Copenhagen Cuisine

A couple of weeks ago i went to Copenhagen for the weekend. Denmark is now world renowned for its food and fine dining, it also famous for being very expensive.

We had a fantastic weekend with lots of delicious food, mainly thanks to our hosts James and Tali. Their local knowledge and home cooking meant we ate very well but didn't spend a fortune.

Here are some of the foodie highlights!

First stop when i arrived in Copenhagen was the organic hot dog stand next to the Rundetarn. Delicious with lots of sauce, mustard, gherkins and 2 types of onion.

 

On our first evening in Copenhagen Tali cooked Danish meatballs (frikadeller), we had them with veg and pickled red cabbage.

 
 In Copenhagen there is an area called Christiania, it was set up in the 1970s when a military barracks was taken over and became a commune. It is governed by its own laws. We sat by the lake and had a couple of beers and then headed to the vegetarian restaurant. The menu is small but the food is great. I had a cheesy, beany bake thing with a noodle salad and watermelon salad.

This is as close as we got to a table at Noma, one of the best restaurants in the world.

The bakery in Valby near where we were staying had an amazing selection of bread, the Danish really know how to make rye breads and loaves packed with seeds.

 For our last meal before saying goodbye, Clare and Tali opted for the famous Danish open sandwich - Smorrebrod with traditional toppings of prawn, herring and roast beef.

Thanks Tali and James for welcoming us to Copenhagen.

Rachael x

Read More

Donatina's Supper Club

Having dabbled with our own supper clubs, cooking for strangers, friends and acquaintances in our own home, you may have assumed that we had been to pop up restaurants ourselves. However until very recently that was not the case.
I finally took the opportunity, a couple of weeks ago, to sit on the other side of the table.
Donatina's kitchen were holding their first supper club in a venue in Maida Vale. Along with my friends Lucinda and James and a couple of bottles of red wine I headed to West London.
We had not seen the menu in advance but with Ana's grandmothers recipes and Jen's creative flare for presentation i was confident we were in for a treat.

I was one of the first people to arrive at the venue, it was surprisingly modern and brightly lit, i think i had imagined somewhere with a more homely, rustic, feel.
The other guests soon started arriving and welcome cocktails of limocello and prosecco were passed around.
The dinner began with bowls of Taralli, little ring shaped bread sticks which were delicious with a rich olive oil taste, not dry and disappointing as they can sometimes be if bought in a packet.
I had to restrain myself from eating too many as i could see from the very detailed menu that there was plenty more to come.
Next up was a trio of Mortadella ham, artichokes and sweet roasted peppers, simple but effective elements that would have been prepared well in advance. I thought throughout the meal that they used wonderful ingredients and can't have scrimped on cost at all.
We were then brought dishes of melanzane parmigiana - layers of aubergine, tomato sauce and cheese. This is something that i have made several times myself, but this was a truly excellent version, tastier than when I've made it, and i finished the huge portion i helped myself to!

 

















The tables of guests were packed in and with the wine flowing it made for a cosy atmosphere.
Packs of cards were brought round and instructions of how to play the game Scopa. Initially it was pretty confusing but after a couple of games we got our heads round it, and it provided a welcome break in the dinner. It had just dawned on me that the parmigiana was not the main course and so it was good to have a pause before embarking on the next dish.
After we had (sort of) mastered Scopa i took the pack over to the next table and did my best to explain the rules to them, i am not sure how successful this was but it was nice to speak to some of the other guests, it is interesting to find out peoples reasons for coming along, something you would never do in a restaurant.

The next course involved ascuitta (a tomato based sauce with chunks of pork and sausage in), broccoli with garlic and chilli and a large slab of pizza chi cicole (homemade bread with layers of pork fat and meat inside). The bread was really good and definitely lived up to the hype.
Finally dessert was a simple dish of baked fruit and ice cream. Figs are one of my favourite things to eat but I was so full by this point i couldn't finish my bowl.
Before departing we were all given a welcome effervescent digestif.

I am confident that they will have had a lot of very satisfied customers at the end of the evening. I would definitely be keen to go to another of their events or a different supper club. Unlike going to a restaurant, you don't have a choice as to what is going to be presented to you, but that somehow just means you know the person producing the food is only going to be giving you dishes that they love and are passionate about.
I have a lot of admiration for Ana and Jen, cooking for 47 people for your first event is a big undertaking and although hiring a venue (rather than doing it in your own home) means you have all the equipment needed and don't have to go scrounging round neighbours for extra chairs - cooking in an unfamiliar kitchen brings it own set of challenges i am sure.

