Football 0 - Food 1

Clever me, I have somehow managed to do some pretty serious injury to my back. Don't worry! I'm not lying on the floor, unable to stand or walk. Things haven't got that bad...yet...It's just a very bad backache at the moment that has me wincing when I open doors. What can I say? I'm ahead of my time - I'm an old lady already!

Now, I'm beginning to wonder if my love of food is the source of my trouble; I have a Saturday morning ritual, which involves methodically flicking through my cookbooks whilst eating breakfast, searching for inspiring dishes that I would like to try throughout the coming week and drawing up a shopping list of everything that I will need. It all sounds wonderfully organised and thorough. The problem is that in my zealousness, I end up with a ridiculously long list. This rather obvious fact never fails to allude me until I am standing at the checkout and packing my shopping bags, wondering how on Earth am I going to carry all of this home?! It's a good 10-15 minute walk from my local supermarket...

Naturally, being the 'super-organised and prepared' girl that I am, I ensure that I'm well-equipped for my shopping trips and always bring a rucksack. I thought this was a good thing, the best way to carry heavy loads. Yet, my back just gets worse and worse each week! Am I food shopping my way to a hunchback and cane? Is it time to invest in one of those old-lady trolleys? Of course, there are many solutions to this problem, the simplest being STOP EATING SO MUCH, which is never going to happen. I was just surprised by this moment of clarity and felt the need to share it with you. Perhaps, you have this problem too?

On the hand, it may not be the food shopping that is the problem at all. Yesterday, I did something quite unusual and (for reasons I won't bore you with right now) brave - I played football! Well, I don't think that I can really call what I did 'playing football'. There was a ball and I kicked it...sometimes. There was also a lot of twisting and sudden movements, which come to think of it may have excacerbated my poor, weak back. Yes, I prefer to think that it was the football that has injured me and not my greedy desire to indulge in lots of good food. Football 0 - Food 1!

So, what does one do in this situation? Well, seeing as I've had an even-more-disappointing-than-usual day at work, I shall lick my wounds with my dear friend, Butter, and feast on a rich and sumptuous dinner of tagliatelle in a spiced butter sauce with toasted pine nuts,and herbs, courtesy of Ottolenghi's new cookbook, Plenty. What I really need is someone to rub it into my back and give me a jolly good massage! But, I'll settle for what I can get. Sigh...I feel better already...

Touring the culinary and bibulous delights of St. James's

Yesterday, I went on a rather unusual but highly informative and entertaining food and drink-themed walking tour in my very own backyard. I stumbled upon the advertisement at my local library the other day - £5 for a 2-hour tour around St. James's. I couldn't resist. There's nothing I love more than being a tourist, even in my own city. Well...there is nothing I love more than food. But, travelling and learning are a close second and third. So, a food tour is my very own holy trilogy (gosh, what a sinner I am to say such a thing!).

Perhaps you are wondering what made it so unusual? Well, I had sort of expected that we would actually get to consume some food and drink as part of this tour. Rookie mistake! My stomach was teased and taunted for 2 hours as we marched from one landmark to the next. You would never watch Chocolat without an abundance of treats on the ready, would you?! This was no different. But, it was completely worth it. My brain received a nourishing feast of knowledge and just like a Lost Boy, I derived ample satisfaction from the mere illusion of food.

I have to say that I feel like quite an ignoramus having taken this tour in the very area that I have lived in for the past 27 years. Beautiful buildings and streets with fascinating histories that I have never noticed were pointed out to me. We wandered down hidden alleyways that I never even knew existed. I found myself asking: where have I been and what have I been doing my whole life?! Walking around with my head in the clouds no doubt. It's amazing to think what great things are around us and what we might learn if we take the time to just look and find out. There's a small life lesson...and, it only cost me £5!

Anyway, that's enough self-deprecation and berating for now. I made lots of notes during the tour that sort of make sense to me as I look at them now, which I want to share with you. But, bear with me - this is going to be like holey like Swiss cheese...

'Shaken, not stirred' - these famous words by Ian Fleming were supposedly inspired by the martinis at Dukes Hotel bar, which he frequented as a local of the neighbourhood. It's very charming and quintessentially English. I'll probably never be able to afford to stay there. But, one could have Afternoon Tea for £22 or even better, take the martini masterclass for £85! That's one way to feel like a Bond girl...

