lily and chew

Best. Dessert. Ever.

2011-08-17T14:36:00.007+01:00

Last year at The Hop Pole in Bath, I ate what could be the best pudding I have ever had.

A pineapple tarte tatin with coconut ice cream - juicy sweet caramely pineapple, dark rum, cold coconut and crisp hot pastry. Seriously....what's not to love?

Since then I haven't been able to quite shake it. When I got a beautiful tarte tatin dish for my birthday I finally decided to give it go and I'm pretty pleased with the results if I don't say so myself!

What you need
500g all butter puff pastry
1 pineapple (cut into chunks)
100g golden caster sugar
100ml dark rum
1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways with seeds scraped out
50g butter, cubed
an oven proof frypan or tarte tatin dish (approx 25cm in diameter)
a wooden spoon

The do
Cut up the pineapple into chunks and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 190, or gas mark 5. Sprinkle a little flour on to your bench top, roll out the pastry until it's around half a centimetre thick. Make sure it is rolled out enough to cover the ovenproof frying pan you’ll be using with an excess of 5cm around the edge. Set aside.

Put the pan on a medium heat and add the sugar, rum, vanilla seeds and pod. Let the sugar dissolve and cook until the mixture forms a light caramel.

When the caramel is a lovely chestnut brown, add the pineapple. Carefully stir everything in the pan and cook until the caramel thickens and becomes sticky and toffee-like. Add the cubed butter, then lay the pastry over the top. Using a wooden spoon instead of your fingers, quickly and carefully tuck the pastry down firmly into the edges.

Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Don't worry if it puffs up, it will flatten down again when you turn it upside down. Remove from the oven and let it rest for a minute. Now this is the tricky bit, glove up or you could end up in A&E with third degree burns. Grab a serving plate bigger than your fry pan and very quickly and carefully, flip the whole thing over. If you don't feel too confident about this procedure, this video shows you how to do it.
Let it chill out for a bit then chop it up and serve with coconut ice cream, otherwise vanilla is just as good.

BTW if you are ever in Bath and have little people in tow, this pub is situated opposite the best playground I have ever laid eyes on. Plus they always have one veggie option that is delicious.

Tune:
Agadoo Black Lace

Whose sorrel now?

2011-08-07T08:28:00.009+01:00

Yesterday I went to our local fruit and veg shop to do our weekly shop and was quite excited to see that they were selling sorrel. I'd noticed it in loads of recipes but have never seen it for sale, so I bagged some pronto.

And oh what a marvellous thing it is! It looks like spinach, but packs a crazy tanginess that's a lot like licking a battery. I didn't want to dilute this taste sensation by cooking it too much so I decided to turn it into pesto and mix it through some hot spaghetti. I'm warning you - once you go down this path, you will never see pesto in the same light again.

Unconventionally I have used almonds in this recipe, I think they compete better with the punchy lemony flavours than pine nuts would.

What you need

1 bunch of sorrel (the big leafed variety), roughly torn up

half a handful of almonds

1 big garlic clove

big pinch of salt

big glug of good olive oil

a food processor

The do

Put the almonds on a baking tray and roast them under the grill, jiggling them around every so often. Keep a close eye on them, they can burn quite suddenly. When they are done, set aside.

In the food processor, blitz the garlic, oil and salt first, then add the sorrel and blitz again. Add a little more oil if it's too dry and gets stuck. Add the almonds and pulse to keep the nuts chunky. Season with salt and pepper. When you are happy with the consistency of your pesto, it's ready to go. Serve tossed through some hot spaghetti (reserve a little cooking water to loosen up the pesto when you are tossing it though the pasta). If you are lucky enough to have any left this would keep in a jar with a thin layer of oil on top, but it may lose some of its vibrancy.

Tunes,
Director's Cut Kate Bush

The big pancake

2011-06-09T17:01:00.002+01:00

Lately I've had pancakes on my mind because Jasmine T makes me read this to her most nights...

I can tell you now, if one of these pancakes went rolling off,

a mother
seven hungry, little boys
a man
a cat
a cock
a duck
and a cow

would definitely be running to catch it.

What you need (makes about 8 pancakes, enough for about 2 1/2 people)

1 cup SR flour

1 cup of milk

1 egg

pinch of salt

a mashed banana - the blacker the better

a handful of blueberries (optional)

The do

Dump the flour, egg milk and salt into a mixing bowl and whisk until all the lumps are gone. Add the banana and blueberries and mix in with a fork.

Heat a nonstick frying pan on high - when it's red hot throw in a knob of butter and swoosh it around the pan. Add half a ladle of mixture to the pan to make each pancake, taking care not to over crowd. When it starts to bubble a little on the surface, give the underside a little peek and if it's golden brown flip it over. Cook for a minute or so then transfer onto a plate. Keep going until all the mixture is gone.

Gobble them down with a big dollop of of Rachel's coconut yoghurt and a little maple syrup or honey.

Not only are these deeeelicious, they are perfect for making use of fruit that is past it's best - apples or pears instead of banana would also go down well.

Tune
Pumped Up Kicks Foster the People

The spears are here

2011-05-23T12:50:00.002+01:00

It's asparagus season! Time to get amongst those green spears of goodness!

Here's a super quick recipe that will ensure you spend less time in the kitchen and more time making the most of the extended daylight playing frisbee in the park.

This is a bastardisation of çilbir, a Turkish dish of poached eggs and yoghurt. I had this at Providores in Marylebone a few years ago and it is deeeelicious. For this you'll need some kirmizi biber (dried Turkish chilli flakes), but if you don't have any to hand - which is very likely as it involves a special trip to a Turkish grocer - a quarter teaspoon of paprika and a teaspoon of normal chilli flakes instead would also be quite tasty.

What you need

(serves 2)

1 bunch of asparagus

eggs, however many take your fancy

5 big spoons big spoons of thick greek yoghurt (I used Total)

1 garlic clove, crushed into a paste with salt using the side of a knife

50g butter

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

The do

Boil a full kettle. Place the asparagus in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. After a few minutes, check for doneness - this will vary depending on how thick the asparagus is. If it needs more time let it mellow for a little longer. When done, rinse with cold water, drain and divide between two plates.

Mix together the garlic and yoghurt, then pile on top of the asparagus, making a little well for where the egg/s will sit.

Poach the eggs, and when done, drain, then place in the yoghurt wells. In a small frying pan, heat up the butter. When it starts to go a light brown colour, add the chilli flakes, swoosh around for a little longer to let the chilli colour the oil, then spoon over the eggs and yoghurt.

Enjoy with some crusty bread.

Nerd alert: Thanks to this brilliant book that I received for my birthday a few years back (thanks Cam!) I learnt that the chemical that causes the unsettling odour in the urine of some of those who eat asparagus is actually a close relative of that in skunk spray. Pong!

Vegan Black Metal Chef

2011-05-16T11:55:00.007+01:00

This weekend was spent in bed nursing a broken toe and recovering from a hideous vomit bug I caught off Miss Jasmine T.

The only thing that cheered me up was this link my dear friend Mr Zincke sent. If you have a spare 15 minutes, dim the lights, spark up a few candles and check it out. Solid gold...and actually quite informative!

Guerrilla brekkie

2011-05-14T14:00:00.000+01:00

Nearly a month in, I'm still struggling to hit my stride with this kitchen. So far I haven't been able to manage anything too complicated because of the state of disarray it has been in.

This weekend we've moved some shelves in which has improved things big time stylee, so I've felt inspired to make a brekkie with more wow factor than Weetabix.

What you need (for two hungry peeps)

Two big handfuls of baby spinach

Two handfuls of chestnut mushrooms, quartered

2 eggs

big fat slices of Cholla bread (or any other bread will do)

soy sauce

a big teaspoon of thick cream or creme fraiche

chives

dill

mayonnaise

The do

For your eggs, bring a medium sized saucepan of water to the boil then reduce to a simmer.

In a small bowl, mix together about a tablespoon of mayonnaise with a big teaspoon of chopped dill. (Clearly this is no substitute for hollandaise but who really makes hollandaise at home?)

In a small frypan, heat a big knob of butter and fry the mushrooms over medium heat, when they are 3/4 done put the eggs in the pan of water to poach. Now throw half a cap of soy sauce into the mushrooms, fry for a further minute or so, take off the heat, then stir in the cream and dish out onto plates.

By now the eggs should be ready. Pop your toast down, quickly rinse out the mushroom pan, put it back on the heat, then throw the washed spinach into the hot pan and cook until wilted and soft. Dress with some olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Plate it all up and you are good to go. Bonus points if you can juggle the coffee making as well!

Tunes
Adam and Joe (6music, Saturday 10-1)

New digs!

2011-04-21T12:40:00.002+01:00

It's been so long since I last posted , I'd be amazed if any one was still checking in on this poor little blog! If you are, thanks, and sorry for neglecting you.

It's been a bit of a busy time for us - we've moved out of our little pad, been homeless for a bit whilst we made our new home habitable, screwed up my visa application so I was almost deported and FINALLY moved in couple of weeks ago.

So to christen the new kitchen in true Lily and Chew style, I have attempted to make savoury hot cross buns to commemorate the crucifixion of the big JC. All you need is a decent white bread dough recipe. Add a good handful of chopped chives and as much mature cheddar cheese and you can be bothered to grate, then leave to prove for about 20 minutes before separating into bun-like balls. With the tip of a sharp knife, mark a cross into the top of each one and sprinkle a little more cheese on top before baking for around 20 minutes at about 200 (our new oven is gas and I still have to get my head around the whole conversion thing).

Enjoy fresh out of the oven with LOADS of butter.

Summery insalata

2010-09-01T14:03:00.002+01:00

Yippee! Tomorrow we are heading out to Kent to stay at the Keeper's cottage on the grounds of Leeds Castle, but first, I must conduct my pre-holiday ritual of using up what's left in the fridge. Take out would probably be a more practical option considering that with a toddler in tow I'll have to pack half the flat - but I really hate waste and quite enjoy the challenge of a clear-out dinner. Plus it's nice coming home to a fridge that doesn't smell like bin juice.

I have:

a bunch of carrots

mint

cherry tomatoes

a courgette

buffalo mozzarella (OK, so I cheated a little and bought this earlier in the day)

The plan is to make a souped up insalata caprese, the ingredient that really ties this dish together is the gorgeous buffalo mozzarella with its weird cooked chicken-like texture. Never ever use a knife to cut it! Ripping up a ball of buffalo mozzarella is a strangely satisfying activity that should be enjoyed whenever possible.

The do

Slice the courgette thinly and chop the carrots into bite sized pieces.

Fry the courgette with a little oil and salt in a frying pan until soft and a little charred. While this is happening steam or boil the carrots until they are just done, you don't want them to be too mushy. When everything is done, lay it all together into a big plate and sprinkle a couple of chopped mint leaves on top. Top with a some pinenuts, a handful of halved cherry tomatoes and the buffalo mozzerella, then drizzle a generous amount of good olive oil on top.

Enjoy with some super crunchy ciabatta and a big glass of red wine before you attempt the packing.

Tunes
Butterfly House The Coral

Monday night...

2010-08-18T00:11:00.000+01:00

An Elvis-sized thanks to all who came on Monday night, we had a super fun time and I'm especially glad that all the food was eaten too. Here we are wielding some pizza-sized biscuits with Diddy Wah and the man of the evening.

Fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches

This delicacy was one of Elvis's favourites

What you need

2 loaves of white bread, with crusts cut off

approx 5 bananas, mashed

1 big jar of sunpat smooth peanut butter

lots of butter

The do

Make sandwiches using the mashed banana and peanut butter, then fry in a heavy based frying pan with a big knob of butter until golden brown on both sides. Cut into quarters.

Also, a big thanks to the amazing Kelly V and her ace-o-rama cupcake socks for all her help. You totally (jailhouse) rock!

Come and get it!

2010-08-15T19:32:00.005+01:00

Here's your chance to try some authentic Lily and Chew cuisine absolutely FREE. We'll be serving up some kingly delights at Diddy Wah's Elvis tribute night, tomorrow from 8pm at the Haggerston. Hurry, because like the great man, it can't last long.

