when restaurants place a menu outside for perusal but plonk it right next to a table or, even worse, stick it to the window just in front of a table. It means some poor sap has people staring blankly inches away from him all evening while he eats. I really enjoy wandering around and having a good read through each menu before deciding what to eat, but I feel such a pest having to loom over someone's meal to do it!
I just like to look: I can almost imagine the tastes, textures and fragrances as I read through and choose what I'd have! It's by far the most enjoyable form of window shopping, in my opinion.
Which reminds me: I get really cross when restaurants place a menu outside for perusal but plonk it right next to a table or, even worse, stick it to the window just in front of a table. It means some poor sap has people staring blankly inches away from him all evening while he eats. I really enjoy wandering around and having a good read through each menu before deciding what to eat, but I feel such a pest having to loom over someone's meal to do it!
Wednesday 15 August 2007
Ou sont les kitties?
The Bountiful Cow - heavy on cows, light on cats.
We arrived shockingly early because the weather was really bad yesterday and it wasn't the evening for traipsing around town looking for somewhere to drink. The pub was fairly empty when we arrived, so we went straight to our table and had a nice bottle of red wine (Spanish, 100% grenache grapes, but I forgot to make a note of the name).
The Toptable reward menu was pretty good and not as limited as some restaurants' special offer menus. I chose the smoked salmon to start and I was pleased by how much of it there was! For the main course we both chose the onglet which was served with bread and very nice chips. It was a good quality steak and was cooked almost perfectly. All in all this was no-frills food but was nicely prepared and served.
The only problem was the kitty-lack. It said on the website that the pub had a couple of cats (as pets - not on the menu ...) and we were somewhat looking forward to that. But we didn't see them.
We arrived shockingly early because the weather was really bad yesterday and it wasn't the evening for traipsing around town looking for somewhere to drink. The pub was fairly empty when we arrived, so we went straight to our table and had a nice bottle of red wine (Spanish, 100% grenache grapes, but I forgot to make a note of the name).
The Toptable reward menu was pretty good and not as limited as some restaurants' special offer menus. I chose the smoked salmon to start and I was pleased by how much of it there was! For the main course we both chose the onglet which was served with bread and very nice chips. It was a good quality steak and was cooked almost perfectly. All in all this was no-frills food but was nicely prepared and served.
The only problem was the kitty-lack. It said on the website that the pub had a couple of cats (as pets - not on the menu ...) and we were somewhat looking forward to that. But we didn't see them.
Tuesday 14 August 2007
Beefmeat
I'm a big fan of Toptable and I use it for more or less all of my restaurant bookings. Even if the website doesn't have enough information on my venue of choice (and this is my major criticism - it sometimes reads more like a glossy brochure rather than an impartial booking guide), I invariably look elsewhere to find out more before returning to book via Toptable.
So I use it a fair amount and, as a consequence, I have built up rather a lot of reward points. These are given out each time one makes a booking and then goes back to the site to rate and/or review the restaurant.
In the past I have allowed my reward points to expire but this time I was determined to make good use of them. To that end, I've booked a table for two at The Bountiful Cow (apparently a 'Public house devoted to beef'!) this evening, where my points will pay for a two-course meal for two people.
I'm quite relaxed and pleasantly anticipatory about it: the fact that it's a free dinner sort of takes away the pressure of having booked the 'right' place!
So I use it a fair amount and, as a consequence, I have built up rather a lot of reward points. These are given out each time one makes a booking and then goes back to the site to rate and/or review the restaurant.
In the past I have allowed my reward points to expire but this time I was determined to make good use of them. To that end, I've booked a table for two at The Bountiful Cow (apparently a 'Public house devoted to beef'!) this evening, where my points will pay for a two-course meal for two people.
I'm quite relaxed and pleasantly anticipatory about it: the fact that it's a free dinner sort of takes away the pressure of having booked the 'right' place!
I felt like chicken last night
Chicken and avocado salad with pine nuts, sesame seeds and lemon dressing
I sort of stole this recipe from The Spitz , a bar/restaurant/venue in Spitalfields Market, London. I had a particularly nice lunch there once and adapted it into something I could recreate at home.
