India Calling

I have 3 critical points to make here.

1. November is definitely the time to take your summer holidays.  While I spent most of July and August in the sweltering (ahem) rain of London my colleauges were off in the South of France, or at their lake cabins on the coast of Norway, or a few for good measure, in the grand ol' USA. As they say someone needed to "hold down the fort" so I opted to stay tucked in at my desk (and the Olympic Park) over the summer and instead make a cheeky getaway from the 9th -21st November.  Coming back to two days in the London office and then a week in Oslo, followed by 1 day in the office and then another week in Oslo, I am not surprised at how quickly Santa and all of that palaver has snuck up on me.  Just one more week in the office and I get to have another few weeks off. November is definitely the new black.

2. Delhi Belly / Non shmelly belly.  The stats all say, "50-70% of all people travelling in India will have stomach problems within the first two weeks".  In addition to this frightening statistic, I had half a dozen people warn me of what was to come.  So much so that my pulmonary doctor I see for my asthma was so traumatised by a trip he'd taken last year he insisted that along with a refill prescription of my inhaler he give me two mega doses of ciproflaxin. I wasn't allowed to leave his office without it.  It would have been a bit comical if he wasn't so convinced I'd need it.  Little did everyone know how OCD I'd be about everything I ate on this trip.  (Note: I was going to write how anal I was about cleanliness but that just doesn't seem right here).

Clearly I avoided all of the shadier food options put forth to me but I also lived with an antibacterial gel in my pocket. Add to the mix about 50 individually wrapped Wet Ones perpetually floating around the bottom of my bag - any time there was an even quasi chance that something unsantised was coming near my mouth - I whipped out the antibacterial gel /wipes.  I did get a couple of funny looks wiping down the outside of the coke can and straw, but hey ho - I had 12 days of spicy, rich, glorious food and all along had a stomach of steel to match.

3.  I love Indian food.  Just how much was an epiphany to me. In particular the heavy, fried, creamy and buttery food of Northern India. No salady stuff washed in water allowed, see my Number 2 (no pun intended) point above. It's definitely not something I could have 3 meals a day for weeks on end but for most of our trip it was to-die-for and consumed with my (sanitised) hands scooping up gorgeous curries with even more delectable Indian rotis and parathas.

Tandoori Aloo
(Potato barrels, stuffed with nuts & house spices) 

One of many buttery delicious breads (some spicy and stuffed, this one just with mint)

The "best chai in Jaipur"
NOTE: TWO Wet Ones used on the glass (I saw the milk boiling)

No clue what everything was called, but gorgeous aubergine curry at our boutique Jaipur hotel, The Farm

Foodie Pen Pal - Take 3

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This month's Foodie Pen Pal came from the lovely Jade over at http://wildpickings.co.uk.  A "forager" which was a somewhat new concept for me in today's day and age - Jade sent a lovely package over from West Wales with an assortment of fun treats.  This experience with FPP has been fabulous so far, putting me in touch with all sorts of talented food lovers  - Jade certainly not being an exception to this. In my package? Blackberry and crab apple fruit leather, wild dukkah, dried chanterelles, rose petal vinegar, hawthorne ketchup, and rosehip syrup.  Certainly any number of items not accounted for in my bi-weekly Waitrose run! I've not had a chance to try some of these fun treats, but hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be able to give them a go.

All Wrapped Up in One

It's not just the people who are beautiful in Paris. 

Jacques Genin's ultimate lemon tart.  See how we spit it? We are nearly virtuous!  (PARIS)

Worth their weight in gold (literally). Passion fruit puree and gingerbread caramels from Jaques Genin. (PARIS)

Gorgeous birthday lunch at Bistrot Bruno Loubet: Beetroot ravioli with shredded rocket and crispy parmesan. (LONDON- CLERKENWELL)

Birthday cocktails at the Zetter Townhouse (LONDON- CLERKENWELL) 

Birthdays, Paris, Lots of cake, VIP guest lists.  Each in their own right could warrant their own blog post. But seeing as I appear to have been out for 15 of the past 17 evenings (I now realise where my new accessory called "the belly" has come from) I thought I'd try and wrap up some of the most exciting news for food happenings in Dana's world  - and maybe, if lucky, come up with one mamajama of a story for you.

Let's start in Paris.  The last weekend in September I was invited to visit the gorgeous YL for a pre-birthday celebration.  Her pitch?  "Come visit and let's do a patisserie crawl around the city!"  SOLD.  So while in the end we didn't venture too far out of the Bastille / Marais area we were well onto our sugar high by noon having consumed more chocolate croissants slathered in homemade apricot jam than is healthy (I say "we" but the honest truth is that it was just me - but thanks YL for taking one for the team).

