Sally Oliver's blog

The Kensington Arms

Ate at a friend's recently with our usual motley crew. One of the topics of convo was where to take the parents on their next visit to Bristol. The parents like eating out. Probably not as much as me. Every time they venture down from the wilds of the north to the calm oasis of the west country, they require an evening's wining and dining in a 'never before visited' establishment. We have covered most of the city at this point so I was stuck for ideas.

Mr Clatworthy, (of the Clifton sausage and one of the motley crew) a person who knows his food and wine, recommended the Kensington Arms, a place I'm embarrassed to say I'd never heard of. Intrigued by this recommended and yet unknown prospect, we duly rocked up on Stanley Road in Redland. G noted he had in fact visited the place for drinks in his past life as a single man, when allowed to roam the streets on pub crawls with unsavoury types, probably on the search for women, pah.

My first impression was of a proper drinker's pub, also of on odd smell of boiled cabbage emenating from the kitchen. Not put off we wondered through to the restaurant and lo! a welcoming, perfectly lit, cosy dining room. The walls were interesting in a 'school GCSE end of term display' sort of way. I think it may have been a staff competition to cover the walls in half an hour. A still of Barbarella juxtaposed with a picture of an unfortunate pig's head and another  of what appeared to be a young James May cradled by an old lady....Anyway on to the good stuff.

The wine list is huge, (probably why Mr Clatworthy gave the place the thumbs up) and the menu is concise and well priced with starters at the £6 mark and mains between £10 and £15.  The tables and chairs are varied and rickety and are also different heights. We swapped chairs, then again and then finally moved to a less distressed table.  There are cognac coloured sofas on one side of these tables but I was relegated to a chair (parent privileges.)

There was a cream of artichoke soup which the father shook his head at, declaring soup to be 'an absence of food' which I rather liked. He plumped for the Salmon fishcake, pickled cucumber salad and tartare sauce. G chose the Chicken liver parfait with red onion confit and toast. I opted for the Pea and leek tartlet with fresh pea and salsify salad and the Mother had the Marinated pork tenderloin which came with blue cheese, pear and pine nut salad. My tart arrived with cubes of beetroot, perky leaves and was creamy and crusty and good. G's toast was a tad charred (though the smell was a pleasant change from boiled cabbage.) He remarked that it was rare to be served enough toast to accommodate the pate and as quantity is always top of G's list of priorities, the dish was a hit. The parents both enjoyed their starters with the father proclaiming the fish cake to be 'better then The Swan in Bitton', (more of the Swan in next blog) which has the tastiest fish cakes I think I've ever eaten, apparently the Kensington Arms wins for it's salmon packed versions.

On to mains; Rump of lamb with boulangere potatoes and parsley pesto for the mother, Braised feather blade of beef and horseradish mash for G. The father and I both chose the Pan- seared sea bass, leek and potato puree and oven roasted shallots. My wedge of bass was perfectly sized, decorated with little baubles of onion and a pie of puree. I liked it a lot. All the other mains were equally well received.

Desserts and it was just G and I (always troopers on the dessert front) sharing the sticky toffee pudding. I always think a sticky toffee pudding shows the mettle of the restaurant though in this case it was the only let down of the meal. Quite small, not very sticky and a bit too dry. I'm making it sound worse than it was but if you compare it to the Clifton Sausage's version there is no competition.

My verdict: Overall one of the best meals I've had in Bristol for a good while. Nice atmosphere, lovely unpretentious, tasty food and a very friendly waitress who doesn't mind you swapping tables multiple times. My father tipped her handsomely which probably says more than this review.

Autumn wine selection

Robert Clatworthy of The Clifton Sausage and A Taste of Europe's resident wine expert shares his thoughts on full-bodied reds for Autumn.

 October '10.                                                                                                        

As the weather is changing and the leaves on the trees start to let us know its autumn and winter is on its way, there is nothing better than a good red with a delicious cheese, as the wind and rain crash on your window. Godminster cheddar is my cheese of choice at the moment, a rich creamy cheddar cheese made in the village of Godminster in Somerset. Here is a selection of my favourite red wines, to accompany it.

Last year I went to a good friend’s wedding and the wedding list asked for wine, I took a  super tuscan,Terrabianca Campaccio IGT Toscana 2006 magnum.The name super tuscan is given to any wine from Tuscany that includes grape verities that cannot be classified in the DOC classification. The main and most popular grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot grapes normally used in the making of Bordeaux, giving a much richer wine.

Unfortunately the marriage did not last but I did get to drink the wine and  it was superb! It was enjoyed with a group of 6 friends and a good bit of British beef, better than any wedding. The wine is packed full of ripe berry fruit flavours with roasted almonds and chocolate with very balanced smooth tannins and a long finish, the wine is 70 % Sangiovese and 30% cabernet Sauvignon and made by Roberto Guldener.

 

Rioja is always a crowd pleaser and great with food or to just drink on its own, it is a true “glugging” wine. Rioja is a region in Spain which is divided in to 3 main sections Rioja Alta in the west which produces a lighter style of wine due to the climate, Rioja Alavesa produces wines that are higher in acidy and a fuller body. Rioja Baja is the hottest of all the areas with drought sometimes being a problem. Although irrigation was introduced in 1990 the wines produced here are very deep dark wines with little acidity and very high in alcohol, they are mainly used to blend with other wines from other areas in Rioja.