Lucinda, James and I really enjoyed the dinner. Personally i would have preferred plated dishes, but that is mainly because left to my own devices i ran our of space when it came to the later courses.
My favourite thing about the evening was the little additional touches, from the card game and Italian films that were projected on the wall to prosecco prize draw and the basket of rosemary sprigs as you left.
I am sure they've learned a lot from their first endeavour. Not daunted by new challenges their next outing is a bit different and is taking place at a distillery! I think these ladies could go far.

Rachael x

Read More

Berlin - 5 days of food

Last weekend i went to visit Julia and her Keston Kuche in Berlin. The weather was very chilly but the cafes were warming and there is an amazing choice of food to sample from traditional German to cuisines from around the globe.
Berlin may not be the obvious choice for a foodies paradise but if you go to the right places (and hanging out with a resident definitely helps) you will be pleasantly surprised.
Her are some of my culinary highlights, take note if you are planning a trip there!

Rachael x

 My favourite gallery in Berlin is the Hamburger Bahnhof, before embarking on the art we paid a visit to the restaurant in the gallery. I have been to Berlin a few times and always avoided currywurst and the orange sausages they serve everywhere but this menu made it sound appetizing and promised that the sausage was organic. It came with lots of mustard and fresh horse radish which made it edible!

For dessert at the gallery restaurant we had apple strudel with vanilla sauce which was absolutely delicious and not to be missed!

It was Julia's friend Andrew's birthday while we were visiting so Ju whipped up some black bottom cupcakes (from the humming bird bakery cook book) and a lovely coffee cake to celebrate.

This brunch featured in the previous Keston Kuche post and rightly so, i was keen not to miss out on trying it for myself. Anna Blume is a bustling cafe in Prenzlauer Berg, the brunch was worth making the trip for - a tower of meats, cheeses, salad, fruit and jams and a basket of bread to go alongside.

 Julia and I stopped for cake at a cafe in the Hackescher Markt courtyards, i had a huge slice of apple, walnut and caramel cake with cream cheese and caramel frosting. Ju had an equally exciting looking carrot cake.

After a long morning of culture in the sub zero temperatures we were in serious need of a hot meal, we stopped at a restaurant called Schwarzwaldstuben for a hearty lunch of schnitzel with fried potatoes and a cucumber salad. 

Back to Anna Blumes for a fruity breakfast

 

We headed south one evening to a jazz night in Neukolln at Cafe Engel and stopped off on the way for a Korean meal at Kimchi Princess. Lu and I opted for this feast which was strips of pork belly that you barbeque yourself at the table and the eat wrapped in lettuce with a selection of tasty curry pastes and spicy cabbage. I will definitely be keen to try more Korean food in future.

  

 The last thing i ate before leaving Prenzlauer berg was at my favourite cafe from previous visits. Kauf Dich Glucklich on Oderberger Strasee does the most amazing waffles with a huge choice of toppings. Every time a visit i have the same though - apple sauce and cinnamon!

Read More

Brunch in Berlin

577 miles between us but Keston Kitchen teamwork is still going strong.   So as Keston Kitchen UK was dishing up an exotic brunch at the Elrington Table, Keston Küche has been dutifully dining out at some of the best brunch tables in Berlin.

Brunch platter for two at Cafe Anna Blume in Prenzlauer Berg

Brunch is a Berlin institution.  It's reflective of this city's laid back mentality that Sundays are perfectly designed to help you gently and easily recover from the night before.  You stroll into one of the many and varied cafes when you wake, anytime between 11 and 5pm, establish yourself in a comfy spot - in the last throws of summer this has been on sunny terraces outside - and prepare to stay a while.  

I've been to two types of brunches.  The first is the standard choose-of-the-menu brunch.  I guess the difference here is the array of choice and the generous portions, designed to be consumed slowly as you digest the events of the night before with a couple of bleary-eyed pals.

Then there's the brunch buffet.  But this is no mad rush to stock your plate with cold toast and greying scrambled eggs; it is a delicious ever-evolving spread that will gently bring you back to life.  When you first arrive, there's fresh fruit and yoghurt... then at some point croissants and bread and cheese emerge... then you notice the meats beginning to take over the table…. and for the hungrier there's pastas and hot dishes from mid afternoon.  Who could fail to feel right as rain after this?  And once you've spend a couple of hours at brunch, you stroll home and… do nothing.  And that is Sunday in Berlin.  Perfect.

