Saturday Night Dinner for friends

I love old friends...those you have known long enough that they don't mind that you serve them Covent Garden Soup Company soup as a starter, and are kind enough not to mention that the green beans are overcooked and the promised cheesecake has morphed into a Waitrose rasberry torte!

Regardless of all of the above I had a lovely time on saturday with my two friends, the prosecco flowed, and I reverted to a tried and tested favourite- Toad in the Hole- with onion gravy, chanteray carrots, green beans, swede mashed with cream butter and pepper and steamed brocolli.

The aforementioned shop bought soup was Tomato and Basil which I enriched with a little double cream and a sprinkling of finely chopped flat leaf parsley.

Following the fine Waitorse torte served with more pouring cream (see a cream theme here?) I was delighted to nibble on a few matchmakers- those retro chocolate twigs from the 80's that are so deliciously moreish that as we watched and criticised the acts on X Faxtor- the box was soon empty!

What's Up Cupcake- Whitstable

Isn't it enough that those lucky enough to live in Whitstable on the North Kent Coast have the delights of the fish market, Oyster house and Wheelers on the high street, along with a gloriously pebbly beach and the sort of ozone rich sea air that makes us Londoners green with envy? Well now they have a brand new cupcake bakery slap bang in the middle of Harbour Street!

http://www.whatsupcupcake.com/

As the website says:

"Sarah's Cupcakes are made with all natural ingredients, no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives, only free range eggs & the freshest fruit. Each special ingredient is hand picked for freshness & checked for its quality. The original vanilla cupcakes are quite simply; butter, eggs, flour & sugar, with a dash of pure Mexican vanilla extract. Variations on this recipe include the addition of fresh bananas, passion fruit, lemons or strawberries, pure cocoa, Oreo Cookies, ginger, coconut, and so on to incorporate only the finest ingredients."

I'm sorry but it just isn't fair! This new bakery sound wonderful and I am planning my next jaunt to Whitstable with a glint in my eye and the intent to sample quite a few!


Update- September 12th....I was lucky enough to sample one of the cupcakes from this delightful little shop- I chose the passionfruit on a vanilla sponge and the frosting was glorious- the slight sharpness of the passionfruit cutting through the sweetness of the light frosting. The cake itself had a great flavour- the only comment being that it was quite dense- perhaps I am used to a slightly lighter cake. Having said that, excellent value at £1.50 as even I couldn't manage more than one! R had a chocolate fudge one and declared it delicious even though he agreed with me about the denseness of the actual cake! Would love the opportunity to sample a few more flavours!

Update 2- October 10, 2009 Having spent another weekend in Whitstable I sent my other half off to buy 4 cupcakes- 2 more of the passionfruit, a chocolate fudge and another chocolate confection that he couldn't remember the name of! There is much to applaud about the packaging- the four soft and yet toothsome beauties came ensconsed in their own cardboard box tied up with three lengths of superfine ribbon- pale pistachio green, baby pink and chocolate brown! For those of us seduced by the drama and beauty of a cardboard box and froo froo packing I was in 7th heaven! Would make a truly wonderful hostess gift as well!

As the evenings get darker....

is it always the case that thoughts turn towards more comforting warm foods like sausages and root mash? Surely, the very early beginnings of September should be continuing to feed into the ideal image of perhaps an Indian summer with sun warmed patios beckoning to be spread with exotic salads, crusty breads and platters of Italian meats and cheeses? And yet, with the dark clouds above London and a hint of autumn in the air, my oven is harbouring a dish of outdoor reared pork sausages and a jug ready for onion rich gravy...

1930's themed afternoon tea

So a date is set, and a Sunday afternoon in late September set aside for the genteel art form of afternoon tea....this time a decidedly British 1930's theme has been settled upon, but with a modern twist-the concession to 21st century living being an I-tunes playlist -created with the soundtrack from Pennies from Heaven and a liberal sprinkling of Al Bowlly tunes to create the perfect mood....

A 1930's art deco teaset, reminiscent of Clarice Cliff with its green flowers and geometric patterns, bought for a song at a local car boot sale- will make it's first appearance alongside an old white china tea pot steeped with first flush darjeeling tea leaves and hot but not boiling water...that would scorch the delicate leaves and tips!