Now, one of my main problems with chicken is that it's always overcooked. Generally I prefer meat to be cooked as little as possible, but that's quite hard to achieve with chicken if one wants to remain unpoisoned. So it usually ends up far too well done for my liking. What I normally do for this dish is to place chicken breasts on a baking tray, drizzled with olive oil, and cover them loosely with foil. Initially I oven bake them for 15 minutes (NB: ovens may vary, dear reader. Please make your own judgements as I've done!). Then I slice the chicken and, if it's still too pink inside, return it to the oven sliced under a new piece of foil for a few more minutes. This at least gives me control over the pinkness and texture, while the foil retains the moisture.
The next step is to slice an avocado - easy enough! For the salad base I usually go for something like watercress, spinach and rocket, upon which I place the avocado slices artistically!
Pine nuts are best slightly coloured, I think, so I place them in a dry frying pan and put them over a high heat for a couple of moments. They're then sprinkled over the salad along with some sesame seeds.
The dressing consists of olive oil, lemon juice, wholegrain mustard and honey. I'd love to be able to give you quantities, but I just sort of add alternate dollops until it tastes right.
The final step is to lay the sliced chicken onto the salad bed (lovingly, of course) and drizzle the dressing over everything. I add black pepper too, but then again I add black pepper to more or less everything.
Et voila!
I sort of stole this recipe from The Spitz , a bar/restaurant/venue in Spitalfields Market, London. I had a particularly nice lunch there once and adapted it into something I could recreate at home.
Now, one of my main problems with chicken is that it's always overcooked. Generally I prefer meat to be cooked as little as possible, but that's quite hard to achieve with chicken if one wants to remain unpoisoned. So it usually ends up far too well done for my liking. What I normally do for this dish is to place chicken breasts on a baking tray, drizzled with olive oil, and cover them loosely with foil. Initially I oven bake them for 15 minutes (NB: ovens may vary, dear reader. Please make your own judgements as I've done!). Then I slice the chicken and, if it's still too pink inside, return it to the oven sliced under a new piece of foil for a few more minutes. This at least gives me control over the pinkness and texture, while the foil retains the moisture.
The next step is to slice an avocado - easy enough! For the salad base I usually go for something like watercress, spinach and rocket, upon which I place the avocado slices artistically!
Pine nuts are best slightly coloured, I think, so I place them in a dry frying pan and put them over a high heat for a couple of moments. They're then sprinkled over the salad along with some sesame seeds.
The dressing consists of olive oil, lemon juice, wholegrain mustard and honey. I'd love to be able to give you quantities, but I just sort of add alternate dollops until it tastes right.
The final step is to lay the sliced chicken onto the salad bed (lovingly, of course) and drizzle the dressing over everything. I add black pepper too, but then again I add black pepper to more or less everything.
Et voila!
Monday 13 August 2007
In a pickle
There's a scene in Bridget Jones's Diary in which our heroine stares disconsolately out of the window, to the strains of Gabrielle's Out of Reach, and eats Branston Pickle straight from the jar with a spoon.
Now you can't tell me you haven't considered this! Surely to goodness everybody has been tempted to give it a try. It's amazing stuff! I find myself scrimping more and more on the cheese whenever I make a cheese and pickle sandwich, or judging the merits of a ploughman's lunch by the size of the pickle dollop.
I'm just one step away from eating it straight from the jar, I tell you!
NB: I had a peek at Wikipedia when I started writing this to see what they had to say about Branston Pickle and I was reminded of the Pickle Crisis of 2004. It coincided with the start of my Christmas food shopping that year and my pickles are always the first things I buy, so it hit me pretty hard. Floods, droughts, killer winds ... all pale into insignificance in my world compared with not being able to buy pickle!
Now you can't tell me you haven't considered this! Surely to goodness everybody has been tempted to give it a try. It's amazing stuff! I find myself scrimping more and more on the cheese whenever I make a cheese and pickle sandwich, or judging the merits of a ploughman's lunch by the size of the pickle dollop.