After browsing some lovely shops and buying and assortment of treatakins at le petite atelier de paris (seriously how cute is their stuff?) we headed over to Jacques Genin.  Immediately upon entering the holy shrine to all things both gorgeous and delectable the heart palpitations began, the seratonin started flowing, and the general state of patisserie perfection began clouding my vision and making everything go a bit soft and fuzzy.

Side bar: This is why I never got into recreational drugs.  Exquisite baked goods/confection appear (for me) to have what I imagine would be a similar effect of such narcotics.  

Even though we were already filled to the gills from brunch we decided to share a tarte au citron.  At a delicate size and the perfect ratio of pastry and tart and creamy filling, YL and I had many a moan worthy moment.  Even though we shared, we were also served two (each) of Jacques handmade chocolates (basil ganache and cinnamon ganache).  All were slowly savoured with tiny mouthfuls.

Jacques Genin is also famous for his hand made caramels.  Having read about his passion fruit puree caramels and knowing that Mama Cupcakes loves passion fruit (arguably more than some of her offspring now and again) I thought I'd try and work on my standing in the favourite child category. Certainly if I could send some over to her in New Hampshire I could move myself up a notch or two?  She reported back that she savoured every single one.  However, in response to my "am I your favourite child now?" question, what was returned back was a laugh and nothing more.   I think she's playing me for more caramels. Smart woman.

I'd like to say that the desserts ended there...but alas...there was more to come, manifesting itself in a pair of hot from the oven custard tarts from Comme a Lisbonne.  Funny thing though, after going back to YL's apartment for a bit of a power nap (sugar coma) we (again, just me) woke up starving! All I could think about was sinking my teeth into a bloody piece of meat after all that sugar. Successfully accomplished later that evening at a nearby Bistro.

Now fast-forward one week and I was able to celebrate my birthday in London with a few friends.  I had a bit of an internal debate (party? dinner? lunch? cocktails?) on what to do.  Unlike the past few years when I've thrown a shindig, invited the masses, cooked and baked for weeks before to prepare, and quasi bankrupted myself in the process, I decided on the simplest of activities for me, a late lunch followed by cocktails for those who couldn't make one or the other.

In the end I went for lunch at Bruno Bistro Loubet which was absolutely wonderful.  My favourite eat of the day was my starter of beetroot ravioli, rocket salad, fried breadcrumbs and parmesan.  I could have stopped there and been happy (of course I didn't).  My main wasn't nearly as exciting although it was certainly tasty - having another craving of red meat I went for the grilled steak with little gem caesar dressing, and a red wine sauce. We opted against dessert and went on straight to the Zetter Townhouse, without a doubt one of the coolest cocktail bars in London - complete with experimental cocktails to match.  Having been out the night before until 4 am drinking pink champagne with an assortment of characters (eccentric artist, professor of art history, former military/expert in middle east relations) my birthday festivities on the Saturday ended at a very civilised (read: getting old) hour of 8 pm.  But to be honest, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. For those of you wonderful friends who did make it out to join me - muchos gracias from the bottom of my 29 year old heart.

Foodie Pen Pal - Take 2

Foodie Pen Pal Treats - Take 2

This month's foodie penpal was the lovely Suzzane over at avocado and basil. It's arrival coincided on my birthday, which was an absolute treat! I know that wasn't part of her master plan, but thank you Suzanne and the Postal Service for a job well done.

As soon as I opened the package I was overtaken by the wonderful smell of fresh basil which Suzanne had lovingly picked from her windowsill and wrapped in some tissue.  She'd also spent the weekend before in Italy so I benefited from some chocolates and cavatelli pasta.  Added to the mix were some of her favourite food stuffs like pukka tea (also in my tea caddy - but some new flavours for me to try),  a nakd bar (looks healthy AND delicious - who knew?) some ginger candies (not yet consumed but waiting patiently for me on my kitchen counter) and some chocolate and hazelnut meringues (must stop eating but can't stop eating)!

Thank you Suzanne! Job well done! :-)

Bagel Nosh

Boiled and ready to be baked 

The Finished Product

The recent Jewish holidays left me craving lots of good nosh, and in particular, bagels. Convinced that the only way to get them in London is either en masse in horrible roll format in supermarkets, or to take a half day and schlepp to the outskirts of North London I figured the best option would be to take the challenge to bake some myself.  As a virgin bagel maker I scampered the internet for quite a while until I found a recipe I liked.  Considering the great number of positive reviews (minus some of the donkeys that didn't follow it correctly) I figured I had as good a chance of success as any.  And come on now - look at these babies! I know every good Jewish mother thinks her kids are the best looking and well, I kinda feel that same way about these little guys.

