Month: August 2015

Blackberry Marble Cheesecake

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More fool you bakers! This ‘no bake’ cheesecake looks like it has taken ages to prepare, but in reality it takes 20 mins to put together and 2 hours to set in the fridge. Try it now while blackberries are in season and free on the roadside! Sit down and watch this week’s Great British bakers struggle to work their ovens while you tuck into ‘no bake’ cheesecake heaven. Serves 6-8 people in an 8 inch loose based tart tin For the buttery bisuit base: 100g butter 250g disgestive biscuits 100g soft light brown sugar For the cream cheese topping:  180g/ 1 tub of cream cheese 300ml double cream 200g icing sugar For the blackberry marble drizzle: 250g blackberries 1 lemon 50g caster sugar mint leaves Reserve 10 blackberries for garnish later and add the rest to a small pan with the juice of half a lemon and the caster sugar. Heat until bubbling then simmer for 10 minutes until the berries have broken down and the sauce has thickened. Then leave to cool. Gently heating the butter in a small …

The GBBO is back – celebrate with Victoria sponge rose petal cupcakes

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It’s bake off day. Which means you can’t watch without some form of cake. Let’s start simple: This recipe is so easy to follow and no special equipment required: The trick is equal weighs of self raising flour, butter, eggs and sugar. Whip up and throw in the oven. For the buttercream, you can just use a clean sandwich bag To make the pink tinted rose petals, brush streaks of colouring up the inside of the bag with a cocktail stick! Sit back, tune into the Great British Bake Off and tuck in! Victoria Sponge Rose Petal Cupcakes For the sponge: eggs, free range and organic self-raising flour salted butter, British and soft caster sugar vanilla extract Full recipe here

Brighton Be Beautiful: Bardsleys, The Chilli Pickle, The Lion & Lobster & Coggings & Co.

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Oh I do like to be beside the seaside. So much so that last weekend I played away from home (cheated on my glorious sandy hometown of Swansea) and enjoyed a weekender in Brighton. I was fortunate enough to have plenty of suggestions and advice from a network of food lovers and twitterers, so ‘the ol’ food itinerary’ was pretty chocker block.  Alex has been away with me enough to know that ‘free time’ doesn’t really feature in my holiday itineraries – but what’s leisure time when you get the chance to taste the best food around with me, eh? BRIGHTON BITES 1. For the perfect fish & chips – Bardsley’s   Now, I spent the best part of my early teenage years working in a cracking local chip shop on the seafront in Swansea. During the summer of 2008, I think mushy peas were the only vegetable in my diet and my lunch of choice was curry and cheese on chips with chilli sauce (oh to have the metabolism of a teenager again.) So I know good fish …

Etta’s Seafood Kitchen – Review

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I’m really gunna miss East London (farewell Pizza Union, Beer & Buns, Clutch and Song Que, I won’t forget you.) But the move to South London really excites me food-wise and I’ve already found where I’m gunna get my fix of fantastic fresh fish and really well priced Caribbean food. It was 9pm on a Saturday night and Brixton village was rammed. We had originally sat at the place opposite that did burgers and grilled meat. After being ignored twice by the shirty waiter (meaning angry, not wearing shirts), we left and instead sat down at Etta’s. I’m so glad we did. None of us have much knowledge about Caribbean food (apart from those Jerk seasonings and sauces you can buy in supermarkets that bear no resemblance to the real deal.)  Etta’s is a seafood restaurant, and bravely, they only serve seafood (with 1 vegetarian option.) There are plenty of choices. If you like fish. Which we do. So we got stuck in. FOOD The dishes are really well priced and portions are decent. There was a long wait for the food, but …