Read More

Harvest

When trying to decide how to best celebrate my birthday, I discovered that Alex James was going to be holding a festival on his farm in Oxfordshire which combined several of my favourite things all in one field, good food, music and cider. So with tickets to Harvest booked and a sprinkling of close friends I knew I had the recipe for an excellent birthday!

Charlotte and Julia also had a few surprises up their sleeves to make it an even more memorable birthday, starting with a delicious raspberry focaccia which we ate for breakfast at the tent before heading into the festival.

At Harvest there was an exciting array of yummy food stalls it was hard to decide what to eat first - and also easy to spend a small fortune.
We began with Meat Wagon burgers which were as delicious as always, the legend of the meat wagon has obviously not reached as far as Oxfordshire as there was no queue at all! Throughout the weekend we also ate fish and chips from the Sea Cow, which is another establishment local to us in London, hog roast with quince aioli from the Salt Yard tent, chorizo and haloumi wrap from Salad Days and Charlotte and Matt tried the fish dogs created by Mark Hix.
Other options included Mexican from Wahaca (which apparently David Cameron and his family had for lunch), the Mash Up gourmet pie company, Squid and Pear and a host of farmers market type stalls full of local produce. We'll have to go back next year to try all those!

There was a tent called the chefs table where you had to book in advance to secure a table which we hadn't done but we did sample some of the food by getting it to take away. All the dishes were made to recipes by the chefs appearing at the festival such as Ottelenghi, Emily Watkins and Stevie Parle. I had the excellent lamb meat balls with tomato sauce and polenta which were by Valentine Warner.

I have to say the music at the festival definitely played second fiddle to the food, this was no bad thing though, it just made for a very different festival experience. Usually we would be trying to find time to grab a burger in between bands, at Harvest however it was more a case of catching a few songs while deciding what to feast on next. There was always an eager crowd buzzing around the farmhouse kitchen stage, where as the bands sometimes had an active audience that you could count on one hand.

We thoroughly enjoyed watching all the cooking demonstrations, particularly when we managed to secure a seat on a hay bale close to the stage meaning we got to sample some of the dishes being produced.
On the Saturday we watched Nuno Mendes (Viajante), Stevie Parle (The Dock Kitchen) and Monty and Sarah Don. We then made sure we were in a prime position before Ottolenghi was due to take the stage. He cooked 3 dishes, a tomato based one with prawns, scallops and feta cheese which we managed to get a spoon full of, a salad featuring giant cous cous and a platter covered in a caramelized fennel dish.
Just as his set was coming to an end, the compare announced that it was the birthday of someone in the audience, they called me up on stage and everyone sang happy birthday while Ottolenghi presented me with an apple and olive oil cake which Julia had baked, smuggled into the festival complete with cake stand, iced and taken back stage!

The surprises didn't end there, on Sunday Charlotte and Julia tracked down Alex James by his cheese stall. They had carried a ceramic cheese dish to the festival which they filled with cheese on toast and got Alex James to give it to me!

On Sunday afternoon we watched Tom Kerridge (from The Hand and Flowers) cook cod with salt baked carrots and a fillet of sea bass with risotto which I think was the best recipe I got a taste of. Next on stage was the comedy duo of Mark Hix and Alex James who made loads of different dishes all containing cheese, they ran way over their allotted time slot much to the displeasure of Jay Rayner who was up next. The Sunday evening headliner was Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall who was promoting his new vegetarian cook book (recipes from which are likely to feature in future Keston Kitchen posts as it was one of my birthday presents).

We all had a brilliant weekend and I would definitely recommend the festival to any foodie fan. I am sure it will be bigger and better next year, if you are planning on heading to Harvest 2012 make sure you have full wallets and empty stomachs!

Rachael x

Read More

The Piedmonte Diet

by Charlotte

Who ate all the Piedmonte?

