So, it turns out it's really easy to make delicious pizzas, right? Ever since receiving my Polpo cookbook I've been making pizzas fairly regularly. Well, one specific pizza. Well, pizzette. But the principle remains: it's really easy.
Measure out the right amount of flour, yeast, oil and water and mix it together. A little kneading and waiting later and you can roll out your pizza base, to whatever size you like. Toppings are fairly easy - you can't go too far wrong with some grated mozzarella. The only limitations to top quality are going to be your oven and a suitable baking tray.
Enter the pizza stone! A good quality pizza stone will make the most of your oven's heat, spread it evenly and make sure you achieve a perfectly cooked base. You can buy one pretty cheaply - mine is from Steamer Trading. It's probably my favourite piece of kitchen equipment at the moment - well worth the small investment.
It all beats Domino's into a cocked hat, whatever that is.
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Trying out my new recipe book
Do you remember that 'Chris Tarrant's funny or culturally-different TV adverts' (probably not real title ...) show from the 80s? In almost every episode the had the man who was meant to say 'mamma mia, that's a spicy meatball' in a cod Italian accent but, for some reason, got it wrong about 17 times.
Anyway, before Venice and Polpo, that was my main cultural reference for meatballs. That and some Italian New Yorker called Tony (Soprano, Manero, etc) saying 'nobody makes meatballs as good as you, ma' as they twirled spaghetti round their fork in a gangsterish way.
In the now-famous Venice bacari Alla Vedova they serve delicious dry meatballs, lightly covered in breadcrumbs, that you pick up with a napkin and nibble (or snarf down) standing at the bar. Do Mori serves smaller meatballs in sauce on toothpicks. In London's Polpo there's a selection of meatballs in sauce - with pasta, on their own with bread or 'smashed' in a bread wrap.
Armed with my new Polpo recipe book I set out to make the pork and fennel meatballs, expecting partial success paired with a new urge to visit the restaurant for the real thing. But I was very pleasantly surprised to find them easy to make and hearteningly similar to the restaurant version.
It's just an assembly job - pork mince, toasted fennel seeds (not too many), breadcrumbs, seasoning and egg, mixed together and divided into balls. Start cooking them in the oven for 10 minutes, then poach in tomato sauce for 10 minutes. The book does include a recipe for making tomato sauce, but I used good-quality shop-bought passata. And that's it - really, that's all. Serve 3 per person with some kind of bread and either a green salad or Polpo's lovely runner bean salad recipe.
Yum, eh?
Anyway, before Venice and Polpo, that was my main cultural reference for meatballs. That and some Italian New Yorker called Tony (Soprano, Manero, etc) saying 'nobody makes meatballs as good as you, ma' as they twirled spaghetti round their fork in a gangsterish way.
In the now-famous Venice bacari Alla Vedova they serve delicious dry meatballs, lightly covered in breadcrumbs, that you pick up with a napkin and nibble (or snarf down) standing at the bar. Do Mori serves smaller meatballs in sauce on toothpicks. In London's Polpo there's a selection of meatballs in sauce - with pasta, on their own with bread or 'smashed' in a bread wrap.
Armed with my new Polpo recipe book I set out to make the pork and fennel meatballs, expecting partial success paired with a new urge to visit the restaurant for the real thing. But I was very pleasantly surprised to find them easy to make and hearteningly similar to the restaurant version.
It's just an assembly job - pork mince, toasted fennel seeds (not too many), breadcrumbs, seasoning and egg, mixed together and divided into balls. Start cooking them in the oven for 10 minutes, then poach in tomato sauce for 10 minutes. The book does include a recipe for making tomato sauce, but I used good-quality shop-bought passata. And that's it - really, that's all. Serve 3 per person with some kind of bread and either a green salad or Polpo's lovely runner bean salad recipe.
Yum, eh?
Friday, 18 January 2013
My favourite food and drink in 2012
I'm not a huge fan of retrospectives or of summing up an event/time period past, but I do love a list. And I didn't blog a lot last year so I owed you (the Blasters) an update.
So here's my favourite food and drink related experiences from 2012 - restaurants, recipes and new finds.
1. Polpo
Ok, so I truly discovered the Polpo way in 2011. My trip to Venice wouldn't have been anywhere near as good without Russell Norman's guide to the bars and eateries that inspired him to open Polpo. But in 2012 a new branch appeared in Smithfield, a stone's throw from where I work. A colleague and I went for opening day and enjoyed far more half-price food than we should have done! Polpo has been my go-to restaurant on so many occasions this last year - pre-theatre, lunch with friends, no-fuss dinners. I'm a huge fan - I've even got the recipe book and the badge (no, really, I've got a badge!).