The grapes used to make red Rioja are Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo, the Tempranillo being the main grape containing the most flavours, Garnacha second and Graciano and Mazuelo only about 5%or less in a blend,

 

As with most wine producing countries Spain has a classification system; there are 4 main groups starting with “Rioja”.  This is the youngest wine with less than a year in oak aging barrels. The second is “Crianza”, the wine must have been aged for 2 years and at least 1 year in oak aging barrels. “Rioja Reserva” is aged for 3 years, at least 1 year must be in oak and last “Rioja Grand Reserva” which must be aged for 2 years in oak and 3 years in the bottle.

 

Vina Bosconia Reserva Rioja 2001 is one of my favorite Rioja wines, its colour is deep red with  orange hints around the rim, the wine is rich and full bodied, packed with mature fruit from the Tempranillo grape. On the palate it is soft and smooth with good acidity. The cost of this wine from a good wine merchant would be about £20 and more in a restaurant, but it is true value for money.

 

R.C

My number one chocolate cake recipe

I have probably tried more chocolate cake recipes than any other, mainly because I stand by the fact that good friends should always have a birthday cake and in my opinion nothing is ever as good as chocolate.

My grannie's most amazing chocolate cake was a secret recipe and only my eldest sister has it (and annoyingly won't share it) but I am not deterred from my cake making, pursuit of perfection and I have 2 recipes that have never failed to please the crowd. One is my 'Serious Chocolate Cake', it involves ganache, a great deal of Valrhona chocolate and takes a long time to cook and prepare.. so I'm not going to bother sharing that one. The second is my 'Foolproof Chocolate cake' which is easy as pie.. which is more difficult than cake, perhaps whoever coined that phrase was talking about the eating rather than the cooking..anyhoo I digress. This cake is like a giant chocolate brownie and I haven't met anyone yet who doesn't like it!

My Foolproof chocolate cake

Ingredients:

350g butter

400g Bourneville choc - 2 large bars 

400g golden caster sugar

130g plain flour

100g mixed chopped nuts (I like hazelnuts, walnuts and pecans best.

Method:

1. Heat oven to 180 degrees, or 165 if fan oven.

2. Butter and line two 12 inch cake tins, (only need to line the bottom with a circle of parchment)

3. Melt 300 grams of Bournville choc in large heavy based saucepan with 400g caster sugar and 350g unsalted butter over a very gentle heat. Pour into bowl when melted and let cool a little.

4. Chop the remaining chocolate into small chunks and set to one side.

5. Seperate 6 eggs. Whisk the whites in one bowl to soft peaks, whisk the yolks in another bowl lightly with a fork.

6. Stir the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture.

7. Fold the flour, nuts and chopped chocolate into the mixture.

8. Carefully fold in the egg whites with a metal spoon.

9. Pour half the mixture into one tin and half into the other. Bake 35 minutes.

For the buttercream filling:

I tend to make buttercream up to taste but 175g icing sugar and 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder (or about 30 grams melted choc) sifted into 75g very soft butter with 2 teaspoons of milk and a teaspoon of vanilla extract will make a nice filling.

You can either dust the top with icing sugar, cover with buttercream and decorate or cover with ganache for a smarter finish.

Also note you can easily halve this recipe to make one smaller cake.

And finally some little pointers I thought I'd add for complete cake beginners:

. Get the butter out of the fridge a good few hours before you cook. Get the eggs out about half an hour before. You want the ingredients at the same temp and the butter as soft as possible.
. Use the empty butter wrappers to butter the tin, then draw round the base of the tin onto baking parchment and cut out.
. I LOVE LOVE springform tins, get one!
. Leave cake to cool for about 15 mins before you get it out of the tin or it will crack. Be patient!
. Personally I always think organic ingredients taste better, though this may be all in my head.
. Don't forget to think lovely thoughts about the person you're baking it for. Call me a big old hippy but I think the best cakes are made with love.

Flying fish, Banana bread and Rum Punch... guess where I've been?

Yes, I have been sunning myself in Barbados on my very own honeymoon and you have every right to be jealous as it was pretty fantastic. We did lots of waterskiing, went to see the cricket final and also attended a friend's fantastic wedding at the Sandy Lane country club, (memories of poor G in 34 degree heat in tuxedo..)

The food was fantastic, a combination of the freshest fish, spicy fried food and British colonial influences. The national dishes are pudding and souse (pork chops usually, though pigs heads and trotters traditionally, and sweet potato pudding). Brilliantly named dishes such as 'Cohobbolopot', 'Hoppin' John' and 'Buljol'. The island's most popular fish is flying fish. G does not have fond memories of these as he was repeatedly slapped in the face by them when he rowed the Atlantic, but greatly preferred the peppered, fried version we ate every day for lunch!

