If like me you love all things aged and vintage, that treasure chest of stored memories and dusty stories untold or forgotten, then looking through old photo albums must be a joy for you. Settling back home and unpacking is such a chore. So I’ve left bags, clothes and all of my randomness of a clutter to be strewn all over the bedroom. It’s procrastination station. But time spent at this station is time well spent (in my defense) because I’m taking a break looking through old photo albums and having a real hoot of a time. Literally, a HOOT. I’m guffawing so much with laughter, running all through the house squealing at the ridiculous atrocity of my past fashion sense and the awkwardness of teenage years, that period of fatty and carefree wonderment. A picture of my little sis in shocking pink floral tights and myself – a vision of angsty boyishness – brings forth tearful laughter so loud that I’ve drawn both my little sis and Mum to come join me. The more the merrier – to revel in the bittersweet and nostalgic times of the past, immortalized in yellowed, sticky pages of old photo albums within these (very fine quality, might I add) photographs on Kodak/Fujifilm paper. They’ve stood the test of time, aging very little and only in terms of colour. That means something!

Mama and Me

Many a times, when you get caught up in your own world and your own troubles – or for me get swept up in the hustle and bustle of a different city – one can forget so much. It’s good for the soul sometimes to look back and reminisce or as a Chinese idiom goes: 飲水思源 , to remember the spring when you drink water and be grateful for it. The source of my spring water, the source of inspiration for me is my mother’s cooking. And one very simple almost mundane dish she cooks is well-loved by the whole family and when talked about, bring wide smiles and big sighs – Mum’s spaghetti bolognese. Mum hasn’t had the time to cook a mammoth pot to feed all of us house of the hungry.

I stepped in. The first dish I cooked for the family since I moved home – squid, mussel & shrimp pasta in basil oil broth. A pasta combining both spaghetti and spinach fettucine (pffft..how half assed right?) and a good selection of seafood. I used a Jamie Oliver recipe which involved preparing a lovely lemon basil oil made from pounding basil leaves and anchovies in a pestle and mortar before adding extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. This then went with with the broth produced from the cooking liquids of the mussels (and other seafood which I added because we’re such seafood fans). It’s not the same however. The satisfaction and that post-dinner rub-belly-and-’AH!’ feeling just wasn’t there. Mum’s cooking is still the best and everyone knows it. She’s spoiled our tastebuds.

groovy, baby

I’ve still much to learn. And my Mum is both proof and inspiration that one needs to keep learning and improving. Anyway, she’s pretty damn cool too. I’m sure you’d agree if you saw some old pics of her, her wardrobe and the dresses she used to make for herself and friends. East London vintage shops, my mum could put you all to shame! I might have forgotten this for quite a while, or rather, have always known it but with time have not been quick to remember it – I am who I am today because of my mother (and of course, my dearest paps. I was a tomboy before, so I think my paps helped a lot in that area. Actually, I’m still very rough around the edges with a heart that’s half dude) and boy, she was and still is a beautiful and intelligent woman.

Ah. Mothers and daughters, right (and fathers and daughters)? Rock on, y’all.

When it comes to cooking, not that I know or am skillful at all cooking methods, deep-frying is one of those things I avoid. Shallow-frying, on the other hand, I find thoroughly satisfying. The latter is not any big achievement for sure. It’s just hot fat in a pan, and in you stick your food, out comes this deliciousness with a fairly crispy exterior. Dead easy. But the sizzling of hot fat in a pan is music to my ears, the scent of whatever you’re cooking wafts up so much quicker than steaming or boiling or stewing. It doesn’t pervade the whole kitchen and surrounding rooms as roasting in the oven does but it certainly is eau de parfum compared to eau de toilette.

And there’s something quite therapeutic about watching fresh sage leaves frying in a pan and watching them darken, curl then crisp up. Almost a bit like fresh prawns going from grey to crimson, curling as they cook from the heat. What a sight! I’ve been mulling about quite a few things lately, and there’s lots of stuff I don’t personally approve of happening at work so it was quite nice to empty my mind of everything and simply focus on preparing myself a hot cooked lunch.

I last had gnocchi at Cafe Uno with loads of assorted mushrooms and a green pea sauce. The dinner crowd wasn’t huge and we were the only non-family trio there with a bottle of white to share. I’d not dined at Cafe Uno before but considering how delicious my gnocchi was, I wouldn’t mind going back again for more. Except, I remembered ogling at a plate of burnt butter and sage gnocchi over at Manggy’s blog and it looked far more delicious than what Cafe Uno had served up (no offense). The way Manggy seared his gnocchi and scattered the sage leaves on the plate…you need no words to describe it, except some flutterings of the heart. And there, I can’t help but say homecooking simply is the best. I love eating out but recreating similar dishes at home is just as wonderful, if not more.

This really is a non-recipe. Just add butter to a frying pan on gentle heat. When the butter melts, add the sage leaves and fry until they crisp up. I followed Manggy’s method of removing the sage leaves but added a tiny squeeze of lemon juice to the hot butter. Once the gnocchi were cooked, I drained and then added it to the hot butter. Quick toss then transferred to a warm plate, seasoned with salt and black pepper before adding the reserved sage leaves to the gnocchi.

I haven’t stepped out of the house much other than for groceries, heading to the library or for work. There hasn’t been much venturing towards coffee shops and I have missed that coffee shop atmosphere, the scent of beans brewing, the bustling back and forth by waiters from tables to bar and for neat freaks like you and I, the sight of assorted cakes, cookies, breads all perfectly laid out on trays or stands behind glass covers. I’m a coffee shop girl through and through; and I like bringing work or reading with me to a coffee shop because the atmosphere always gets my motivation going. I’m not going to deny the romance of a smooth black cuppa, and the flaneur-esque peaks I take out of the window whilst sat at a table all to myself. I’m always at such peace in a coffee shop, pensive and sometimes a little relieved (maybe because of the temporary escape from city-paced walking out on the streets). Time seems to slow down to the beats of dripping filtered coffee, ticking away within its own coffee shop universe that is as uncomplicated as a scone, jam and clotted cream. I heart it, and surely many others of you do.