Fact: Did you know that towards the end of his life Elvis was consuming 100,000 calories PER DAY?! Dude!
Thanks to Kelly V for pointing me in the direction of this article written by none other than Dr Karl Kruszelnicki

The King is dead, long live the King

2010-08-10T18:36:00.001+01:00

It’s Elvis night at the Haggerston, Kingsland Road this coming Monday, August 19th.

Come down and celebrate the life and death of the King with the incomparable DJ Diddy Wah. Get there early and try some special dishes created just for the event by Lily & Chew – absolutely free3.

Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich anyone?

Last weekend...

2010-07-28T15:30:00.006+01:00

Just had the most glorious weekend - picnic under a nice shady tree on Parliament Hill on Saturday, then on Sunday a little trip to Arundel to see the castle and have a walk around.
If you ever find yourself hungry and thirsty in Arundel, check out The Black Rabbit - it's a cute pub on the River Arun, about 20-30 minutes walk from the station.
It was a very warm day, and after the walk to the pub all I felt like was a burger and a pint. But alas there was no veggie burger, the closest thing was a mozzarella muffin which turned out to be exactly that.

Half a sorry soggy supermarket English muffin underneath three small pieces of grilled veg with mozzarella melted over the top, accompanied with new potatoes, which I ended up swapping over for fries. As Ja'mie from Summer Heights High would say..."Random!"
I feel like I can't be too critical as the menu amazingly boasts six vegetarian options. It's just that mushroom stroganoff, lasagna, chilli and curry aren't dishes I fancy eating when I'm hot and bothered, but maybe that's just me. The ice cream on the other hand was deeeelicious. I was very, very pleased with my choice of honeycomb and strawberry.

Vegetarian food aside, the venue and service is lovely. They have a big outdoor seating area next to the river where you can enjoy some choice ales until it's time to walk back to the station and snooze it all off on the train ride back to the big smoke.

Les Perez touchdown in London

2010-07-28T14:44:00.013+01:00

Some dear friends of ours are visiting from Australia and last night I cooked dinner for about eight of us. Congregating around a big table with old friends with plenty of food and booze is most definitely one of the nicer things in life - my kitchen is too small for me to go all Babette's Feast, so dinner had to be a very simple affair.

With my ice cream maker in storage somewhere in Cricklewood, this summer I've been getting into cheats homemade ice cream. My mum used to make this in the late 80s by mixing some cointreau and a smashed up Flake with shop bought vanilla ice cream.

I made two types using some of the alcohol collecting dust at the back of our liquor shelf - the more we drink now, the less Jasmine T will have to hand when she starts mixing up her own cocktails. I have some Frangelico which I'm going to mix with chopped hazelnuts and Drambuie which I'm going to soak some raisins in before adding to the ice cream.

Cheats ice cream

What you need

2 large flat plastic containers

2L shop vanilla ice-cream (best you can afford)

couple handfuls chopped roasted hazelnuts

couple handfuls of raisins

3 tablespoons Drambuie

3 tablespoons Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)

ice cream cones (less washing up)

The do

Place raisins in a bowl and add the Drambuie, leave to soak for a couple of hours.

Take the ice cream out of the freezer and leave out for around 10 minutes. Transfer the ice cream into the plastic containers add the ingredients and mix in with a rubber spatula. Put the lids on and return to the freezer.

You can do this with anything - fruit, chocolate, nuts. Just bear in mind that adding too much alcohol will prevent your ice cream from freezing.

For dinner (serves 8): boil up two packs of angel hair pasta, then 3 minutes before the pasta is ready, throw in a bag of frozen peas and half a bag of broad beans. In a separate small pan, gently heat a big glug of olive oil with some thinly sliced garlic for a minute or so. When the pasta is done, drain it, add the garlic oil, then toss the whole lot with the juice of a lemon, a handful of chopped mint, a handful of torn basil, two handfuls of parmesan and two packs of crumbled feta cheese. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and marvel at the quivering mountain of steaming pasta before you.

Tunes
Alas I cannot swim Laura Marling

Happy birthday to Carters and Kelly V

2010-07-03T22:48:00.005+01:00

It was Carter's and Kelly V's birthday last Wednesday and to mark the occasion I whipped out my newly acquired copy of Delia's Book of Cakes for a fast simple no-faff sweet treat that I could take down to the pub without too much drama.

I decided to make her Chocolate fudge brownie recipe and as per usual I couldn't help meddling - I increased the chocolate and flour quantities and added orange blossom water and pistachios.

Things started to go a little pear shaped when I realised I didn't have the correct tin, I used the smallest one I had, but it was still waaaay too big. I ended up with brownies that looked like they'd been run over by a steam roller. In the end I sandwiched them with some hazelnut spread and it was all good. The moral of this story...use the right tin and all will be fine.

Chocolate, pistachio and orange blossom fudge brownies

What you need

A 18x28cm baking tin

90g dark cooking chocolate, preferably unsweetened, I used Green and Blacks cook's chocolate
110g butter
2 medium eggs
225g caster sugar
90g plain flour
1 level teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
110g pistachio nuts (hold back about 5 nuts for garnish)
1 tablespoon orange blossom water (you could add more, but taste as you go so it doesn't end up tasting like shower gel)

Garnish
1 punnet of raspberries
Green and blacks Hazelnut chocolate spread

The do
Line a rectangular brownie tin (18x28cm) with silicone baking paper. allow the paper to come up a good 5cm above the rim of the tin.
Melt the butter and broken up chocolate pieces together in a heatproof glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir in the remaining ingredients, then pour into the lined tin and bake for around 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, divide into approx 15 squares and transfer back to wire rack.

Chop the remaining pistachios as finely as you can. Spread a little hazelnut spread on the top of each brownie, sprinkle with a little pistachio dust, then place a raspberry on top

Warning: these brownies are evil. Diabetics beware!

Post-hummus perfection

2010-07-03T22:26:00.007+01:00

I have been trying to make perfect hummus for YEARS. Every incarnation has had some sort of problem - too thick, too much oil, too garlicky, too bland. I've tried various recipes and that yielded no success either. Last night I went completely off road and I finally stumbled on a winner - it's a total bastardisation of how hummus is usually made, but hey, it tastes good so who cares?

What you need
A hand blender with food processor attachment, or a food processor
1 can of chickpeas, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 clove of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon tahini
olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
some boiled water
salt

The do
In a frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and fry the garlic for a 30 seconds on medium heat, throw in the spices and drained chickpeas. Fry for a little longer, moving the chickpeas around the pan coating them in the oil and spices. When it starts to smell nice and spicy, take off the heat and transfer into the food processor. Add the tahini, a generous pinch of salt, a glug of olive oil, lemon juice and a splash of boiled water and blitz until smooth, adding more water as needed to achieve the right consistency. Taste and add more salt if needed.

This is great with some salad, tomato and halloumi in a wholemeal pita pocket.

Tunes
IRM Charlotte Gainsbourg

Hot in the city

2010-06-07T14:59:00.004+01:00

Having been born and bred in the scorching climes of the land Down Under where 25 degrees is considered cardy weather, I'm rather ashamed to admit that I found today's temperature of 24 degrees a little uncomfortable in old London town. By uncomfortable I mean walking around our stuffy flat quoting Will Ferrell in Anchorman ("it's soooooo hot....milk was a baaaad choice") and not feeling hungry - which I find most bothersome of all. It's too hot to turn on anything that emits heat in the kitchen so tonight's dinner is going to be a smorgasbord of fridge scraps...and I think we haven't done too badly.

Our too-hot-to-cook scraps board
Tallegio - an Italian cheese, semi- soft, creamy and a little stinky. I could eat this 'til the cows come home.
Pineapple, pear, capsicium strips and some grapes
The last of the Jar Club chutney and some of my home made piccalilli
Nairns oatcakes. A pantry staple. Their buttery oatiness pairs brilliantly with any cheese.

Enjoy with a good film and a cold Chablis.

Hola Borough burrito

2010-05-29T12:58:00.002+01:00

Last time I visited Borough market on a Saturday I had a nervous breakdown trying to hack through the hordes of tourists lining up for samples. On a Thursday afternoon, however, it's an entirely different story. Having just restored my field of vision by having my fringe cut, I wasted no time collecting a few of my old faves; organic eggs and oakcakes from Neal's Yard Dairy, Comte cheese, saffron from Brindisa and pesto from Borough olives.

So this morning, with these exciting ingredients at hand, I whipped up what I guess could be a Borough market burrito.

My Borough burrito

Makes enough for 2.5 people

What you need

1 pack of North Staffordshire Oatcakes (available from Neal's Yard Dairy for £1).

Note: These oatcakes are not the biscuity kind - they are floppy and spongy, about the size of a side plate, and look like a crumpet that has been run over by a steam roller several times. If you can't handle the crowds, or live in Australia, the usual Old El Paso-style small tortilla wraps will do perfectly fine.

4 eggs, lightly beaten

about 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in slices

a few thin slices of Comte cheese (or tasty cheddar would work well too)

a small handful of chives, chopped

The do

Lay the Comte on the oatcakes and grill until the cheese melts. While this is happening, scramble the eggs in a small pan. When the oatcakes are ready, distribute the chopped tomato on each one and then pile the eggs on top. Garnish with the chives, then roll up like a cigar.

My dream cooker...

2010-05-28T16:39:00.001+01:00

(if I had a spare £4270 lying around...)

6.05pm It's raining chips

2010-05-01T19:14:00.004+01:00

After a marvellous warm sunny week, the rains have returned. I'm soaked, water is sloshing around in my ballet pumps and my stomach has packed it in and started digesting itself. Only one thing for it...chips from George's - open, with lots of salt and vinegar of course. Piping hot, full of flavour and bursting with badness. Just what a soggy blogger needs.

A house warming crafternoon

2010-04-28T22:35:00.007+01:00

On Sunday, our monthly crafternoon session was held at Kelly and Andrew's gorgeous new digs. As Miss Jasmine T was rather well-behaved beforehand, I managed to crack out these peanuty sesame noodles. With mostly warm weather upon us, these noodles are great when eaten cold and won't suffer much from banging about in your bag on the way to a picnic.
I ended up making quite a large batch but if you want to size it down you could divide the ingredients to what you need - as a guide, the dressing should have the consistency of a thick batter, for optimal noodle coverage.

Peanuty sesame noodles
makes enough for around 8-9 people as a side

What you need
For peanut dressing
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter plus a few extra spoons for good luck
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup warm water
1 thumb of chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 medium garlic clove, chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons of jarred chili (as the potency of jarred chili can vary quite significantly, you might want to taste a bit first and then adjust quantity accordingly)

for the noodles
4 packs of sharwoods dried egg noodles - 1 pack of spaghetti or somen noodles would work well too
a third of a cucumber, sliced thinly in rounds then cut into thin strips
a handful of mint, finely chopped
a couple of tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
half an iceberg lettuce, chopped as thinly as you can make it
1 lemon, cut into wedges

The do
Cook the noodles as per instructions, then drain and rinse under cold water. You can leave them in the colander while you prepare the dressing.
In a food processor or blender, throw in the dressing ingredients and blitz until thoroughly combined.
Transfer half the dressing into a very big bowl, throw in the drained noodles, then pour the rest of the dressing on top. Use your hands to evenly coat the noodles with the dressing.
Spread the lettuce and mint evenly over the top and then sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. If you aren't digging in straight away, leave it to hang out in the fridge for a while, then give it a good toss and serve with lemon wedges.

This is should be a hit with everyone except those unfortunate enough to have a peanut allergy - Andrew even came out of isolation and braved a kitchen full of women and a boisterous toddler to get a second helping, so I guess that says something!

Tunes
Kelly's ipod

The jars are in the house!

2010-04-13T12:33:00.002+01:00

How exciting! The sun is shining, all the windows are open and my jars have arrived!

A little while back I subscribed to Jar Club - my lovely friend who is a whiz with preserves, takes a subscription payment and you receive a jar once month for three months, with the proceeds going to charity.

I have just sampled the blood orange and Seville orange jelly with pinot noir and spices, and it's amazing. Deliciously bitter with the perfect amount of spice.

My kind of Easter egg

2010-04-03T23:48:00.006+01:00

Yikes! Is it really Easter already? I've been a busy bee since I last blogged, which explains the lack of posting activity...but hey, four whole days with Carters around sure makes it easier to do a bit of catching up.