Sunday pranzo (lunch) a la Barbara

Bruschetta with tomatoes

Salami crostini

Salmon crostini

Tomato mozzarella focaccia

Coleslaw

Cena (dinner)

Pasta al ragu

Pasta puttanesca (whore's pasta)

Birthday cake (record breaking-lightest sponge ever)

Merlot di Cascina Capriolo (courtesy of Alistair)

Pranzo - a kind of use up / get into Italian mode meal

Roasted red peppers

Insalata Caprese - home grown tomatoes (these crop up a lot) with mozzarella

Coleslaw

Bread

Peaches & Birra

Cena - Anni's Courgette Pasta*

Grated courgette, capers, olives, lemon juice and zest, and mint. Served with linguine and Parmesan.

Torta di Ali Perry - a French style apple tart served with natural yoghurt.

Espresso & Dolcetto di Cascina Capriolo

*New recipe!

Tuesday colazione (breakfast)

Chocolate cereal

Coffee and blood orange juice

Pranzo

Linguine al ragu

Cena - Pizza night #1

10 pizzas cooked at 350C

Toppings: mozzarella; artichoke; capers; tomatoes; olives; egg; peppers; onion; spicy salami; Parmesan

Wednesday colazione

Scrambled eggs with Parma ham and toast

Coffee and blood orange juice

Pranzo - Bar Roma, Santo Stefano Belbo

Bresaola con rucola e grano padano

Insalata caprese

Prosciutto e melone

Tomino e pesto con zucchine e melanzane

Prosciutto e mozzarella

A bottle of Arneis

Cena

Bruschetta

Veal Milanese with rosemary potatoes and grilled aubergine halves filled with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil

Aperol spritz & Prosecco

Thursday colazione

Chocolate rice

Coffee

Pranzo

Gazpacho a la Julia - smoother than an otter

Seabass stuffed with capers, lemon, parsley and breadcrumbs

Insalata caprese

Grilled radicchio with balsamic vinegar

Bread

Cena - a birthday dinner (hence the size)

Ten course dinner in the hills. Creative descriptions by Ali Perry...

Piedmonte focaccini with prosciutto lardo (sausage rolls)

Veal tartare with pear and Parmesan (brains)

Turkey with a salsa di tonno (Turkey mayo)

Tortina di courgette served with a cheese stuffed courgette flower (Wet quiche)

Starters over, onto the pasta...

Ravioli with sage butter (herb sacks)

The mains:

Pigs cheek and rabbit with courgettes and aubergines (Two meat and veg)

The puddings:

Tiramisu

Baked peach with a kind of brownie on top

Gelato - the minty kind

Budino do cioccolato - an alcoholic dense chocolate bar

Coffee e grappa followed by obligatory horizontal lying down

Friday colazione

Coffee - no room from previous night

Pranzo

Insalata #2 (tomatoes, lettuce, egg, tuna and sweetcorn)

Cena - Pizza night #2

Nb. Night of the special double egg top a la Lloyd

Saturday colazione

Plum cake

Coffee

Pranzo

Penne e pesto with artichoke and pancetta

Cena - Pasta e Pasta, Alba

Antipasti to share - Bruschette con lardo - melt in the mouth

Agnolotti Piedmontese a la ragu di Fassone - an area we think...

Other recommendations-

Risotto ai frutti di mare

Filetto de manzo Castelmagno (rare steak with cheese sauce - to die for)

Sunday colazione

Plum cake

Plums (susine - new word)

Coffee

Pranzo

Lasagna

Insalata - tomatoes and cucumbers

Bread

Cena - Pizza night #3

Nb. 80% flour and 20% semolina flour - great for moving the dough around

Aperol spritz & Vino rosso di Cascina Capriolo

Monday colazione

Coffee and tea

Cornflakes (very Italian)

Pranzo - Sapori di Langa, Santo Stefano Belbo

Set lunch menu

Grissini - great breadsticks that looked like wizards fingers

Two types of baked pasta - one with courgette / one with aubergine

Two types of pasta - spaghetti al ragu / penne arrabiata

Two meat courses - grilled chicken / roast pork

Red wine & Coffee

Airport

Focaccia col formaggio - so greasy but good

Grazie mille a Barbara e Alistair. Ciao tutti.

Read More

Barrafina

by Charlotte

A while back I went to Barcelona and ate some amazing food. Around the same time I started hearing about Barrafina, and how it was London's Cal Pep (the best tapas place in Barcelona). Finally, about a month ago I went to Barrafina, and yes, I will be going back.

