I have vegetarian friends who scream at the thought of this, because it’s often the only vegetarian option available in restaurants.
I do sympathise, but done well there is a reason why some things are classics I understand that goats cheese is like kryptonite for some people, so I went with a really creamy soft cheese (that wasn’t too “goaty”), but this also works well cheeses like Gorgonzola.
Do you think you’re not keen on beetroot, I was an adult before I actually discovered that I liked it. I was put off by being made to try disgusting pickled beetroot as a child, and having horrible purple vinegar run into the other food on my plate. I’m probably over sharing my personal childhood trauma, but I know a lot of people have been put off for the same reason. When roasted, beetroot is sweet and earthy and goes really well with the soft cheese. I was lucky enough to get little beetroots in my farm box ranging in colour from gold, pink to deep purple, the range of colour is nice but they all taste the same, so give them a go.
Ingredients
150 Grams Soft goats cheese
200 Grams Roasted beetroot
200 Grams Salad leaves (I used rainbow chard, but use what you like)
25 Grams Walnut (Optional, I actually for forgot to add these, but they add some extra crunch to your salad)
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp White wine vinegar
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees, wrap your beetroot in tin foil and place on a baking try. Bake until you can stick with a knife into the beetroot and an its soft. Set to one side and allow to cool, remove the skin with a knife, and cut into bite size pieces
Spread your washed salad leaves across a platter, top with the beetroot
Scoop teaspoon sized dollops of the cheese across the platter and sprinkle with walnuts if you are using them
Mix the oil and vinegar together and drizzle over the salad and serve immediately
This is inspired by a recipe I saw from Katie’s Cucina, and I knew I had to try. I’ve tweaked the proportions of her recipe but it’s pretty straight forward. The hardest thing about it will be not going back and forth to the freezer to “check it’s OK”.
Spread the marshmallows evenly on a tray before placing under the grill
It has only 3 ingredients, and doesn’t need all the faff most ice creams recipes involve, like needing stir it constantly or having to have an ice cream maker.
Remember to keep an eye on these so they don’t burn
This tastes spectacular as it is, but teams really with anything chocolate related. Really the taste of toasted marshmallows is something else. This is definately a pure filth recipe. But there is always room for a little filth in your life.
Ingredients
200 Grams Mini marshmallows
250 ml Condensed milk
125 ml Double cream
Method
Line an oven proof tray with tin foil and rub this with a thin film of oil
Turn on your grill to high, spread the marshmallows evenly across the tray
Put the tray under the grill and watch closely. You’re looking for toasted but not burnt, and this can happen in a matter of seconds if you don’t watch out
In a bowl with the cream and condensed milk together with an electric whisk until it thickens. You can use a stand mixer if you have one
Add the toasted marshmallows gradually (they’ll want clog up the whisk otherwise) and whisk at a medium speed until thoroughly mixed. You’ll see little flecks of brown from the toasted parts of the marshmallow but this where the flavour is.
Freeze for 8 hours (and do your best not to eat it all yourself)
I first had these a couple of years ago in Madrid. The Spanish have an incredibly civilised social life. When going out for the evening you can order plates of tapas to snack on while enjoying a cold beer or glass of wine. Most bars will give you a little snack or tapas if you order a drink, and each bar has their own specialty.
So with a little bar hopping you can taste some great food if you don’t fancy a big sit down dinner. The tapas also helps you slow down to enjoy your drink and is also meant to help line your stomach to help prevent you getting drunk (I honestly didn’t see a single drunk person on my nights out, so maybe they’re on to something)
These croquetas are made with ham, but this can also be substituted with a cheese like manchego, that has a good flavour. While these are a little bit fiddly, you’ll be rewarded with highly addictive tapas that you’ll love.
Makes 10-12
Ingredients
30 Grams Butter
2 Tbsps Olive Oil
1 Small onion (finely chopped)
70 Grams Serrano ham (finely chopped)
500ml Milk
60 Grams Plain flour
2 eggs
Extra flour for coating
Breadcrumbs for coating
Salt and pepper
Bite into the crunchy croquetas to the creamy tender ham flecked centre
Method
Heat the oil in a pan, and fry the onion over a gentle heat (so it doesn’t colour) until until translucent
When the onion is cooked add the butter
When the butter is melted, stir in the flour. Add the milk and stir continuously to make sure there are no lumps
The sauce will start to thicken, keep stirring and simmer until the sauce no longer tastes “floury”
Stir in the ham, and remove from the heat. Check the seasoning, I like to add a little black pepper, but because the ham is salty you shouldn’t need to add any. Place a layer of cling film on top of the sauce (it will stop a skin forming), and allow to cool
Separate out the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in different bowls
I usually take a good table spoon of the the cooled sauced mixture (which should now be firm), and roll in to a small oblong shape (wetting your hands is a good way to stock them getting sticky)
Once you have rolled all the cooled sauce mixture into little sausages, heat vegetable oil (I usually wait the oi is hot enough for a cube of bread to fry quickly, i know this is low tech but I don’t own a deep fat fryer)
While the oil is heating, roll the little sausage you made first in flour, then egg, and finally roll in the breadcrumbs
Once coated with breadcrumbs add the croquetta to the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes ensuring the brown on all sides (don’t add too many to the oil all at once)
On a wet crappy Sunday afternoon I was craving something sweet and couldn’t be bothered going out. I had a rummage through the cupboards and came up with these. I have saved this recipe under “pure filth”. They may sound pretty healthy, but in reality there is a substantial amount of sugar and butter in these cookies (and is probably part of the reason they taste so good).