As I opted for a slightly longer boil time they were nice, firm and crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  I ate three within 12 hours - which is probably more than I've consumed collectively in the past 6 months.  Luckily they have frozen really well.  I'm planning to have some friends round for brunch so I can make another batch and serve them fresh and warm from the oven. You know those one-off food items that are just so absolutely delicious that you scarf them up so fast you almost don't taste them (I realise this is not a good habit but NEEDS MUST)  - well straight out of the oven and with just a bit of butter, they were just that.

So without further ado... http://www.sophisticatedgourmet.com/2009/10/new-york-style-bagel-recipe/  (although is it a bit cheeky to say I prefer the more bronzed bake of mine over hers)?  

Foodie Pen Pal - Take 1

Christmukah in July!

Treats from the US and Bristol

Perusing the web a few months back I came across Foodie Pen Pals via The Lean Green Bean. Lucky for me there is a small (but growing) group over in Europe that's started up as well - and I jumped right on in.

The basic premise is that you randomly get paired up with someone (either a fellow food blogger or just someone who really enjoys getting his/her grub on) and send through a surprise foodie package spending less than £10 (not including shipping).  It's monthly and you can be as active or not as you'd like.

I was paired with Sue in Germany over at http://sueintraining.wordpress.com/ and sent through some of my favourite treats (jam, spices, candy) from Ottolenghi's Upper Street store. Unfortunately the prized (and pricey!) passionfruit jam didn't make it in one piece. Dang UK to Germany shipping. Apparently in transit the glass jam jar broke into a thousand shades of inedible. Hopefully she'll still enjoy the homemade raspberry lollipop and za'atar spices.

On the flip side, I received the care package of goodies above from Karen in Bristol.  After a brief introductory email (giving the basics which mentioned my Yankee heritage) she very sweetly decided on a hybrid package.  Thinking I might be homesick (I was, but was also packing for a flight home to the USA 2 days later) she sent through some "all-american treats" as well as some local Bristol goodies such as clotted cream fudge, local cider, and marmalade.  I've not yet tried the latter two but the fudge went down a treat.

On the Stars and Stripes front I got two candy-bars (the Reese's NutRageous has already been demolished) and a Cookies and Cream Hershey's bar (possibly to be used in some chocolate brownies this weekend).  Also in the package? Kool-aid and Fluff.  Now both of these products are something I've not consumed for over thirty years*, which is certainly ironic since I'm not older than 29 (roll of eyes).  I vaguely remember them making their way into my Montessori smurf lunch box though. Man, I wish I still had that thing...but I digress.

My challenge if I choose to accept is to work these classic lunchbox treats into some sort of baked good.  Well, let's be honest - the fluff will become a baked good and the kool-aid in some sort of cocktail to be consumed while making the baked good.

Ironically I've promised some "American themed treats" at a work meeting next week.  I see the possibility of some fluff rice-krispy like snacks in their future.

*I have quite possibly consumed Kool-Aid more recently than the age of 4.  I have a vague memory of an Alpha Delt "Purple Passion" party my freshman year at University. I'm pretty sure this cocktail (if you can call it that as it was served out of plastic bag lined garbage cans) consisted of Everclear and Purple Kool-Aid. I choose to forget.

Bonkers for G'Nosh

It is not often that a product impresses me so much that not only do I go out of my way to buy it at a few select (overpriced) shops but on the off occasion they are sold out, I pout all Piccadilly line ride home.  It's a fricken' dip people, I know - but this one (or rather these two) have wooed me in the best way possible - with pure joy on the tastebuds.

First discovered in Selfridges food hall a few months back, G'Nosh produces a small selection of dips - and two have burrowed their way into my heart, beetroot and mint (with a little kick of chilli and parmesan) and babaghanoush (way better than anything you can find on Edgware Rd / Little Beirut...you get the picture).  You often see small products like this dip in and then 12-24 months later dip out (no pun intended, hardyharhar), but I really hope this one is here to stay.  If they put as much love into all their products as they do these then I can't wait to see what else is in store.

Getting creative with 1 of my 5 a day...

Peach and raspberry "coffee" cake

I've had a bit of a fitness burst in the past couple of weeks.  With a three times a week kickboxing purchase off of groupon (I only go 1-2 times), tap class, my normal gym visits, and my 1-2 weekly yoga sessions, my normal 3-4 times per week workouts have been randomly upped to 5-6 since the beginning of July.  This waranted Mama Cupcakes asking me last night if I was "addicted to exercise". I laughed - because of course I'm not.  But then, I gave it a think for more than 2 seconds and realised it's not the exercise I'm addicted to...it's...well...cake.  Linked to the increase in exercise has been an increase in treats coming out of my oven.  I'm not sure whether or not they are directly correlated, but regardless it's probably for the best (the excessive exercise, not cake making).