To kick off the Easter bank holiday we enjoyed a fried egg on toast with piccalilli. The quickest and most delicious breakfast, lunch or can't-be-arsed dinner.

What you need
piccalilli
an egg
some cheddar cheese
toast

The do
Heat a fry-pan, drizzle some oil and crack an egg into the pan. While this is happening, put on some toast and thinly slice a couple of pieces of cheddar and lay on to the toast. When the egg is done, place it on top of the cheese and then spread a teaspoon of piccalilli on top.

After breakfast we visited the totally amazing John Soane museum - be sure to go early in the day, as the queues get pretty long in the afternoon. There is also a nice cafe around the corner called the Fleet River Bakery that does decent coffee and other treats.

Happy 1st birthday Jasmine T (cake 2)!

2010-02-25T22:25:00.002Z

A very important lesson was learnt in the making of this cake. Never, EVER, substitute full-fat with light cream cheese. Even if the supermarket only has light cream cheese left and you can't be arsed going to another shop to get it!

Happy 1st birthday Jasmine T!

2010-02-16T21:33:00.000Z

Oh me oh my. This time last year I was on my way to hospital in a taxi screaming out the window at people on Upper Street. Three and a half hours later sweet little Jasmine T was born.

To mark this momentous occasion, Carters took the day off work and we invited some of her close buddies over for a little party. I made Nigel Slater's pear and blueberry cake, and it went down a treat with Jasmine - pears and blueberries are only, like, her favourite. Stay tuned for the novelty cake...to be unveiled on Saturday.

Nigel Slater's really fast cake with blueberries and pears (serves about 7-8)

Given my talent for screwing up measurements, this cake is brilliant because I only had to measure out 130g three times...and the only other things I did differently was I used a round tin instead of a square one and I didn't peel the pears because I was feeling lazy. It was enjoyed muchly by us adults (and babies) with a cup of tea or if you're having it for dessert take Nigel's advice and serve it with some vanilla ice cream, fromage frais or double cream

What you need
130g softened butter
130g unrefined organic caster sugar
2 ripe pears
2 large eggs
130g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
250g blueberries
a little extra sugar to sprinkle on top

The do
Set oven at 180c. Line a round 21-22cm springform cake tin with some baking parchment. Using a cake mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Core the pears and chop into small chunks. In a small bowl, break the eggs and beat with a fork then gradually add to the butter and sugar. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold them gently into the mixture. Scrape into the lined cake tin and level it out - don't worry, it looks like you don't have enough mixture but it will work out. Mix the pears and blueberries togther and tip then into the cake. Scatter 1-2 tablespoons of sugar over the top. Bake for 55 minutes, then test with a skewer. If it comes out clean, remove cake from oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

A question about vinegar

2010-02-09T10:35:00.003Z

My sister-in-law, who has just started an excellent blog on food and life in Japan, has a question for all you pickling experts out there.
She is thinking of making yuzu (above) vinegar but isn't sure how to go about it. Some recipes say to heat the vinegar, in others you just poke the peel in the vinegar bottle. Can anyone help?

While we are on the subject of blogs and Japan, my brother-in-law is also a newcomer to the blogging scene. You can check out his foodie adventures here

Gratin tombé

2010-02-08T22:02:00.001Z

Today I decided to make a sweet root vegetable gratin of potato, pumpkin and sweet potato. Seemed like a simple enough idea...until I discovered that my sweet potato was one of those white yammy ones (SO inferior to the orange ones). Grrr!
Nevertheless, I soldiered on, lovingly applying thin slices of a third of a pumpkin, 1 red onion, 6 small potatoes, 1 sweet potato (imposter) and thyme to a baking dish. Then in a measuring jug I whisked up with a fork 200ml of milk and 200ml cream, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 crushed garlic clove and a big handful of grated Parmesan, poured this over the top and sprinkled a layer of breadcrumbs over the top and a bit more Parmesan for good measure. Then I baked this at 180 for about 1-1 1/2 hours.

The thing about my personality sometimes is that while I can be quite meticulous in constructing a dish I can be equally careless when it comes to oven handling. I pull things out of our oven one-handed in the most precarious and dangerous fashion. Usually when I pick it up I know it's going to be fine, but sometimes I know I'm in trouble and I still don't stop...

Voila!

The 5-second rule prevails, plus it didn't even touch the floor anyway, so I scraped it up and re-baked it with a new breadcrumb layer. And it was delicious - creamy, earthy vegetables with hints of thyme and Mr Muscle.

Advance Australia fare

2010-02-07T01:04:00.004Z

To celebrate Australia Day this year, instead of going down to our local Walkabout dressed as cast members from Home and Away to drink copious amounts of VB, we had a civilised lunch at Kim's.
With Possum Magic on high rotation at bedtime in our household, it's no surprise that I've been thinking about pavlova - sweeeeeet pavlova.
Pavlova has a Proustian effect on me. One bite and I'm at a barbecue in someone's backyard, beer in hand, the smell of 30+ sunscreen and Aeroguard in the air, shooing flies off my plate. Nothing tastes more like an Australian summer...other than maybe a Golden Gaytime.

Surprisingly easy pavlova (serves about 8-10)

What you need
4 room-temperature egg whites (you can keep the egg yolks covered in a bowl in the fridge for later use, see below)
Pinch salt
1 cup golden caster sugar
2 tsp cornflour
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

and to top it off...
1 tub of whipping cream (200-300ml)
1 kiwifruit, quartered lengthways and sliced
2 handfuls strawberries, halved lengthways and sliced
2 handfuls of raspberries, squished up
2 handfuls of blueberries

The do
Preheat oven to 180. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then trace a 25 cm circle on the paper. Put egg whites and salt in the clean bowl (any grease will prevent the egg whites from expanding to their full potential) and beat with the whisk attachment of a hand blender on medium-low speed until frothy (approx 2 minutes). Increase speed to medium-high and beat until whites form stiff but not dry peaks (2–3 minutes). Gradually add sugar while whisking, then increase speed to high and beat until stiff and glossy, 3–5 minutes. Sprinkle cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla over whites, then gently fold in with a rubber spatula.
Fill traced circle with meringue, build the sides slightly higher than the middle so the cream and fruit have somewhere to sit. Place very gently in middle of oven and reduce heat to 150, taking care not to slam the oven door shut. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off oven and leave meringue inside with door slightly ajar until completely cool for about 4 hours - or make it at night and leave it in the oven til morning.
Remove paper and place meringue on a cake plate. Whip cream to soft peaks, spread onto the meringue and pile the fruit on top. Passionfruit pulp would also be a nice addition, but a little hard to find at my local Sainsbury's in the middle of winter.

Tip Stephanie (Alexander) says "if syrupy droplets form on the surface of the meringue, you'll know you have overcooked it; liquid oozing from the meringue is a sign of undercooking".

Carter's use-up-the-egg-yolks mustardy mayonnaise
2 egg yolks
4 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
2 cups olive oil
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

The do
Place yolks and mustard in a medium bowl. Beat with a wire whisk, and begin to add the oil a tablespoon at a time, adding more as each bit is incorporated. When it starts to come together, you can add the oil a bit faster. Add salt and pepper, then stir in the vinegar.

Warning: this makes an obscene amount of mayo. Alternatively, you could halve this recipe and throw the other three egg yolks into some scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Tunes

A playlist including Magic Dirt, You Am I, Screamfeeder, Sandpit, Howling Bells, The Avalanches, The Go-Betweens, Nick Cave, The Cruel Sea, the theme Tune to Round The Twist, and plagiarists...Men at Work

Sunday: to market and some study

2010-01-31T15:38:00.002Z

Carters and Jasmine T are off at the Saatchi gallery today and I decided to opt out so I can finally get through the second chapter of the web design book I'm studying.
Before getting stuck in, I rode my bike with very flat tyres up to the farmer's market, got a few bits and pieces, then had to walk back because my bike wasn't too pleased about being put to use after being neglected for over a year and a half. This week's haul - some proper winter veg - kale, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, pears, pak choy and some daffodils. And a little lunch treat for me...a spinach and cheese borek from the Popina stand...

...then for afternoon tea, one of Kim's delicious banana cupcakes..

If I make it through to chapter 3, I'm going to dive into the enormous pile of weekend papers waiting for me on the couch. Can't wait.

8.03pm Solo dinner

2010-01-27T00:11:00.001Z

This evening I'm dining solo on account of Carters being out doing that thing he does once a week. In the fridge there's the coleslaw from yesterday, but eating cold cabbage and carrot alone on a freezing cold night is just too damn depressing. So I find these Quorn mozzarella and pesto escalopes at my local shop. Hot, greasy, crunchy and gooey and oh so wrong. But only mycoproteins were harmed in the making of this escalope so it can't be all bad. Plus it tastes good and pairs perfectly with my day old slaw.

Tunes
You Forgot it in People Broken Social Scene

Bumbling around Belgium

2010-01-23T00:24:00.000Z

Last year we took advantage of the Eurostar seat sale and booked ourselves some cheap tickets to Belgium. Then the snow came. After a few tweaks to our train schedule we finally made it to Brussels where it was a million times colder than London. After spending the morning trying to get out of the weather, we hopped on a train to Antwerp. For some reason, maybe because of the snow, the platform display wasn't working so well, and we ended up on a train traveling in the opposite direction. After about an hour we cottoned on, and quickly hopped off the train which by now was in nowheresville, and hightailed it back to Brussels...again. (Mental note: when you ask someone 'is this the train to Antwerp?' and they say 'yes', they might be on crack)

With Saturday a bit of a lost cause, I was hoping to get in on the sale action the following day, but unfortunately, like most European cites, everything is closed on Sunday.
A few vintage shops along Klosterstraat were open, so we spent some time ducking in and out of shops to get out of the snow. It was so cold it reminded us of Russia, minus the stone-faced locals. Then we stumbled across Ra, and if I wasn't frozen solid I would have jumped up and down with joy...

The clothing is gorgeous but the highlight was the cafe. There's a little loft section you could climb up a ladder to get to, and a cute friendly Italian greyhound trotting around. And most importantly...they do all-day breakfast on Sundays.
We shared an eggs florentine and a tofu miso soup - I'm aware this is a crazy combo but after a few days of frites, beer and waffles I was keen for something cleansing. The eggs were perfectly poached and came in a cute little fruit scone.

The next day we grabbed a beautiful (in both look and taste) hot chocolate at Bar Choq. Would have loved to have tried their coffee too because it looked like it was made with a lot of care and love. All the more reason to visit again...

2pm, last Sunday: Crafternoon feast (before and after)

2010-01-21T23:10:00.003Z

Tom yum yum yum

2010-01-19T09:21:00.000Z

All this wintery weather has given me the most hideous cold I've had in years. I rarely get sick and that's probably why I hate it so much. I can't be bothered doing anything, my appetite disappears, I can't taste anything and all this makes me very grumpy indeed.
My spirits were lifted when my very excellent husband made me this delicious Tom Yum soup. The perfect antidote to whatever ails you - it has enough punch to penetrate snotty sinuses and I'm convinced it has super magic healing powers.

Tip: I usually keep a jar of tom yum paste (check the ingredients for absence of shrimp) in the fridge for a quick soup base, as getting all these ingredients can sometimes be a bit of a mission, especially if you're a bit under the weather.
You could also add tofu and/or noodles to make a meal of this soup and any veg will do, broccoli, baby corn, mangetout or capsicum would all be great additions.

Tom Yum Goong
Makes about 4 entree-sized portions or 2 big bowls

What you need
1.5 litres of marigold vegetable bouillon or any other good veg stock. Mix it up strong enough so it tastes good on its own
1-2 stalks lemongrass, tough outer layers removed and sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 whole kaffir lime leaves (available fresh or frozen at Chinese food stores, or dried in supermarkets. Use double if they're dried)
1-2 red chilies, sliced. Add less or more according to preference
1 thumb-sized piece ginger, sliced into thin matchstick pieces
3 portabello mushrooms, chopped into bite-sized pieces (enoki or shitake would be good too)
2 bunches baby bok choy cut into 3cm pieces (or broccoli, spinach or chard would work too)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
a mini can of good-quality coconut milk
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
juice of a lime
a big handful of basil (roughly chopped)
a big handful of coriander (roughly chopped)

The do
Pour stock into a soup pot. Add the lemongrass, lime leaves, chili, garlic, and ginger. Bring to boil and continue boiling for 5-10 minutes.
Add the mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft.
Add cherry tomatoes. Gently simmer 1-2 more minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add the coconut milk, sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice. Finally, add the bok choy and gently stir. Keep on the heat until the bok choy is cooked, and then it's ready to go.

