Although our English summer always comes with a nasty price-tag, one demanding the patience for silly rain and general grey and the necessary sad goodbyes and partings, the brighter side of things must certainly be acknowledged. Summer = travelling. And what kind of travelling is best but food travelling?
Before I get on to the food-traipsing-about bit, however, might I thank Cannelle et Vanille for a wonderful yoghurt panna cotta recipe? I followed her recipe (found in the link shown), including the strawberry mousse but was a little too lazy to carry on with the strawberry gelee. This was lush, especially the strawberry mousse. Tasted absolutely delicious and so creamy! I reckon my panna cotta could have been a little less gelatiny but it was a hit with the special someone (and a good mate of mine). I took the licked glass sides and spoons to be a good sign. My home-prepared dinner date was a success; well, fairly. Strawberries are my feel-good fruit and on a typical summer day, cold strawberries topped with honeyed yoghurt is something I love. Combine the two in this recipe and I couldn’t think of a more suitable summer pudding – sweet, pretty, refreshing and uncomplicated. Threw on a few pink pearl dragees for luck (and yes, a touch of elegance to a student-prepared dessert) and voila!
As the weeks went by, I found myself re-entering the baking zone after a month of exam-induced unhealthy eating and consumption of convenient foods. I was in the zone! Baked a lemon poppy seed cake for Steph in Shrewsbury, her 21st birthday sponge-cake at a bbq in Fleet and then a chocolate torte with brandy cream in Kent (did not take any pictures of this but will soon recreate this pudding as it was too good to chuck the recipe out). I couldn’t be happier. I may have lost a bit of the baking touch from being idle in the kitchen but I’m quite sure it’ll all come back to me very soon. It’s like riding a bike – not that I can ride a bike, unfortunately! But I’m just saying…so don’t judge me. 
When the end of June came and went, I’d lost so much weight from lugging huge suitcases and tea boxes about, painting walls and bedrooms, climbing up and down to paint ceilings and skirtings or wipe down hard-to-reach surfaces, I could see no better way to treat myself than to eat all the sweeties I desired whenever and wherever the urge sprung up. First stop in my travels was Shrewsbury – the birth place of Darwin but more importantly, a very dear friend of mine – Steph who was recently our newbie-21. Thanks to her food enthusiast of a mum, we had a road trip to Much Wenlock, Church Stretton and a little farm shop on the way home.
I know few who do not love lemon curd, or as Steph’s mum calls it, lemon cheese. Sabrina’s Cottage Kitchen lemon curd was star quality. We found this little stand of jams, preserves, fruit & nut butters and curds in the guild-house of Much Wenlock. Everything was prettily packaged the traditional way and I admit I got very carried away with the tablewater crackers and jam testers on the side. Couldn’t help ooh-ing and aaah-ing at everything because it isn’t an every day thing to find homemade jams and preserves as pretty and tasty as these in Birmingham city. It was unfortunate I had little luggage space or I would have bought quite a few jars of their lovely product. We did, however, leave with a humble jar of lemon curd which we had nearly every day for the rest of my stay with fruit, on toast, on lemon poppy seed – every available opportunity to have it! I realize I have yet to talk about why this lemon curd is so good. It’s just curd isn’t it? Yes and no. I love my M&S lemon curd but this topped it. Using a recipe that uses no water, this baby uses only eggs, unsalted butter, white caster sugar and lemons! Simple, uncomplicated and so good (this is totally my motto in life). The recipe was leaked out to us, very kindly. But if I tell you it, I’d have to kill you because this simple curd recipe isn’t just a curd recipe. It’s a recipe for a curd that’s so lemony and so creamy, it gives you a party in your mouth every taste. Unfortunately, the lack of preservatives means this must be consumed in a few days. Really now, it’s so good it won’t last more than 3 days max in all honesty. I can guarantee that.
With the taste of lemons still lingering on my tastebuds, we were ready for a coffee and some heartily good homemade cake. So where to in Much Wenlock for none of that mass-produced coffee shop sweets but the real homemade stuff with real butter? In the cosy basement of the sweetest gift shop, Rainbow’s End, I was taken to this little gem providing some of the moistest and most tasty cakes I’ve had – retreat Coffee Shop. And what a name! Going to the Rainbow’s End where I find not the leprechaun’s secret stash of gold but a little retreat serving up coffees, drinks and little sweets. What a treasure of a find and a great place to put your feet up for a bit before wandering through Much Wenlock’s array of quirky, antique and lifestyle shops. Want cake?