Tiny sandwiches of crab, egg and baby watercress shoots and roast beef and mustard will be bereft of crusts and will be displayed on the matching sandwich platter.... to be followed by tiny scones, as light as air and served with perhaps 2 or 3 of mum's home made conserves.

No doubt two tiny pugs will be at our feet as we slice into the tea loaf- plump fruits soaked in earl grey tea to swell before being baked into a rich loaf- perfect for thin slices to accompany the fragrant tea.

Such a pleasant and thoroughly British past-time and just right for the time of year when we seem to be entering the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness as Keats so musically described it...

Mexican...

There is something about the freshness and ease of Mexican food that works on a weekday evening after work...fresh limes, baby soft avocadoes, flat leaf parsley and sliced spring onions are worked into a silky smooth guacamole that serves as a focal point for my miniature vegetarian fajitas...wheat tortillas wrapped around spiced sauteed mushrooms, red onions and tomatoes, spiked with jalapeno's and softened by a spoonful of refried beans....delicious!

A London Summer

What is it about London, that even when it is raining torrentially in the midst of what was meant to be a Barbecue summer there is something so satisfying about being holed up in a wine bar in the West End with a couple of bottles of rose and good company, that just makes everything feel right with the world?

Mexican- La Perla

A recent trip to La Perla Mexican bar and restaurant in Maiden Lane Covent Garden was a sojourn into the wonderful world of frozen margueritas -made with decent tequila and blended with ice and lime to a wonderfully alcoholic smoothy slushy consistency, these lethally intoxicating drinks were all to easy to slide down!

La Perla delivered on being able to seat 8 of us without having pre-booked- and although not in the league of Wahaca with regards to originality, the food was good. Free bowls of tortilla chips accompanied a searingly hot but tasty salsa and the jalapeno poppers were crisply fried, hot and delicious!

Fajitas for two was a mountainous portion that would have easily served 3-4 when served up with the accompanying bowl of refried beans, copious soft flour tortillas and the holy grail of Mexican accompaniments- sour cream, salsa, and guacamole!

Would definitely return with a group- especially when the pitchers of margueritas are available in the Happy Hour!

One O One Restaurant Knightsbridge

Had a wonderful lunch at One O One today with S, M and Mum! One O One is a seafood and fish restaurant in the Sheraton Tower hotel next door to Harvey Nichols. Pascal Proyart is the talented chef there from Northern France and the food is always, without fail, simply sublime.

I have listed their current lunch menu below. If you book on their website you can get three plates, a glass of house wine, coffee and petits fours for £19.00

http://www.oneoonerestaurant.com/

BUSINESS LUNCH MENU:

Norwegian Red King Crab & Tomato, Gazpacho Jelly
Jabugo Ham, Onzen Quail Egg
This dish was simply delicious- light, fresh, and the tomato gazpacho jelly was chilled and pure essence of tomato!

Pan-Roasted Scallop with Chicken-Tiger Prawn Ballotine
New Carrot Purée, Vanilla Emulsion & Citrus

Steamed White Halibut with Ginger & Spring Onions
Seafood Coconut Broth, Sautéed Pak Choy & Peppers

Organic Salmon Confit with Pan-Fried Duck Foie Gras
Fricassées of Summer Beans & Truffle, Ruby Port Jus
The salmon was delicious- beautifully cooked and the sliced truffle atop the dish lent it a wonderfully fragrant edge!

Roasted Spring Lamb Fillet with Olive & Rosemary Jus
English Asparagus, Gnocchi & Parmesan

Cheese of the Day, Oak Leaf Salad with Walnut Dressing
Quince Jelly, Toasted Hazelnut & Raisin Bread

Warm Strawberries Fricassées with Cracked Black Peppercorn
Minted Ice Cream & Almond Tuile
The minted ice cream was light and fragrant, and the strawberries were warm, head with pepper- unusual and very different- scrummy though!

I have written many reviews of my many meals at One O One on http://www.london-eating.co.uk/ - so do please read the reviews and more importantly- BOOK AND EAT HERE!

Wahaca Updated...