But hanging out in London coffee shops sometimes is much too much effort. The cost of travelling to one (the Starbucks here in Old Street ain’t that bad but it’s just a little too squishy for my liking and hasn’t anyone realized that Starbucks coffees aren’t that impressive) is not great for a poor student like me, walking to the amazing quirky little ones which stock Monmouth coffees out in Shoreditch is just too distracting sometimes, especially when your table-neighbours are wearing lame silver leggings, have streaks of bright green in their hair and this is all some time before midday. And then there’s the cost of sitting in the coffee shop. It’s not the coffee that’s expensive. It’s the other stuff that I can’t resist ordering. I can’t nurse a lone coffee. I’m just not that type of girl. I’d need a cookie, or a pannetonne, or a fruit tart, or a scone, or even lunch and the whole shebang. I’d be broke by the end of the month if I kept up my coffee shop habits like I normally do back home or during my undergrad days (when I got free coffees through a friend).

Things changed this week though. I handed in one essay 4 days early and I thought this sort of behaviour just had to be rewarded! So I visited Le Pain Quotidien in Goodge Street for a little sit down with my library books. No food photos I’m afraid but I was thoroughly impressed with the atmosphere and the communal dining table. I didn’t order much except an iced black coffee (which came extremely milky because the dude with dreadlocks who took my order was ditzy to the core), a flourless oh-I’m-in-love-type of brownie (which was expensive for the size of it but worth ever penny because it was seriously good) and an Americano after. The coffee was really good and I loved that it came in little bowls – true Frenchness gets my thumbs up.

And then today, I nearly lost my job. It’s a real long story but let’s just say the good news is that I didn’t lose it in the end. And I’ll have to thank my Mama’s fighting spirit that I’ve inherited for that. Well after the whole meeting, my brain was all a little fuzzy and my stomach – which had not stopped growling all through this serious meeting – was about to throw in the towel. Hence, my 2nd coffee shop trip/treat of the week was well justified. Again, I had no camera on hand. But from the outside, the stylish brown Princi sign was like light at the end of a dark tunnel. Stepping through the glass doors into this underworld of glorious breads, the sound of excited chatter, the smell of flour and cheese, the clinking of wine glasses, the spitting and hissing of opening cans of soft drink – it was truly my safe haven. And the interiors don’t get any more chic than Princi’s.

I ordered a slice of woodfired margherita pizza and an Americano (which wasn’t as impressive as Le Pain’s I’m afraid), had a great big chat with the mates at work on my Blackberry whilst this beautiful man next to me flipped through a Tom Ford folder. The lady on my right was reading the paper. The sound of the pages turning was quite comforting and reminded me of my Dad who reads the paper every morning religiously. Although there are quite a few tables and communal ones about, I was attracted to the bar at the back. I love bar stools so naturally I zoned in on that area quick as anything. The zen water feature of running taps in front of the bar tables was very nice too. See what I mean about the safe haven?

I’m loving this place so much I can’t wait to visit again. On my next visits to Princi and Le Pain Quotidien, expect more pictures! Til then, check out what I took home with me: Tiramisu and Olive Bread. You so have to love Princi for making their cakes in neat little rectangles!

Princi
135 Wardour Street
London
W1F 0UT
Tel.: 020 7478 8888
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 7.00-00.00 Sun 9.00-22.00

When I realize the dishes I’ve been cooking are either starting to look the same every time or just backsliding into the boring (or actually I’m simply having cereal for dinner), I know it’s time to invest in a new cookbook/look into some older ones I’ve forgotten, or go grocery shopping for something good. Take-away is a sorry way out. Avoiding it also makes me feel like a better person, by some odd line of reason. So, grocery shopping was what I did last Friday at Borough Market – where there was lots to drink, taste, ogle at and buy of course. Foodies familiar with Borough Market will know that it’s not simply a fresh produce heaven, it’s also a mushroom heaven. I was so thrilled being able to find a couple of stores selling a wide range of wild and exotic mushrooms; indulging myself, I bought a lovely bag of assorted types – one of my favourites being the oyster mushroom and the king oyster (which my mum uses a lot in Korean cooking actually). I saw a stall selling a range of Japanese shimeiji mushrooms too which would be good for my miso soup. A little pricey but that comes with having to import them I believe.

With mushrooms, it’s always good to have them fresh as once they start to go mucky, it’ll affect the taste. Of course, it starts to look less visually appealing as well. So storing them in a dry part of your fridge is ideal. Make sure you haven’t put them next to anything wet or if you’ve left them in those supermarket plastic boxes with a clingwrap top, make sure no condensation has collected underneath the plastic wrap which could drip onto the mushrooms. This will mean they’ll start to decompose quite quickly in the fridge. You want them dry, smooth and springy to touch.

When I first bought the fresh pasta, I kept calling it ravioli and then tortellini which is a mistake. Ravioli – because I’ve been wanting to get a pasta machine and make giant ravioli filled with all sorts of weird wonderful fillings (like a little goblin, it’s been hiding in the back of my mind so much a lot of the stuff I talk about tends towards ravioli which leaves people around me very puzzled). Tortellini because I never knew there was a difference between tortellini and tortelloni. They both look the same. Apparently the sizes and weight differ, from 2g to 5g respectively and tortellini is more often served with broth and not tortelloni. Did you also know, according to the story behind tortellini/loni, that this lovely pasta was very likely inspired by a woman’s navel? Learn something new every day! The beetroot tortelloni is from La Tua Pasta (website is here) and I found its lovely stall, manned by 2 beautiful European men, next to the Empanadas one. To find it, just leave the Green Market, head to the bit selling all the chocolates and patisseries and then turn left which will bring you out into the open.