Other favourites were fried fish balls, mahi mahi and wahoo (the best named fish in the sea!), a great deal of plantain and the juiciest papaya and watermelon imaginable. We ate lobster and prawn skewers with the island's national dish of macaroni pie (G asked for chips and received a filthy look!) at Oistins friday night 'fish fry'. Cocktails at the Cliff is a must for any visitor to Barbados, the most stunning beachfront location, but at £16 a cocktail you may not want to stay for dinner, (£150 per person for 2 courses... though I am assured the food and service are world class.) http://www.thecliffbarbados.com/index.html

I also enjoyed the best cocktail in memory at Daphnes http://www.daphnesbarbados.com/index.cfm an Apple Strudel made with vanilla vodka, green apple puree and a dash of apple schnapps and then dusted with
Cinnamon- delicious!  

Back to Bristol with a bang and I am greatly missing the Bajan cuisine. No fear though! As most people collect souvenirs from their travels, I collect cookbooks! and I have proudly accommodated 'Caribbean cooking' alongside 'Creative Basque cuisine' and 'Pure Finnish flavours'!

No matter that the flavour combinations and local recipes never seem to taste quite the same back home in the rainy surrounds, (note to self: Parmesan and honey is fabulous in a mountain tavern in Trentino but will be grounds for divorce if presented to G on a Friday night) they transport me back to sunnier or more exotic climes in a nano-second.

So to spice up your lives a little here are a couple of recipes. The ultimate rum punch and Bajan banana bread (I ate this every single day for 2 weeks :)

Bajan Banana Bread

220g whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

100ml olive oil

185g brown sugar

2 eggs

6 medium bananas (very ripe is best)

2 tbsps molasses (optional)

raisins and chopped nuts (optional)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp clove

1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease 2 medium loaf tins and line with baking parchment.

2. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined (don't over mix)

3. Place in the loaf tins and sprinkle with extra cinnamon and sugar.

4. Bake for 50 mins, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Lift out of the tin and cool on a cooling rack.

Proper Bajan Rum Punch

1 measure of lime juice, freshly squeezed

2 measures of sugar syrup

3 measures of dark Caribbean rum, the older the better

4 measures of water

Dash of angostura bitters and freshly grated nutmeg.

1. Place 2 measures of sugar in a pan with a little water and cook until dissolved and add to the juice.

2. Add the rum and the water.

3. Serve with plenty of ice,  a dash of ice, bitters and a grating of nutmeg.

 

Cupcakes forever!

I never used to be an enormous cake fan, preferring chocolate every time to a piece of cake. Then I acquired a friend called Emily who ate a lot of cake and kept buying it for me. She insisted cake had magical properties, and if you ate it regularly you would never get ill. As far as I am aware she does indeed, never get ill, (she is also rather lovely and svelte) so I increased my cake intake (because of their health giving properties obviously) and found that I rather liked it... Now, I am not completely stupid and am aware that if you eat enough cake, not only do you get ill, but you are also likely to be airlifted through your bedroom window- or end up on some hideous television programme either being made to eat the diet of an anorexic person or being instructed to parade naked down a catwalk by Gok Wan- (a warning for our times), I also am not sure of cake's illness-preventing qualities, though I DO feel much better every time I eat it.  BUT I have decided that cake, in moderation IS GOOD.

The definition of cake moderation, according to my fictional cake dictionary (my 'fictionary' if you will), is a cupcake. A perfectly, bitesized portion of calorie-controlled, scrumptiousness. It is apparent that I am not the only one to have cottoned on to the pleasures of the cupcake; the nation, make that the WORLD, is in the grip of a cupcake frenzy. So, are cupcakes just a fad, or are they here to stay?

Well cupcakes have always been around in one form or another. Back in the day, when I was a nipper, we called cupcakes 'buns', (I may have mentioned that I hail from oop North), though I also understood that 'fairy cakes' was a term bandied around too, in more southerly climes. I wasn't an enormous fan of 'buns' as they were usually small, sunken things with an anaemic dollop of transparent white icing which pooled at the edges of the paper case and scarcely covered the top of said bun. There was more often than not a glace cherry perched haphazardly on top, or possibly some hundreds and thousands if the bun maker was pushing the boat out. This was the best version of a 'bun' the small Sally came across. So it was unsurprising I wasn't a huge cake convert until moving to the cosmopolitan climes of ... a city! and coming across the new, improved, American influenced, version,

these!!

Suddenly cupcakes were everywhere and what started off as  traditional school fair fayre became the very height of fashion. The 'Sex and the city' girls munched on the Magnolia bakery's finest whilst aptly discussing crushes, Vogue proclaimed 'owning a cupcake bakery the career fantasy of our times' and the credit crunch saw us reining in the big spending but splashing out on little luxuries. Lipglosses, nail varnishes and cupcake sales soared.

I have read article after article about the rainbow frosted cakes with headlines ranging from 'Cupcakes- the thin woman's indulgence' (a reference to the fashion connotations: see and be seen eating cupcakes, and also the calorie controlled portions: celebratory but restrained) to 'Cupcakes are the new candle!' (gifting trends suited to current financial climate.) We have Sophie Dahl cooking childhood favourites on tv and Jules Oliver producing books about being a 'yummy mummy' Cath Kidston rules supreme and fifties style, homely nostalgia is everywhere.