Have cake! The St. Clementine cake (if you love orange and lemon) is my no.1 and the Carrot Cake is quite lush too. The icing on both is to die for! If you want something less sweet, the English scones available are lovely too. They are served with butter and strawberry jam.
The rest of the day was spent lazying about in Steph’s garden, checking out the blackcurrant and gooseberry bush, and designing a cherry-picking plan for the rest of the week. By the end of the week, we’d picked loads of the reddest, fattest cherries before the birds got to them and a little box of blackcurrants. Joy! The next day, Steph took me into Shrewsbury town. I thoroughly adored all the Tudor houses, the quaint backstreet shops, giftstores, chocolatiers and traditional sweet shops. There was just something quite fairytale-like about the whole experience. Walking on cobblestone through little streets, turning a little crooked corner to find a small giftshop selling a collection of handmade trinkets, odd boy paraphernalia, indie designer dresses, etc. I loved it! Every corner was something fascinating, something to see and wonder about.
At lunchtime, we popped into The Cornhouse Restaurant and Wine Bar which was much raved about by Steph’s mum and coincidentally where Steph’s aunt and partner had first met. I had high expectations of this restaurant and I wasn’t disappointed at all. I ordered the Honey Roasted Ham with free range eggs, homemade chutney, chips and salad main. The chutney was probably one of the best I’ve tasted. The chef was pretty generous with the ham and the free range eggs were fried but without the brown crispy sides which is just the way I like it. With fried eggs, I hate it when the sides of the eggs start to crisp up and the whole egg is just an oily, greasy mess. Mine were perfect with the egg yolk about halfway cooked, so it was cooked on the outer most ring of the yolk and then gooey in the middle. Aaah. I hate to sound utterly silly but I tend to judge a restaurant (the ones that serve chips) by their chips. Good restaurants make the chips themselves and if they’re served chunky, are real solid chunks that are properly cooked. Crisp and golden brown on the outside but fluffy inside. These chips were just that. Very golden brown which I believe was due to a special seasoning that wasn’t overpowering at all. Even doused with vinegar and salt, they were quite perfect. Steph ordered a burger which came with chips and a salad as well. A fat chunky burger with lots of herbs inside. Sitting across the table, I couldn’t help sneaking looks at that glorious burger of hers. Really good food is all I can say. Not poncy and not overly-priced. Just good food made with fresh, top-quality ingredients and served with a personal touch and warm, friendly service. The interior is well-decorated with warm lighting so you sorta feel like you’ve come home for a relaxing meal. Comfy chairs, smooth dark wooden tables, the whole shebang. Lovely! If you decide to check out The Cornhouse ( click the link for their website) or here’s where you can find it:
59a Wyle Cop
Shrewsbury
SY1 1XY
Tel: 01743 231 991
24-26 George Street
Oxford
OX1 2AE
Tel: 01865 83 83 83
I was sad to leave Shrewsbury for another bit of England but am delighted to say I visited Jamie’s Italian in Oxford! The reason I was in Oxford was because I was visiting a close friend of mine, Hansey, who’d recently returned to England from Marseille. And we were just meeting up before jetting off to gay Paris the morning after. Talk about over-scheduling my holiday! The Oxford restaurant, the first of Jamie’s casual dining chain, is situated right in the heart of Oxford amongst a cosmopolitan offering of other very lovely restaurants. Once in the restaurant, you’re overwhelmed with the smell of gorgeous food, of people with happy faces bonding over antipasti and a glass of wine, busy waiting staff expertly maneuvering their way between tables and chairs with plates of steaming pasta, risotto or some other luxurious dish. I think I was sold the moment I stepped through the doors, over the threshold into Jamie’s world of food.
We ordered a few starters: a little box of various breads and breadsticks, a plate of gia-normous fresh olives on ice and seasoned fried chickpeas. The verdict? All good. I wanted more! My main was (I do not remember the exact name of the dish) but stuffed pork skewers served with a caramelized lemon and a salsa dip. I paired the main with a side of seasoned vegetables which tasted like it’d been curried but was so lovely, it sort of melted in your mouth. The pork skewers were delicious but I knew I should have scrutinized the menu a little bit more for the sake of blogging the dish as I now cannot recall what other ingredients went into the stuffed skewer. All I know is that it was moist, it was tasty, it was lush with the caramelized lemon! The only beef I had with it was probably that the food had gotten a little cold by the time it’d been served.