So we got to Wahaca and miracle of miracles there was no queue! This must have been a weeknight miracle! S got there at 5.20 and got us a table- but even when I arrived 20 minutes late (courtesy of gridlock on Oxford Street!) there was still no queue! When we left at around 7 there was a long queue snaking up the stairs but I definitely think Wahaca is worth it!

Two cocktails- a tequila mojito and a tequila Moscow mule- both lengthy, cool and boozy and plenty of food only came to £42.00 and when you consider the amount of food we had and the excellent quality well Wahaca is a true central London gem!

My top notch three mini tacos from the street food section were absolutely delicious- well cooked steak with just the right amount of char and a chipotle salsa was the perfect foil to the rich meat.

The Quesadillas- toasted flour tortillas oozing with melted cheese and served with the house salsas came with their homemade black beans and mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. These were very rich and a little on the bland side but the home made salsas helped perk them up!

S thought the highlight of the evening was the MSC shrimp ceviche-two crisp tortillas, piled high with MSC shrimp ceviche with lime juice and habanero chilli, served on a bed of round
lettuce and crisp, corn tortilla. These were hot hot hot courtesy of the habanero chili's but the ceviche was fresh and zingy and a true flavour explosion!

The one disappointment of the evening was their tostada of the season-Seasonal Devon crab, MSC shrimp,avocado & chili salsa. The 2 corn tortillas wrapped around the crab and shrimp filling then deep fried and served with crema found their flavour obliterated by the deep frying and we couldn't taste either crab or shrimp- one to avoid in the future for sure.

In an effort to be good we then shared a large Summer Fuerza salad- the interesting mix of
Marinated beetroot, home-pickled hibiscus flowers, cucumber, avocado, radish, totopos, fried ancho, mint and salad leaves and quinoa (a protein rich grain) all tossed in their homemade
hibiscus dressing was quite delicious and a perfect counterbalance to the other richer dishes.

Side orders of sublime home made guacamole, hand fried tortilla chips and black beans rounded off the meal and we had no room for dessert although the menu offers quite a few delicious options.

I think Wahaca has the ability to become a nationwide chain = the prices are fair, the service was snappy and friendly and the dishes were for the most part top notch! I urge you all to go!

http://www.wahaca.co.uk/

Wahaca

Am off to Wahaca tomorrow for street food Mexican style, Margueritas and Hibiscus syrup cocktails! Cannot wait! Update coming soon!

Levant, Wigmore Street

On Thursday I went to Levant for dinner with two friends. This is one of my favourite Lebanese restaurants, just off of st Christopher's Place near Oxford Street, London.

You descend into a subterranean Middle-Eastern palace, down tiled steps strewn with rose petals and lit with moroccan metal filigree lamps...the restaurant itself is darkly lit and each table has a candle in the centre...some of the tables for two have beaten metalwork tops and are just beautiful. If you are in a large group ask for one of the two areas which has a u shaped seating arrangement around a low slung table, with loads of cushions and dark lamps...totally atmospheric and great fun to sit low to the floor!

You must try the Bahr cocktail...a heady combination of lychee liqeur, vanilla vodka, vanilla liquer and fresh mint...its heavenly- and we certainly imbibed a cocktail or two!

We stuck to a wide variety of mezze and with a 50% offer courtesy of http://www.toptable.com/ we were pleasantly surprised by a very cheap bill at the end of the evening!

The mezze were served with puffed up pitta bread balls hot from the oven... and we sampled the following:

--Velvety smooth Hummus -that intoxicating blend of Chickpea puree, tahina, lemon juice & pine nuts.

--Smoky Baba ghannuge-Grilled aubergine dip made with tahina & lemon juice came studded with pomegranate seeds, the pink jewels accompanying a flourish of flat leaf parsley. This dish is I think of their strongest- mellow aubergine, hint of smoke and the refreshing crunch of the pomegranate seeds! Yum!

--Makale samak or deep fried baby squid served alongside a coconut & chilli sauce were delicate fronds of squid with a very light batter and were totally delicious! And second serving of these were soon ordered!

--Crisp round Falafel -Chickpea patties served with tahini & garlic yoghurt sauce were light and crisp to the bite

--Batata harra -Spicy sautéed potatoes with red pepper, fresh coriander, garlic & chilli were toothsome and soft, with a generous flavouring of garlic and coriander.