I decided to track down the best cupcakes in the land (Bristol) and have a new firm favourite.  All hail Swinky Sweets 'Purveyor of Cupcake couture'. I spent a memorable evening at Swinky's launch to test (yes, I'm a martyr to my work) Mr Gareth Couch (aka Mr Swinky)'s offerings. Swinky's makes innovative flavoured cakes: Earl Grey is a favourite, as is 'Bouncing blue bubblegum', Bread and butter pudding with custard topping and Horseradish and white chocolate. There's also a turkish delight flavoured one, Morrocan Mint and _{Lemon Meringue.} At the launch party Mr Swinky was also showcasing his version of 'Red Velvet', made famous in the UK by the Hummingbird bakery, which was utterly delicious. The carrot cupcake was honestly the best carrot cake I've eaten and the vanilla version was far from boring and was lip smackingly good with the perfect ratio of swirled frosting to cake. (The icing MUST be expertly swirled or else you might as well be eating a 'bun'!)

Swinky's don't just proffer cupcakes to the Bristol mob but also make their own fudge, marshmallows and milkshakes as well as an array of kitsch Americana; remember Marshmallow fluff, Wonka's nerds and Lucky Charms? The shop is retro heaven with a candy coloured seating area and if you're reluctant to go public with your cupcake habit for fear of damaging your street cred, you can rest assured: being spotted in Swinky on Bristol's trendy Park street is akin to being spotted in the likes of The Groucho Club. At £1.75 a cupcake (and I've seen cupcakes regularly priced over £3.00) Swinky offers a fabulous, pocket friendly indulgence and solves all my birthday present buying dilemmas.

 

 

 

 

Above: Mr Swinky aka Gareth Couch, cupcake maker extraordinaire, and thoroughly nice bloke.

Left: Bought these for a friend's birthday: triple choc, vanilla (with the pink frosting) and lemon meringue- mmmmmm!

I am something of a cupcake tart however and must give a shout out to my other 2 cupcake favourites ( I don't want to be pelted with cupcakes as I stroll around the village now.... well actually yes I do!)

The Mall in Clifton Village (14 The Mall) has a daily display of the most fabulous sparkly creations, bright blue and pink icing topped off with sparkly coloured balls and glitter, a veritable disco ball of yumminess. There are also chocoholic versions topped off with flakes and curly wurlies. I had a display of these cakes at A Taste if Europe's launch party a couple of years ago. http://www.atasteofeurope.co.uk/index.php?act=viewDoc&docId=9 scroll down on the news page to see pics!

I also have to mention the Arch House Deli at the end of my road, just under the Arches leading into Clifton village. The irrepressible 'Sylvie' runs the place and always advises me of what to cook when I am wandering round the place in a foodie daze. There is a daily selection of scrummy cakes and I highly recommend the Polenta cake with coffee and cardamom icing and the poppy seed and rose cupcake which I had to buy to munch on as I wrote this blog!

http://www.archhousedeli.com/

 

Easter Bake-a-thon!

Oof. Did rather a lot of baking yesterday. Tried out the Delicious magazine macaroon recipe, as promised a month or so ago: a success! Was really rather pleased with myself, although have noted a couple of alterations to the recipe for next time. Also made a lemon cake and strawberry and vanilla shortcakes. Will post the recipes but here are a few pics to whet your appetite!

Making macaroons.. my first ever attempt

Not too shabby!

 

 

 

 

Pink icing..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ta da! Laduree eat your heart out!

 

Lemon cake on the way..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon buttercream filling...

and raspberries..

 

 

 

 

 

 

equal yumminess!

 

 

 

 

Making strawberry and vanilla shortcakes..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and voila! My little Easter spread!

Wondering what to drink over Easter?

Wondering what to drink over the Easter weekend? My good friend Rob Clatworthy, Manager of award winning restaurant 'The Clifton Sausage' and 'A Taste of Europe's' resident wine expert has some suggestions...

 

Wine for me has to be something that is judged by its value for money and I find nothing more satisfying than discovering a bottle of wine that costs in the region of £5 and tasted like it should cost £50. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind paying £50 but it’s got to be worth it.Wine does not have to be something that makes people break out in a cold sweat when they try to pronounce the name of some indigenous grape variety at the bar or restaurant table, dare I say it should be easy and fun.

 

I am a real Sparkling wine fan and like nothing more than opening a bottle of Great Champagne but alas the pocket sometimes leads me to try Prosecco or Cava of which some can be great but some not so, my latest find is a Blanc de Blanc from the Saumur region in France.

 

Louis De Grenelle, Cremant De Loire, Chardonnay, Brut.