I really should give more away at work, but with the office running at about 20% capacity (all of Norway and my fellow Norwegian colleagues here in London seem to be off) there's actually just too much cake to go around at the moment.

Last night's cake making was my standard Silver Palate "coffee cake" but with a number of delicious peaches and raspberries added to the mix.  Just after I started making it I realised I was missing a few key ingredients... just shy of the right amount of butter, not enough sugar...I filled in the blanks with a few other ingredients (e.g. brown sugar instead of white) and added 1.5 cups of the fruit to the cake batter resulting in some interesting textures and tastes.  In its virginal Silver Palate state it's a classic but with the adjustments it was part crumb-like and part delicious fruity and moist bread pudding like.  I'm not sure I could repeat in the same exact way again (I didn't measure very much), but I will keep in mind the addition of fresh seasonal fruit. It's a very palatable way to get one of your five a day I say!

Pimm's Cup(cakes)

Candied minted cucumber

Strawberries and Pimm's cream galore

Pimm's cup(cakes) with candied cucumber

What to drink at an English Summer Garden Party? Pimm's Cup (obviously).

As a party snackaroonie - maybe not quite so obvious? Some Pimm's Cup(cakes).

Last week's GP theme was "English Summer Garden Party". With Koko decked out in some festive bunting and many a party goer in their floral finest I was tempted to stick true to the theme and bake something for the gaggle of GP's motley crew of merrymakers.  Strawberries and cream was the obvious answer, but I figured I could do even better than that.

All of my ambitions aside there was a slight snafu earlier in the week.  On Tuesday, as I was mixing away with my hand mixer for a colleague's birthday cake I started to smell something burning.  Next I noticed red sparks that seemed to be going off inside the machine.  Then there were the small flames coming through the vent.  Last stage? Trying to turn it off and failing.  All speed settings (and the off position) were set to "fast."  Thankfully here in the UK our outlets have those little switches that cut off the power like a light switch.  I'm not sure how keen I would have been to frantically pull the plug directly from the wall.

The death of a much used and loved kitchen appliance is a sad day.  If I'm honest with you all though, this was a classic case of kitchen appliance abuse on my part. I took and took and took some more from this little electric hand mixer. It gave with all it's might and I gave it little time for rest in return.  In the end, it was death by cake batter.

I suppose there are worse ways to go.

So, not wanting to disappoint (and loving the idea of playing around with some candied cucumber), I managed to swing by and purchase one Friday after work right before the shops shut.

And here's what I came up with....

Minted candied cucumber

Cut 1/2 an English cucumber into slices about 1/8-1/4 inch thick and cooked them on the stove top in 2 cups of water, 1 cup sugar and a "large handful" of mint cut finely.  The temp was set to low and stirring fairly frequently I let them simmer for about 25 minutes.

After laying them out single file on a silicone baking sheet I placed them in oven set around 175F or 80C and just let them dry out.  In the end it took about 3 hours or so...although they were pretty tasty at 2 hours I was looking for something a bit crispy as opposed to chewy.  Personal preference really.

Pimm's cupcakes

Using my fail proof martha yellow cupcake recipe that's been posted on abiteof before, I replaced 1/3 of one of the cups of buttermilk with Pimm's.  I also always reduce the flour by 1/2 cup and since they don't have cake flour in the UK - just use all regular flour.  Only additional change I might make? Up the Pimm's to at least 1/2 cup - it could have done with a bit more of the flavour in the cake part of the cupcakes. Note: This recipe makes about 36 cupcakes so you may want to halve (or alternatively like me, freeze half of them for a cupcake rainy day).

For the frosting I kept it simple - I didn't want to start faffing around with a buttercream, especially as it's really not my favourite.  I stuck with something easy that I love - whipped cream and berries.  I wasn't sure how alcohol would take to cream, but seeing as I always use a healthy dose of pure vanilla extract when I whip it up anyway, instead I replaced it with about 1/4 cup of Pimm's. I also added about 4 tablespoons powdered sugar.  After whipping it all up until stiff I folded in strawberries and raspberries.  Note: I used about 1.5 cups whipping cream (and it covered 18 of the cupcakes) but you could certainly double everything if you were throwing a super shindig since you have the 36 cupcakes anyway.

For the strawberries I cut up one cup very finely. For the raspberries, I took about 1/2 cup and smooshed them completey with the back of a flat knife.  The raspberries were what gave the frosting the lovely shade of pink while the strawberries were whole enough to get that real strawberries and Pimm's cream feeling.

For assembly I used a pastry bag with a wide tip nozzle (so those pesky strawberries wouldn't get stuck) and added the candied cucumber and mint for that added flare.  