--Fattoush Salad- a glorious concoction of Parsley, mint, cherry tomatoes, radishes, cucumber, spring onion, olive oil with crispy bread & sumac acted as a refreshing counterpoint to some of the richer dishes and was served beautifully on a wonderful glazed pottery plate...

Levant is a great place for a meal for two or even better for larger groups- our service was fantastic, warm, friendly and efficient whilst not being over bearing. Go back? You try and stop me!

Weekend Plans...

I always start out with such good intentions for the weekend ahead...planning meals to cook....chicken stir fry with beansprouts, sesame oil and rice noodles...aubergine parmigiana with crisp aubergine slices and breadcrumbs golden with parmesan....and then when push comes to shove I end up with a few crackers and cheese....the stir fry relegated now to a week night and the parmigiana looking like a lot of effort!

Mojitos....

The Vintage Bar in Watford is a bit of an oxymoron- a half decent cocktail bar in the suburban blandness of Watford! Monday to Friday they do 2-for-1 on their cocktails and the bartenders mix a mean mojito or metropolitan cocktail! If you are in the Market Street area be sure to drop in- beautiful decor, friendly staff and totally non Watford! At £5.50 for two- their cocktails are a veritable school night bargain!

Lemon Meringue Pie..a dessert from heaven!

Mum made a glorious Sunday lunch yesterday and the crowning glory was her Lemon Meringue Pie - a cross between a Gary Rhodes recipe and one from the American Diner Junior's Cheesecake book (highly recommended!) replete with Gary Rhodes inspired spiked meringue!

It tasted glorious- lemon and buttery and the meringue was the perfect combination of chewy and soft! The photos don't do it justice!!

A quarter of...rhubarb and custard?

I wanted to mention this fabulous website that sells penny sweets and chews just like the sweetshops that we used to go to when we were little! They sell amazing cola bottles and pint pots which remind me of the Tuck Shop at Haberdasher's! Have a look- they are bound to re-kindle your childhood memories! One bonus is that you pay the same postage for however much you order! Try the foamy mushrooms and the lager pots! Yum!

Find them here:

http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/

Anyone for Pimms?

On a searingly hot day like today I can't help but think of a jug of Pimms- a few of the supermarkets have it on sale at the moment for around £10.00 a bottle and what could be better than the classic glass of Pimms sprigged with mint and fruit! Just add comfy garden lounger and parasol and you have the quintessential British summer afternoon...

Take a jug or glass and Mix 1 part Pimms with 3 parts chilled lemonade, add some mint, cucumber, orange and strawberries- or indeed any fruit you fancy!

Cupcakery-The Cupcake Queen

If any of you ever find yourself driving around Las Vegas you really have to try and search out this hidden gem!

"The best little cupcakes in Vegas belong to Pamela Jenkins.As owner of The Cupcakery™, Las Vegas' premiere cupcake bakery, Jenkins has perfected the most nostalgic and favorite treat, the cupcake. With sophisticated flavors such as the Kir Royale and Chocolate Passion, the cupcake is no longer for children only."

On our recent trip to Vegas in April R and I enjoyed quite a few of the different flavours. I particularly liked the Kir Royale ™-Moist raspberry cake drenched in a bubbly champagne frosting- see the picture above! Truly delicious!

The cupcakery can be tricky to find- look for the Red Robin restaurant- and is a tiny little storefront but we just couldnt resist making a return journey or two! I definitely found the cupcakes at the Cupcakery to be a league above some of the London based cupcake makers. Lola's cupcakes, for example- which I have bought at Selfridges- have a sugar heavy frosting that is guaranteed to cause dental problems and actually doesn't taste all that good....now if only the cupcakery would open a store in London...

Find them here: http://www.thecupcakery.com/index.html

Is there anything more glorious than the sight of a loaded afternoon tea stand? Groaning with freshly baked warm scones and pots of conserve, tiny sandwiches with rich velvety fillings on soft breads and elaborate patisserie cakes..accompanied by a glass of sweet tea, the amber nectar poured slowly from a silver pot into a china cup....ah to be British is great!

First Thoughts....

Well this is my first blog and it has emerged amongst a realization that I am obsessed with food! Eating out, gastro-porn cookery books, recipe magazines, menus, you name it, I want to read it, explore it, enjoy it!