 The wine maker describes this wine as having a “clean fresh attack, with the palate having a delicate fruit basket'. For me it’s a very well balanced sparkling wine, as near as I have tasted to a wine from Champagne. I drank a bottle with a rare fillet of British beef with chunky chips and it was delicious. Blanc de Blanc translates to 'white of whites' and is normally found describing Champagne made from 100 percent Chardonnay, however it can also be used to describe sparkling wines from other regions. Blanc du Blanc can be found in most supermarkets and in good wine merchants. If you’re a fan of the fizzy stuff and fancy trying something new or even want to give the dreaded Chardonnay another go, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

 

I can’t in all good conscious write about sparkling wine and neglect to mention my favourite sparkling of all; Joseph Perrier, Cuvee Royal, Chalons, Champagne, France.  I was lucky enough to be invited to Joseph Perrier earlier in the year. We arrived on a cold grey day and the town of Chalons was well- very quiet, to say the least! We were treated to a tour of the vineyard and the press, and were given a tasting of the whole range of wine produced.  My favourite is the Cuvee Royal Brut which is produced by blending 35% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier and it is

aged for 3 years. The house’s 21 hectares satisfies 30% of their production. The rest comes from 30 cru’s, on The Mountain of Reims. The wine was awarded the royal crest by Queen Victoria and King Edward to celebrate the wedding of their son Prince Edward.

 

The Cuvee has great depth of fruit flavors and a  long lasting rich finish, it works well with smoked fish and is also excellent just on its own. Thankfully it can be enjoyed at anytime of the day or night. Joseph Perrier wines can be bought from any good boutique wine merchant or good restaurants.

 

 

RC

 

 

 

Last supper and the Delicious Miss Dahl.

Well, what miserable weather. I made the mistake of checking the forecast today, only to be chirpily informed it is going to rain for the forseeable future. Hm. I have not had the best week either so there was really only one thing to be done, other than to start building the Ark.. I went to get my hair done.

Ah! Two and a half hours (yes this is how long it takes) of  endless cups of tea and ‘Vogue’.. (yes Vogue! what did you expect??) Anyway, in Vogue I came across an interesting and very well written article by Sophie Dahl, of the 'Delicious Miss Dahl variety'. Now my personal jury of one is still out on Miss Dahl. A Londony friend of mine met her once and said that she was fretting obsessively about having eaten a tiny sliver of cake. Being very easily influenced, I have always had her down as one of these types who pretends they eat and cook and live in their kitchens, but actually exist on lettuce leaves and air... (Gwyneth Paltrow springs to mind...)

This article was about American, death row criminal's last meals. Yes! a cheery subject! Apparently one of such criminals contacted Dahl to ask if she'd like to set up a business venture. She declined, oddly. When she googled his prison she found that all the death row prisoner’s crimes and last supper requests were listed. An odd thought that lives can be summarised within two categories: 'Misdemeanours, Food’. I think quite telling epitaphs could be produced from such a summary, I wonder what mine would be: 'Sally Oliver,  speeding fines, excessive spending on hair products, crimes to punctuation,  spag bol'. Actually that wouldn't be the case as my last meal is something I have bored G with for years, deliberating over the perfect meal.  Dahl deliberates over hers too, she veers between a poached egg on toast with tarragon mushrooms on the side and a rich french onion soup with gruyere and bread. Both would be followed by a molton chocolate pudding, possibly with some brandy soaked cherries at the bottom, and on this I have to agree with her, kirsch soaked cherries for me. The prison inmates, with barely an exception choose the regional comfort food they ate as a child, lots of southern fried chicken, fries, onion rings, brisket, pecan pie and cheesecake. It makes sense that you would want to depart the world with something reminiscent of a comforting childhood.

It's quite enlightening, this question, as to what childhood foods a person is comforted by. Chefs Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsey would both plump for roast beef and potatoes, (very English, hearty boy food I suppose). My namesake and fellow pasta lover Jamie Oliver would choose Spaghetti followed by rice pudding. (Italian leanings but British roots) Nigella opts for lemon roast chicken, creamed spinach, peas 'a la francais' , fennel salad, potatoes AND mash, (on my wavelength, this is not a time to count calories, though I don’t remember digging into peas any other way than ‘Anglais’ as a child,- from a freezer or the garden.) Raymond Blanc would tuck into shoulder of wild boar with red wine jus. (Good work Maman Blanc’) Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall would insist on cooking his own breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs on granary toast with crisp bacon (rind on) and mushrooms cooked in the bacon fat. (Specific to G standards.)

I had another 2 hours of hair tampering to go, so I texted friends and family, to find out their last supper preferences.:

Big sister chose spaghetti bolognese followed by my dear, departed Grannie's chocolate cake, which was utterly unsurpassed and probably my first food passion. Big sister has the secret recipe apparently and has annoyingly not yet entrusted me to it. I expected 'Charlotte the trader' to site ‘Momo's black cod’ or some such, but stuck to the 'childhood food formula' and opted for cream of chestnut soup followed by roast lamb with rosemary and garlic, mashed swede, cauliflower cheese and leeks 'as long as it was made by my mum - otherwise a curry!', bread and butter pudding to finish. Gosh, Perhaps the more driven you are, the more comforting you need the food! The Mother chose a menu that seems to have been picked from whatever hotel she is currently staying at, her text read, 'Smoked salmon then vegetarian selection or fish platter then creme caramel' I suppose she is leaving the fish platter and veg selection to the prison chef's preference. The father was unfailingly specific, 'Melon, jamon serrano, fish platter (there's that platter again) with lots of langoustines then lemon tart with home-grown strawberries, then blue stilton and biscuits, coffee and trufas and finally Carlos tercero brandy' Phew! ( I have actually witnessed his consumption of the above at many ‘last to arrive, last to leave’ lunches.)