Do a taste test, and give it a tweak - add more chili if it needs more kick. If it's not salty enough, add more soy sauce or salt, add a little sugar if it's too sour and if it's too salty or sweet, add another squeeze of lime juice.

Serve in bowls with fresh basil and coriander heaped on top.

Simply the zest: Part 2

2010-01-16T11:50:00.004Z

It's been about a week and a half - the snow has melted and been replaced with grey skies and drizzle, and my jar of Ottolenghi lemons haven't gone mouldy like I thought they would.
The next step is to firmly squish the lemons down into the jar getting as much juice out of them as you can.

Then add a few sprigs of rosemary, a big red chili (I split mine down the middle because I thought it would look pretty) and the juice of six lemons and then top it off with a thin layer of olive oil to stop mould growing on top. Now I have to leave them to mellow in the yellow for another four weeks...

7.52pm Coolest notepad ever arrives from Japan

2010-01-07T21:49:00.003Z

Simply the zest: Part 1

2010-01-06T22:15:00.001Z

Tonight I spent a snowy evening indoors watching 30 Rock. After plowing through most of season one, I was feeling a bit Liz Lemon-ed out...so I decided to take the lemon theme into the kitchen and try out Ottelenghi's preserved lemon recipe.

I've the done the first part: cut a cross into 6 unwaxed lemons lengthways (stopping short 2 cm from the bottom so the lemon is still intact). Stuff each lemon with 1 tablespoon of sea salt then seal them in a sterilised jar.
Now I have to let them mellow for a week. Watch this space...

Who wants yesterday's dinner?

2010-01-03T23:01:00.001Z

Tonight Jasmine T has dashed our hopes of making a delicious mushroom, purple sprouting broccoli and lentil pie, and instead I'm leaning over the kitchen sink at 9.30 eating a concoction of leftovers that I've found in the fridge. Bedtimes are becoming a bit of a drama these days as she has just figured out how to stand in her cot, and thinks it's hilarious, until she realises that she is so tired that she has forgotten how to lie down again. Cue screaming. Carters or I come to the rescue and lay her back down. Repeat 100 times.

So back to dinner. They say necessity is the mother of invention and I'm quietly very pleased with my humble leftover combination. I took the potato and pea mixture left over from when I made curry puffs for our little new year's eve gathering, spooned some into a crisp iceberg lettuce leaf and topped it with a dollop of natural yoghurt and a few mint and coriander leaves. An Indian take on the Chinese sang choi bao. I'm going to razz up the curry mixture and post a proper recipe soon.

9.12am Crumpet with lots of butter and honey

2010-01-03T15:00:00.003Z

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It's been a long time since I've eaten a crumpet and I don't know why because they are soooooo damn good. Oozy sweet honey and butter dripping out of a warm spongy crumpet with a strong cup of tea. The perfect food for a frosty morning.

First breakfast of the year

2010-01-01T13:20:00.001Z

After a quick 10 minute clean up of yesterday's soiree, I got down to the business of cooking our new year's day breakfast. Our first meal of the year; scrambled eggs, rosemary mushrooms and semi-homemade baked beans.

Cheat's homemade baked beans with scrambled eggs and mushrooms
(makes about 4 serves)
I buy the Whole Earth baked beans because I like their cinnamony smokiness, but the problem with this is they tend to take centre stage, and today I want them to to be a bit more of a supporting act so I'm going to simplify the flavours by mixing them with some other beans for some textural variety and adding some tomatoes.

What you need
1 can butter beans (drained)
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can drained baked beans (I used the Whole Earth ones)
1 small sprig of rosemary (stick removed, chopped)
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

The do
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan, throw in the bay leaf, rosemary, tomatoes straight from the can and the drained butter beans. Let it all bubble away for about the time it takes to fry up your mushrooms with some garlic, butter and rosemary, wash a few champagne glasses and take the recycling downstairs. Add the drained baked beans (don't stress too much about draining off all the sauce). Season with salt and pepper and simmer until the eggs and toast are ready.

We enjoyed our first breakfast of the year in our pyjamas, listening to the food show on radio 4 and discussing our new year's resolutions, one of mine being to blog more.

What a topping idea

2009-11-19T21:21:00.003Z

Boy o boy, the dude who invented pizza must be rolling in his grave right now. Looks so wrong but tastes so right.

For my friend Nat's birthday (who you may remember from this post) we had a ladies night in with lots of good conversation, pizza and red wine. Perfecto!

Tune
Appetite for Destruction Guns n' Roses

Post-Halloween gloopy soup

2009-11-02T16:21:00.004Z

Mental note: don't use sticky Charlotte potatoes for Potato and Leek soup, tastes great but ends up looking like a beige Ghostbusters slime

Leaf to Root eating

2009-09-24T09:51:00.002+01:00

When I was little, my dad told me that every grain of rice I left on my plate would be a spot on my face when I was older. As a result, I have developed an obsessive aversion to throwing away food.
Very little went to waste in our household, any leftovers would be used for dinner the next day, and our fridge was always full of little dishes covered in cling film...and if you take a peek in my fridge today, it's still the same.

I'm now not embarrassed to admit this because this week experts have been saying that our wastage is now pushing up food prices in the developing world. So now I'm not just a tightarse just a concerned citizen of the earth.

Concerned Citizen Chew's tips to do your bit:

- Use your freezer. If you don't think you're going to get around to eating that bag of carrots, steam or boil them and freeze them for another day. Same goes with fruit - berries can be frozen straight and cooked or used in a smoothie for another day. Other fruit can pipped or cored then stewed to be eaten with ice cream or used in a crumble. Or if you are super organinsed, buy up big and spend a couple of hours cooking up a big batch of soup, curry or pasta sauce to be frozen.

- Make stock. Tired looking veg and scraps can be thrown into a pot and boiled up for a lovely stock which can make a risotto sing. Don't forget to throw in the rind from Parmesan cheese into the stock pot too.

- Plan your shopping. Have a quick think about how much cooking you will be doing at home for the week. Not much point in buying a weeks worth of veg if you'll only be home one or two nights to actually cook it

- One bad apple can spoil the barrel. Remove bad bits of fruit or veg and the rest of the bag/bunch will last a bit longer

- Change the water your tofu sits in and it will last much longer

BEETROOT PEARL BARLEY RISOTTO
This risotto takes twice as long as normal risotto, so it's one you might want to attempt when you aren't in a starving rush. It is definitely worth the wait though, the earthy beetroot pairs very nicely with the graininess and bouncey texture of the barley - and the colour is quite spectacular. If barley isn't your thing you can use good old Aborio rice and shorten the cooking time to 20 minutes. Serves 4.

What you need
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
350g pearl barley
1.5 litres vegetable stock, hot
1 bunch of baby beets with stalks or if you can't get this you could use fresh beets with a few handfuls chard or spinach to replace the beetroot leaves
optional garnish: a chunk of goats cheese or fetta

The do
Wash the beetroot thoroughly. Grate the beetroot and chop up the leaves into 4 cm pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a medium pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, until softened. Add the pearl barley and grated beetroot and cook for 1 minute.
Add a quarter of the stock to the pan and simmer, stirring every now and then, until all the stock has been absorbed. Barley doesn't need as much TLC as aborio rice so you can do other things and come back to it every now and then. Add another quarter of the stock and continue in this way until all the stock is absorbed – it should take about 40 minutes for the barley to be tender but still al dente. Add the stalky bits and cook for about 5 minutes, then stir in the leaf. Cook for a few minutes until wilted and dark green. If you have it, serve with a sharp crumbly goats cheese or feta sprinkled on top.

Tune
Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State Sufjan Stevens

Stop press

2009-09-18T10:41:00.001+01:00

This post has nothing to do with food, but I just want to say a quick bye bye to the newspaper that I worked very hard to help start up. Make sure you grab your last copy today!

In other news...illustrator/designer for hire. Please email chew.chingli@gmail.com

Chew of Greengages

2009-08-10T22:02:00.001+01:00

We just spent a blissful weekend in Bath - warm sun, blue skies and fine, fine foods. I have discovered a new favourite past time too... hanging around in Denise's front garden under the greengage tree with my legs in the sun eating greengages and napping.

We also christened Denise's new ice cream maker with an incredibly rich chocolate ice cream from David Leibovitz's book The Perfect Scoop, which has some crazy flavour combinations like orange and sichuan pepper (we weren't game enough to try that one). We added some fresh cherries at the end to give it an extra edge, but could only manage small amounts at a time as each spoonful brought us closer to an ice cold coronary.

And of course a visit to Bath isn't complete without a visit to the Fine Cheese Co. This time I was very restrained and came away a chunk of Le Gruyère Premier Cru, aged in caves for 14 months, and celebrity cheese Little Wallop made by Alex James - washed in cider brandy and beautifully wrapped in vine leaves, I loved the oozy bits on the outer edges. While you're there grab a loaf of bread and butternut squash ravioli - best pasta I've had from a packet.

4pm is cupcake 'o' clock

2009-08-07T16:06:00.004+01:00

A woman just arrived in our reception at work with a big basket full of glittering cupcakes for sale. This lemon and poppy seed number is just the little pick-me-up a girl needs after a hell week on a dragging friday afternoon.

The Lake District: Currying flavour

2009-08-04T21:24:00.002+01:00

Curry night: Lauren and Theo

Whooo! A most excellent hearty curry banquet complete with specialist beers (Cobra). A rare treat to be able to indulge in Indian cuisine without feeling like I've eaten my body weight in ghee and MSG.

Pumpkin & Apple Curry (serves 4)
What you need
Vegetable Oil
large onion
500g of pumpkin/squash, cubed
800g of baking potatoes, cubed
1 large cooking apple, cubed
2 tsp curry paste
1 tsp turmeric
root ginger (2.5cm)
bay leaves
500 ml vegetable stock

The do
Heat oil in pan. Add onion and brown.
Add chilli, curry paste, turmeric, ginger, bay leaves, apple, pumpkin, potato to pan.
Immediately after add vegetable stock.
Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes until cooked.
Serve with fromage frais or yoghurt.

Easy Tofu Curry (serves 4)
What you need
good swig of vegetable oil
Tofu, diced
Seasonal veg - I like to use broccoli & green beans
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp mild curry powder
2 medium fresh green chillies, thinly sliced
5 cm chunk of ginger, grated
2 onions
1 can tomatoes
1 can coconut milk (use light coconut milk if you want a healthier option)

The do
Start by browning the tofu pieces in a pan until brown.
In another pan, heat the oil and add your spices and ginger.
Fry for a few minutes, then add the onions and fresh chilli.
Cook for another 5 minutes then add the tofu and tomatoes.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes then add your favourite veg (broccoli and beans are yum!)
Finally, add the coconut milk and simmer for a final 5 minutes.
Season and serve with basmati rice, raita, mango chutney and fresh tomato salad.

Fresh Tomato Salad (serves 4)
What you need
6 medium tomatoes, diced
Small onion, thinly sliced
Fresh Coriander
Juice of fresh lemon

The do
Combine the ingredients and season with lemon juice to taste

Tune
Sung Tongs Animal Collective

4.34pm Afternoon tea break

2009-08-01T16:32:00.002+01:00

My most favourite food in the world at the moment...Ottolenghi's Cherry bread and butter pudding yummmmmeeerrrggggghhhhhhhhh

Dalston Mill

2009-07-29T12:55:00.004+01:00

Check out this brilliant instillation on at the moment in Dalston as part of the Barbican's Radical Nature: Art and Architecture exhibition - a fully operational bread mill and wheat field where you can bake your own bread or see a theatre show. Fun fun fun!

The Lake District: Quichey quichey ya ya da da

2009-07-27T09:09:00.005+01:00

Quiche night: Kim, Fi and Oli

The hours before dinner have been blissful with the gang either in the lounge room or front garden enjoying some reading time with a nice cold beer. It's so quiet all you can hear the babbling of the brook running through the back of the house and the song of woodland birds. Then suddenly...