There’s another stall selling fresh pasta too but there didn’t seem to be much of a range in my opinion. If you’re feeling very decadent, try the squid ink tortelloni stuffed with cheese and crab meat. It looks positively divine and something very similar to one I tried in Spain (why Spain, I don’t know but it was a very good handmade pasta Italian restaurant) – careful though as it’s £9.50 a pop. So if you do try it, would love to hear from you how it is!

beautiful fresh handmade tortelloni that needs to be eaten within 3 days

This beetroot tortelloni has been stuffed with beetroot, ricotta and grana cheese, nutmeg and bread crumbs. I wanted something a little different from the usual sage and butter combo and so tried out marjoram which goes great with mushrooms. I used red onions as well because of its mildly sweet flavour which worked good with the almost citrusy tanginess of the beetroot. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to taste the mushrooms with the onions and the beetroot but thankfully it worked and I thought this dish was quite delicious. The final touch of butter definitely pulled it altogether.

Mushrooms and butter. Actually, butter to anything is always beautiful. I have a book about things to eat before you die. Can’t remember the author or the title right now. It’s sitting on my bookshelf at home and I can distinctly remember what it looks like but not who wrote it or what it’s called – which is really annoying! Anyhow, the writer visits this famous restaurant and talks about mashed potatoes and what is the secret behind getting it stiff but still creamy and amazing like cement paste. And what does the chef say? There’s no secret. There’s no mashing it up and pushing it through a sieve nonsense. It’s just a lot of butter.

Ah. There you go. Goodbye olive spreads, margarine and I can’t believe it’s not butter! nonsense. Butter’s good.

If you share my love of fresh pasta, mushrooms and real butter, why not try out this recipe? You don’t need specialty pasta just some fresh ingredients and you’ve got a quick and easy meal done.

•••

I’ve decided to submit this post to the food event Beet ‘n’ Squash YOU — a monthly food- fight wherein the stupendous virtues of vegetables are extolled. You all know how much I love my vegetables and how crazed I am about mushrooms. This month, the event hosted on Gourmet Fury, boasts 2 lucky winners who will receive a super cute Winner’s badge and some Gourmet, Wild Dried Mushrooms from Untamed Feast. Totally exciting event! Go round and have a little gander ~ this month’s veggie is MUSHROOMS.

Recipe serves 2.
Beetroot Tortelloni with Wild Mushroom Medley
Ingredients

1 packet of tortelloni (about 6 pieces/serving)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 large handfuls of various wild mushrooms, sliced
sprig of fresh marjoram leaves
1 tsp parsley
2 tbs butter
olive oil, for cooking
sea salt and ground black pepper, for seasoning

To prepare the mushrooms, I hear you should gently brush under water them to get rid of dirt and all that. I didn’t have a brush and I’m used to just lightly massaging the mushrooms under the running tap, making sure to get to the gills under the mushrooms. With the chanterells and oysters, simply trim off the ends, wash and dab off excess moisture before frying.

Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic, sauté. Add the red onions next and give it a quick stir. Once it starts to soften a little, move to side of pan, add the mushrooms and cook. Stir fry everything for a few minutes then add the marjoram. Season well. Set aside whilst you cook the pasta.

For the pasta, simply cook for 4-5 mins in boiling water. Drain off and pour into the frying pan. Give it a good toss, season a little more if needed. Add the parsley and salted butter. Give it one final toss to mix everything well. Then serve and tuck in.

First, a big thank you to Forever Better, Míele’s PR Company, for inviting me to this event and another thank you to Cherry (she and Lauren liases with the invitees) who is the sweetest person ever. I’m glad I could make it down to the BBC Good Food Show this time round as I had deadlines to meet last year and missed out on all the great foodie shows and tastings. After Saturday, I’m tempted to book my tickets for the next Good Food Show in the Birmingham NEC come summer as that promises to be an even more taste-blowing event.

An experience never to be forgotten and one I’ll always remember by from the puddings we tasted, one of which I was unable to get a photograph of because my camera decided to give up on me shortly before we sampled it. [*I do apologise for that. If I'd been more prepared for low battery, I would have more pictures on of the other things I sampled and stalls visited] But I’ll get to the food we nommed on for lunch later.

There was much going on with the Masterchef Theatre, the Cookery Experience, the Invention Test and all the time, celeb chefs like James Martin, Michel Roux Jr, Theo Randall, etc. were bouncing back and forth between these shows. On the main stall floor, the famous Harumi Kurihara was giving live demonstrations; sushi academy masterclasses, kitchen knife skills by Marianne Lumb (who we bumped into in the ladies!!), sugar roses classes by Phil Usher, cupcakes classes by Squire’s Kitchen and even duck carving were amongst the activities or classes you could take part in. So much to see, so much to sample, so much to enjoy – it’s no wonder the BBC Good Food Show was spread over 3 days 13-15th November. As much as I enjoyed the whole day-out at the Olympia Grand Hall soaking up this splendid experience, I was sorry that there was too much to do within a single day and unfortunately missed quite a few exciting classes like the cupcake and sugar roses demos.

Nonetheless, I was thrilled to have seen the Masterchef hosts John Torode and Gregg Wallace. They are hilarious! So were the Plenty ladies Brenda and Audrey who were right mental! And the previous winners from Masterchef – Steve Groves (whom I adore to pieces) and Mat Follas were there at the Invention Test as judges. A surprise last contestant was James Martin, who appeared a few minutes late much to everyone’s delight. A giant roar from the audience, a squeal from both Anne of Anne’s Kitchen and Sunita of Sunita’s World, (and I’m so glad I finally got to meet these 2 gorgeous foodbloggers! A little starstruck but they were so sweet and easy-going) and an unashamed catcall from yours truly. What? That man’s so loveable and dishy, if a tad bit chubby.