I'm just one step away from eating it straight from the jar, I tell you!
NB: I had a peek at Wikipedia when I started writing this to see what they had to say about Branston Pickle and I was reminded of the Pickle Crisis of 2004. It coincided with the start of my Christmas food shopping that year and my pickles are always the first things I buy, so it hit me pretty hard. Floods, droughts, killer winds ... all pale into insignificance in my world compared with not being able to buy pickle!
Friday 10 August 2007
Rosmarinus officinalis
Having lived, until very recently, in a house called Rosemary Cottage, I was quite sad to leave my handy, ever-enormous rosemary bush behind. It's not a herb with which I was particularly familiar several years ago but it had gradually made itself at home with my roast potatoes, parsnips and chicken.
Imagine, then, how glad I was to discover a nice, healthy crop of rosemary growing just outside the back door in my new house!
I might try and find some other ways to use it, even!
Imagine, then, how glad I was to discover a nice, healthy crop of rosemary growing just outside the back door in my new house!
I might try and find some other ways to use it, even!
Thursday 9 August 2007
What's your favourite cheese?
It was a cheese day today! My lunch consisted of some of the leftover walnut oat digestives from the picnic, a few slices of gruyere, a slice of jarlsberg and some Canadian cheddar. Oh yes, and some Tesco Finest caramelised red onion relish.
I find gruyere a little bit hit and miss, really. It certainly does have a 'processed cheese' texture about it, similar to some of the worst Spanish cheeses. The jarlsberg, though, was very satisfying and rich. All in all, the spot of 'favourite Swiss cheese' hasn't been snatched from emmental just yet but I'm glad to have tried a couple of new contenders.
The cheddar was a bit too strong and crumbly for my liking, but was a perfect match for the biscuits and relish.
And still room for a carrot cake with butter icing, dusted with cinammon: quite possibly the best cake in the world! Me gusta la canela!
I find gruyere a little bit hit and miss, really. It certainly does have a 'processed cheese' texture about it, similar to some of the worst Spanish cheeses. The jarlsberg, though, was very satisfying and rich. All in all, the spot of 'favourite Swiss cheese' hasn't been snatched from emmental just yet but I'm glad to have tried a couple of new contenders.
The cheddar was a bit too strong and crumbly for my liking, but was a perfect match for the biscuits and relish.
And still room for a carrot cake with butter icing, dusted with cinammon: quite possibly the best cake in the world! Me gusta la canela!
Wednesday 8 August 2007
Crisps for snobs!
I am currently* eating Jonathan Crisp parsnip, beetroot and sweet potato crisps. They are quite tasty, but they just don't go 'crispy' enough!
I think I might have to try their ginger and black pepper flavour sometime, though.
*When I say currently, I really do mean right now! Chomp, chomp.
I think I might have to try their ginger and black pepper flavour sometime, though.
*When I say currently, I really do mean right now! Chomp, chomp.
Tuesday 7 August 2007
Towers of London
Last night I went to Rhodes 24: young Gary's restaurant on the 24th floor of Tower 42 in London.
I've always been fascinated by this building. I remember a day trip to London with my dad when I was about 10 or 11: we stood right at the foot of the tower and looked straight up to the top so that it appeared to be falling on us! I've always wanted to get inside it and yesterday was the first time I'd ever done so. The view was really interesting - I could see out to the very edges of greater London and identify loads of landmarks I recognised. I also leant my forehead against the window to see what it was like looking straight down to the ground, which was fun!
But of course it's a bar and restaurant, not merely an observation gallery, so how about I mention the food and drink?!
We sat in the bar first of all and ordered cocktails. I tried Barman's Revolution, which was very nice and refreshing. The barman had never heard of a Moscow Mule but managed to mix a passable one for my husband when we asked. The complimentary olives and mixed nuts went down a treat, too!