Barrafina is tiny and popular so one should abide by these rules:

If you are dining there for lunch arrive at 12.15 ideally, 12.30pm latest

At dinner you should aim to arrive by 6.30, no later

The best thing about it is you sit at the counter, not a table in sight. You watch the chefs pour you a glass of insanely good Spanish sherry and cook your food. Everyone is friendly and there's a real Spanish vibe amongst the packed in, hungry, excitable crowd. I was lucky enough to be advised by a regular diner (he chose everything) and our menu consisted of:

Summer Sherry 'En Rama'

Pimientos de Padron

Jamón de Jabugo

Chipirones - deep fired tiny squid!

Chips with Brava Sauce

Tortilla - it was a special that day and the name escapes me, however, it was quite possibly the best tortilla that has ever touched my lips

Brill

Beer to finish

A second trip is imminent...

Read More

Glastonburger

A world of extremes on Worthy Farm.

Devoted Keston Kitchen followers will have enjoyed, and been somewhat overwhelmed, by Charlotte and Matt's food diaries from their gastronomic tours (see On Location Paris and On Location Sicily for the comprehensive documentation of their holiday feasting).

Not to be outdone, Rachael and I decided to document our food consumption at our annual trip to Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts; the funnest five days of the year.

A scary prospect, given that we usually abandon our foodie ways and focus on finding excellent bands and dancing like lunes; relying on cider and rum to fulfil our nutritional needs.

However, as we have developed into mature women, we have become increasingly aware of the fine eateries that can be found on our treks between stages. In fact, there is an array of local, health-restoring, delicious meals to be bought.

But Glastonbury is a world of extremes. You will see from the food catalogue below that we have not abandoned our festival roots - there is an irrepressible urge for fried bacon in the mornings (of whatever quality) after particularly riotous nights. And Rachael has been on autopilot on the pre-festival supermarket run for over a decade: I had to point out that there is no need for a 29 year old woman who has been on Leith's cookery courses to eat dairylea dunkers. But the shopping list hasn't changed since Reading back in '99.

Thursday

(to note Rachael has already been here for a day guarding the pitch, but no food record exists)

I arrive at midday and decide that I must immediately have a pint of cider and a burger.

This was to reward the extreme mission I had just completed - it is too traumatic to go into, but involved carrying twice my body weight in camping equipment, sequined clothing, wellies and cider through the London rush hour - train/tube/train/bus - trekking through many many muddy fields and a heroic effort with an airbed and a £2 pump.

I was just at the point of collapse when Rachael announced that Meat Wagon were making their debut appearance at Glastonbury. Halleluiah.

Rachael and Julia both ate Dubble Bubble burgers.

Generally Glastonbury involves one proper meal a day*, followed by snacking on random items from the '99 list. Therefore for dinner:

Julia: Snack a Jacks. Hummous. Bread.

Rachael: Sainsbury's pasta salad. Dried apricots.

Friday

Breakfast

Rachael: cereal bar, carton of apple juice, satsuma.

Julia: woke to the immediate realisation that cereals bars wouldn't cut the mustard and headed straight for the nearest bacon buttie vendor.

Lunch

Rachael: Bread roll, hummous, french fries (s&v), caramel chocolate wafer biscuit (those ones with the red and gold foil), apple, dairylea dunkers

(Julia still full of bread and meat)

Dinner

Rachael: Stonebaked pizza: peppers and mushrooms

Julia: Stonebaked pizza: meat feast

Saturday

Breakfast

Rachael: Cereal bar, carton of apple juice, satsuma.

Julia: Bacon baguette the size of my forearm

Lunch

Rachael:Bread roll, avocado, McCoys (steak flavour), caramel chocolate wafer, apple, dairylea dunkers

Julia: no need

Dinner

Rachael:Thali Cafe butternut squash curry with rice

Julia: Realised severe lack of veg in recent days - headed to Manic Organic for a vegetable stir fry and side salad.

Sunday

Breakfast

Rachael:Cereal bar, carton of apple juice, satsuma

Julia: Sorreen malt loaf, apple, orange juice

Lunch (or more accurately, random snacks dispersed though the day)

Rachael: carrot cake, smoothie, doritos (cool original), apple

Julia: carrot cake, watermelon, iced-coffee

Dinner

Rachael: Made a pilgrimage to Pie Minister for a Henny Penny pie (of course) - chicken and porcini mushroom. With mash and mushy peas

Julia: Discovered an amazing organic falafel stand with no queue. Falafel on flat bread with hummous and three salads (carrot and orange, beetroot, leaves)

Monday:

Let's just say it involved a service station and a very long drive. Best not to divulge.