WHOOOOOOOOOOOP!!WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!

The fire alarm is going berserk. I race up to our bedroom to find Jasmine still sound asleep (I swear, once that girl actually gets to sleep not even a death metal band turned up to 11 can wake her)
I look out the window and there is smoke streaming out from the kitchen windows below. While the techies in our group try to figure out the code to turn the alarm off, everyone else races around the building opening windows and fanning the air with whatever comes to hand. I head down into ground zero - site of the burning quiche - and find Kim in the kitchen enjoying a fine glass of red, a picture of detached calm amid the chaos...

At some point the peace and quiet was restored, the smoke cleared and we enjoyed a delicious spread then played petanque until the midges and mosquitoes chased us back indoors.

Leek and Stilton quiche (from BBC food)

What you need
2 tbsp vegetable oil
25g/1oz butter
350g/12oz onions, finely sliced
675g/1lb leeks, shanks only, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
2tsp soft thyme leaves
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tbsp plain flour
3 eggs
290ml/½ pint double cream
100g/4oz Stilton cheese, cubed
2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan
300g/12oz short crust pastry
seasoning

The do
1. Line a 25cm/10in flan tin or dish with the pastry. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
2. Heat the oil and the butter in a pan until melted. Add the onions, leeks, sugar, garlic and thyme and cook gently until they have started to turn golden brown and are soft. Allow to cool slightly. Fold in the flour and add seasoning.
3. Beat the eggs and cream together and add to the onion mix. Fold in half the parmesan and the Stilton cheese.
4. Spoon the mixture into the flan case and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Bake in a preheated oven at 190C/375F/Gas 5 for about 50 minutes until golden brown and set.

Spinach, mushroom and ricotta quiche with sauteed spinach (from BBC food)

What you need
For the quiche
butter, for greasing
400g/14oz ready-made shortcrust pastry
350g/12oz flat mushrooms
3 sprigs thyme, leaves only
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g/1lb 2oz baby spinach leaves
freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
250g/9oz ricotta cheese
1 tbsp grainy mustard
3 free-range egg yolks
300ml/11fl oz double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the spinach
25g/1oz butter
1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
500g/1lb 2oz baby spinach leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

The do
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/465F/Gas 4.
2. Grease a 25cm/10in loose-bottomed tart tin with butter.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to line the tart tin. Cover with cling film and place into the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
4. Remove the pastry tart case from the fridge, cover with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Transfer to the oven and bake blind for 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove the beans and greaseproof paper and return the tart case to the oven to bake for a further 3-5 minutes, until golden and just cooked.
6. Turn the oven temperature up to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
7. Meanwhile, place the mushrooms onto a baking tray, sprinkle over the thyme, drizzle over one tablespoon of the olive oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place into the oven to bake for 5-6 minutes, or until the mushrooms are beginning to soften. Remove and set aside.
8. Heat a large frying pan until hot and add the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and the spinach and cover with a lid. Cook until the spinach has just wilted, then remove from the pan and drain.
9. Season the spinach well with freshly grated nutmeg and salt and freshly ground black pepper.
10. Place the ricotta into a bowl. Add the grainy mustard, season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
11. Spoon the mustard and ricotta mixture into the bottom of the tart case, top with the wilted spinach, and carefully place the roasted mushrooms on top.
12. Place the egg yolks and cream into a bowl, season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper and whisk together. Pour the egg mixture into the tart case.
13. Transfer to the oven to bake for 40 minutes, or until golden-brown and bubbling. Remove and cool slightly before serving.
14. For the sautéed spinach, heat a frying pan until hot. Add the butter and swirl the garlic clove around to flavour the oil.
15. Remove the garlic clove, add the spinach and sauté until wilted down. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
16. To serve, cut slices of quiche and place onto plates with a spoonful of sautéed spinach alongside.

Tune
Burning down the house Talking Heads

I will not munch on your poussin

2009-07-26T23:16:00.002+01:00

Australia, England... same language, same sort of culture, so why sometimes are things so bloody difficult? What, when you see poussin on a Sunday roast menu otherwise written entirely in English, might you think? No, not a fish, not a Russian president, not a vegetable, not a saucy vagina, a WHOLE FUCKING CHICKEN.

I didn't know that before three this afternoon. Now I do.

Thanks to the lovely bloke at Royal Inn on the Park who sweetly reversed my order after he arrived at the table and I almost freaked out as badly as the first time I ever saw steak tartare.

Why not just call it chicken, yeah?

Sunday market bonanza

2009-07-26T17:54:00.003+01:00

The Lake District: The Old Mill

2009-07-26T00:31:00.001+01:00

This is my second attempt at this post - frustratingly, the first one went AWOL - and so I don't lose the will to blog I've decided to break it up into parts, which is probably better anyway.

Earlier this month we escaped the "killer heatwave" and spent a week up North with some good mates living in a house, a very big house (with turrets!) in the country.

Why? To celebrate Kelly's 29th and Carter's (more significant) 40th birthday. If Carters had had his way we probably would have been forced to wear medieval costume for the whole week, but unfortunately there was limited luggage space.

We split into teams and took turns cooking dinner which is what the next few posts will be about...

The saturday ramble

2009-07-21T14:00:00.011+01:00

My mate Kirsty K and I have totally embraced the English pastime of rambling. Not so much walking poles and maps wrapped in plastic as the joy of taking a very long stroll to a country pub for dinner.

One Saturday a little while back we took a train to Guildford in Hampshire then ambled through field, farm and forest to Liss. We enjoyed a halfway break at the Hawkley Arms getting smashed on the local cider but feared a come down deep in the woods so took the precaution of carrying four more pints in milk bottles to tide us over till we reached the next pub. Part two of the ramble was a bit woozy then but still remarkably beautiful; bright yellow canola fields and wooded tracks carpeted with pretty and pungent baby shoots of wild garlic.

When we finally got to Liss some seven hours after we set off, we were dozy and starving. I can't remember the name of the pub we stumbled into but the food was brilliant (in our experience the country pub kitchen can be a bit hit and miss if it is open at all). In that moment, a big bowl of mushrooms in a cheesy, mustardy, creamy sauce topped with buttery crumbs was the best thing I ever ate.

A sticky situation

2009-06-22T08:43:00.002+01:00

Getting up this morning was easy because I knew there was a home-baked brioche in the breadbox calling out my name. While I was waiting for the toaster to do its work I came to the sudden realisation that we were out of jam. Another frantic rummage in the fridge yielded one of those little pots of jam you get in fancy hotels. Yippeee!
Now that breakfast has been saved, I'm thinking about where that pot of jam came from...did I bring it home from a holiday somewhere? Am I turning into my grandma? Arrrgghhhhh!!

Today I baked...

2009-06-21T18:11:00.001+01:00

...a brioche.
So goddamn delicious!

Oink oink

2009-06-13T21:55:00.004+01:00

If you're in town tomorrow between 12-6pm head over to Brick Lane for the annual Art Car Boot Fair and grab yourself one of these cute little swine flu piggies made by Guy. Mmmm, pinky, lemony goodness...

Yellow raspberries

2009-06-12T09:44:00.003+01:00

Do these exist in nature or is it some weird genetic experiment? These yellow raspberries were surprisingly sweeter than their red counterpart - their yellowness made my brain think they would be super sour. We enjoyed them with some vanilla ice cream but they were also lovely on their own.

An anniversary lasagne

2009-06-01T16:08:00.003+01:00

Yesterday we celebrated our first year of marriage by making a lasagne and watching Flight of the Conchords while Jasmine slept. A good test for any relationship is how long you can last in a small hot kitchen together and I think after living together for a few years we may have finally mastered it, sort of.

I haven't attempted a lasagne since I dropped the one Adam and I made about a year ago, so this time I was VERY careful when taking it out of the oven.

Anniversary lasagne

What you need
1 jar of good quality tomato pasta sauce
1 eggplant, sliced 5mm thin
2 red capsicums
2 courgettes, sliced 5mm thin
1 bunch chopped, cooked and drained spinach
1 bunch asparagus
Adam's homemade pasta dough (we used 500g of '00' flour and 5 medium eggs)
1 mozzarella ball
mature cheddar cheese
handful of pine nuts

The do
Heat up a griddle pan until super hot, and grill the veg - if you don't have a griddle pan a fry pan will also do the trick. Set aside.
Roll out the pasta into sheets with the pasta machine until you get to the number 4 setting. Cut the sheets to size and cook two at a time for a few minutes in a big pot of salted boiling water. Fish out with tongs and throw into a big bowl of cold water.
In a 30cmx20cm baking dish, pressing each layer down firmly as you go:
- spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce
- then a layer of pasta
- courgette and half of the spinach
- layer of pasta
- tomato sauce
- eggplant
- layer of pasta
- capsicum and the rest of the spinach
- layer of pasta
- asparagus
then cover with grated mature cheddar cheese and mozzarella. Sprinkle pine nuts on top. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Dollop on some of the tomato sauce.
Bake in oven for about 45 minutes or until heated through and brown on top. Serve with rocket leaves dressed with a little balsamic and olive oil.

1.30pm Procrastination + Green & Black's almond chocolate

2009-06-01T13:33:00.002+01:00

Fasta pasta

2009-05-28T23:44:00.003+01:00

With all the projectile vomit and poo in our house these days, there hasn't been much time or inclination for cooking. Sadly our frozen food supply has run out and the novelty of take-out has worn off - so I've ventured into the kitchen and whipped this up in about 10 minutes, which is almost as quick as picking up the phone and ordering a margarita pizza - and it's much healthier too.

What you need
2 portions of thin spaghetti (I used Barilla no 3 spaghetti)
200g ricotta
Half a lemon
2 handfuls of cooked lentils
1 big bunch of spinach
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
olive oil

The do
Put the pasta on the boil as per instructions. Chop the spinach. In a large shallow pan on medium/high heat , stir-fry the spinach, lentils and the garlic until the spinach wilts, then take off the heat. By now the pasta should be done. Drain and add pasta to the spinach mixture, toss and add a few good lugs of olive oil. Crumble ricotta over the top and squeeze lemon juice over the whole mixture. Season with a little lemon zest, salt and pepper.

9.45pm Cuppa and a green tea McVitie's

2009-05-01T19:04:00.001+01:00

Getting clucky

2009-04-28T21:19:00.001+01:00

In the spirit of the recession and all, I only tend to cook things these days which also make a tasty lunch the next day. One of my favourite leftover lunches is Spanish tortilla, which really is just as good cold as it is freshly cooked - and better reason to whip one up than being given a box of freshly laid eggs by my workmate Mike, who has a collection of chickens in his yard which he is extremely fond of – the leader of the pack is called Jasmine.

The eggs were from a variety of different types of chicken and as a result were really unique shapes and colours – some had two pointy ends and others were almost round – and they all had amazing bright yellow yolks. You really can tell the difference between a home-laid egg from a pampered chicken and a free range supermarket one…

I’ve made this tortilla based on a bbc good food recipe – but as per usual, couldn’t resist making a few little tweaks here and there.

SPANISH TORTILLA

The do

You’ll need about 6 eggs, broken into a bowl and mixed together with a fork

Cook the potatoes – I par boiled mine, pre-sliced, because I’m impatient. Excellent tip: when cooking potatoes in cubes or slices, add a drop or two of vinegar to the water and the potatoes won’t crumble or break once their cooked, they’ll go firm on the outside and keep their shape perfectly.

Grill the red peppers – I grilled them whole for a few minutes until the skin had gone black. Once they’ve cooled down you can peel the skin off really easily and chopped them into strips.

Throw the peppers and potatoes and some parsley in a frying pan along with a fistful of chopped parsley and pour over the eggs. I like putting some halved cherry tomatoes on the top as well.

Cook for 5-10 minutes on the hob, then crumble some feta on the top and place the whole pan under the grill. Grill for 5-10 minutes or until the top is golden and the middle is no longer wobbly.

Serve with a pile of rocket, and look forward to a couple of delicious slices for lunch the next day…

Bottom of the food chain

2009-04-27T22:52:00.001+01:00

14.40 kings cross, lunch with kelly at camino

2009-04-05T13:06:00.003+01:00

Vegetariano platter - spinach croquettes, antipasto toast and patatas bravas all on a plate for only 5 clams. Fabulousio!