We went to the London Taste Festival a few weeks ago and sampled some delicious dishes from Rhodes 24, which is why I was so keen to book us a table. My husband, therefore, chose the ruinously expensive beef, since we already knew it would be delicious. I was a tiny bit miffed when it arrived and he discovered that it was slightly overcooked (medium rather than medium rare as requested). The saffron vegetable salad accompanying his cauliflower cream to start was also a slight disappointment: it was too strongly flavoured and overpowered the delicate cauliflower and vegetables.
My starter, haddock and leek pie, was amazing and I really can't fault it. This is the sort of traditional British comfort food I was expecting to find at this restaurant and I was thrilled with my choice. My main course - salmon with champ and smoked bacon - was also excellent and I was pleased to be *told* how the salmon would be cooked rather than asked my preference.
I'm not generally a pudding fan but I was looking forward to trying the signature pudding dish. A lot of good British restaurants seem to be making a name for themselves lately by raising their game pudding-wise (Brian Turner is a good example) - I might have to change my mind and get into desserts if the standard is going to be this high! I had a mini jaffa cake, a bread and butter pudding with creme Anglaise and a Baileys creme brulee, all of which were pretty good (possibly the B&B pudding was a bit too custardy, but that's all I'd change).
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant and I was pleased with the quality of the food and the service. But ... well, I won't be going again in a hurry because it's simply too expensive. I don't mind spending some money on good food and wine, but some dishes seemed overpriced compared to others. We found ourselves having to scan the wine list for affordability rather than choosing according to quality (the £300 1991 Ribiera del Duero sounded great, but ...!). So I'll be waiting for Toptable to present me with a special offer for this place before going again.
I've always been fascinated by this building. I remember a day trip to London with my dad when I was about 10 or 11: we stood right at the foot of the tower and looked straight up to the top so that it appeared to be falling on us! I've always wanted to get inside it and yesterday was the first time I'd ever done so. The view was really interesting - I could see out to the very edges of greater London and identify loads of landmarks I recognised. I also leant my forehead against the window to see what it was like looking straight down to the ground, which was fun!
But of course it's a bar and restaurant, not merely an observation gallery, so how about I mention the food and drink?!
We sat in the bar first of all and ordered cocktails. I tried Barman's Revolution, which was very nice and refreshing. The barman had never heard of a Moscow Mule but managed to mix a passable one for my husband when we asked. The complimentary olives and mixed nuts went down a treat, too!
We went to the London Taste Festival a few weeks ago and sampled some delicious dishes from Rhodes 24, which is why I was so keen to book us a table. My husband, therefore, chose the ruinously expensive beef, since we already knew it would be delicious. I was a tiny bit miffed when it arrived and he discovered that it was slightly overcooked (medium rather than medium rare as requested). The saffron vegetable salad accompanying his cauliflower cream to start was also a slight disappointment: it was too strongly flavoured and overpowered the delicate cauliflower and vegetables.
My starter, haddock and leek pie, was amazing and I really can't fault it. This is the sort of traditional British comfort food I was expecting to find at this restaurant and I was thrilled with my choice. My main course - salmon with champ and smoked bacon - was also excellent and I was pleased to be *told* how the salmon would be cooked rather than asked my preference.
I'm not generally a pudding fan but I was looking forward to trying the signature pudding dish. A lot of good British restaurants seem to be making a name for themselves lately by raising their game pudding-wise (Brian Turner is a good example) - I might have to change my mind and get into desserts if the standard is going to be this high! I had a mini jaffa cake, a bread and butter pudding with creme Anglaise and a Baileys creme brulee, all of which were pretty good (possibly the B&B pudding was a bit too custardy, but that's all I'd change).
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant and I was pleased with the quality of the food and the service. But ... well, I won't be going again in a hurry because it's simply too expensive. I don't mind spending some money on good food and wine, but some dishes seemed overpriced compared to others. We found ourselves having to scan the wine list for affordability rather than choosing according to quality (the £300 1991 Ribiera del Duero sounded great, but ...!). So I'll be waiting for Toptable to present me with a special offer for this place before going again.
Monday 6 August 2007
Picnic heaven
First things first: the pork pie. I visited our local deli and was confronted by 'the perfect pork pie', as reviewed by Giles Coren in The Times and Tony Turnbull on Times Online. It's made by Bray's Cottage in Norfolk and also won the title of 'best pork pie', awarded by BBC's Olive magazine.