Apparently, there is only one official 'American Bar' in London and it's at the back of the Stafford Hotel in what used to be the stables. There's nothing about this bar in particular that distinguishes it as American (whatever that might be). It was simply named the American Bar in order to attract Americans in the 1930s. In a land saturated with drinking establishments, I suppose it's wise to choose such an explicit name. Anyway, it's located in a very sweet courtyard in which the old stables have been converted into hotel suites that can be rented for an exorbitant amount. I also happened to see the biggest pigeon I have ever laid eyes on wandering around. I actually thought it was some sort of pheasant that had escaped a nearby kitchen (game being much-favoured by the fashionable gentleman that frequent this neighbourhood). Clearly, the pigeons eat well in this part of town.

We stopped by Boodles, one of the oldest Gentleman's Club in London. I'm not particularly interested in these clubs being excluded by virtue of my second X- rather than Y-chromosome. But, I am somewhat curious about a dessert that they are famous for called Orange Fool. Having looked up the recipe, it sounds tasty but uninspiring. A sponge soaked in citrus juices and cream. For some reason, I expected more...Nearby stands White's, the oldest Gentleman's Club in London. It started off as a coffee establishment supposedly serving bizarre blends to the fashionable men of that time, such as coffee mixed with mustard and coffee boiled with egg shells. What an experimental and eccentric lot! I wonder if that was part of some sort of juvenile initiation process. Finally, another old Gentleman's Club called Brooks's, which may have been the birthplace of the sandwich if you believe that John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, came up with the idea as a tasty snack to eat in the Brooks gaming room. Whoever wrote the piece about Montagu in Wikipedia clearly doesn't favour this story and claims 'seldom has any man held so many offices and accomplished so little'. Harsh!

Apparently, Fortnum & Masons, London's most famous grocery store, serves porridge with whiskey syrup. The very idea fills me with glee! I can't imagine a more formidable breakfast better-suited to protecting one from the bitter coldness of an English winter. I will definitely be going back there to try it out. Weetabix with whiskey syrup could become a staple breakfast in my household! They also have an ice cream parlour offering strawberry and balsamic vinegar flavour. I can't say that I'm in a rush to try it. And, I'm not sure that I fancy eating ice cream at a place that takes itself so seriously as to recommend customer's dress should 'leans towards elegance'.

Oh, another Gentleman's Club, the Reform Club, which is only of interest here because of it's sometime French chef, Alexis Soyer, who was the Jamie Oliver of his time (~1800s). He was quite the innovator, appealing for the installation of gas ovens, and a champion of the poor, inventing the soup kitchen and writing cookery books, such as A Shilling Cookery for People and Soyer's Charitable Cookery. Soyer is also known for his 'simple foundation sauces' (Soyer's sauce - soy sauce. Get it?!) and a dish called Lamb Cutlets Reform, which is still served at the Reform Club. Gosh, I could devote an entire post to this fascinating man. It's almost as if he stepped out of a Charles Dickens book.

Last but not least, we stopped by the 300-year old Berry Bros & Rudd wine store at which famous people, including Lord Byron, would weigh themselves on the large scales just for the fun of it. Wine causes people to do such silly things...so I've heard. They also have a wine cellar, which used to be the largest in London before parts of it were converted into dining areas, ironically located beneath Pickering Place, the smallest courtyard in London (as well as the last place in England a duel was fought). Wine tasting tours will set you back £46 - not bad at all if you're a wine connoisseur. Alternatively, you could enjoy a glass of their wine at the Red Lion Pub next door, which is where we ended our tour. It's a lovely old pub packed with character and history.

The tour included many more landmarks and information. I'm actually quite impressed by how much I remember. I guess that just goes to show how interesting and well-presented it was. The tours don't take place very often (maybe, once per month). But, if you have a large enough group you can hire Joanna, our guide, for a private tour. Otherwise, watch this space on her website for news of the next one.

As for myself, I am completely inspired to cook, eat, write and learn. I have been reminded of why I love living in London so much. The wealth of history and culture packed into this city is phenomenal. There is an infinite amount of exploring to be done and I want to peek into every nook and cranny. Who knows, maybe one day, I will be giving my very own food and drink-themed walking tours...

My favourite things

Xiao long bau dumplings, pregnant with soup

Anything resembling delicious warm goop
Californian sushi, such joy that it brings
These are a few of my favourite things!

Freshly picked berries unimaginably sweet
Buttery pie crust topping soft hunks of meat
Listening to my dad talk about food
These are the things that put me in a good mood!