WELCOME TO THE WORLD JASMINE T!

2009-03-23T09:35:00.002Z

To celebrate the birth of Jasmine Tabitha Viola Carter-Chew, Nestle have started making Jasmine tea Kit Kats!
Jasmine (above) is mad as hell that she hasn't got any teeth to try one. How frustrating. Looks like her parents will have to eat them all...
Big love and thanks to Denise and Robbie for sending us the delicious Kit Kat booty all the way from Kamakura xx

Baby bootcamp at University College Hospital

2009-03-23T09:32:00.001Z

Vegetable stroganoff and apple and blackcurrant pie

A few days after the birth of the delightful little Miss Jasmine T, we were readmitted back into hospital because she lost 12% of her birth weight as a result of being more interested in sleeping than eating (can you imagine? A child of mine?!)
The poor little possum had to have a feeding tube shoved up her 3-day-old nose, and when I saw the food on offer I wished they would do the same for me.
Luckily, I managed to avoid eating a single morsel thanks to my lovely friends who bought in a delicious array of very edible food. Also a big thanks to my amazing husband for helping me through the sleep deprivation and for bringing me a big fresh fruit salad every morning.

Cauliflower cheese (with parsley garnish)

Vegetable herb soup and Parisienne potatoes with, err, not sure

Broccoli and chipped potatoes and sticky toffee pudding

Tomato omelette and chips

Vegetable chili and date sponge with custard

I'm genuinely shocked that this is the food they serve to sick people in hospitals. How on earth does anyone ever get better eating this stuff??

FROZEN DIN DINS

2009-03-23T09:11:00.001Z

So I've finished up at work and the nesting instinct has kicked in big time. When I'm not wolfing down cakes and chocolate, I'm reorganising the kitchen cupboards, cleaning out the oven and making frozen dinners. All the pregnancy books say to do this, and I think it's probably a good idea. I decide to make my favourite pumpkin curry and two easy soups, which I know will provide comfort in times of no sleep and stress.

PUMPKIN CURRY

What you need
2 big butternut squash
peanut oil (olive oil is OK too)
1 big tbsp mustard seeds
4 cloves garlic, crushed
bunch of basil
1 can of coconut milk
salt
sesame oil

The do
Chop the pumpkin into large chunks (I prefer to leave the skin on because it adds a nutty quality and helps the pumpkin keep its shape).
Pour a good lug of peanut oil into a baking tray and toss the pumpkin until well coated, season with a decent sprinkling of salt then roast for around 30-45 minutes until browned and soft. Remove from oven and set aside.
In a wide pot or deep fry pan, heat a few tablespoons of peanut oil on a medium to high heat, and add a tablespoon of mustard seeds. When they start popping, add the garlic, fry for a minute, then empty the contents of the baking tray into the pan. Continue frying on medium heat for a few minutes, taking care not to manhandle the pumpkin too much as it will break down a lot as it cooks. Add the can of coconut and turn the heat down to a simmer. Add sea salt to taste. Cook until desired consistency is reached; if it is too thick add some boiling water. Stir through a bunch of ripped basil leaves and a drizzle of sesame oil. Serve with rice or roti. You can also add crushed peanuts on top for textural difference.

PEA AND MINT SOUP

What you need
1 bag of frozen peas (approx 800-900g)
a handful of mint
1 onion chopped
2 teaspoons of marigold bouillon powder
walnuts
1 tablespoon double cream (omit for dairy-free option)

The do
In a pot, fry onions for a few minutes in some olive oil. Empty peas into the pot, add water until just covered and add stock powder. Bring to boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes. Turn heat off. Add mint and walnuts and blitz in the blender. Stir in the cream (you can leave this out if you like) add salt and pepper to taste.

CARROT AND CORIANDER SOUP

What you need
1 kg of carrots, chopped in 2cm chunks
1 tablespoon coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
2 onions, diced
2 teaspoons of marigold bouillon powder

The do
Fry the onions in a pot with some olive oil for 3 minutes then add the spices and fry on low heat for 1 minute. Throw in the carrots and add boiling water until carrots are just covered. Add stock powder. Slow boil until carrots are soft then blitz with hand blender or blender. Serve with fresh coriander on top.

Quick boxing day breakfast

2009-02-10T12:14:00.000Z

This post is about two months late, but better late than never I guess!

My last post featured our excellent Christmas cheese board, and I just wanted to share with you our boxing day breakfast - raclette-style cheese on toast. All you have to do is grill some sliced bread on one side, then on the un-grilled side pile on the raclette cheese and some sliced picked onions and cornchions. Put back under the grill until browned on top.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-30T16:46:00.001Z

Happy Christmas everyone!
Our day was spent in the company of lovely friends, Carter's homemade Christmas crackers, brand new Mighty Boosh DVDS and Pictionary.
I made my usual sweet potato and leek Christmas roulade (except this year I made one with prune stuffing and the other with feta), chestnut and cranberry stuffing balls with red onion and Guinness gravy.
Kelly worked her magic on the vegetables - carrots and parsnips with wholegrain mustard and maple syrup, and the best roast potatoes I have ever had.
Oh, and we also had the most amazing cheeseboard known to man. Manchego, Chaumes (I hadn't had this cheese before - it is pasteurised, has a sticky soft orange rind and is an excellent start for those beginning a lifelong quest for the gooiest, stinkiest French cheese), Brie, Wensleydale, Cheddar, Gruyere, Cornish Yarg, Raclette accompanied by Italian baked figs, apple chutney, quince paste and fancy crackers. Mr Stilton was sorely missed, but he isn't so good for unborn babies, so next year I'll have to have twice as much.

KELLY'S BEST EVER ROAST POTATOES

What you need
Around 16 potatoes - Maris piper, King Edward or Desiree, peeled and cut to size
2 tablespoons plain flour
sunflower of veg oil

The do
Preheat the oven to 190. Throw potatoes into a big saucepan and cover with cold water, bring to boil and boil for 2 minutes. Drain, keeping the potatoes in the pan. Sprinkle over the flour, put the lid back on and shake violently so the potatoes get all roughed up.
Place a large metal heavy duty roasting tray on the hob over high heat. Add a few big lugs of oil. When the oil starts to spit, add the potatoes and fry for about 5 minutes turning the potatoes with tongs to lightly brown on all sides.
Place in the preheated oven. After 20 minutes, take the potatoes out and put back onto hob, frying and turning the potatoes for 5 minutes. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes then return to the hob for another 5 minutes turning the potatoes carefully.

When done, sprinkle over some sea salt and serve.

ONION AND GUINNESS GRAVY

What you need
50 g butter
2 big red onions halved and sliced 1 cm thick
8 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped from stalk
2 sprigs of Rosemary, leaves stripped from stalk and roughly chopped
200ml Guinness
2 tsp marigold bouillon dissolved in 600ml boiling water
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

The do
Heat butter in a saucepan. When melted, add the flour and onions. Fry for a few minutes on a medium heat until they just begin to brown. Add the Guinness and mustard and reduce to half.
Add the thyme, rosemary and stock and simmer on lowest heat for 45 minutes without the lid. If you like it a bit thicker, dissolve a teaspoon of cornflour in a little cold water and add to gravy. Bring to boil. Repeat until desired consistency is reached but don't go crazy, it will reduce more when it cools down and gets reheated again.

This tastes even better when it has been living in the fridge for a few days. Plus it'll be one thing less you have to bother with when you are enjoying your Christmas champagne.

Chocolate time is here

2008-12-29T16:41:00.001Z

Being pregnant has made me chocolate obsessed, so one night after work in the lead-up to Christmas I decided to make my own festive chocolate. Making your own chocolate is fun because it's all about taking something you like and remolding it into something even better. Plus, doing it yourself allows you to control what goes into it - keeping it free of excess sugar and additives

What you need
2 handfuls of brazil nuts (or any other nuts that you like, macadamias - for an Australian vibe, pistachios, peanuts)
1 1/2 blocks of Green and Black's dark cooking chocolate
1 block of Green and Black's milk chocolate with almonds, broken into pieces
1 handful of dried cranberries

The do
Line a 15x15 tin or container with non-stick baking paper. Put the nuts into a plastic bag and bash a few times with a rolling pin to break them up, don't pulverise them!
In a bowl, melt the cook's chocolate in the microwave on high for 1 minute at a time until completely melted.
If you don't have a microwave, melt the chocolate in a bowl fitted over a saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the simmering water.

Spoon a 5mm layer of melted chocolate into the tin/container. Sprinkle on the cranberries, nuts and squares of almond chocolate then cover with the remaining melted chocolate. Keep in a cool place to set, then chop into bite-sized squares with a sharp knife.

You can add anything you like to this 'chocolate sandwich' - experiment with white chocolate or other dried fruits.

Putting the 'no' in Nouveaux

2008-12-20T09:05:00.001Z

Look at this amazing work of eighties art that was placed in front of my friend, and fellow vegetarian, Theo for his work Christmas lunch. Good enough to eat...not!

Home sweet potato soup

2008-11-19T21:46:00.003Z

My very dear friends Kristi and Paul have moved in around the corner from us. To celebrate, I'm cooking them a quick and easy soup - and would be quite happy to do so every night if meant cooking on their amazing stove!

What you need
4 sweet potatoes
1 pear
A handful of small brown or green lentils
A fistful of Coriander
1 brown onion chopped
Half a pack of feta, crumbled
1 stock cube or 1 tablespoon of bouillon
Salt
Pepper
A hand-held blender, or food processor

The do
Put the kettle on.
In a big pot, sweat the onions in a glug of olive oil. Add the lentils and sweet potato.
Fry for a few minutes then add boiled water until the sweet potato is just covered. Add stock. Slow boil with lid off until sweet potato and lentils are soft. Take off the heat and very carefully blitz with the hand-held blender until smooth adding milk or soy milk to get it to your preferred consistency. Put back on the stove for a few more minutes then serve in bowls. Garnish with copious amounts of feta and coriander.

Pie in the sky

2008-11-12T18:10:00.002Z

The week leading up to a holiday has an element of that blissful feeling you get after you've just quit your job. I've been going through the motions with a big grin on my face knowing that in a few days time I'll be I'm a climate warm enough to apply copious amounts of sunscreen.
Tonight Kelly - Rocky's favourite aunt - is coming over for a feed, I'm going to use up the remaining veg in the fridge so it doesn't die a slow death in my absence. It's been a busy week and there is quite a lot left so I'm going to make two - that way we can have one for tonight and the other for later.
You can use any combination of vegetables for this pie - butternut squash, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, spinach, cauliflower, celery, courgettes, carrots, sprouting broccoli, aubergine or mushrooms (pan fry with some garlic first)

Going on holiday/clearing out the fridge pie

What you need
An assortment of veg. I used:
5 small heads of broccoli, cut into small florets
4 carrots
Half a handful of runner beans, chopped
2 small handfuls of green beans, chopped
1 butternut squash, cubed

Sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Butter
Gluten free flour
Rice milk

For the mash
6 big potatoes
Chives
One small tub, or 3 big tablespoons of goat's yoghurt
Rice milk

Boil potatoes until soft then set aside.

Get the steamer going and throw the veg in starting with the ones that take longest to cook. I started with the carrots, then a few minutes later added the pumpkin, then 3-5 minutes later the broccoli then the beans.

Omce the veg is all lightly steamed, separate into two baking dishes and spread out evenly.

Mustard sauce
Make a White sauce; melt about 40g butter in a medium saucepan then add a few tablespoons of flour and half a teaspoon of cumin - gently blend together over a low heat, do not brown.
When throughly combined, slowly add rice milk stirring with a whisk until it's a saucy consistency. Add the mustard and salt and pepper to taste. If it's too runny add a little more flour or reduce for a little while longer. Remove from heat.
Ladle the sauce onto the veg so it is well coated.

Drain the potatoes and mash with olive oil or butter, chives and goat's yogurt
Add salt and pepper to taste
Spread mash over the veg with a fork, roughing it up so it looks like the Himalayas.
Bake at 180-200c until it is heated through then finish it off under a scorching grill so the peaks go deliciously brown and crispy.

Now you can get started on your packing...

Happy birthday Lily!

