Month: March 2015

Apple Strudel Tarts

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Necessity is the mother of invention – and I was in a desperately hungover situation last Sunday and in need of a proper dessert. A couple of bruised apples, half a pack of filo and the remains of my baking cupboard later and, voila, the glorious flavours of strudel quickly baked in a muffin tin. Considering how good these taste and how pretty they look they really are flippin easy… and I didn’t even have to run to the shops for any ingredients half way through.  You can use whatever dried fruit and nuts you’ve got lying around – sultanas and hazelnuts, apricots and pecans. (makes 4) 1 cooking apple, cored, peeled and cut into 1cm chunks 1 eating apple, cored, peeled and cut into 1cm chunks 50g soft light brown sugar a handful of raisins ¼ tsp allspice ½ tsp cinnamon 50g salted butter, melted 4 sheets filo pastry, cut into 5 inch squares (keeping the offcuts) a handful of flaked almonds icing sugar, for dusting Start my cooking the chopped apples, sugar, raisins …

Beer & Buns

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I just had to write a little post of thanks to pop-up bar/restaurant ‘Beer & Buns’ for providing a well needed mid-week drink (actually, it was only Tuesday) and the best pork ‘Hirata’ buns i’ve eaten in London! What’s on the menu: Very simple, buns and wings What to choose: BUNS- chicken buns are their ‘Signature’ but go for the pork; the bread is soft and pillowy, with sticky pork belly and rich red, saucy cabbage. Prepare to dribble. WINGS- Korean Hot do exactly what they say on the tin but they are so damn moreish – a deep heady heat and flecked with toasty sesame (thank gawd for a big glass of ice cold Asahi to relieve a numb tongue). Where: Find it ‘Upstairs’ @ K10, Liverpool St for the near future! Tip: Visit on Tuesdays for  2-4-1 on all food! http://www.beerandbuns.co.uk/

Mission E2 – Review

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Mission – Arch 250, Paradise Row, E2 9LE The initial appeal of this East London wine bar was that its just around the corner from our humble East London flat, and I get lazy. But since it’s opening late last year Mission has gained plenty of attention and really caught my eye in an online review I was reading last week (initially because of the pretty-flash palm tree centre piece that swoons over the bar, but then for the soothing sound if its rustic, unpretentious tapas-style dishes).  I won’t pretend I know a hell of a lot about wine. I’m embarrassed to say it. But I do know East London. And good food. And where to get good food in East London, with a glass of wine. So that’s what I am going to comment on. Mission is placed in a railway arch, with a dark, curved wooden ceiling that makes you feel like you’re walking straight into a wine barrel. Fittingly, the whole place was drunk – loud, bustling, a bit dizzying. But very inviting. On Friday night our waiting staff were mental; too …

Real Cinnamon Pretzels – I don’t know about you…

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I don’t know about you but when I’m traipsing through a shopping centre I always walk a little slower past the Mr. Pretzels stand, hoping they will start offering tasters. That smell of warm bread and cinnamon as the staff swing ropes of dough in the air like gymnasts puts me in a trance. So when my cousin got engaged and a Bavarian theme was decided for her Hen Do I got really excited. The perfect texture for a soft pretzel is crisp on the outside, soft and chewy in the inside. Pretzels, like bagels, are steamed in bicarbonate of soda before baking which creates a firm crust and keeps a fluffy middle! I referred to a wonderful recipe from thingswebake.co.uk, for tips and picture demonstrations. My version is an adaptation of this recipe: My own Mini Cinnamon Pretzels are lovely and spiced, bite-sized, with a chocolate dipping sauce to dunk them into. I have upped the cinnamon and sugar so they are even more like those classic shopping centre pretzels! For the pretzel dough: 140g plain flour 140g bread flour 1/2 packet quick yeast …

The Perfect Victoria Sponge

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 It’s the most versatile cake going. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like a Victoria sponge. This recipe is so easy that once you’ve read it once you will never need to read the recipe again.. For the sponge eggs, free range and organic self-raising flour salted butter, British and soft caster sugar vanilla extract (optional: I don’t think it’s needed if you’ve got quality eggs & butter) weighing scales electric whisk, or hand whisk wooden spoon mixing bowl sieve two cake tins, greased if non-stick or lined with baking parchment This recipe has ONE VERY SIMPLE RULE: Use 1 part eggs/ 1 part sugar/ 1 part butter/ 1 part SR flour So to start heat your oven to between 180°c and 200°c, depending how hot your oven is (ours is like a furnace). You need to weigh the eggs in their shells (I would recommend 3 eggs for two small tins.) 1 medium egg is usually around 60g. Add to a mixing bowl the equivalent ‘egg’ weight in butter and in sugar and whip up until really light and …

Ginger & Sesame Cod with Broccoli & Avocado Cold Tossed Courgette Noodles

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Ginger & Sesame Cod with Broccoli & Avocado Cold Tossed Courgette Noodles (2 portions) For the cod marinade: 1 garlic clove, 1 inch of ginger 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp dark soy sauce 1/2 tsp each black & white sesame seeds For the noodles: 2 courgettes 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp fish sauce 1/4 a head of broccoli 1/2 an avocado First bash the garlic clove and ginger with the flat side of a thick knife and brush on a chopping board until minced. Add 1/2 the paste to the rest of the marinade ingredients, brush over the fish and marinade for at least 20 mins. For the noodles: I’ve got a nifty gadget that will turn vegetables into spaghetti (see below – under £2 from Amazon ;)) but you can also use a vegetable peeler to make long thin strips, then slice length ways into noodles. Place the noodles in a bowl with the rest of the garlic and ginger paste, soy sauce and fish sauce. Roughly mash the avocado until creamy with a few chunks …

Understanding Catalan and The Oldest Winebar in Barcelona

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The first menu you read at the first restaurant you visit in Barcelona always sounds the most exciting: grilled octopus, garlic prawns, fried salted Padron peppers, smoked pork meatballs and blue cheese croquettes. Exciting… that is until you notice the other restaurants on your way home and find that nearly all have exactly the same dishes on their menu. But fear not, this isnt a classic case of ‘traditional fish and chips’ or ‘pie and mash’ signs decorating the entrance of every station of the circle line.The reason you can find these same Catalan tapas dishes everywhere you go is because they are so fantastic that the locals are still eating them. The thing that struck me about Barcelona was its ability to maintain the authenticity of its famous dishes. Heavy with pork, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, smothered in olive oil with sea salt and fantastic bread. We were very fortunate to have my brothers girlfriend with us, who has been living in Barcelona for nearly a year and speaks perfect Spanish. She is well …