Andi Peters interviewing Steve Groves & Mat Follas

Invention Test was a joy to watch and many of the contestants whipped up – in a stressful 30minutes – some very tasty looking dishes from prawn curry, to vietnamese-inspired pancake to a hearty penna pasta dish using the key ingredients given to them: prawns, pork, pears, etc. Anne, Sunita and I had cowardly turned down the invitation. Being stared at whilst cooking, cooking under a blinding spotlight, cooking against the clock and knowing that this is a competition would’ve gotten to me. Something bad would’ve happened – like setting my hair on fire, scalding everyone around me, chopping a finger off. It wouldn’t be pretty and the whole event might end with a heart attack and me being rushed to the hospital in a half-charred state. I don’t do well under pressure when it comes to the kitchen and small working spaces. But at the end of the show, Sunita was having regrets of not having accepted the challenge and blimey, do I adore her more for it! What a gutsy foodie! I shall need to learn to be more courageous like her.

Plenty ladies Brenda & Audrey having a laugh

As much as I had a great time with the Masterchef Invention Test, what totally made my day was wondering about all the stalls, especially the Great Taste Awards section. So let’s have a look at some of the stalls we visited. There were too many stalls to see, both on the ground level and the floor up. We certainly didn’t get to look at everything but what we did see, we liked very much!

Crabbies 4% alcohol Ginger Beer – this is great. Very crisp and refreshing. Perfect with a slice of lemon. You can find this in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and even your local Wetherspoon’s most likely! These were going for 3 bottles for a fiver and The Angel in Islington will offer you it for nearly £3 a bottle. I’d definitely be getting this for summertime barbies and I’m tempted to get a bottle of this for ginger beer battered fish and chips. Savvy?

Rachel’s Organic Yoghurt – I’ve always try to keep a tub of Rachel’s Greek Yoghurt with Honey or the Rhubarb Yoghurt in my fridge as they taste so good, one of the creamiest low fat yoghurts available in shops and are a great way to jazz up a fruit medley pudding. The new toffee & milk chocolate flavours are great. Toffee is a real winner and doesn’t have that sickly weird colour that toffee “flavoured” yoghurts usually do. A hefty creamy white yoghurt, yum yum.

Tropical Sun’s plantain chips – my first time tasting plantain and I really liked them! Good crunch, looked like banana chips but without the sweetness of it. Very more-ish.

Kikkoman and some live cooking demos – available is Kikkoman’s range of sauces, soy sauces, marinades and a counter for demos. Unfortunately, we just missed it and didn’t get to taste any of the teriyaki chicken that were snapped up in a flash.

Laverstock Park Farm and their offerings of buffalo burgers, ice cream, mozzarella cheese and lagers – you can find most of their products in Waitrose and I’ll definitely be popping into my local Waitrose for the mozzarella made from water buffalo milk. The creamiest, softest and most delicate oozy mozzarella that still holds up well. The buffalo milk is supposed to make this mozzarello firmer but not too firm. I like this a lot! And you’ll be pleased to know that their products are free-range as their buffalos have had a great life grazing on open pastures except in the cold winter.

Eudoro’s porchetta, prosciutto and cheeses – quality meats here are food porn at its best. The cheeses are beautiful to look at and Anne had a taste of the gargonzola. I would’ve loved to takeaway a porchetta panini for dinner that night but somehow backed out. Why did I do such a silly thing?! Regrets.

Yum Yum Tree Fudge – beautiful handmade fudge from Suffolk made from British sugar in a wide range of creative flavours like chili chocolate, lime & coconut, cappucino, lavender, mint chocolate, lemon bon bon, raspberry, etc. Check out their website for more at www.yumyumtreefudge.com

Ethiopian Coffee Company – we didn’t get any coffee although I bet we needed it, surely. This stall smelt amazing.

There were too many stalls to visit in just a day and too much eating and gawking!

•••

Our Restaurant Experience lunch in tapas-sized portions. Restaurants at the show were the Blue Elephant, Roast, Café Spice Namaste, Launceston Place, Skylon, Boxwood Cafe, Theo Randall at The InteContinental, Min Jiang (a new comer to the GFS), Urban Caprice and the MasterChef Restaurant featuring dishes from winners Thomasina Miers, Steven Groves, James Nathan and Mat Follas.

Theo Randall at The InterContinental: Cape Sante – Panfried Scallops with Pancetta, Red Chili, Rocket & Lentils

The Masterchef Restaurant: Mat Follas’s Lavender Mousse with Hokey Pokey and Berry Sauce

The Masterchef Restaurant: James Nathan’s Chocolate & Orange Sponge Pudding

My Shopping Haul:

I love fudge. I think Sunita got 2 bags for her family. I got 1 for a lemon-fanatic friend who was visiting that evening and 3 for myself. Who’s greedy?

Yum Yum Tree Fudge: A medley of flavours – lavender, mint chocolate, lemon bon bon

Mr. Vikki’s Tomato & Nigella chutney, Plum-infused Sake, WARRE’s 10 year tawny Port, Fruits of the Forest Balsamic Glaze

WARRE’s port wine was very impressive, especially the 25 year aged vintage but going at £25 a pop, I wasn’t too eager to split with that kind of money despite the port being very rich, dark and smooth. Hey! It’s the recession. We gotta be wise about things like that, eh. I settled for the 10 year aged that was also very lovely but going for only a tenner! Whey. Talk about Diva doing bargain shopping.

At Apulia Blends stall, I was blown away by their selection of extra virgin olive oils, the apple balsamic vinegar and the fruity glazes. I do love a good balsamic vinegar but I’ve never ever bothered with balsamic glaze. A taste and I was sold. Tempt me with ideas of pouring these glazes on ice cream – I’m sold even more. This forest fruit one was going for £6.50 a bottle which in my opinion, is worth every penny. The shocking thing, however, was that I found the same bottle at the Shoreditch Food Hall just round the corner from my pad being sold for a quid cheaper. Who knew?

Really delicious apple balsamic vinegar at nearly £12/bottle

I’m a loyal customer of Japan Centre as they have the best and biggest range of Japanese groceries I could possibly ever need away from home. Part of the Oishi JAPAN exhibition by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries participants, I was happy to find them plugging a good couple of bottles of sake amongst other kuramotos (sake makers). Tasted some very nice junmai daiginjo, a citrus flavoured sake, some sochu and this wonderful plum-infused sake I couldn’t resist. I love my sake warm and drinking it traditionally from those cute wooden square boxes is always a treat but this plum-infused baby was very lovely drunk cold.