2. Ginger shandy in Tobago
The food is, on the whole, good in Tobago. It's plentiful, flavoursome and fuss-free. But my outstanding flavour memory from my time there is ginger shandy - ice cold bottles of the local lager (Carib) flavoured with ginger. It goes perfectly with fish, spicy chicken, sun and Caribbean views. PS: if anyone knows where I can buy it in England, please let me know.
3. Creamy lentils
I've never really eaten lentils much before, certainly never cooked with them. But in 2012 I spotted a recpie for creamy lentils that looked worth a try, and it has become a bit of an obsession since. It's incredibly easy: fry an onion or shallot in a little oil, add some puy lentils and stir them around a bit, add stock, put a lid on it and let it simmer until the lentils are cooked (or for as long as the packet says). At the last minute, stir in a spoonful of creme fraiche and some herbs. It makes a great dinner paired with sausages, salmon fillets, chicken breasts ... There may be many others but they haven't been discovered (a prize for anyone who identifies the last quotation there).
4. Meze in Istanbul
It's common to find pretty bad food in big, touristy cities. But if you know where to look, there's amazing food too. Istanbul is particularly good at 'knowing what's expected of it' - hence lots of trad-modern mezze places, particularly hidden away in the Beyoglu district. We particularly enjoyed Antiochia for divine meze with a good selection of wine. I seem to remember the puddings weren't great, but who cares when you could have more delicious bread and houmus instead?
5. Cocktail tasting in Edinburgh
Ah, Edinburgh. How you seduce me. The perfect blend of traditional old-world and modern, bustling city with eating and drinking places to match. On both visits we've stopped off in the bar of The Balmoral hotel, one of the most iconic and well-known buildings in the city (right by Waverley station). Their cocktail tasting menu is a ridiculously wonderful idea - a whole five-course menu of cocktails, for around £30. So you can begin with an amuse bouche of rhubarb liqueur with elderflower, then move onto an elegant and clever martini for the main course. It's a great way to spend the evening.
And the best of the rest ...
6. Aperol spritz
Another Venice legacy - buy a bottle of Aperol and follow the instructions on the back to make the perfect spritz. Enjoy it in your garden with some almonds and a book.
7. Skylon
The huge restaurant in the Southbank Centre is a great place to eat before a show at the Royal Festival Hall. The food is good, service impeccable, window seats pretty peaceful and the prices lower than you'd expect.
8. Bishopsgate Kitchen
A cute little place just over the road from Liverpool Street station, Bishopsgate Kitchen is great when your train has been delayed and you just want some homely, simple food. Have the sea bass with lentils!
9. Polish wedding
If you ever get invited to a wedding in Poland, remember to pack your appetite. We'd read the funny anecdotes before we went, but we still weren't prepared for the mountain of food we were expected to eat. My highlight: at about midnight a waiter offered me a huge bowl of stroganoff. As if the mountains of canapes, two-course meal, buffet and generous slice of wedding cake wouldn't see me through.
10. Heston from Waitrose
I'm no longer a Heston sceptic. This range is amazing, particularly the Ras-el-Hanout nut mix and the salted caramel popcorn. And remember the spiced pastry mince pies for next Christmas!
So here's my favourite food and drink related experiences from 2012 - restaurants, recipes and new finds.
1. Polpo
Ok, so I truly discovered the Polpo way in 2011. My trip to Venice wouldn't have been anywhere near as good without Russell Norman's guide to the bars and eateries that inspired him to open Polpo. But in 2012 a new branch appeared in Smithfield, a stone's throw from where I work. A colleague and I went for opening day and enjoyed far more half-price food than we should have done! Polpo has been my go-to restaurant on so many occasions this last year - pre-theatre, lunch with friends, no-fuss dinners. I'm a huge fan - I've even got the recipe book and the badge (no, really, I've got a badge!).
2. Ginger shandy in Tobago
The food is, on the whole, good in Tobago. It's plentiful, flavoursome and fuss-free. But my outstanding flavour memory from my time there is ginger shandy - ice cold bottles of the local lager (Carib) flavoured with ginger. It goes perfectly with fish, spicy chicken, sun and Caribbean views. PS: if anyone knows where I can buy it in England, please let me know.
3. Creamy lentils
I've never really eaten lentils much before, certainly never cooked with them. But in 2012 I spotted a recpie for creamy lentils that looked worth a try, and it has become a bit of an obsession since. It's incredibly easy: fry an onion or shallot in a little oil, add some puy lentils and stir them around a bit, add stock, put a lid on it and let it simmer until the lentils are cooked (or for as long as the packet says). At the last minute, stir in a spoonful of creme fraiche and some herbs. It makes a great dinner paired with sausages, salmon fillets, chicken breasts ... There may be many others but they haven't been discovered (a prize for anyone who identifies the last quotation there).
