Author: bethdoesfood

Avocado Carbonara with Lemon, Pine Nuts & Olive Oil

Published by

Ok, so I just moon walked into the kitchen to cook myself something tragic with the leftovers in my fridge, and just so happened to cook a pretty damn tasty dish that was ready to eat in the time it takes to cook the pasta. I use a couple of tricks to make this dish extra special. Avocado’s make a healthier substitute for cream in pasta sauce, using starchy pasta water helps the sauce to stick to the pasta and a cheeky yolk thickens the sauce when it is mixed in, just like in a Carbonara. Serves two 1 small leek 1 small red onion 1 clove of garlic 1 lemon 1 ripe avocado a few glugs of olive oil a handful of pinenuts a handful of grated cheddar 1 egg yolk So… fill a saucepan with water, bring to the boil then add the pasta. Cook for around 15 mins until al dente (and keep 3 tbsp of the cooking water) Roughly chop the leek and red onion, and crush the garlic clove with …

Song Que Cafe – Review

Published by

Real Vietnamese food in East London Song Que was recommended by an Instagram follower, who described the Pho as ‘Boom ting!’ I had to give this place a mention. We had a fleeting visit from an old friend last night and wanted to take him somewhere authentic, and try something new in East London before my move in two months (only down to South London but still!).    Song Que In a sea of fairly decent looking Vietnamese restaurants, the only thing that makes Song Que really stand out (apart from the tacky lime green front) is the fact that it was absolutely rammo – Vietnamese, Londoners, old, young, couples, catchups, families, predrinks. We felt at home straight away in this echoey, green canteen style joint, where the waiters are speedy and the prawn crackers are free (I mean, where can you find free prawn crackers anywhere anymore?) The words ‘authentic’ ‘true’ and ‘famous’ are plastered over their menu so I don’t have to go into this. But all I can say is believe their glowing …

Beer Battered Cod & Triple Cooked Chips & Chip Shop Curry Sauce

Published by

There’s nothing better than proper Fish and Chips. Cooking this dish was the first time I felt completely in my comfort zone in the MasterChef kitchen, it brings back so many fond memories of home and my childhood (and I don’t doubt it does for lots of others too!) I even brought my own chip shop paper and chip forks for the show; I think it makes it taste better.  Pale ale gives a great flavour to fish batter. I use my cousin-in-laws’ home brew iota, which gives a sweet malty taste. My curry sauce is a take on the Chinese style curry sauce that everybody loved at the my local chippie. Serves 2 Ingredients For the fish: 2 cod fillets groundnut oil, for deep frying 100g plain flour, kept cold in the fridge until use 150ml pale ale, or your favourite lager ¾ tsp baking powder a pinch of salt For the skin-on chips: 3-4 large Maris pipers groundnut oil for deep frying malt vinegar and sea salt For the chip shop curry sauce: 1 small onion …

Clutch – Review

Published by

CLUTCH Clutch, 4 Ravenscroft Street, London E2 7QG http://www.clutchchicken.com Fifth result down on a quick google search, after discount handbags, care repair advice and gig dates for a 90’s American rock band, you’ll find Clutch- ‘the home of guilt-free chicken.’ This restaurant’s website has been at a practically blank holding page for months now, but I can tell you for free that the fried chicken here is clean-tasting yet completely addictive. We ate more chickens than there were diners at our table on the night in question and no, I do not feel at all guilty. Right around the corner from Columbia Road, Clutch pops up out of nowhere, like a petrol garage in the desert. The building was once a dirty little East End boozer, but now, painted cartoon yellow, with a faux turf lawn and dolls house-style garden furniture out front, Clutch couldn’t be further than its former haunt. A chirpy and sour ‘Jay Z’ (cocktail) started our night off nicely – the making of which had so many different elements it resembled that classic Rowan …

Popty Ping – MasterChef and my homage to last year’s winner

Published by

‘Popty Ping’ means microwave in welsh. Although there is not a microwave in sight in the below recipes, it does give a clue as to the inspiration for the Malaysian dinner party I hosted a few weeks ago for my nearest and dearest, in celebration of my upcoming TV debut. And the loose theme I chose was Malaysian, as an ode to last year’s MasterChef Champion 2014, the fabulous Ping Coombes. It was Ping’s flawless home-style Malaysian cooking and attitude to food that prompted me to submit my application! From the beginning her dishes were amazing, giving John and Gregg, and the viewers at home a real culinary lesson. She cooked from the heart, using flavours and techniques learnt from her family, and made everyone realize that you don’t have to dine out in expensive restaurants to know about amazing food. So I prepared a (maybe not so traditional) Malaysian feast, with a few of my own little touches too. Entertaining for a big group in a tiny flat takes plenty of planning and lots of …

The Rise of the Chicken Shop, how not to do it & a Chicken orgasm at Clutch.

Published by

The chicken shop market is a crowded coop.  Gone are the days that fried chicken was reserved as fuel for gangs of teenage boys or a second dinner for drunks stumbling home. Just like the burger before it, and the chip before that, fried chicken has shed it’s ‘fast food’ reputation and been given a makeover. First came the dirty (Monkey Fingers at CHICKENLiquor and the like); American-style chicken burgers and wings, clogging you up with thick, sticky stuff, served in paper wrap on a big metal tray (or dogs bowl, or whatever looks the most filthy). As tasty as this face-plant inducing, cheese-drenched, bacon-suffocated cuisine is, this type of eating is not sustainable. I mean, it’s not the right type of food to set you up for for a quiet night, let alone a night of dancing (plus, you don’t want to add to that morning-after guilt with the regret that you scoffed all that greasy poultry). Now there’s a surge of ‘high quality’ chicken shops that achieve perfect balance – that amazing fried …

Apple Strudel Tarts

Published by

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

Published by

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

Published by

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…

Published by

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 …