And what about the chutney? There were many stalls selling chutney and it was hard to choose what to taste and where to taste but Mr Vikki’s caught out eye with their huge array of bottle reds (and I mean chutney, not wine). Arranged from the mildest to the hottest, we were glad we started at the bottom of the range in heat – Tomato & Nigella. I do love spicy chutneys but I’m not great at taking the heat as I dislike the tongue-numbing sensation after which always worries me that I’m losing my tastebuds! The guys at Mr Vikki’s were very friendly and my favourites were the Tomato & Nigella and Chili Jam. And to top it all, they were part of the Great Taste Awards section. Winners they are.

I had a great time with Sunita and Anne! The BBC Good Food Show totally made my weekend although I was so knackered after like never before. Took me all of Sunday to spring back to my normal self. I’ve also started writing down a few recipes I’ll be testing with the new ingredients I’ve got so do come visit again for more exciting posts! I have some sweets and main dishes up my sleeve in the coming weeks to come.

Hope everyone had a fab weekend. Have a good week ahead and only 11 days to London Food Blogger Connect!

Who doesn’t love carbonara? It’s on virtually everyone’s (everyone I know at least) list of comfort food and there’s a reason why it’s there. Because it’s bloody good. Period.

And what I love so much about it is that it’s quite so easy to make and you don’t really have to fuss about with a recipe at all for this one. It’s pretty much turned into a sort of mantra in my head – 1 egg yolk, 20ml cream and good grab of parmesan per person for the sauce. Seriously easy. The cooking process is a bit tricky as you need to be coordinated and quick or something might go wrong. Frankly speaking, I wasn’t quite quick enough this time as I was texting on the phone and cooking at the same time which you should absolutely not be doing when making carbonara. Hence, my carbonara was a little overcooked and the sauce got a little egg-cooked. Another reason why the sauce ain’t as glossy as it should be! Tasted wicked nonetheless.

I don’t suppose this is the most authentic carbonara dish. And I certainly have never ordered this in a restaurant where they’ve served fresh thyme (it usually is just a creamy calorific mess on a plate) with it but I just love the flavour of fresh thyme, especially with anything pork. Also, thyme is said to aid the digestion of fat so not only does it give this dish another dimension of flavour, it helps cut through all that bacon and cream fat! Score.

The weather’s been pretty dreadful lately. It’s the beginning of winter and so the grey’s here. It’s wet, it’s starting to get really cold; at least, I noticed it more when I was further up north this week. And when it starts to get like this, all I want is something filling, creamy, hot and delicious. This has been in the making for quite some time now and after twittering with Bossacafez about carbonara and pasta alla vodka, it was time to put some work aside, cook myself a proper meal, let the hair down, put my feet up and damn well eat myself happy in front of the TV for a couple of solid episodes of Friends.

And here we have it. One smooth operator. It always goes down so well and chases any chills and blues away. Yummy.

If you want a recipe with instructions, I recommend using Jamie’s as it’s one of the easiest I’ve come across thus far. It’s a Courgette Carbonara recipe but it’s just Jamie’s little twist on the original. Click here for his recipe. Or you can simply remember these proportions per serving (I noted this down when I was watching one of Jamie’s cooking shows on TV and he pretty much cooked it all by eye and to taste. Hence, the estimates in measurements for the ingredients):

Penne Carbonara
Ingredients according to 1 serving

1 serving penne pasta
2-3 slices smoked bacon/pancetta, sliced or cubed
1 large egg yolk
20-30ml double cream (I have used single cream as I’m slightly lactose intolerant)
heaped 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
olive oil, for cooking
some pasta cooking liquid
sea salt and cracked black pepper

This is really straightforward to make and not rocket science. But it does require your full attention as a little distraction can cause you to burn the pasta or carbonara sauce, etc. Cook the pasta and have all other ingredients prepared and ready to go into the frying pan. Use a large frying pan as you’ll need quite a bit of space to toss the pasta.

In a mixing bowl, mix the egg yolks with the cream and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the pasta is nearly al dente, heat some olive oil in the pan and fry the bacon til just about golden brown. Once pasta is cooked, drain but don’t forget to save about 1/4 – 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Immediately pour the drained pasta into the cooking bacon.

Toss. Toss. Add the yolk cream mixture. If too dry, add a little of the cooking liquid. Toss toss real quick. At this point, you should have turned the heat down to low as you don’t want to burn or cook the carbonara sauce much. Keep moving the pasta so it coats everything nice and glossy. Season if need. Add the herbs and toss.

Remove from heat quickly and serve (with a generous sprinkling of parmesan if you like).

So, it’s that easy. You just gotta be alert and quick. 

What’s your favourite or ultimate comfort food?

Always looking and envying and never doing it myself, I thought it was about time I got involved in the famous Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24. And I did!

Because ‘24, 24, 24’ is a global food event covering 24 meals on 24 blogs in 24 hours, tasting Italian-accented modern cuisine in the heart of the busy, cosmopolitan and stylish London city’s Mayfair seemed like the perfect idea. Dinner is a special event and amongst my girlfriends and I, it is a wonderful ritual comprising getting excited, getting dressed up, and savouring the eating moments and banter. It is a time where our greatest memories occur and the worries of the week melt away. And I couldn’t think of anywhere better to take my bestie for her birthday dinner than Murano.

Murano comes under the Gordon Ramsay Holdings umbrella but is run by executive chef Angela Hartnett. Having worked frequently with celebrity chef and my bestie’s crush-of-her-life Gordon Ramsay, Hartnett is one of Britain’s best-loved female chefs. My bestie Anna is all about good food and she’s a great cook, whipping up amazing Sunday roasts or delicious lasagnes without really thinking about it. A great female chef, a bestie who’s great with food – it was just all falling together and I thought it would be a lovely treat for my bestie’s 22nd birthday. And what an experience it was – for the both of us. 