4. Meze in Istanbul
It's common to find pretty bad food in big, touristy cities. But if you know where to look, there's amazing food too. Istanbul is particularly good at 'knowing what's expected of it' - hence lots of trad-modern mezze places, particularly hidden away in the Beyoglu district. We particularly enjoyed Antiochia for divine meze with a good selection of wine. I seem to remember the puddings weren't great, but who cares when you could have more delicious bread and houmus instead?
5. Cocktail tasting in Edinburgh
Ah, Edinburgh. How you seduce me. The perfect blend of traditional old-world and modern, bustling city with eating and drinking places to match. On both visits we've stopped off in the bar of The Balmoral hotel, one of the most iconic and well-known buildings in the city (right by Waverley station). Their cocktail tasting menu is a ridiculously wonderful idea - a whole five-course menu of cocktails, for around £30. So you can begin with an amuse bouche of rhubarb liqueur with elderflower, then move onto an elegant and clever martini for the main course. It's a great way to spend the evening.
And the best of the rest ...
6. Aperol spritz
Another Venice legacy - buy a bottle of Aperol and follow the instructions on the back to make the perfect spritz. Enjoy it in your garden with some almonds and a book.
7. Skylon
The huge restaurant in the Southbank Centre is a great place to eat before a show at the Royal Festival Hall. The food is good, service impeccable, window seats pretty peaceful and the prices lower than you'd expect.
8. Bishopsgate Kitchen
A cute little place just over the road from Liverpool Street station, Bishopsgate Kitchen is great when your train has been delayed and you just want some homely, simple food. Have the sea bass with lentils!
9. Polish wedding
If you ever get invited to a wedding in Poland, remember to pack your appetite. We'd read the funny anecdotes before we went, but we still weren't prepared for the mountain of food we were expected to eat. My highlight: at about midnight a waiter offered me a huge bowl of stroganoff. As if the mountains of canapes, two-course meal, buffet and generous slice of wedding cake wouldn't see me through.
10. Heston from Waitrose
I'm no longer a Heston sceptic. This range is amazing, particularly the Ras-el-Hanout nut mix and the salted caramel popcorn. And remember the spiced pastry mince pies for next Christmas!
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
Goodbye to a good restaurant
It's happened again. The curse of Jenny's favourite restaurants has, sadly but inevitably, struck.
I discovered Bar Battu a couple of months ago - a cutesy little French bar and bistro near the Guildhall in London. I was charmed by its simple menu, reasonably-priced delicious food, great wine list and comforting interior. An old-fashioned place, this - proper tables and chairs, old-world wine, things on matching plates, courteous serving staff. Y'know - a restaurant.
But we already know this story has a sad ending. Bar Battu has ceased trading, and again I feel unaccountably guilty. It's going to be replaced by a bland, ten-a-penny chain wine bar (yawn) which I won't be visiting.
Perhaps it was too old-fashioned or even too cheap. Perhaps the city crowd just didn't notice its shy, classy front window. Perhaps it didn't move with the times. Because 'the times' demand a gimmick, it seems. For every decent, old-style, 'normal' restaurant that closes down, it feels as if two 'on trend' places open up.
You know the ones - they only sell hot dogs, or everything is liquidised, or you have to eat in the dark, or there's one big vat and you all share. I'm not really into all that stuff. I'm a little tired of magazines telling me that 'stuffy' dining is out, and I won't enjoy myself until I'm sitting in a replica Mini with mis-matched crockery eating a Venezuelan-street-food-inspired sharing platter with my fingers. They've got a brilliant 'vibe' apparently, and the food is unpretentious (really?). No more starched tablecloths or silver service for us - food is better spilled all over the place as we reach in front of each other's faces to dip into the sharing dish.
Meanwhile, those of us who like to sit upright with our well-cooked food on our well-polished plates sigh wistfully as our favourites close down. It's a hard life being off trend.
I discovered Bar Battu a couple of months ago - a cutesy little French bar and bistro near the Guildhall in London. I was charmed by its simple menu, reasonably-priced delicious food, great wine list and comforting interior. An old-fashioned place, this - proper tables and chairs, old-world wine, things on matching plates, courteous serving staff. Y'know - a restaurant.
But we already know this story has a sad ending. Bar Battu has ceased trading, and again I feel unaccountably guilty. It's going to be replaced by a bland, ten-a-penny chain wine bar (yawn) which I won't be visiting.