So, of course, I bought two. The high praise is certainly richly deserved: this is a top-quality pie. It's clear straight away that the meat used is far superior to the cuts found in your average pork pie and the slight hint of bacon and onion enriches the taste. We think we also detected a hint of rosemary ('sausagey-tasting' was the phrase that came to mind). The pastry was perhaps a little bit crumbly for cutting into wedges with a picnic-grade knife, but I'd imagine it's a little bit better directly out of the oven (I bought them freshly cooked beforehand and refridgerated them). All in all, though, they made a good addition to our lunch.
I went a bit meat-crazy in general when planning this picnic. As well as the pork pies par excellence we also had some mini pork, cheese and pickle pies, serrano ham and a platter of Italian cured meats. Oh, and some chicken pieces although they never made it to my side of the rug!
We gave the Swiss cheese industry a bit of a boost too, trying out some Emmental, Gruyere and Jarlsberg. The Fine Cheese Co. make some nice walnutty oat biscuits to accompany cheese, although I think they'd have been better matched with something softer (brie would be my preference). A bit of coleslaw and potato salad completed the perfect picnic experience - I'd love to say I made them myself but I'm not Nigella.
I managed to plan the perfect weather too - hurrah for that! Now if we could sort out the boat situation so that we get to have a good pre-picnic row rather than a punt-based slalom, everything would be just right.
So, of course, I bought two. The high praise is certainly richly deserved: this is a top-quality pie. It's clear straight away that the meat used is far superior to the cuts found in your average pork pie and the slight hint of bacon and onion enriches the taste. We think we also detected a hint of rosemary ('sausagey-tasting' was the phrase that came to mind). The pastry was perhaps a little bit crumbly for cutting into wedges with a picnic-grade knife, but I'd imagine it's a little bit better directly out of the oven (I bought them freshly cooked beforehand and refridgerated them). All in all, though, they made a good addition to our lunch.
I went a bit meat-crazy in general when planning this picnic. As well as the pork pies par excellence we also had some mini pork, cheese and pickle pies, serrano ham and a platter of Italian cured meats. Oh, and some chicken pieces although they never made it to my side of the rug!
We gave the Swiss cheese industry a bit of a boost too, trying out some Emmental, Gruyere and Jarlsberg. The Fine Cheese Co. make some nice walnutty oat biscuits to accompany cheese, although I think they'd have been better matched with something softer (brie would be my preference). A bit of coleslaw and potato salad completed the perfect picnic experience - I'd love to say I made them myself but I'm not Nigella.
I managed to plan the perfect weather too - hurrah for that! Now if we could sort out the boat situation so that we get to have a good pre-picnic row rather than a punt-based slalom, everything would be just right.
Friday 3 August 2007
A perfect summer picnic
Things I need to buy for our picnic on Sunday:
- Serrano ham
- Potato salad (Tesco Finest)
- A nice, good quality pork pie (from the rather good delicatessen down the road, probably)
- Emmental cheese
- Chutney
- Biscuits for cheese (perhaps the rosemary ones from the Fine Cheese Co.)
- Sabai wine spritzers with hibiscus - my new summer drink!
- Some kind of crisps or maize snacks (probably Skips or similar)
- A carrot cake
- ... and indigestion tablets.
I think you'll find that constitutes a near-perfect picnic.
What's in a name?
I had no end of trouble coming up with a name for my blog. No end, I tell you!
I considered 'All in good taste' or 'One good taste deserves another'. I even had a brief moment of madness when I thought 'Food, food everywhere!' was the way to go.
But ... well, it's mainly about great big foody blasts*, so I think I chose wisely in the end.
*And winey blasts, occasionally.
I considered 'All in good taste' or 'One good taste deserves another'. I even had a brief moment of madness when I thought 'Food, food everywhere!' was the way to go.
But ... well, it's mainly about great big foody blasts*, so I think I chose wisely in the end.
*And winey blasts, occasionally.
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