Murano recently won a Michelin star in 2009 and offers a menu of Hartnett’s trademark Italian cuisine with a modern twist. Sounds amazing doesn’t it? And it was! We went for the a la carte 3 course menu and never looked back. It was gorgeous but I’ll let the pictures do the talking for the food.

The restaurant’s pretty small but very stylishly decorated. There’s even a little window where you can look into the kitchen and see the chefs at work. You can also request for a kitchen tour but make sure you do it quick as the head chef leaves (which means the kitchen shuts for visitors) at 10.30pm. Upon entering, the waiting staff attend to you very quickly and are so welcoming and friendly. They take your coats off and tuck them away somewhere you can’t see and if you’re early for your reservation, are prompt to serve you any drink you desire, customized or no. And everything is done stylishly, with great precision and utmost suaveness. What I really liked about the staff was their willingness to chat to you, crack a joke or have a little laugh. Nothing other than a bit of friendliness to let you completely relax into the comforting candlelit interiors of Murano and forget about the week’s worries. The waiting staff are so very attentive and give great attention to detail. Whether its getting your napkin correctly placed on your lap, waiting for your return from the ladies, or serving the polenta accompaniment to your main or the pouring warm custard over your pudding, it’s all done with such smoothness, quiet confidence and care that one feels in an almost surreal, dream-like state. 

The whole meal lasted 2 hours 45 mins which is typical of an Italian meal. Definitely one of the longest meals we’ve ever had but now, less typing and more food ogling. And oh yea, apart from service and good-looking food, have I forgotten to mention that this was impeccable standard of cooking?!

Drinks

Gin & Tonic – made with Tanqueray London Dry Gin and Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water

Italian White from Abruzzo – Pecorino, “Colle dei Venti”, Caldora

Amuse-gueule

Olives – delicious giant olives which were a deep avocado-green, a telling sign that these were very fresh

Fresh bread, pane carasau, shaved ham & salami with extra virgin olive oil so good we’d never tasted anything quite as dreamy as that

Arancini – fried rice balls subtly flavoured with white truffle and coated with breadcrumbs

Starters

Scottish sea scallops, apple and cucumber salsa, pata negra, caper berry purée – beautiful scallops that were just of a melt-in-your-mouth consistency in the middle with hints of the sea

Hand-rolled cavatelli with braised rabbit leg, confit tomatoes, niçoise olives – first time tasting rabbit and I adored it. Wasn’t as gamey as I expected it to taste. So soft and tender!

Mains

Roasted turbot, Cromer crab ravioli, apple purée, smoked eel and horseradish velouté (Supplement £5) – simply cooked to perfection with all the flavours working brilliantly together. The velouté came in a small potion-like jar frothed and bubbly.

Red leg partridge, truffle polenta, braised leg roasted ceps, curly kale – a beautifully presented dish that tasted so much more than it looked. Totally opened a new dimension of taste for me and the polenta was simply gorgeous with the succulent partridge

Desserts

Selection of sorbets: Chocolate Banana, Blueberry & Crème Fraîche, Mango, Basil, Earl Grey, Guava, Chocolate Orange, Pomegrenate & Cranberry – we finished with the basil as it was a lot stronger than the other flavours and a great way to cleanse the palate; Anna’s fav? Chocolate Banana & Basil. My fav? Earl Grey & Basil. Yummy.

Pear and chocolate millefeuille, warm custard, rosemary sorbet – Wonderful custard done right and the pastry was perfectly cooked. The sorbet was delicious and it was dessert perfection really. I loved how Anna ate this so daintily too, especially when I just dug into mine and was licking and sucking the spoon to get every bit of chocolate.

Pistachio soufflé, warm chocolate sauce and macaroon – warm chocolate sauce or hot chocolate as the waitress called it really made the soufflé. I felt like a child all happy about pudding but this was one of the best parts of the meal. I love pistachio and the flavour of this was just awesome paired with chocolate. Macarons were a great bonus too!

Lemon Tart – complementary of the kitchen. This tart was like tarte au citron but it was brûlée-d at the top. And the lemon filling was less firm and resembled lemon curd more. It was so delicious and a real effort to polish off judging from how full we were by the end of the meal.

Petit fours: Selection of chocolates, candies and truffles. 

So delicious. So beautiful. And we were stuffed, satisfied and over the moon with giant bellies to boot.

And as promised, here are our VERY EMBARRASSING videos of ourselves. Sorry if we weren’t exactly eloquent. We were so tired and sleepy post-dinner it was hard to be more intelligible than we were then.

Anna’s Review ‘Come Dine with Me’ Style

Kid Diva’s Final Words

We have had the most amazing meal and night of our lives I do believe and I can only thank Foodbuzz and Visa Signature for making this possible. So pleased we had this opportunity to visit Murano, a restaurant producing high standards of food and service. And not just that, the whole experience was simply divine. We would be happy to return any time (when the bellies are less full and the pockets are more full) for the lunch, dinner service or Chef’s special tasting menu.

Murano
20 Queen Street
London
W1J 5PP
T: 020 7592 1222
F: 020 7592 1213
murano@gordonramsay.com

Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Fiction or fact? FACT. 

Are we quite particular with our eggs for breakfast? FACT.

Is the English breakfast fry-up quite the classic morning pick-me-up? FACT.

And is The Breakfast Club simply one of the best places I’ve eaten at for breakfast/brunch? FACT. again.

So what’s on the menu? Obviously a proper English fry-up but besides that, there are a classic selection of sweet and savoury pancakes, eggers (I’ll explain), sandwiches and wraps. Not too worry, TBC is open for lunch and dinner as well so it isn’t simply a hangout for breakfast goers only.