*Unless you are Robert or Jack, in which case you buy 4 meals a day, at least one of which is a Meat Wagon burger.

**not necessarily consumed in the am.

Read More

On location: Paris

Two hungry Londoners in Paris.

On arriving in Paris for a two night, three day sojourn, pretending to be French, I decided to keep a food diary. The Sicily diary had been a great success, as well as highlighting how much one can eat. So here's what happened en France.

Day Un

Petit déjeuner:

Café au lait and cappuccino

Pain avec beurre et confiture (rouge)

Déjeuner: Le Timbre

Pea soup with pork croutons (!)

Terrine with onion marmalade and cornichons

Cochons noir (black pig) with fava beans

Confit du canard with sweet red peppers (stuffed with mashed potato - genius)

Espresso x 2

Diner: Le Hangar (good recommendation by Time Out)

Salmon tartare with basil on cucumber

Salad of haricots verts with Parmesan - oh so good

Boeuf stroganoff with small crispy potatoes - rare steak mixed in with cream and wine...

Matt, with his strong love for duck, went for a duck and foie gras pie with mash and nutmeg topping - zut alors!

Espresso x 2 served with small biscuits and gooey chocolate truffles

Day Deux

Petit déjeuner:

Café au lait x 2

Croissant x 2 (good dipping in coffee occurred)

Déjeuner: Nanashi (organic Japanese bobo canteen - bourgeois bohemian)

Organic lychee lemonade (oooh)

Heineken

Chirashi salmon - hot rice, salad, smoked salmon chunks, ginger, sesame seeds and some small shoots

Chicken bento - bulgar wheat and rice mix with chicken and shitake mushrooms in a real tasty sauce. with leaves, tomatoes, carrot and sesame seeds, broccoli and courgette. Small feast in a box.

Diner: Claude Colliot

Warm white asparagus, rhubarb and radish salad. Mouth watering.

Crab with an egg yolk on top, with yellow courgettes and apple puree. Fancy pants. Creamy. Yellow. Good.

Veal cooked in liquorice with perfect seasonal vegetables

Suckling pig flavoured with tobacco with perfect seasonal vegetables

Chocolate ganache with glazed fruits, nuts and orange cream

A small goats cheese

Day Trois

Petit déjeuner:

Two boiled eggs x 2

Café au lait x 2

Déjeuner: Le Pommette

A mozzarella type cheese with garlic and truffle oil

Green salad avec tomatoes, goats cheese, grapes and potatoes

Meats with salad and rosemary potatoes

Diner: (waiting for the train)

One salty sausage, half a goat's cheese and a bag of Lays crisps (a must)

Followed by a coke, an Orangina and a Lipton ice tea - salt overload

Bon appetit!

Read More

The Meat Easy

Last year, Charlotte reviewed the Meat Wagon on our blog. Charl's report made me more than a bit jealous that I had missed out on trying one of their now famous burgers that evening. Since then I had been keeping an eye on their website in the hopes that I would be able to find out the next time the wagon would be stationed nearby. Then, just before Christmas, the terrible news broke that the Meat Wagon van had been stolen!

I am sure any meat eating food fan in south London will be well aware by now that in the abscence of their mobile kitchen, the crew behind the Meat Wagon have set-up the Meat Easy which is above the Goldsmiths Tavern in New Cross where they cook up the same fabulous burgers as they did in the wagon. The pop-up restaurant will be there until at least mid-March by when they will hopefully have raised enough money to get a new van and hit the road once more.

A couple of weeks ago, Julia and I made the trip to see what all the fuss is about. After reviews in the Metro and Timeout and several tales of interminable waiting times we got there as early as we could on a saturday to hopefully beat the crowds. We made our way round the back of the Goldsmiths Tavern, past a mountain of rubbish bags, up the metal stair case and into the Meat Easy, the advertised opening time is 6pm but we got there at 5.30pm and the doors were already open and people were tucking into food and drinks. We were handed tickets number 23 and 24 and didn't have to wait long before our numbers were called and we could place our order, we were happily munching our burgers by 6.30pm! I definitely wouldn't have minded a longer wait just sat on a comfy sofa, sipping drinks out of jam jars, listening to good tunes and absorbing the atmosphere. However by 6pm the place was pretty packed and I wouldn't have fancied standing up by the bar for too much of the evening.