Perhaps it was too old-fashioned or even too cheap. Perhaps the city crowd just didn't notice its shy, classy front window. Perhaps it didn't move with the times. Because 'the times' demand a gimmick, it seems. For every decent, old-style, 'normal' restaurant that closes down, it feels as if two 'on trend' places open up.
You know the ones - they only sell hot dogs, or everything is liquidised, or you have to eat in the dark, or there's one big vat and you all share. I'm not really into all that stuff. I'm a little tired of magazines telling me that 'stuffy' dining is out, and I won't enjoy myself until I'm sitting in a replica Mini with mis-matched crockery eating a Venezuelan-street-food-inspired sharing platter with my fingers. They've got a brilliant 'vibe' apparently, and the food is unpretentious (really?). No more starched tablecloths or silver service for us - food is better spilled all over the place as we reach in front of each other's faces to dip into the sharing dish.
Meanwhile, those of us who like to sit upright with our well-cooked food on our well-polished plates sigh wistfully as our favourites close down. It's a hard life being off trend.
Friday, 9 March 2012
A Carluccio's convert
I've been sitting on the fence about Carluccio's for quite some time.
Sure, it's a good idea - decent Italian food for a reasonable price with not so many frills. Antonio Carluccio is a fantastic ambassador and I like the idea of being able to shop for ingredients in the restaruant too. On the other hand, national chains always make me feel as if I'm eating in an airport or shopping centre. And I'd prefer them to change the menu more with the seasons.
But recently the branch near my office has started a takeaway lunch bar. Right inside the door there's a bubbling vat of soup, tempting salads, fresh bread and heaps of pretty cakes. Just behind there's hearty hot dishes - freshly-made pizza, risotto and smells-to-heaven lasagne. And, in the grand scheme of Smithfield eateries, it's not at all badly priced.
The cauliflower soup with parmesan and black pepper is wonderfully comforting on a cold day. Mozzarella and tomato salad is bursting with spring-like freshness. Focaccia crunches with chunky salt.
I'm a convert - can you tell?
Sure, it's a good idea - decent Italian food for a reasonable price with not so many frills. Antonio Carluccio is a fantastic ambassador and I like the idea of being able to shop for ingredients in the restaruant too. On the other hand, national chains always make me feel as if I'm eating in an airport or shopping centre. And I'd prefer them to change the menu more with the seasons.
But recently the branch near my office has started a takeaway lunch bar. Right inside the door there's a bubbling vat of soup, tempting salads, fresh bread and heaps of pretty cakes. Just behind there's hearty hot dishes - freshly-made pizza, risotto and smells-to-heaven lasagne. And, in the grand scheme of Smithfield eateries, it's not at all badly priced.
The cauliflower soup with parmesan and black pepper is wonderfully comforting on a cold day. Mozzarella and tomato salad is bursting with spring-like freshness. Focaccia crunches with chunky salt.
I'm a convert - can you tell?
Friday, 17 February 2012
Yummy sausage-based discovery
I'm always after new food ideas and I scour delicious magazine avidly each month. I fold over the corners for anything I fancy trying; I judge the success of each issue by how many foldy corners wadge together at the top.
Of course, many corners represent foolish pipe dreams - sashimi plates I'll never dare to make and ice cream for which I don't have the requisite equipment. But, each issue, there will be a gem. Usually noodly, sometimes salmony, but increasingly sausagey.
A couple of months back I found this: sausages with creamy lentils. It takes around 40 minutes to make, so it's just about achieveable as a quick mid-week meal. And, boy, is it easy! Minimal chopping, hardly any stirring, plenty of leave-it-and-see time. I pimped it slightly, of course - I didn't bother twisting the sausages into smaller versions (because that's just weird), I left out the garlic and fresh coriander and used creme fraiche rather than yoghurt. But whatever - do what you will. That's the joy of food, as far as I'm concerned - we all know how to make things for our own taste.
Anyway - go and try it. Get the recipe here: http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/sausages-with-creamy-lentils
PS: makes good leftovers too.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Sake it to them
I'm back: stop talking about me.
So, you'll be glad to hear that I found out what Honami is doing (remember, she was the wonderful sommelier at Cocoon).
She's now the wonderful sommelier at NOPI, Ottolenghi's latest place. I haven't been yet, but the menus and wine list look perritty good, so it's surely just a matter of time, eh?
So, you'll be glad to hear that I found out what Honami is doing (remember, she was the wonderful sommelier at Cocoon).
She's now the wonderful sommelier at NOPI, Ottolenghi's latest place. I haven't been yet, but the menus and wine list look perritty good, so it's surely just a matter of time, eh?
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