Lemon-flavoured desserts are the way to my heart
Ottolenghi cuisine is truly an art
Warm summer evenings spent barbequeing
These are a few of my favourite things!

Warm apple crumble with custard or cream
Chocolate-covered peanut butter pretzels are an absolute dream
Freshly baked bread and afternoon tea
These are the things that make me feel stress-free!

Filling my home with a mouth-watering aroma
My beloved Borough Market and Williams-Sonoma
Stacks of pancakes that have no ending
These are a few of my favourite things!

Italian cheese matured in red wine
French lemonade is simply devine
Anything filled with sweet red bean paste
These are thing things that I simply can't waste!

When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favourite things
And then I don't feel...so bad!

The O-Factor

Learning of Ottolenghi has been a revelation to me - my personal equivalent to Man discovering the wheel. It has opened my mind to a whole new way of thinking. I have had a glimpse of what Einstein might have felt when he realised his quantum theory on light. The world cannot be the same again. Food cannot be the same again. The scientist in me is revelling in the wonderous experimentation that I have been inspired and moved to conduct in my kitchen.

Ok, for those of you who don't know what on Earth I am talking about, Ottolenghi is a 'food shop, patisserie, deli, restaurant, bakery' that serves some of the tastiest and most interesting food that I have ever eaten. Ottolenghi also happens to be the surname of one of the founding chefs, Yotam Ottolenghi, along with Sami Tamimi. Together, they have created a unique style of vibrant and exciting cooking, which you can sample at one of their branches in London. Even better, you can attempt to recreate them in your own home! That's right, they have revealed their secrets and knowledge for the world to enjoy. It's sort of like the internet - this is something that simply has to be shared.

I've just received my copy of their recently published second cookbook, Plenty, which is why I have gone off on this much-deserved glorification. Their first cookbook, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, filled me with self-doubt and apprehension due to their use of rather unusual and exotic ingredients, such as salsify roots and labneh. Would I really be able to actually cook anything in there? Was it doomed to become a token cookbook on my kitchen windowsill?

Well, I rose to challenge and spent an entire day sourcing the ingredients and baking their delicious Jerusalem artichoke and Swiss chard tart. It's probably not as good as the one that they make but I was more than pleased with my one. The pastry crust was sublime - buttery and crumbly, it melts away in your mouth flake by flake. It takes an astonishing 5 hours to make it if you religiously follow their recipe but it's entirely worth the effort. Good food is always worth the effort.

Since then, I want to cook nothing but Ottolenghi food. Everything else seems two-dimensional in comparison. Now, I find myself trying to add that O-factor to every dish that I make (I refer you to my previous post in which I describe adding toasted almond flakes to my Spanish chicken). I want my food to have layers of complexity and depth. Roast chicken with saffron, hazelnuts and honey was beautifully sweet and smelt like a Persian Princess. French beans and mangetout with hazelnut and orange disappeared within minutes. It still boggles my mind to think of how they came up with such a creative dish. Couscous with dried apricots and butternut squash was deliciously moist and flavourful, sure to change the mind of any couscous cynic.

Their new cookbook is full of equally exciting recipes, although they all appear to be vegetarian. One flick through and I've seen countless dishes that I have to try - lemon and aubergine risotto, mango and coconut rice salad, lemon and goat's cheese ravioli, saffron tagliatelle with spiced butter...These guys are geniuses with serious talent.

Of course, this won't stop me from visiting one of their branches. Nothing is quite as good as the Real Thing. The other day, I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven when I tasted their Lemon and Pistachio Polenta Cake. I'm nuts for anything lemon-flavoured as it is but the combination with the pistachios rendered me helpless. It was truly memorable.

As they put it so perfectly:

"Our feast is, literally, a feast of bold colors and generous gestures. It is driven by an unapologetic desire to celebrate food and its virtues, to display abundance in the same way that a market stallholder does: show everything you've got and shout its praise whole heartedly."

Pollo a la Espanola - because I'm worth it!

I'm back! I have my metaphorical pen in one hand and an addictive snack (chocolate-covered edemame) in the other, ready to take on the culinary blogging world once again. Let me just flex my writing and cooking muscles, stiff and tight from dormant use...ooooo eeeee...