JubilTEA

JubilTEA party

Chocolate and blueberry curd tart

This week was an exciting one.  In the lead up to Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee weekend (hurray for 2 extra days off!) I received my permanent UK residency (after a horrific 6 hour wait at the Croydon Home Office).  Which essentially means, as long as I want the UK - she's stuck with me.  It also means that in 12 months I can get my British Citizenship.  I'll happily be a two passport totin' lady (I'll get to to keep my US citizenship - obvs).


So in an impromptu play on words I invited some friends around on Monday afternoon to celebrate my "britishness" with a JubilTEA.  I did so at 9 pm the night before.  That meant that it was just a few who came around - as well that I had to put some hustle in my bustle if I was going to have any tea-time treats ready by 3 pm the next day.


Now, I know it was really just the thought that counts and I could have just as easily bought some scones and such but well...that simply goes against everything I know.  So without further ado, I whipped up the following that morning / afternoon (I won't lie, I was pooped by the time my friends arrived).  But all of that said, it was a lovely way to celebrate the Jubilee and my new residency status.


Scones - two ways (plain and with sour cherries and white chocolate) modified from Sara Foster's recipe (I reduced butter by 1/4 and flour by 1/5)


Chocolate and blueberry curd tart


Chocolate crust - 1.5 cups ground chocolate wafers mixed with 3/4 stick melted butter, baked at 325/ 165 for 12 minutes.  Let cool.


Blueberry curd - In a saucepan over medium heat add 2 cups blueberries and the zest and juice from 2 lemons. Cook for about 10 minutes until the blueberries are soft and starting to release liquid. Transfer to strainer and using the back of a spoon press juice from all the berries.  Discard any leftover fruit (or like me gobble it up by the mushy spoonful). Place blueberry juice back on stovetop, add 1.5 cups sugar and dissolve.  Add 100 grams butter and stir until completely melted.  Sloooooowly whisk in 3 slightly beaten eggs and continue to stir for about 30 minutes on a med-low heat until thick and curd worthy. Strain again if you so choose.  Let cool and then pour into chocolate crust.


In celebration of Great Britain I decided to decorate my blueberry tart with a union jack.  I hadn't really factored that blueberries are actually purple...so you'll have to forgive the photo above. I piped sweetened whipped cream and used some strategically cut strawberries as well to complete.  Voila!


Banana, peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies


Ok, this flavour combo is more stars and stripes than union jack but even though I do love my adopted country, I am a good American girl through and through.


Now I love peanut butter any which way - and the same can be said for chocolate. Come to think of it - let's throw bananas into this category as well. These cookies are chewy and full of flavour. Oooh lala. These are good.  I'm planning on another batch, this time with candied bacon* pieces mixed in as well. 

2 cups flour

3/4 tspn baking soda

1/4 tspn salt

8 tablespoons melted (and cooled) butter

10 tablespoons melted (and cooled) crunchy peanut butter

1 cuppacked brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F / 165 degrees C.

Mix the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside. In another bowl, combine butter and peanut butter and both sugars until combined. Lightly whisk egg and add to wet ingredients along with vanilla. Fold in smooshed bananas and mix until combined. Add in dry ingredients and finally fold in chocolate chips. Eat with fingers.

Oh wait...no...that's just what I did (at first).  If you so choose (you may or may not) continue along...

Spoon out tablespoon balls of dough onto a greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden. Cool completely. Bottom's up!

*No, not gross.  Expectations for deliciousness exceptionally high with the addition of candied bacon.  Clearly not for the veggies in my life. This one will be for the non-Kosher carnivorous sweet toothers.**


**Never a sentence I imagined needing to write.

Spring (on the inside)

Strawberry shortcake with thai basil cream

SAD = Seasonal Affect Disorder

"Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression, winter blues, summer depression, summer blues, or seasonal depression, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer, spring or autumn."


It's May 20th and I'm still wearing my winter coat. I am still wearing thick black tights to work. My spring / summer clothes are still packed up waiting to be brought to the forefront of my closet. 


This is depressing.


With the weather absolute crap in London (although the long range 10-day forecast does have what appears to be a big yellow circle in the description).  I think it's the sun, but it's been so long since I've seen it one can't really be sure.


With it winter outside I decided to make it spring inside.  The past few weeks I've been buying up as many spring ingredients I could find and cooking away.

• Asparagus every which way (the best way was just steamed, covered in gruyere and baked on buttered brioche)
• Savoury rhubarb and cherry sauce (served with roasted chicken)
• Homemade rhubarb and cherry jam (I bought way too much rhubarb for the chicken)
• Strawberry shortcake with thai basil cream

As you can see from the photo above I keep forgetting to take photos of my cooking.  Pathetic excuse I know. But in actuality, the strawberry shortcake was my favourite of the bunch anyway.