2008-11-04T22:30:00.001Z

A few weeks ago we celebrated Lily's birthday in a most excellent pub in Hackney.
Before heading out, I was overcome with the sudden urge to bake, which I'm sure has absolutely nothing to do with being pregnant.
So here is Lily's birthday cake - Nigel Slater's ginger cake with a block of Green and Blacks dark chocolate melted on top.

Name this vegetable!

2008-10-23T22:31:00.003+01:00

During one of our Sunday eat-a-thons Lily and I decided to pop into the massive Indian supermarket on Brick lane and pick up a few bits and bobs.

Then we came across this vegetable which has the appearance of a snow pea but 10 times the size.
What is it? And how do you cook it?

Chunky cucumber sandwich

2008-10-08T14:12:00.000+01:00

I've been following this pregnancy diet my friend told me about (thanks
Ellen!), called the Gentle Birth Method - it means going without wheat, sugar, dairy
(with the exception of goat products) and tomato for your whole
pregnancy, in order to avoid a long labour to a monster-sized baby.

So far the no wheat thing has worked well for me, it's eliminated the nausea
and headaches and now I don't feel like napping all the time. YEAH!

The only challenge is finding stuff to chow down on – which isn't so bad after
you get your head around it. Eating out on the other hand is a bit trickier.

Here's an easy one to get started on. It's a great lunch or after work
snack. So simple, yet so delicious.

What you need
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Tofutti soy cream cheese spread or pasteurised goat's cheese*
Sourdough rye
Salt and pepper

(*TAKE HEED!! Not all goat's cheese is safe for pregnant consumption. Avoid
ones that are unpasturised and that have a rind. I used one from the goat's
cheese stall at Islington farmers market)

Knocked up: The early months

2008-10-03T19:13:00.003+01:00

Just as I was congratulating myself for escaping morning sickness altogether, I was whisked off A&E for Hyperemesis (extreme vomiting) which was triggered off by an infection.
After that I found my appetite was half the man it used to be, I was too tired to cook and it gave me a horrible headache anyway - hence the reason for the posting drought.

The first few months being up the duff can be a bit tricky food wise. Here are a few tips if you find eating a chore:
* When you can't eat or drink without feeling sick try sipping ginger beverages like ginger beer, ale or cordial

* Don't stress too much about being healthy yet, the main thing is to get something down and keep it down. Remember - the baby is effectively a parasite at this stage and knows how to get what it needs from you

* Build your appetite up slowly. I lived on Mini Cheddars (Country Cheese crackers for the Australians out there) for a couple of days, then graduated to grilled cheese and tomato on Sainsbury's cheese and black pepper english muffins, then to pizza, then a whole veggie burger. I don't usually eat this sort of stuff but it was the only thing I could bear to stomach!

* Miso soup sachets are great for a quick fix - all you have to do is boil the kettle, no cooking involved. Go for the ones a the health food shop - they don't have all the E numbers and MSG

* Congee (recipe here) is fantastic for when you are feeling poorly and it's super easy to prepare

* Always keep a stash of food in your desk drawer at work. Fruit, nuts, muesli bars (Dorset muesli bars are my favourite) dig in when you are feeling queasy - eating small amounts throughout the day helped me keep nausea at bay

* Drink lots and lots of water to flush out toxins and keep things regular

If my experience is anything to go by, your appetite will be back to normal before you know it!

Chew...now with added baby

2008-09-21T11:12:00.003+01:00

It's been exciting times at the Chew-Carter household!
We have recently discovered that we are in the family way and are expecting a Mini Chew in early March.

Now I can eat for two! Yay!

Beware: The awesome power of mushrooms

2008-09-06T17:37:00.000+01:00

Part of Carter's birthday present this year was a guided mushroom foray in Hampstead Heath. Thankfully it was one of those rare days this summer where it wasn't raining which made it all the more enjoyable.
We rocked up at the meeting spot where our guide mushroom expert Andy Overall gave us a crash course on mushroom spotting that covered the different mushroom families, the toxic ones and most importantly, the edible ones.

Being early in the season, we came across more used condoms than mushrooms (I wonder if this is the exact spot where George Michael was busted cruising?) but it was incredibly relaxing strolling through the woods with nothing on my mind other than seeking out little mycological treasures. It was like chilled-out easter egg hunt for adults.
We became very familiar with the inedible Earthball that was in abundance, looks like a mini puffball but has the aromatic qualities of the inside of a brand new Tupperware container. It was quite a thrill to find a mushroom you could actually eat - our best finds were the Hare's Ears that Carters found in the bushes...

and these Amethyst Deceivers...

By late morning our little basket was filled with oyster mushrooms, hare's ears and boletus. They were mostly found by other peeps in our group who were kind enough to share with us, this dude below really hit the motherload and the end of the walk when he discovered all these chicken of the woods mushrooms hanging out at the base of a massive tree.

The next morning, I gave the mushrooms a quick rinse (I know you're not supposed to...but I couldn't help thinking about George Michael) pan-fried them with lots of salt and pepper and enjoyed them on toast. They were absolutely amazing - you could taste the different flavours of each mushroom and differentiate the textures. The hare's ears were crunchy, the Boletus has a sweet flavour and the chicken of the woods had a, well, chicken-like texture with an ancient woody earthy taste.

We are now officially obsessed with all things mushroom. They are free, fun to pick and delicious but you gotta know your shit.

Cooking with not much gas

2008-09-02T14:20:00.000+01:00

Coming to America: Day 11, Greenwich Village, New York City

2008-08-25T10:07:00.003+01:00

The words 'best falafel' will always get my attention. Everyone knows there's a lot of terrible falafel out there in the big bad world - dark brown discs of any texture ranging from deep fried sawdust to rubber. I'll never forget the pride in the voice of one kebab shop owner as he asked me how I liked his falafel. I couldn't bring myself to tell him it looked and tasted like a wet sock left for a week in a plastic bag.
My love affair with this humble chickpea patty began when I was in university. The local strip housed a Falafel Kitchen, which pretty much kept me well fed for my entire uni life. Sometimes they would stand on the street handing out falafel balls on a tray to entice customers into their store. I would always devise a way to walk back and forth several times for another little snack.

Fast forward to The Big Apple, where Moustache in Greenwich Village, has a reputation for serving the city's best falafel. They're part of the Slow Food movement too, so you know they're putting thought into what they do.

Crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, with distinct, identifiable flavours, served with pillow-soft pitta bread and fresh salad; what you get at Moustache is exactly what every falafel in the world dreams of being. The best in New York? I'd need to do more research to be sure. But the best I've ever tasted? Definitely. Don't miss the chance to try it if you're in the area.
Get the table in the window and, if you're very lucky, you'll get a little episode of New York life. While we were there, a fire truck turned up to quench a fierce flood from the apartments above. Hot falafel, fresh mint tea, and brawny men with axes. What more could you want?

clearing out your closet

2008-08-11T16:23:00.002+01:00

Prices are rising and so stopwasting food! Let's beat the credit crunch and use up crap left behind in your cupboards by past visitors (in my case two of the same box of cereal, Alpen muesli, in the red box. But any old oat based breakfast cereal would do nicely. I think better than the traditional plain oats because of all those extra little bits)add any other fruit or chocolate (which I think would taste gross) to this recipe to really use up what is festering in the back of your cupboards

Flapjacks

What you need
80gm brown sugar
100gm butter
2 tbs. golden syrup
250gm left over cereal (or oats)
pinch salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1.5 bananas thoroughly mashed
1 lemon (rind removed)
10 small cubes crystalised ginger chopped finely

1. Heat oven to 220
2. Melt sugar, butter and syrup over low heat
3. Add mashed banana, cystalised ginger and lemon rind to butter mixture
4. Fold in cereal, salt and ground ginger
5. Pour into lined tin
6. Bake for 25mins
7. Meanwhile make a syrup from the juice of the lemon and equal part sugar over a low heat (until sugar has dissolved)
8. Pour syrup over just cooked flapjack, score into pieces and leave to cool in the tin for 2 hours

Lentil As Anything

2008-08-11T15:18:00.001+01:00

Wow, this feels a little like those movies where the city family heads to the beach for an epic summer that changes their whole lives and when they return home to remove the dust covers a symbolic montage explains that, though nothing appears different, nothing will ever be the same again. It's been a good couple of months since I last posted (I'm sorry Chew!)... tumbleweed indeed.

I moved house in June and I've been sniffing suspiciously round my new kitchen ever since, not particularly inspired to develop a relationship with it. I could search for a deep psychological explanation but, really, I think it's because the oven is shit. That said, I am now slowly getting a cooking groove back on, mainly thanks to two foxes who've taken up residence in my back garden. I can see them frolic and play from my kitchen window and their excited yapping and tail shaking is a beautiful thing (even if they drag all kinds of crap into my yard).

Drunken Lentils

Getting back on the horse with something simple -- and in need of uber nourishment after an epic 40 kilometre mountain climb -- I opted for a big plate of marinated mushrooms and boozy Puy lentils. I wanted a big bang of flavour in the lentils, so cooked them down in a miso sachet stock and big cup of water, sharpened with generous splashes of white wine, vodka and Pimm's No. 1. A good forty minutes simmer time saw them reduce into a thick, salty stew, the ideal companion to some stir fried mushrooms (marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, sesame, balsamic and a splash of soy), brown rice, toasted seeds and ribbons of flash fried egg. Looks dirty, tastes foxy.

goodbye chef

2008-08-11T11:48:00.003+01:00

A little shocked to hear about Isaac Hayes giving it up on a treadmill on the weekend. He looked well fit -- and performed beautifully -- when I snapped these pix at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2005. Hayes and Porter, the great Stax team.

I'd like to introduce you to...

2008-08-02T05:04:00.004+01:00

our first guest blogger...Guy, aka Cupcake Master.

You've probably noticed that tumbleweeds have been blowing through our humble little blog of late, so Guy has been kind enough to help us out.
Thanks Guy!

Coming to America: Day 10, New York City

2008-07-23T22:51:00.001+01:00

Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery
137 East Houston Street
Between 1st & 2nd

When in the lower east side, you must stop in at this knishery - and make sure you are starving, these puppies are not for the faint hearted.
Go for the vegetable or mushroom knish and a Matzo ball soup on the side and observe the interesting clientele, from cops picking up boxloads of knishes to skateboarder kidlets...all while the knish chef catches some zs in a chair at the back of the room.

Give peas a chance

2008-07-12T09:46:00.001+01:00

Today I ventured out onto the balcony to water the plants. I haven't needed to do this for quite some time because it has been raining non-stop (it is supposed to be summer now, right?).

I was shocked to find that the peas I planted months ago had grown at a rate that would put Jack's beanstalk to shame. At least all that rain is good for something.

My little baby peas aren't ready to eat yet, but I grabbed these beauties from the market last week. De-pod them, throw them into some boiling water for a few minutes, drain, toss with a bit of butter and some freshly chopped mint.

These are a million times better than the frozen variety so get 'em while the getting's good. When picking your peas, the pod shouldn't be dull and they should feel 'squeaky' when you pick up a handful.

They are great with almost anything as a side (try Lily's Stilton mushrooms).

Coming to America: Day 9, East Village, New York City

2008-06-24T11:28:00.004+01:00

On our way to breakfast, we stop at an international newsagents to grab an English paper only to discover that Bojo is the new Mayor of London. I haven't been this disappointed since John Howard was voted in again in 2004.

Thankfully the friendly folks at B&H Dairy - a tiny vegetarian AND kosher diner in the East village - have an entire menu of comfort food for us to bury our sorrows in.
The stack of french toast made from Challah bread is so gigantic that any memory of Boris is forgotten as soon as it lands in front of me. As always the home fries are a winner, while the spinach blintzes are cooked to perfection with the obligatory bucket of sour cream on the side.
Make sure you get a seat on the counter and watch the staff banter while they work the grill and ladle out hot bowls of mushroom barley and matzo ball soup.

Coming to America: Day 7, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco

2008-06-23T13:29:00.001+01:00

Today I'm particularly excited because we are escaping to Alcatraz.
On the way we stop for a quick breakfast at a chain called Boudin. I order a veggie scramble cob thing and it is fantastic. Carters has an equally impressive salad sandwich with choice ingredients like avocado and semi-dried tomatoes on yummy rye bread.