By the way, the picture on the right was my lunch yesterday - isn't it pretty? Unfortunately, it didn't look that way by the time I transported it to my work and ate it. Nevertheless, it cheered my simple-minded heart to gaze upon, so much so that I had to take this picture. It's called Pollo a la Espanola, which probably means Spanish chicken (how imaginative). The vibrant colours and rustic spirit of the dish are entirely charming - exactly what you need in the middle of the day when work has sucked the very life out of you (well, my work at least...).

The addition of the toasted almond flakes on top were a stroke of genius on my part. They give the dish an interesting edge - good interesting. I love biting through the different textures - succulent chunks of peppers and tomatoes give way to firm pieces of fried pancetta and tender chicken marinated in smokey paprika, delightfully rounded off by the crunchy toasted almond flakes. It gives the mouth a lot to play with.

What inspired this dish? La Chinata smoked paprika powder. I'm one step away from snorting the stuff. It smells unbelievably good - like the smoking embers of wood that have just been used to roast a pig. I bought a little tin of the stuff at Brindisa in Borough Market (of course) but it's available online at www.lachinata.com (which I just discovered gives accompanying recipes much to my excitement and delight!).

Packed lunches need not be boring sandwiches (sorry, sandwich-lovers) or plain old salad. They can be sexy and alluring - the highlight of your day. This is my Loreal lunch - because I'm worth it!

Recipe:

Rub paprika and salt in 4 chicken portions (thighs, drumsticks or both)*. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the chicken, skin side down. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a casserole or saucepan and add 150g pancetta cubes. When the pancetta starts to give off fat, add 1 large chopped onion and 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, frying very gently until soft. Remove and discard the stalks and seeds from 2 peppers and roughly chop. Add the peppers to the chicken and cook gently. When the onions are soft, stir in 450g chopped tomatoes (canned, fresh or both) and season. Arrange the chicken pieces in the sauce and stir in the cooked peppers. Cover the casserole or saucepan and simmer over a low heat for 15 mins. Check the seasoning and serve topped with fresh parsley and toasted almon flakes.

*It might be that I'm simply not using enough (although, I highly doubt that) but the smokey paprika flavour isn't particularly pungent within the dish. Oh, it's there to be sure, but requires a sharp tongue to expose it. Next time, I will marinate the chicken in the rub overnight, which you might like to try.

Kitchen newbies, do not despair

I've just realised something quite startling - I haven't cooked pasta in months. This rather humdrum fact may not seem particularly noteworthy but I'm tingling all over with pride and a sense of accomplishment. This is a momentous turning point in my adventure with food; it might just be safe to say that I have progressed from complete kitchen novice to something of an amateur cook.

This may not be true for everyone but pasta dishes are a pretty common starting place for the kitchen newbie. Quick, easy, cheap and versatile, pasta is the perfect staple with which to develop simple cooking skills without accidentally topping yourself off. Of course, there are many pasta-based dishes that are complex and technical. But, there is plenty of scope for those of us that find boiling a pot of salted water a challenge.

I began my cooking endeavours with pasta dishes and did not really divert from this path for quite a few years thanks to my mum who convinced me that I would cause great bodily harm to myself if I dared to attempt cooking meat or fish (all the while tempting me over to her home with succulent chicken drumsticks coated in a deliciously crispy coating).

However, I long harboured a deep desire to experiment with other cuisines. I desperately missed eating rice (the primary food staple of my childhood that took me an embarassingly long time to master how to cook) and had unintentionally become semi-vegetarian. In the end, I think that my stomach rebelled at the monotony of my diet and drove me to risk death by salmonella poisoning. I'm not sure how or when it happened but my diet completely changed. Now, it is unrecognisable; I eat everything but pasta. And, much to my mum's discomfort, I cook meat! More importantly, I survive.

The moral of my story is that if I can do it, anyone can. Kitchen newbies, do not despair - there is light at the end of the tunnel. Stick with the pasta and it will eventually take you to great culinary heights. I am actually looking forward to the day that I miss and crave pasta because that will mean I get to try a recipe from the newest member of my cookbook collection; The Silver Spoon, Italy's bestselling cookbook for over 50 years.

For now, here is a recipe for the ultimate pasta dish since a) it contains both meat and vegetables, b) it's fairly straightforward and easy to make and c) it doesn't take too long that it becomes a chore but is sufficiently long enough to make you feel like a 'real cook'.