In case you were wondering, (and you have either fallen asleep by now, or are madly compiling your own 'last supper menu'), mine would be as follows:

Sally's last supper menu (hopefully not to be eaten for a good few years.)

To start: Large bowl of moule mariniere

OR Grilled sardines with ample garlic

Main: Spaghetti with more garlic,(let's see if we can knock the executioner unconscious) king prawns, lemon, chilli, white wine and mussels, (if I had the sardine option to start) parsley and a pile of parmesan. (I am flouting the italian laws of fish and cheese on my last day.)

OR: Rack of lamb, dauphenoise potatoes (with lots of cream and perhaps some white truffle) and baby veg.

Grand finale: Molten chocolate pudding with caramel ice-cream and wild strawberries

And there we have it. Now you know exactly what to cook me next time you invite me for dinner! :)

Now I must dash as I want to catch The Delicious Miss Dahl (Tuesdays,8.30pm BBC 2) as I want to see if she actually eats. Leave comments with your last supper menus and I shall apply my amateur psychology to your choices! Stay tuned for next blog: Cupcakes! A far jollier prospect than today's topic and one that I equally obsess over...

 

Mothers day, biscuits and tasty March reader offer!

I am the 'furthest away' daughter, number 3 who disappeared 'down south' ,a visiting prodigal daughter if you will (in my own eyes at least), and therefore have to conjure up postable Mother's day pressie, if I'm not actually venturing home. One of the siblings MUST buy flowers but the big one has bagsied that, middle one is not giving anything away as usual (very secretive) so I am left with the pressie dilemma. Do I go for the old favourites: lavender handcream or magnolia bubble bath? Can't do anything not tried and tested by the Mother for the past 40 years as it will be condemned to live out it's 'best before' years in a cupboard. (The parents DO NOT LIKE CHANGE.) However. They do like food! I am quite reluctant to share my best kept pressie secret with you... but since I currently have.. (quick check), oh yes all of 15 avid readers, I think my secret is still quite safe. Luckily the Mother's technological knowledge does not stretch to being able to read this blog, so she should remain unaware of the fabulous pressie soon to be winging its way through the post to her...(good thing as the 'Dinner party musings' entry may have compromised my 'prodigal daughter' title.

Heard of The Biscuiteers? http://www.biscuiteers.com/ This is my go to website for the most gorgeous iced biscuits delivered through your letterbox!  

You can choose from prettily designed tins filled with suitably themed biccies of your choice for any occasion; new baby ones, cupcakes, birthdays, weddings, valentines and, of course, mothers day.

If a whole tin of biscuits is a bit much, there are mini versions too and if you just want to say hello! or thanks for a favour or 'Please could you look after the dog?' you can send a biscuit card! All you have to do is choose your biscuit card, enter your message and leave the rest to the Biscuiteers. Within a day or so, your friend will find a beautiful postcard-sized box landing on the doormat with your lovely message, just in time for a cup of tea and a treat.

 Biscuiteers do party bags for children and have a new Safari collection (right) with £5 from the sale of each tin going to the Great Ormond Street hospital.

 I chose the 'Kiss it better' collection, (right), which also supports Great Ormond street. Quite appropriate for a ex nurse, mother and biscuit-eater I thought.

And now for the good bit. The lovely people at Biscuiteers would like to offer my readers and A Taste of Europe clients an exclusive offer of 10% off orders for the month of March with the following discount code: TASTY. Just enter this code when placing your order. (offer expires on 8th April and excludes the Safari and Kiss it better ranges.)

So place your orders and claim your prodigal sons and daughters titles... and don't tell the Mother. :)

 

Wilfred's mini muffins.

This is a recipe I made up, based on my own 'healthy banana and blueberry muffins', that I make when I am trying to be good but have a cake craving, (this happens often.) Wilfred is a very sweet little person I know who would happily eat them all day long and has been known to wake from naps demanding 'CAKE!' (his name for them). They are pretty sturdy and little hand-sized so unlikely to crumble all over the carpet. Best of all is that they contain only good stuff and yet children seem to think they are naughty treats.

Wilfred's mini muffin recipe

65g wholemeal flour

65g plain flour

1 egg (lightly beaten)

2 tbsp maple syrup

a few chopped raisins or apricots

1 mashed banana, apple or pear

few blueberries if desired

1 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp olive oil

half teaspoon cinnamon

oats to sprinkle on top

 

• Preheat oven to 160C
• Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl with the chopped dried fruit. Mash the fruit with the oil, syrup and egg and add to the dry ingredients.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and ask small person to mix (don't overmix)
• Pour teaspoons of the mixture into mini muffin moulds (I don't bother to grease them as I find they tend to come out of the moulds easily but you can grease if you prefer.)
• Ask small person to sprinkle oats on top. (They will probably be quite over exuberant about this- see Wilf's artwork above, but the more oats the better!)
• Bake for 20 mins until golden brown.
• Eat! (Try to leave some for the small person.)

 

 

 

 

Springtime in Paris and Macaroons!