Normally, I’d choose the fry-up or the pancakes but because everything looked all too good and the egg cravings were too overwhelming, I went down a different path this time. But before I go into what I’d ordered, let’s just say be prepared for very large portions at TBC. You can get a good Full Monty fry-up here with bacon, sausage, eggs, black pudding, hash brown, mushroom, beans, tomatoes and toast. It’s the works. And a real effort if you’re not a big eater. So be hungry if you intend to do the full monty. There is a downsized version, not so much in portion though but in the amount of ‘works’ you get and that’s the Half Monty. What you get are the cool kids that make the fry-up – bacon, sausage, eggs, beans and toast.

Even talking about it now is getting me all hungry and excited so definitely saving the full mont and the pancakes for TBC trip no. 2. And certainly worth the trip if you’re one of those particular with eggs for breakfast. These guys at TBC know what they’re doing with them and know how best to serve ‘em eggs. Can I say, the Eggs Benedict (£7.00 – picture above at top of blogpost) are too lush for my own good? 2 eggs poached to perfection, sat on top shredded ham so succulent and tasty it reminds me of hot roast pork, on toasted and buttered English muffin. Not forgetting the healthy serving of fresh hollandaise that goes all over the eggs and the crisp fresh salad drizzled with an olive oil dressing served on the side. Seriously people, the eggs were cooked the way I love. Not too yolk-drippy, so firm but not all cooked through that it’s all crumbly and powdery. The ham, which was given a bit of a golden-brown once over in a frying pan, totally made it. These guys know their pork and it’s no wonder they’ve a sign outside the restaurant claiming they did not see your missing pig!

My new fellow foodie who lives across the hall from me ordered the Eggs Royale (£8.00) with an extra order of mushroom (and boy was her mushroom a big one!). The same gorgeousness as the Benedict but with smoked salmon instead of ham. Her verdict? So very scrumptious and satisfyingly good that she needed a bit of recovery time. I was jealous of that giant mushroom on her plate. It was all oozy and juicy, just the way I love mushrooms but could definitely not have fit that in my stomach what with the uber generous portions at TBC.

I admit paying 7 or 8 quid for a breakfast might be a little bit stretching a student budget, especially when you could get the same classics for half the price at say a Scream pub or even a quarter of that if you decide to jump into one of ‘those’ good greasy hearty breakfast cafés like a certain famous Cafe Face in Birmingham. You’ll be singing a different tune once you’ve tried TBC though and you’ll understand why I’m waxing lyrical over some fairly uncomplicated breakfast dishes. The quality of the ingredients (and gosh, the ham and bacon) certainly shines through and shows how TBC can afford to name itself that as one of the big players in the breakfast scene. 

Not only was the food fantastic, the atmosphere and furnishings were exactly up my street. If you’re not that much of a morning person, you want to have breakfast somewhere comfy, not too loud, welcoming and friendly enough (in terms of both interior and waiting staff) to just completely absorb you into the scene whilst you soak up some energy and caffeine? Go to TBC! I loved how there were different rooms to choose from and relax in, so much so that you felt like you were in a dream house, with a bit of time before your breakfast is served to wander about and explore. The quirky collection of memorabilia like a Mickey Mouse telephone, and random photographs of rugby or football teams made for a quietly gentle way to lure you out of your morning grogginess.

We loved the sparkly room. It’s the prettiest. Kinda like a cross between a disco room, a student pub and a Victorian-themed tea house. Well, sorta. If you’re sat outside this sparkly room by the windows facing the street outside, or by the open-concept kitchen, you’ll feel like you’re in some sort of 80s diner with the black and white tiled floors, except of course you ain’t getting the little diner tables. Here, you’ve got a collection of cute wood furniture or awesome comfy sofas, long canteen style tables and even a section that mimicks a beach side fish bar. Eclectic. Just like East London. Quirky, wacky-fied, old school and modern at the same time – just really cool. And it really helps that the waiting staff are very quick to bring you your coffees, that the food is just spot on and so deliciously satisfying.

It really looks like there’s nothing to complain about. But if I had to say something negative about it (and I’m really pushing it here), it would be that the various rooms sometimes meant the waiting staff forgot you were there which made getting the bill a bit of a tricky one. Seriously though, we didn’t care at all!

The Breakfast Club
2-4 Rufus Street
Hoxton
London
N1 6PE
Tel: (020) 7729 5252

It’s been a while hasn’t it? Get anything good for Christmas? Did you have a blast of a new year’s? My good wishes go out to all and pray that you lot have had an amazing holiday thus far. We had an amazing Christmas dinner party this year and I even had my own bar to boot! The dogs went mental with the smell of roasting meat in the air. Post-Christmas was the typical – savouring the remaining leftovers, rubbing the belly and snoozing in front of the telly with a glass of wine. We celebrated New Year’s with a 2 hour high-tea buffet session and shopping with the -rents. Mum was pretty insistent on purchasing this new liquid foundation made from the waters of Mt. Fuji. Dad and I had a massive debate about department stores sapping away the hard-earned money of men vs. women supporting the economy via the beauty, cosmetics and fashion industry. Pretty random stuff.

So anyway, I think I’m still stuffed from all that Christmas and New Year’s feasting. This year, we definitely did take ‘feasting’ to the next level. Completely outdid myself and grew triplet food-babies this year. And so, still reeling from all that gastro-delight over the holiday period, I have yet to create any special funky dish. Venturing into the kitchen, really, is quite daunting. I swear I see grey shadows lingering about the pantry and often catch the D-word (‘diet!’) from the whispers floating with the wind. Everywhere is a hovering suffocating cloud of paranoia and hesitation. Even the food fanatic I take after, my dad, was vehement about not over-eating after New Year’s. I can safely say everyone is still in shock, myself included.

This pasta dish is one I made a few days before Christmas. Something light and quick to prepare, low on the budget, and quick to eat so as to return to whatever important stuff you’re working on. (To fully enjoy Christmas and then New Year’s, I was quite determined to finish all my essays before then. Now that it’s all been celebrated and past, I regret to say I’ve still got 1 essay left. The biggest pain in the arse, to be more specific.) Indeed, this was an easy-peasy lunch for three that didn’t take me away from my essays for long. The capers and yellow peppers in this really make the dish. Nothing like capers to give me a great big zing! to keep me awake all through the afternoon.