So where did the thai basil come in? 

Saturday I was invited to a dinner party hosted by SA-A - hooray! SA-A and GT had been in Thailand last month and had the opportunity to practice their culinary prowess at a cooking school in Chiang Mai.  They wanted to share (ahem, 'test' things out on a few friends).

When asked what I could bring I was first told that nothing was necessary - food stuff was covered.  But then, well - somehow the possibility of "a second dessert" came up, so we went with that.

Now I didn't get the brief that I needed to bake something Thai, but I figured why not be inspired along with some East Sussex strawberries and see what we could come up with. 

I thought about a few different variations with chocolate perhaps but what I couldn't get out of my mind was how much I love mint and fruit (ala fruity mojitos).  I know that mint and basil are very different but somehow at the time, in my mind - I could use them interchangeably*.  Luckily enough, without a doubt - it worked.  The sweetness of the strawberries and the cream set of the mild bitterness of the basil and gave it that "je ne sais quois".  It gave a traditional strawberry shortcake a "grown-up edge".  

I would have said that generally it would be a dessert for a more mature palate but the next day I received a photo from SA-A.  The lovely hostess had kept the leftovers and brought it to her two young nephews.  The photo? Of one of them gobbling it up with wanton abandon.  

*Note  - my post dinner drink of fresh mint tea will not be replaced with fresh basil tea anytime soon.

One is the loneliest number

Passionfruit Caipirinha Number 1

In 2006 I spent 12 days in Brazil.  It was my first trip to South America and I loved it. Well, most of it.  One thing I never truly got my stomach around? The caiparinha. I tried them every which way - au natural. With strawberries. Even with my beloved maracuja. Nothing worked. Cachaca was not my friend. Just like tequila. 

Fast forward 6 years.  I'm a quasi pseudo proper grown up now and last month had to travel back to Brazil for work. Arriving into Rio de Janeiro Saturday evening to prepare for the week ahead I spent a lovely Sunday doing some work (sat at the roof deck pool of my hotel), popping by Ipanema beach to check out the "sites" and doing a bit of shopping.  As the balmy humid day started to come to a close I remembered all of those futile attempts with the caipirinhas back in 2006 and thought...heck, why not give it another go? You never know right?

Well apparently I have "matured." I have become what I can only describe as - more of an alcoholic -  because quite simply - I loved them.

Here I was, thinking I would just try ONE caipirinha just to confirm my continued dislike...and ended up having not one, not two...but many (as the week progressed and work took over I still managed 1-2 an evening) culminated with arriving at the Rio airport 3 hours too early for check in for my flight back...and consumed three more.  But then I remembered, in the fair words of Three Dog Night - one is the loneliest number. So I was in fact, doing myself a favour cramming in just as many as I could.

Meat-Off

Meat Fest at Salt Lick

Piling it up and pairing it with some local beer.

Was too busy eating to remember to shoot a pic of the food. But basically $50 a person!

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of 72 hours in good ol' Austin, Texas.  Flying over with RL to visit the lovely KC we spent 72 hours drinking, dancing, shopping and eating.  The highlights of the Lone Star State?  George teaching me the 2-step at The Broken Spoke, the "Urban Cowboy" and the meat fest at Salt Lick BBQ.


The following week I was back in the UK and with JB-P in tow we headed out to the relatively new Pitt Cue BBQ in Soho.  I've been complaining for years about the lack of good 'cue in London - and with a lot of hype around this place (and queuing outside for about 2 hours - the place has about 4 tables) I was hoping to get me some seriously tasty meat.


So - in the end how did they stack up?  I've broken it down into a few categories...


Best Meat: Winner - Salt Lick.  Even though Pitt Cue's brisket and pork ribs were super tasty - they paled in comparison to Salt Lick. In particular the brisket - it's the stuff of legend.


Best Sides: Winner - Pit Cue BBQ. Clearly the focus at Salt Lick is on the meat - the sides are standard (basic potato salad, beans, white bread) and play second fiddle. Contrary to this, Pitt Cue puts it's sides at centre stage.  Vinegary slaw and pickles, baked beans with lots of hammy essence, burnt end mash (creamy mashed potatoes topped with crispy ends of the brisket), grilled sourdough. And while waiting at the bar? Deep fried pickled shitake mushrooms. Sounds weird. Tastes phenomenal. Pitt Cue is definitely aiming for the gourmands here.


Best Drinks: Tie. Salt Lick is BYOB which adds to the authentic feel.  Eating some 'cue and drinking local Texas beer - definitely can't be topped.  That said, the yuppy in me can't deny Pitt Cue's great job at the whiskey cocktails.  They mix them up strong and tasty - throwing in egg whites and pickled beet juice where necessary.  Plus the bartender kept giving me samples to try...which means they started to taste even better and better...