The burgers were cooked perfectly, still slightly pink in the middle, the cheese was tasty and under the burger were plenty of crunchy gherkins. The grease pours over your hands as you devour it but luckily there are large rolls of kitchen towel on hand to wipe up the mess.

They have a few other things on the menu like chilli dogs and macaroni cheese but I think I would have to visit several more times before even considering straying away from choosing a burger.

I thought the prices were reasonable, given the decent quality ingredients. The cheese burgers were £6.00 each and sides (we had a portion of fries and onion rings between us) were £3.00 each. The cocktails being served up looked excellent but we did not try any (definitely next time!), our soft drinks were only £1.00 so the total came to £10.00 each!

My advice - go there and sample a burger while you know where to find them, and get there early!

Rachael x

Read More

St. John Bread & Wine

St John Bread & Wine by Charlotte

Nose to tail eating. A concept that to some may seem rather unrefined, when really it is the best way to eat; you cook every part of the animal, indulging in dishes and cooking methods that are novel, inventive and definitely worth talking about.

A pig’s head - euugh! The imagination goes wild, a large blackened pig’s face looking at you as you daintily cut off his cheek and chew it down, while trying not to look him in the eye. In reality, St John Bread & Wine is an informal eatery (initially intended as a bakery to service the St John restaurant), with small tables and unassuming chairs, plain walls and chefs whizzing about in the background. You choose wine and dishes in a tapas fashion, sharing plates of gorgeous food as and when they arrive at your table. This is possibly my favourite way to eat, you can share and try lots of things, chat in depth about each mouthful and not get food envy!

So, on the night in question, we ate- pig’s head, which came as a light stew packed with incredibly tender meat and seasonal vegetables; ox heart with winter leaves and capers, a wicked dish which really got my taste buds dancing; mallard, big pink, meaty chunks of it, with tiny black elderberries; beetroot and goats curd salad, a creamy tasty compliment to our meat feast; and finally a dish of pork and sprout tops, an amazing slab of perfectly cooked pork with the biggest and greenest sprout leaves I have ever seen. For dessert we shared a gingerloaf pudding with a super sweet buttersc0tch sauce and a ball of vanilla ice-cream. And to drink we had some sparkling wine (it was a celebration after all).

The price is right, that is, it’s not too expensive, I will be going back soon and already have a list of different people that I’d like to share food with at St John.

The atmosphere is perfect for a lazy lunch or dinner, great for a group of friends. And if you really do want to eat a whole pig, you can! For a mere £330 (for 14-16 people) and provided you order a week in advance you and your pork loving chums can tuck into the whole hog!

Read More

On location: Sicily

What's Sicily eating? by Charlotte

A comprehensive list of food eaten (by two) in Sicily over two weeks. 

Palermo

Antica Focacceria San Francesco (lunch)

Round focaccia with lard, innards, ricotta and Parmesan - a little greasy  for some.

Round focaccia with ricotta and Parmesan - delightfully light ricotta.

Sant'Andrea (dinner)

Mixed plate of caponata, fried cheese, good olives, cheese, bread - caponata is the best thing.

Le sarde - fried sardines with curry sauce - unexpected liking for curry.

Seabass rolled (rotolini) and stuffed with tomatoes, basil and capers - real good.

Fig semifreddo - ice cream cake slice with sponge base and caramelised fig sauce - yes yes yes.

Menu del giorno lunch (after much walking and viewing of catacombs, i.e. very hungry)

Ragu al miale, aka pork bolognese - tasty and plentiful.

Pasta with anchovies - salty fish and pasta al dente feast.

Veal and chips - top dog.

Salty pork meatballs - they like salt. 

Insalata verde, green salad, literally sliced iceberg - an unexpectedly popular lettuce in the city of Palermo.

Acanto (dinner)

Caponata - best I've had.

Brik, a pancake starter stuffed with tuna and capers and then deep fried - a bit try hard...

Calamari with sweet chilli sauce - not chewy, just perfect.

8 gamberone rossi (large red prawns) - truly meaty seafood, could have eaten 16.

Sicilian blancmange - pannacotta wins over this.

Cefalù

Beach lunch

Hot piadine filled with prosciutto crudo and mozzarella.