Throughout the whole dinner, the conversation was flowing as well as the food was rapidly being consumed. The wine was good, the ambience was great and totally suited for family meals or casual gatherings between friends. Although the waitress could have been a little friendlier and less stressed out, my ice cream pudding could have been a lot less melted, the whole evening was lovely and I’d still be eager to mark a dinner date in my diary to return to Jamie’s.
From Oxford we jet-setted to Paris and boy was I excited about having croissants, brioche, crepes, macarons, tarte au citron and loads more! One of the mornings in our week-long stay, we zombied (this is us, caffeine-less and breakfast-less braving the morning metro crowd) it all the way on the metro to Montmarte, getting off at Abbesses station for a 2-3min walk to the highly-recommended café/boulangerie Coquelicot which is poppy in French; hence, the poppy red theme of the café. Absolutely loved this little place. It’s quite crammed in there and really hard to move about especially if you’re a tourist with ridiculously big bags stuffed with maps, cameras, camera equipment, mineral water, yada yada. But the waiting staff in there are friendly despite the early morning start. The ladies behind the counter zip about at lightning speed, slipping freshly baked baguettes, croissants, sugar rolls, madeleines, etc. into brown paper bags. Don’t get too carried away staring at this morning hustle-bustle though. Find yourself a seat quick, whether it’s outside facing the street or inside, slotted about 2 inches away from a stranger – it’s fine! The scrambled eggs are good, the orange juice is freshly squeezed, the brioche comes in a little bread basket warm and so soft, tearing it apart is like tearing up warm cotton candy. Best of all, they serve morning coffee the traditional French way – in bowls!
Yes-a-roonie. Un bol de café noir, s’il vous plait!
That’s all I need to say. No more typing, or trying to pimp this place out. It’s GOOOD. Go find Coquelicot:
24 rue des Abbesses
Paris 18e
Tel: 01 46 06 18 77
Another special place we went to in Paris was Le Beouf sur le Toit, a place recommended to me for great seafood: oysters, mussells, lobster, the works. We went, we ate, we conquered, and had a mammoth amount of pudding. That, all on top of a bottle of wine between Hansey and I. That explains why there weren’t any pictures. Woops. My bad!! Nevertheless, we ate Paris through and through. I did have a small moment of food poisoning but that’s beside the point.
So leaving Paris was another moment of goodbye for me. Saying goodbye to friends, going separate paths, planning the next reunion. It was sad. But I’m excited about doing my Masters in London next year and the food opportunities in London! Anyway, before I start gushing about that and before I end this ridiculously long entry, would like to tell everyone about the little Crooked House of Windsor teahouse. Unfortunately, the parents and I weren’t hungry enough to have their traditional selections of teacakes but we did sample their coffees and teas which were delightful. Dad ordered a chocolate cappuccino of some sort – he was going through a phase of having chocolate in his usually black coffee after travelling to Switzerland and Mum had a rose-infused black tea which smelt divine. I ordered a black coffee which I believe was of an Indonesian roast that smelt like chocolate but tasted quite smooth and intense. I would return at some point to taste their teacakes and scones but I am proud to say I left happy and caffeined-up.
Sainsbury’s has recently launched an ‘Eat Britain’ campaign and I’m excited about this campaign to eat locally produced foods and so forth. I don’t think I have done exactly that by traipsing about the country and then to Paris but I’m glad something like that has been launched. Hope it goes well and if you guys have anything to say about it, drop me a comment!
Diva shall now attempt to unpack and sort out her clothes and all. Yikes.
Pannacotta Tartlet – tonka bean macaron, Medjool dates, fresh and preserved grapefruit
Pâte à Choux – pâte à choux, lemon pastry cream, mango and passion fruit jelly, vanilla and almond whipped cream
Cardinal – blackcurrant macaron, blackcurrant marmalade and violet mousseline cream, garnished with a blueberry and sugared petal
Café Guanaja – hazelnut and praline, Guanaja chocolate cream, sacher biscuit, coffee and sabayon chocolate cream