Cost: Winner - Salt Lick. It's not even close here.  Salt Lick was "all you can eat" - yes this is partly why everything is bigger in Texas...and even when finished we were given a massive plate to take home.  In contrast, Pitt Cue - adding in the yuppy Soho factor, the bill came out at around 3 times as much as Salt Lick.  That said, until something better comes around -I'll definitely be back when the 'cue craving comes back.

Just bEAT it.

In the past week I've had a slight obsession with cooking beetroot.  Just counting off the top of my head, since Tuesday I've managed 5 meals with it (of 2 variations).  Tuesday I made some roasted beetroot, cauliflower and coriander fritters (not as crispy as I'd like, but still a nice new addition to my favourite food group - the "fried fritter").  This served as a hearty side dish for (count: three nights).  Then Friday - in preparation for the snow I whipped up a beetroot puree and used it as a base added to some home-made pizza dough...and then topped that off with feta, caramelised onions, grilled chicken and broccoli (count: two nights).

That leaves me to an hour ago - about to head downstairs to the gym I did a quick scurry of my fridge to grab anything "past date" to throw in the trash.  That's when I noticed two lonely little beets that had rolled into the back of the fridge.  Sad and with only each other for company - I thought I'd take them out to see if they were in any state for a good scrubbing or if in fact - they were destined for the basement bins.

After giving them a wash and a little squeeze I thought they had just enough life in them left - but what to do?

For one I just peeled and cut into pieces for a bit of roasting alongside my baked sweet potato fries I'd scheduled for tonight's pre-Superbowl festivities.  But the other? This is where things got exciting...

I'd been meaning to use up some dried figs this weekend and figured that what better place than a "healthy" cookie.  Packed with oats (dietary fibre - YAY!), dates (potassium - BOOYAH!), and dark chocolate (an antioxidant POWERHOUSE I say!) I thought that certainly that would balance out the minimal requirements of butter and sugar.  First things first though...was that above mentioned trip to the gym.  That is of course - until I got distracted by that lone last beetroot. Cunning fellow.  Can you see why I love him so much? He artfully manipulates me baking cookies over a visit to the elliptical machine.

Inspired by the last beetroot I decided to whip up these SUPERFOOD cookies (have I convinced you yet?) and set to the task at hand.  After creaming the butter and sugars (brown and granulated), I went to town healthifying these guys up.  In went the fibre, the potassium, and the antioxidant POWERHOUSE... clearly you can see where this is going?

I used that last little beet and grated it up and added it to the cookie dough mixture (IRON, VITAMINS A, B6, C, FOLIC ACID, more FIBRE!). So what that my countertop looked like the forensic site of a mass murder? All in the name of health!

And let's be serious. The best bit? My cookies are PINK!


I can't believe this website exists, but I love it. Just a little sad I didn't come up with it first: http://www.lovebeetroot.co.uk/ 

Cranking it out on Sunday night

Beetroot, potato and dill soup

Empanada assembly

Buffalo chicken filling

Beef and onion filling 

Pretty pastry!

As lovely on the inside as on the outside

I had a marathon cooking evening last Sunday.  After a morning spent gobbling shumai at Chinatown's Jade Garden celebrating the year of the dragon and an afternoon modelling for my friend's photo shoot*  I needed a good ol' fashion hunkering down with my kitchen.  I'd been whipping up bits and bobs over the past couple of weeks but I wanted to make some stuff that was not only tasty, but could fill the freezer with some goodies to tuck into after a long day.  The following recipes were cranked out over what seemed like just a few hours...

Beetroot, potato and dill soup:


Now some of you know I'm obsessed with beetroot.  Yes it's delicious, but more importantly the colour just makes me smile it's so dang pretty.  Case in point, my favourite OPI nail colour - Miami Beet.  I used some farmer's market beetroot to make a healthy, thick, and wonderfully flavourful soup.

1 small onion, diced

1 pound beetroot, peeled and cut unto medium sized pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into medium sized pieces

1.25 litres chicken (or vegetable) stock (quantity will vary depending on how much veg you use)

4 tablespoons dill 

salt and pepper

Non-fat greek yogurt for garnish (optional)

1. Sautee onions in 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until light brown / golden

2. While onions are cooking roast beetroot in a 176C / 350F oven with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt - stir occasionally - about 30 minutes (they won't be fully roasted)

3. Add roasted beetroot, potato and stock to the onions, bring to boil and then lower heat, cover, and cook until all veggies are soft
4. Add dill

5. Transfer everything from pot to food processor and blend until smooth (it will still retain a distinct texture).  At this point you may need to add a bit more stock to thin it out 

6. Add a decent spattering of salt and pepper 

7. Serve with a dollop of the greek yogurt swirled into the soup and sprinkle a wee bit of dill on top for garnish

Next up on the menu?  Empanadas.