Just back from Paris, I was there for a travel trade buyers market for the area of Montferrato in Italy, (yes an Italian event in Paris- I was a bit confused too.) Travel buyer workshops give travel companies the opportunity to meet representatives from certain regions; hotel owners, ground agents, restaurants etc and this one was held at the beautiful Palais du la Mairie du V Arrondisement, opposite the Pantheon.

The workshop gave me the opportunity to kill 2 birds with one  stone, find some interesting new ideas for holidays in Italy, and explore options for Paris weekend breaks. I'll be adding the Paris break to my website www.atasteofeurope.co.ukthis week for everyone who fancies a spring trip to the beautiful city. 

It was a bit of a challenge swapping between French and Italian after 4 hours sleep, (very early flight) and I needed a sugar fix to keep me going. Where else but Laduree for a dollop of sugar sweet Parisian perfection?

http://www.laduree.fr/public_en/produits/macarons_accueil.htm.

I picked up a box of the prettiest mini macaroons for a friend's birthday and couldn't resist a couple for G and I too.

 

coffee and pistachio- yum!

I returned home to find my monthly issue of Delicious magazine waiting for me with macaroons on the cover! Took this as a sign that I should attempt their 'easy macaroon' (are you sure?) recipe for Easter, so stay tuned for the results!

    

The Return of Masterchef!

Top class cooking is, to me, like looking into space; too much to understand and fathomless depths to explore. Better leave it to the experts and gaze on, mystified. Well joy of joys! My favourite programme, (bar Nigella in the days pre self-parody, midnight fridge bingeing) is back on tv and we can once again spend our evenings salivating over Masterchef...

Ah.. the shiny-eyed passionate (often deluded) contestants wielding knife skills and ill-advised food combinations. Wine nosed John Torode with his golloping (I know this is not a word, but should be) mouthfuls. Gregg Wallace the 'jumped up green-grocer' (the father's words, not mine) who repeats the actually knowledgeable Torode's comments every time, except when presented with a dessert, in which case he just utters 'scrummy!' and (I think we all know) scoffs the lots off camera. The voice over lady with her sterotypical contestant descriptions... 'mother of two Helen', 'phd student Rob'.... 'ex-con Barry', 'professional pole dancer Sheila'  (alright I made the last two up). The pointless 'professional kitchen' round- which strikes fear into all contestants, separates the wheat from the chaff, etc, and yet never has any impact on the results.

I am yet to decide which version I prefer: Masterchef amateur, or the professional version, the latter presented by the utterly brilliant Michel Roux junior, he was judge extraordinaire, offering fatherly advice at ever turn, his sheer brilliance even rubbed off (very slightly) on Gregg the green grocer, who I noted, made some decent comments for the first time ever. Celebrity Masterchef, isn't in the running as I am highly dubious about Jayne Middlemiss's culinary prowess.

Masterchef 8.30pm BBC 1

'Man Salad' (Vegetarians look away now.)

I was away over the weekend and was greeted on my return to Bristol by a proud G, brandishing photo of his 'Man Salad' (not a euphemism), composed with big brother Ben over the weekend. Ben is undisputed king to G's prince of all things meat related and is basically a bigger, louder, more meat obsessed version of G, (with a beard). When they get together for brother time G returns home sporting a meaty glow and telling stories of guzzling slabs of top notch, imported beef, which they apparently slice up and eat raw. (I joke not.) Ben even has a sideline in providing award winning,organic hog roasts for events, his alter ego is Mr Hog of 'Crackle and Hog' http://www.crackleandhog.moonfruit.com/ 

Anyway, G would like me to introduce my many avid followers to the delights of the 'Man Salad'. G and Mr Hog's version of health food I suppose and no beef in sight. (Please note I waive all responsibility for the below.)

Here is the un-edited recipe:

Man salad according to G and Mr Hog.

Whole breast organic chicken wrapped in parma ham and oven  roasted. Drizzle with olive oil, chop and toss with salad. Salad  leaves consist of chicory, iceberg and 'that other type that also 
looks like chicory'. Buffalo mozzarella, new potatoes, watercress,  balsamic and hard boiled egg.

Does this look appetizing to you? Hm.. I'm not so sure. Comments on a postcard please.

Rucola, Apsley Road, Clifton.

Parents visiting this weekend and as usual decided to trial a couple of restaurants on them, my thought process has always been ‘if they can please them, they can please anyone’... They were staying at the Avon Gorge but we decided against eating in it's 'Bridge cafe' due to the fact that their much applauded head chef, Debbie Leatt has not actually changed the menu in the 2 years my parents have been staying there. The first time we ate in The Bridge, the fishcakes were so good we ordered them on our 3 subsequent visits, only to note that they diminished in size each time... the last time we ate there there were 2 rather than 3 and they were so small they should have come with a magnifying glass as a side order. We called time on the Avon Gorge and ventured further afield.

Past successes on the ‘Clifton parent test’ have been Bells Diner (I think my slightly mystified father’s opinion was ‘weird but wonderful’, the now defunct Le Monde ‘biggest Dover Sole I’ve ever had’, also defunct Michael Caines at the Royal Marriot, 'memorable pistachio icecream', and food which compensated for  the ridiculous Roman decor and faux balconies, and Casamia in Westbury on Trym which has an experimental tasting menu and interesting plates!