Mixed salad, mainly tuna - it was late, suspect they were low on other ingredients, Omega oils for the whole trip obtained.

Menu Turistica (dinner)

Casserecci pasta - extruded 's' shape, al dente and superb.

Fritto misto - always good.

La Botte in Parco delle Madonie (hills behind Cefalù) (lunch)

Insalata snob, salad with olives, artichoke, tomatoes, lettuce, fat parmesan shavings, mushrooms - anything with artichoke is good.

La Botte sandwich of cheese, prosciutto and rocket.

Dinner in Cefalù

Pizza Norma, with aubergine - ok, nothing to shout about.

Pizza Rustica, with anchovies - ditto.

Train lunch

Sandwich of cheese and prosciutto - cheese was squeaky like halloumi.

Milazzo

Pachamama - tapas by Lola and Salvo (dinner)

Aubergine rolls, mushrooms stuffed with spinach and cheese, patatas bravas, tortilla.

Piatto del mare - gamberone rossi, muscles, calamari, battered fish, salmon pate - great bar/restaurant, Lola writes a blog too - Sicilian Diary. 

Breakfast on boat to the Eolian islands

Pan ciok, large croissant pastry packed with chocolate pieces.

Stromboli

Beach lunch

Arancini - street food, deep fried rice balls stuffed with aubergine, spinach, bolognese, cheese etc. - Matt wasn't a fan. I am.

Bar Ingrid (breakfast & drinks)

With beautiful views, good coffee and delicious pastries (large gooey fig centered biscuit pastry yes please), necessary after a volcanic hike.

Taormina

Il Trocadero (dinner)

Rustica platter of local cheeses, meats and olives.

Piglia e fieno, pasta with prosciutto, mushrooms and cream - nice.

Napolitana pizza - in Matt's words - sloppy.

Beach lunch 

Grilled vegetables - top dollar.

Evening drink - latte di mandorla (on all bar/gelateria signs) - sweet! too sweet!

Osteria Nero D'avola (dinner)

Three types of olive oil; light from Catania; medium from Etna; strong from Ragusa - all good, think the light was preferred although the waiter misunderstood and only left the strong.

Spaghetti with tuna, bottarga and cherry tomatoes.

Calamari, mushrooms and pigs cheek cooked in masala wine - on my goodness, amazing.

Salad of fennel, orange, olives, red onion - best salad ever? I think yes.

Train station (lunch) 

Italian Ginsters lunch of pastry filled with mozzarella, prosciutto, tomatoes and olives - pretty good for a train station.

Agrigento 

Trattoria Caico (in San Leone) (dinner)

Fillet of beef with Nero d'avola sauce - it had the look of Satan's dinner (it was basically black in colour).

Swordfish, grilled and served with lime - meaty and satisfying.

Breakfast - croissants with a light cream filling, sweet and delicious.

Osteria del teatro (Ruga Reali) (lunch)

Best find in Agrigento serving food with a hint of north Africa.

Spaghetti with sardines, spices and sultanas - really tasty and lots of it.

Pennette with sausage and broccoli, a typical dish but with spices and sultanas - a favourite of the trip.

Pastries from Santo Spirito - made by the nuns(!) A mix of mini pastries and biscuits made with almonds, marzipan and pistachio nuts. 

Masala

Divino Rosso (dinner)

Pizza + chips + beer - best pizza we found in Sicily.

Danzibar Pasticceria (breakfast)

An 'Iris', a crispy, sugar coated doughnut stuffed with warm ricotta and chocolate - a succulent treat with hints of a cheesecake...

L'antica de Gaetano (lunch)

Chicken meatballs with a caper and tomato salsa - just perfect.

Orechiette pasta with prosciutto, mushrooms and cream - a brilliant pasta with interesting markings.

Street food snack - chestnuts smoked and salted - yum!

La Serena Ubriaca (pre dinner drinks)

Brilliant local wines and bar treats, including pesto Trapanese (tomato, basil and almonds); small fish; pistachio pesto; tuna and orange pate; sun dried tomato pate.

Trattoria Garibaldi (dinner)

Fritto misto - not the best.

Red mullet - a little fishy...

Putanesca salad of potatoes, tomatoes, onion, capers and oregano - top salad.

Danzibar Pasticceria (breakfast)

Chocolate croissant - the last of many.

Sweet bread like brioche with a sausage inside - woo!

Read More