Lunch-break Pasta with Cajun Spiced Courgettes, Peppers & Capers
Ingredients

3 servings dry penne pasta
about 3/4 – 1 courgette, chopped
1/2 a large yellow pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp capers
1 tsp cajun spice blend
2 heaped tbs sundried tomato pesto
sprinkle of dried parsley or chopped fresh parsley
sea salt, cooking and seasoning
freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
grated parmesan, for garnishing

Cook pasta in boiling water.

In a frying pan, sauté the garlic with cajun spice blend. On medium heat, add the prepared courgettes and peppers. Cook til courgettes start to lightly brown.
Once pasta is cooked til al dente, add to the frying pan. Add the sundried tomato pesto, capers and stir altogether. Pasta should be evenly coated with pesto. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with grated parmesan.

Earlier this week, one of my mates said to me, “I’ve just realized how funny you are. Every damn thing you say is Facebook quote-worthy.”

Obviously flattered, the topic of the worthiness of my witty banter soon passed and things got right down and dirty – the topic of food, chocolate, Sunday roast and Christmas mince pies. Indeed, I am often less bothered about what I say really than the yummy concoctions I put in my mouth. I mean, I get totally psyched about that!

One good thing about my pals and I are that we are easily teased by food. Apart from friendship, this is the strong bond that brings us lot together. Think of us as a Knighthood of Glorified & Appreciative Eaters, if you like. So anyway, everyone got properly jittery when Starbucks released their Christmas red cups, considering the fact that among us we have people who have either worked/works at Starbucks and/or are just generally unadulterated Starbucks junkies (and unafraid to admit that we are). So, still satiated and buzzing from an afternoon Christmas special drink (with the roof of my mouth tingling a little from burning it on a dark cherry mocha), feeling nice and toasty in my new slipper socks as my room is slowly infused with the scent of burning mulled wine candles, I plot my Sunday lunch.

And blimey, was this Sunday lunch very brilliant on the flavours! Just last week, I’d popped two beautiful pork steaks into the freezer in an effort to save them for a time when I was better prepared ingredient and energy wise. Today was just the perfect day for tasty steaks and what better to pair pork than with apples? The advent of winter also means making use of wintry flavours in fruit and nuts. Instead of chomping on that next bar of Aero chocolate, I was beyond delighted to deck myself in my black sugarbar apron and get working within the comforts of a heated home on a hearty meal.

I found an interesting recipe on goodtoknow.co.uk incorporating Chinese ingredients for a pork marinade. I was a little worried on how that might work with a fruit risotto but my fears were put to rest once I put a fork of meat to mouth. The flavours were gorgeous! Chinese 5 spice and the garlic was just wonderful, making the meat so juicy and succulent with a nice lacing of oriental sweetness. I adore this marinade and highly recommend it. In fact, I’m hoping to use this recipe again next week for another friend of mine, in hopes of wowing his socks off and showing him what a stunning cook I am. Actually, it’s also because I owe him a meal after he whipped me up some amazing chicken fajitas about 2 weeks ago. This man, I swear, is some sort of god of fajitas.

The apple risotto too was quite amazing. Word of advice, don’t pick sweet apples such as Royal Gala or Pink Lady. As much as these apples are tasty and beautiful to look at, I find that choosing a rather tart apple like Braeburn or maybe even a Cox just perfect, especially since it’ll go well with a dash of white wine.

This recipe serves 2.

Pan-Seared Pork Steak on Apple & Pecan Risotto
Ingredients

For the marinade & pork steaks:
(adapted from goodtoknow.co.uk)
2 fresh pork steaks
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
1/2 clove garlic, very finely chopped
1/2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tbs toasted sesame oil
sprinkle of dried thyme

For the Apple & Pecan Risotto:
150g Italian arborio rice
about 400ml vegetable stock
1/4 cup dry white wine
40g salted butter
1 shallot, chopped
30-40g grated parmesan
1 red apple (I’ve used a Braeburn), chopped into small cubes
1/3 cup whole pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
sprinkle of dried thyme
freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning

In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for the marinade. Place pork steaks in a large plate and pour marinade over the tops of the steaks. Rub gently into the steaks, flip over and cover the clean sides with marinade. Make sure to pat the chopped ginger in the marinade onto the steaks. Cover plate tightly with clingwrap and let sit in the refrigerator overnight or for at least an hour.

For the risotto, make sure you start on it about 10-15minutes before pan-searing the steaks as this will take about 5-7minutes to cook completely.
Heat the butter in a saucepan. Add the risotto rice and fry for about 2 minutes. Add the shallots and fry a little longer. Ladle about 2 ladles of vegetable stock into the saucepan, lower heat and let simmer. The arborio rice will slowly absorb the liquids in and be careful to only add a ladle of stock each time, stirring now and again as the rice cooks – you can add liquid to risotto but not take it out!
When all the liquid is nearly absorbed, add another ladle and continue this cooking process. This will take about 10-15minutes to cook. Once the risotto rice is cooked through, add the white wine and stir. Once the consistency of the risotto has reached the desired thickness, remove from heat and add 1/2 the prepared grated parmesan, thyme, apples and pecan. Stir with a quick and firm hand until all the ingredients have just come together.
Add the rest of the grated parmesan, saving a tiny bit for sprinkling over the tops. Season with black pepper if needed.

For the pork steaks, preheat the oven to 200d Celsius and prepare a hot frying pan. The pan has got to be very hot but not overly hot. Grease lightly with cooking spray. Remove steaks from refrigerator.
Place steaks on hot frying pan and let sear for about 7 seconds (you will have to judge this by eye). With a pair of tongs or a spatula, flip the steaks quickly to sear the other side for another 7 seconds. Now remove and place on a grill, then slide into the oven to cook for about 5 minutes. Once cooked, serve quick on a bed of apple & pecan risotto with a sprinkle of grated parmesan.