Now I have never in my life made empanadas.  Nor have I ever really considered it.  I'm not into Mexican food and so it was never something that interested me. The realisation that you don't need to necessarily fill it with traditional flavours somehow has always escaped me.

Now - to give you some context of where I was coming from....

Recently, for the NFL Playoffs and upcoming Superbowl I've been seeing "game day menus" splattered across all my favourite US based foodie websites and it got me thinking... I really wanted to make some buffalo wings.  The recipes looked tasty and you just can't get good wings in London. Reason enough.

But then I thought,  since I'm not actually throwing a party, and chicken wings are not the champions of the freezer - what else could I do?  And that's when the light bulb went on - why not make some sort of buffalo chicken concoction and wrap it in some sort of delicious pastry, e.g. empanada dough?  

After doing a bit of googling I knew I definitely didn't want to go the puff pastry route and instead went ahead with a dough that was a little bit of research, a spot of guesswork, and a whole lot of luck.  It was, unequivocally - one of the best if not THE BEST (savoury) pastries I've ever made. Inside the dough I made 2 fillings. One, the inspirational buffalo chicken and the other beef and onion.  I was in heaven, and still am - the recipe made me 20 empanadas.  Even after eating them for three nights straight (and feeding a friend in the process) I still easily have a week's worth left.  They should get me through to the Superbowl in fact. (GOOOOO PATS!)

Empanada dough:

4 cups flour

2 sticks (226 grams) butter

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup ice water

I more or less followed this preparation from epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cafe-Azuls-Pastry-Dough-107241

Empanada filling 1, Buffalo Chicken:

3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded - I used the microwave (just call me lazy bones or smart)

4-6 green onions - white and pale green parts sliced thinly

1 bunch coriander

1/3 cup cream cheese

3 tablespoons hot sauce

1/3 cup blue cheese salad dressing

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Easy peasy - just mix it all up in a bowl!  And don't worry about the measurements.  Fact is I'm not entirely sure how much of anything I used...trust your taste buds people.

Empanada filling 2, Beef and Onion:

2 large onions

5 cloves garlic

1/2 pound ground beef

Some sort of tasty / spicy sauce concoction you have in your fridge. I used: http://www.maryberry.co.uk/dr_productsdetail.asp?productID=9 but even BBQ would work

1. Saute onions and garlic until golden

2. Add beef and cook through

3. Add your choice of sauces, salt and pepper if required

4. Place it all in the food processor until big pieces of onion are smoothed out
5. When assembling you can throw in a few nuggets of delicious blue cheese (or some other kind) if you so fancy an extra pop of flavour

Once again - couldn't be easier!  Of course with both fillings - empanada assembly required! Or not - both are yummy simply eaten with a spoon...

* My wonderful friend SA-L is in the process of creating a number of shots for her "fallen angels" shoot.  Over coffee in December she said to me "Do you want to model for me..." YAY! I said. (I've seen what she can do with photos as she's a professional retoucher - HELLO photoshop GOODBYE under eye bags)!  Only she hadn't quite finished yet.

"...as a tired secretary.  I'll be putting you in some hideous suit and you need to look really sad."  she continued.

HA!  It was still brilliant fun!  We were outside for a while in the cold so I'm fairly certain there are also  a few images of "tired secretary blowing her nose." Totally the new facebook profile pic. Stay tuned. :-)

These are a few of my favourite things...

As 2011 closed off in the unseasonably mild New England, I squeezed in some of my favourite eats of all time.  And when I say SQUEEZED, I mean that quite literally.  I was into my elasticised reindeer flannel PJ bottoms the week before Christmas.  I was a glutton.  But you do know, gluttony is good.  I think I may have single handedly pulled the US out from the economic crisis with my excessive mass consumption of alcohol, restaurant attendance, and general food consumption (the record was going to the grocery store 4 times in one day).

North Carolina BBQ,  my new favourite spot when visiting the Shinnicks:  http://hillsboroughbbq.com/

Lobster Connection (must be pronounced with a Yankee accent to sound like Lobst-AH Connection). I cry when home and this place is closed. 

 

Not much to look at, but my favourite holiday treat: Gingerbread blondies with white chocolate chunks.

Chocolate, pecan and caramel tart

Vino. Consumed with my two closest friends from University. That fact alone made everything taste wonderful! 

CANDIED BACON AND POMEGRANATE COCKTAILS.  Need I say more?

Say hello to Bob.  He was my date for New Year's Eve.