I had wanted to go to the Rockfish (formerly Fishworks), my father likes his fish untampered with and that sounded like a no brainer of a parent pleaser. Sadly not to be as all booked up.  G suggested Rucola on Apsley road, G likes his breakfasts and used to be an afficionado of the Primrose cafe in the village, but now rates it’s brekkies as overpriced and ‘smaller than they used to be’ and has recently converted to Rucola which does great eggy combos and is very good value.

The place bills itself as Clifton's most individual and relaxed restaurant, an oasis amidst the bustle of Whiteladies Road.’ It was certainly an oasis of calm as only 2 tables in the place were occupied. This was good news as we proceeded about our ritual musical chairs, merrily changing tables and complaining about the temperature.

 The father’s first impression was not promising; ‘Looks foreign. What’s taboulleh?’ he queried suspiciously and then prompted, oddly, for the most ‘foreign’ option on the menu ‘lamb kofka’, it wasn’t available, which was probably a blessing in disguise, so he plumped for the pollack and a bottle of ‘Gracia de chilli’ which warranted a brief presentation on the merits of drinking 13.5% alcohol versus 14%. ’13.5 and you can finish the bottle, 14% and you’re under the table’ or something along those lines...I was happily quaffing it. I ordered the fish cakes, G the chicken burger and my mother, unexpectedly went for the hefty steak sandwich, which gained her a glance of admiration from G (aka Meat man).

We polished off a plate of herby flat breads and Middle Eastern dips between us, (a bargain at £5) before the mountainous mains arrived. If you ever ate at the (now defunct- see a theme emerging with Clifton restaurants?) Walrus and Carpenter, you’d have a decent idea of the mains at Rucola, large, heaped and with a variety of salady sides, not all of which are very well advised but are definitely superior to those at the overpriced Walrus. My father had a huge slab of Pollack, which was just as well as his coconutty, curried pile of under cooked sweet potato was understandably pushed to one side. G said his chicken burger on a bagel was rubbery and overpowered by lime’ but it disappeared quickly enough and he liked the spicy tomato jam that accompanied it. My mother liked her steak too though thought the bread was slightly charred. The silver lining was the brilliant chips which we fought over, ‘excellent chips’ said the father. My three fishcakes were a B+ to the Avon Gorge’s diminishing D and the accompanying citrus fennel and pecan slaw peppered with pomegranate was tasty and refreshing.

On to pudd and my father opted for the ‘sticky date pudding’ which he claimed ‘was so good it soaked up the foreign elements of the meal’. (I should probably interject here to mention that my father terms foreign as being anywhere other than Yorkshire.) I had some greyish chocolate icecream. Then it was 9pm and the chefs were hanging up their aprons, so we paid the bargainous £75 bill and made a swift exit. 

In my opinion Rucola wears the new Sunday brunch crown and is well worth the extra walk from the village. For dinner though, it really needs a late license but could teach the Avon Gorge a thing or two about fish cakes.

First blog and some baked fish

Right, now that I have got to grips with logging in to this blog (after an embarrassing amount of time), I thought I should actually post something (this is dedication since I'm missing 'Glee'....)

So, I decided to trial a recipe from yesterday's Sunday Times which looked tasty and was under the heading 'Healthy appetite'. Any health giving recipe which allows me to save my calorie consumption for cupcakes, whilst also tasting half decent is alright by me:

Ingredients:

500g pollack, 2 spring onions, 1 tbsp chopped parsley, 2 egg whites, 100ml sparkling water, 50g oats.

Well I did trot smugly along to the fishmonger to buy my sustainable pollack, before being advised (even more smugly) that there are no fish markets on a Monday, (ahem, I knew that) so I shuffled dejectedly to Tesco and picked up some anaemic looking cod instead. I was a bit dubious about the sparkling water but grabbed that too.

Method:

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Cut the fish into small pieces, place in food processor and mince (but not to a mush), add the onions and herbs, blend for a minute, add the egg whites and blend for 2 more minutes.

Place the mixture in a large mixing bowl. Add the sparkling water, oats and some salt and pepper. Butter 4 or 6 cocottes (I didn't bother with this) and divide the fish mixtures between them, then bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

I did take a photo of the result but am having more technological issues, so that will have to wait. The end result was quite an oddly, unfishy tasting souffle. Surprisingly filling and eggy. I'm not quite sure what the effect of the fizzy water is? more air for the souffle texture I presume, but I will definitely make this again, albeit probably with salmon, for a fishier taste, and more herbs, possibly even sprinkle some parmesan on top (Yes, yes I know, fish and cheese, Italy shakes it's head in disgust). The Sunday Times suggests serving this with coleslaw and rye bread, but I opted for sauteed leeks and mushrooms and roasted beetroot with thyme, (a heavy weekend and I like the idea of beetroot's liver cleansing properties!), though probably not the most obvious accompaniment.

My verdict: a healthy, super quick supper with few ingredients.

And there we are! my first foodie entry! Hoorah! Now off to catch the end of Glee.