Recipe:

Serves 4

Finely chop one small onion, one peeled carrot and one stick of celery (I use a mini food processor). Heat 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan. When sizzling, add the vegetables and cook over a medium heat for 3-4 mins. Add 150g minced pork and cook gently for 2-3 mins, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps. Lower the heat and cook for a further 2-3 mins, stirring frequently. Add 4 tbsp dry white wine, 400g canned chopped plum tomatoes, a few fresh basil leaves, salt to taste and plenty of pepper. Bring to the boil and stir. Then, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 40 mins stirring from time to time.

In the meantime, cook penne pasta in boiling salted water (I use fresh penne pasta, which only takes 6 mins to cook). Prior to straining, add a ladleful of the cooking water to the sauce. Check the seasoning of sauce and adjust accordingly. Strain the pasta and add to the sauce, tossing well. Serve immediately with shaved parmesan cheese on top.

The vegan virgin

Butter fiend that I am, my general opinion of vegan baked goods has always been that they are rather like Schrödinger's cat i.e. best left in the box and out of sight. However, the powers that be would not have it so; the monthly cake club that I attend has unexpectedly evolved into a vegan cake club, effectively thrusting an opened box into my hands and forcing me to peek inside. What did I see? A world full of exotic-sounding ingredients, such as rice milk and xantham gum, in the place of my much-loved butter and eggs.

Undeterred, I decided to embrace the challenge of baking delicious vegan treats under the guidance of the Babycakes cookbook, which is based on recipes from the highly rated Babycakes vegan bakery in New York. The book is every bit as adorable as it's name and the pictures do a great job of convincing you that these vegan treats will be just as pleasing to your stomach as they are to your eyes.

True to myself, I took a bottom-up approach to the task at hand by choosing the simplest recipe in the book - raspberry scones. I happen to have a great fondness for scones, so much so that they are on my list of foods that I am not allowed to cook or buy as I have absolutely no self-control in their presence. So, I was quite excited by the prospect of learning how to make healthy scones that I can indulge myself in guilt-free. Unfortunately, this illusion was shattered the moment I set eyes upon one of the key ingredients; coconut oil.

Who would have thought that coconuts, typically synonymous with all that is natural and good for you, could be turned into what can only be described as the product of a liposuction procedure. Globular and dense, the oil had to be coerced out of the bottle with a knife, causing my arteries to shrivel up in panicked alarm.

More familiar and reassuring ingredients, such as agave nectar and raspberries, were thrown into the mix resulting in a batter that was not far off what the scones would look like were they to be eaten and regurgitated at a later time. Still, the kitchen was filled with a mouth-watering aroma as the offensive-looking blobs of batter baked in the oven, promising something spectacular and deliciously moorish.

Sadly, I was bitterly disappointed.

The tart flavour of the raspberries were inadequately complimented by the mild sweetness of the agave nectar causing me to scrunch up my face upon taking my first bite. Although, I have to admit that I may have added a tad too many raspberries in my zeal to counter the unpleasantness of the coconut oil. My tongue hopelessly searched around my mouth for additional flavours that did not exist in the cake part of the scone, which tasted like little more than plain bread and created a stodgy mass the more that I chewed it.

In defence of the scones, they tasted considerably better the next day. However, this might have something to do with the fact that I dolled them up by brushing them with agave nectar and sprinkling them with sugar. However, I won't be able to find out if they do indeed improve with age as my vegan cake club fellows devoured them all. I guess that one might consider the scones a success. Personally, I think that these scones would taste far better if the raspberries were done away with entirely and replaced with a couple of tablespoons of jam. But, I am not in the least bit inclined to experiment with this recipe. My first foray into this mysterious and creative world has left me wishing I'd remained a vegan virgin. Perhaps, a trip to New York's Babycakes bakery would change my mind...if that doesn't, nothing will!

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a tray with baking paper. Whisk together 2 cups of spelt flour, 1 tbsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Add 1/3 cup of coconut oil, 1/3 cup of agave nectar and 1 tbsp of vanilla extract and stir together until a thick, slightly dry batter is formed. Pour 14 cup of hot water into the batter and mix. Using a rubber spatual, gently fold in 1 cup of fresh raspberries just until they are marbled throughout the batter. Scoop 1/3 cup of the batter per scone onto the tray, spacing them 1 inch apar. Lightly brush the tops with the coconut opl and bake for 14 mins, rotating 180 degrees halfway through. The finished scones will be golden and slightly firm. Remove from the oven and brush with the agave nectar. Let the scones stand on the sheet for 15 mins before transferring to a wire rack with a spatula and cooling completely. The scones can be kept for two days in an airtight containing.