Seeing the tunnel that was used in the famous escape was really cool and I also liked the industrial sized kitchen where they had a knife cabinet with silhouettes painted so you could tell straight away if a knife was missing. The dining room had sprinkler type fittings overhead, so in the event of any trouble, everyone in the room would be gassed!

Refugee week 2008

2008-06-21T11:27:00.001+01:00

In the tabloid headlines, you will often see the words 'asylum seeker' and 'refugee' coupled with 'terror' and any other negative connotation you can think of. It's easy to forget that these are people from all walks of life who have travelled huge distances to escape persecution and to seek asylum.

Asylum seekers give up everything they have to escape atrocities that most of us can't imagine. What I find impossible to comprehend is how they are treated when they arrive in the UK.

So here's the asylum seeker challenge:

1 You are given £35 in vouchers every week for food and toiletries
2 These are ASDA vouchers, so you must first walk to your nearest ASDA
3 You must spend your £35 allowance in one go
4 When you present your voucher at the checkout counter you may be regarded as scum
5 You will not receive change
6 You walk back to where you are staying because ASDA vouchers won't cover your bus fare

Repeat for up to two years while the Home Office makes a decision on your case. During this time you are not permitted to work.

The Migrants Resource Centre puts out an annual newspaper called The New Londoners to counteract the negative connotations associated with asylum seekers and refugees in the media.
Download it here

And in case you missed it...read this excellent piece by Mark Haddon in last Sunday's Observer Magazine here

Yes - it all sounds very worthy/serious/boring, but there are some amazing highly-skilled people amongst us who are being forced to live like vagrants because of government policy and it's time we got clued up on it and stop pretending like it's not happening.

Coming to America: Day 6, Fort Mason Centre, San Francisco

2008-06-12T19:39:00.002+01:00

The search for a vegetarian fine-dining establishment is sometimes likened to the search for a sweet-smelling Frenchman. Oftentimes, your restaurant experience involves you and your companion ordering the only vegetarian starter, then one of you getting the interesting main - usually a tart or something made with glassy filo - while the other settles for the token risotto or pasta dish.
If you're very unlucky (or in Paris) then you have to ask the kitchen if they can whip something up. At which point the waiter might come back and say that they can make one of the salads without the meat, or they may bring you stinging nettles and a sock full of bread.
So, in my experience, it's pretty rare to find a vegetarian restaurant that gets it perfect.
And yet...

Greens, in San Francisco, is the best vegetarian restaurant on earth. Possibly. We wanted to order everything on the menu. My starter was a fresh spring roll (with carrots, jicama, green papaya, rice noodles) with grilled shitake mushrooms and tofu and peanut sauce. My main was equally delicious - a butternut squash gratin with grilled onions, poblano chilies, cheddar and fromage blanc custard ; served with grilled polenta, green gulch rainbow chard and beet greens with pumpkin seeds. It all tasted as good as it sounds.
And the view was perfect. Hold out for a window seat, and time your visit for sundown. The light glinting off the marina waters is the perfect backdrop for a celestial dining experience. And the wine list. And the service. It's as if someone somewhere finally got the idea that maybe vegetarianism isn't about self-flagellation after all.

I'm back!

2008-06-12T19:37:00.002+01:00

Yes. It has been SEVERAL momentous weeks in the world of Chew.
I'm so far behind with my posts that I may need to hire a time machine to remember what on Earth I ate three months ago. And speaking of going back in time, during wedding week my dad bought over a few of my personal effects from Melbourne and this photo was amongst them. I guess some things never change...

a momentous week in the world of chew

2008-05-28T22:14:00.001+01:00

Not only is our beautiful young Chew a year older this week, she is GETTING MARRIED ON SATURDAY! No wonder the woman looks startled. (Kudos to her wonderful man, Carters, for the flat stanley marble birthday cake.)

TV Dinner

2008-05-22T00:25:00.006+01:00

Ages ago I had a thing about reviving wartime food, but then I nosed around and it all looked so shit I gave up. Now, the most amazing thing has arrived on the iPlayer - a show about wartime food that is actually brilliant TV.

The Supersizers Go...

Taking the Supersize approach to a week living on wartime rations, the key players are:

1. Sue Perkins - In my mind's eye, every Radio 4 announcer is a greying academic. How amazing - one of the greatest wits of the station is but a bounding, young whippet!

2. Giles Coren - Great food writer, looks pretty damn natty with the Brylcreem and a 3 piece.

3. Allegra McEvedy - A Leon originator and champion of seasonal cooking, her style is cool and she bakes a mean hash fudge. Here, she is commanding.

Dammit, this is the smartest food show I've ever seen. It's a must.

eatin's cheatin at atp

2008-05-21T22:51:00.001+01:00

10 of us took a minivan to ATP on the weekend. We stopped at Tesco on the way and bought a fair whack of groceries; salad, eggs, pasta, veg, fancy cheese etc etc. Our plan was to cook at least four meals over the course of three days. I don't know what the fuck we were thinking. Our shop would have been far more productive if we split the cash on beer, pear cider, Pimms, vodka, rum, mixers, tobacco, papers, filters and Anadin Extra.

Today, still shagged but absolutely blasted full of good time vibes, I came home from work to a lot of eggs and a hankering for the tortilla. I am no tortilla expert by any stretch and I really am too buggered to spell out the shizzle but all I can say is go for the long, slow cook and I think the experts favour a small deep pan rather than the wide shallow one I have at my disposal.

All you need to do is skin and parboil some taters then cool and grate them. Soften some sliced Spanish onions and garlic with chilli flakes, stock and wine. Mix them with the grated tates, some chopped parsley and salt'n'peppa. Then beat the lot with four eggs (for 2) until it's all frothy. Pour into a med-heat pan. Let it cook slowly till the arse is tanned then pop it under a fan forced grill to brown the top. Serve with fresh coriander. Done darlin.

Coming to America: Day 5, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

2008-05-14T15:19:00.002+01:00

Purchased from the gift shop in the Japanese tea gardens.

Coming to America: Day 4, La Quinta

2008-05-12T22:46:00.000+01:00

During the festival, we call La Quinta home. Today we are cruising around for food in our hired convertible before heading into the festival - the Japanese restaurant is closed so we head over to this Mexican place with serves dangerously large portions of food and jacuzzi sized pomegranate margaritas. Yeah!

Las Casuelas
NW corner of Washington and HWY. 111
La Quinta

I am a huge avocado fan. I lurrrrrve the avo. I like Mexican food because there is always a little of my favourite pear shaped fruit on the plate - except at this place where there is a whole lot of it. Check it out! There must be at least a box of avocadoes in this Fiesta Guacamole alone! (try making your own at home: diced avocado, coriander, red onion and chopped tomatoes, squeeze lemon juice over the top and a few shakes of tabasco - don't forget the doily)
The food here isn't mind blowing, but it's a million times better than any Taco Bill experience I had as a child. As soon as you are seated, you are given a basket of fresh corn chips and salsa that is semi-frozen, kind of like a tomato Slurpee, which makes it very enjoyable to consume in the desert heat.
We end up visiting this place twice over the course of our stay in La Quinta. The first time, I had a vegetable Quesadilla that came bracketed by rice and refried beans. It is such a huge serving that I have to eat my way up the middle - leaving most of the rice and beans. I feel bad about this wastage, but I just can't force rice and beans down in 40 degree heat.
The next time (with Alyson and Halle, below) I order a salad in an edible bowl. The salad is much more refreshing, it is layered with a cooked vegetable mix of corn, corgettes and peppers on the bottom, then lots of crispy iceberg lettuce, cucumber and tomato, then some cheese, sour cream and a huge ice cream scoop of guacamole on top. The edible bowl is a little disappointing though, I expect it to be like a huge Dorito but instead it tastes like...fried.

Yay! The margaritas, the happy waiting staff, the cooling water mist spray things

Boo! Why do the servings have to be so big? Surely if Americans ate realistic portions it would solve the food crisis

Cost: A few margaritas and a main will set you back £12
Service: 4.5/5

the loveliest lump of clay

2008-05-12T22:40:00.001+01:00

Back in February I dragged a huge tagine home from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Last month I cooked in it for the first time. Now I'm finally posting the results. Slow cooking indeed.

A couple of things I did manage to do way back when were prepare the tagine (by soaking and oiling it) and preserve some lemons. Lemon preserving is perfectly suited for my kind of attention span. I had no trouble dumping them in the back of a dark cupboard and forgetting about them for weeks on end and they taste an absolute treat for the neglect.

Preserved Lemons
There are probably more techie ways to do this but I went with the directions given to me in Fes. Essentially, cut a cross in the top of each lemon, stuff the fruit with sea salt, squash the lemons into a tightly sealed jar with some lemon juice, water and more sea salt. Then leave them well alone for three to four weeks. I am happy to report that this method proved successful in my kitchen (though stuffing the lemons with salt was a bit of a bastard).

What you'll need for the tagine
Whatever veg your heart desires. I reckon aubergine would have been lovely but I went with what was in the kitchen:

1 Sweet potato (chopped)
1 leek (washed and quartered)
2 zucchini (sliced fairly thickly)
3 fresh tomatoes
1 tin of tomatoes
1 onion
1 fennel
1 preserved lemon
Cummin seeds
Fennel seeds
Paprika
1 bay leaf
Red wine
A handful of green olives
A handful of dried dates
1 tin of chick peas

Make a little veggie stock on the side
With so much veg getting skinned, chopped and grated, this is the perfect opportunity to put all the scraps and peelings into a separate saucepan and make some stock while your tagine is simmering.

Making the tagine
With an electric stove you need a rivet under the tagine to prevent the veggies at the bottom burning. If you are planning a real slow cook, it is advisable to do this with an open flame also.

Heat olive oil in your tagine on med-low heat then soften the onion slowly (I grated mine to make things a bit gooey). Add the chopped dates and a pinch of paprika.

Quarter the preserved lemon. Chop three quarters into small pieces. Toast your seeds in a separate pan, crush them then add them to the onion along with the chopped, preserved lemon. Stir through, followed by all the other veggies, the bay leaf and olives.

Cut your tomatoes in half and grate the flesh off the skin to pulp them. Add with the tinned tomatoes to the tagine. Pour in a generous splash of red wine, seal your tagine and let it simmer on a very low heat for hours on end (about four in this instance).

I think it's best to ignore the whole thing from here on in. If you open the lid too often you'll lose moisture. Just make sure the little bowl at the top of the tagine stays topped up with cold water so the heat circulates through. Twenty minutes before serving, mix in the chick peas. Cut out and discard the flesh of your remaining preserved lemon quarter then slice the skin into thin strips. Add this bit of tang to the cooked tagine to serve (along with some fresh coriander if you like or a few more olives).

Coming to America: Day 2, Coachella, California

2008-05-10T15:33:00.001+01:00

We are wandering around in a grassy polo field in the middle of the desert.
Jack Johnson is playing on the main stage, so we go for food as far away from him as possible. Sarah and I are on the lookout for corn on the cob, but corn of a different variety catches Carters' eye. Veggie Corn Dogs the sign says. And the picture below says everything else you need to know about this culinary curiosity.

I refused to try it, but decided I probably should for the sake of research. Like most faux meats it's just too accurate and too synthetic to be enjoyable. It is comforting to know that when the world eventually does run out of food we'll probably have these things to nibble on in our little futuristic huts.

Coming to America: Day 1, Beaumont, Los Angeles

2008-05-06T22:22:00.001+01:00

It is 4pm local time and we are two hours into our drive to La Quinta after enduring a 10 hour flight. I'm so tired I can barely stay on the road, so we make a stop at the next available place for refreshments, which happens to be a Dennys. Carters gets excited and orders a heap of random stuff. Eggs with hash browns, grits and pancakes. Except for the egg yolks, there is a serious white and brown colour scheme going on. After tasting the grits, I decide I'd be pretty happy if I never had to eat them again.
Sarah and I opt for veggie burgers with fries - the only other thing on the menu that isn't exclusively brown and white, and doesn't contain meat.

Coming to America

2008-05-05T17:31:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone! I'm back! Sorry for the lack of posting action - I have spent the last ten days eating, drinking and shopping in various parts of The U.S of A, and boy have I got the arse to prove it. Gotta hit the treadmill now, but watch this space for more culinary excitement, Americano style.