Mix ready to be scooped into cookies
This is based a round an American recipe, so these will be soft cookies, rather than a crunchier biscuit. If you like a crunchier biscuit just bake these for longer, (be careful they don’t dry out too much). When I made these I didn’t have enough raisins, so I made up the difference with dried cranberries and they were great. So be brave and don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of dried fruit.
Makes 24
Ingredients
150 Grams Butter
150 Grams Sugar (preferably brown, but use what you have)
125 Grams Plain flour
1 Tsp Baking soda
1 Tsp Cinnamon
150 Grams Raisins
125 Grams Desiccated Coconut
2 Eggs
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, and line to two baking sheets with baking parchment
In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together (I use an electric whisk), add the eggs and mix well
Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined
I use a tablespoon to scoop out enough mixture for each cookie (you can make these bigger or small if you prefer, just remember to adjust your cooking time) and place spoonfuls of the mix evenly on your baking sheets (leave enough room in case they spread a little)
Bake for 10 minutes, and then allow to cool completely on a wire wrack before storing in an airtight box
OK, the name of this dish is maybe a bit flouncy, but this is a really tasty and colourful dish, so I decided to go a bit whimsical.
One of the few upsides of the whole pandemic is that hopefully people’s behaviour is changing. More and more people are trying to support small local businesses, to help sustain them and avoid the lines in supermarkets.
I’ve starting going back to my local butcher, and found that they offer great value meat parcels. Part of the meat parcel I bought contained sausages, and I had to think about what I could do with them that was a bit more exciting than a sausage sandwich.
While I love food I don’t think you have spend hours slaving away to eat well. This recipe needs about 5-10 minute prep time at the start, and then the oven does most of the work while you get on with your life.
Throw it all in a dish and let the oven do the work
Ingredients
500 Grams Sausages (whatever flavour you like)
500 Grams Butternut Squash (cut into 2 cm cubes)
2 Red peppers (cut into 2 cm chunks)
1 Large or 2 small courgettes (cut into 1 cm think slices)
2 Large red onions (each cut into 8)
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tsp Dried Thyme
Method
Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees
Add the oil to an oven proof dish, and then add the butternut squash and time to the dish and bake for 20 minutes
After 20 minutes remove the dish form the oven and add the other vegetables. Mix the vegetables to makes sure they are coated with the oil
Lay the sausages on top of the vegetables and bake for 20 minutes, give the vegetables and sausage another mix and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the sausage are browned. I like this served with crusty bread, but it also tastes good with mashed potatoes or rice.
If you’re wondering what remoulade is, the best way to describe it is a fresher, less gloopy, fancier version of coleslaw.
I’m trying to support local businesses and keep my food miles down (so I don’t feel guilty about my travel miles). So I ordered a vegetable box from a local farm. The vegetables were great, but in the middle of the box was celeriac. I had eaten it before but had never cooked with it.
It may not be pretty but it tastes great.
I decided to make remoulade, because it’s a fantastic Summer dish. This is perfect with barbecued meats, but also goes really well with fish. For vegetarians it’s a great addition to salad bowls to add some tang and texture, I also like to use it sandwiches as alternative to coleslaw. This is quick and easy to make, and will in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Great with barbecued meat or fish.
Ingredients
200 Grams Celeriac (roughly grated)
1 Large apple (roughly grated with skin left on)
Juice of half a lemon
1 Tbsp Grain mustard
3 Tbsp Mayonnaise
Method
Remove the course outer skin of the celariac, and grate along with apple before adding to a bowl
Cover the celeriac and apple with the lemon juice.
Stir in the mustard and mayonnaise until thoroughly combined, refrigerate if not eating immediately
Like most people who eat meat, chicken is a staple for me. Lets admit it, it can get a bit boring after a while. I was looking for something different and remembered that I had something similar to this in Mexican restaurant years before.
I like to use chicken thighs because I think they have more flavour and are cheaper than chicken breast, but use these if you prefer (just reduce the cooking time so they don’t dry out).
Brown in a pan before baking
The ingredients for the marinade are pretty straightforward and packs lots of fresh clean flavours. I only marinade the chicken for 30-60 minutes, which is good that you don’t have to plan to far in advance. If you don’t like coriander, I would still recommend giving this a chance, as cooking does change the flavour. I finish these in the oven, but they would also be great on a barbecue. I serve these with some rice, and avocado, but it’s also great served along with salad if you’re going low carb.
Super fresh and tangy marinade.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 Large or 8 small chicken thighs
Juice and zest of 2 limes
2 Cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 Tsp Chilli flakes
2 Tbsp Olive oil
Handful of coriander (roughly chopped)
Method
Combine oil, chilli flakes, garlic, zest and juice of a lime, and coriander in a bowl
Add chicken and marinade for 30-60 minutes
Heat a large pan (ideally one that is oven proof), on the stove top, and add the chicken. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees
Brown the chicken quickly on both sides, add any remaining marinade, and place the pan in the oven. If you don’t have an oven proof pan, transfer the chicken to oven proof dish, and make sure to scrape in all the yummy juices and chicken bits in pan
Bake for 30 minutes, and check that chicken juices run clear, (if not cook for another 5-10 minutes before checking again
Hi Folks, I think this week has seen everyone reach peak cabin fever and I’ve had loads of people in the last couple of weeks asking if I have plans to run any more supper clubs.
The answer is absolutely yes! I was really disappointing at having to cancel supper clubs I had scheduled during the lock down, but thankfully everyone working together has meant COVID 19 is in retreat.
Everyone enjoying dinner at a communal table.
If you’ve ever been to the supper club, you’ll know it’s cosy. Part of the ethos behind supper clubs is that everyone sits at a communal table, and this way you get to eat and chat with people you normally wouldn’t do this with. Usually supper clubs welcome mixes of couples, solo diners, and friends who enjoy good food and the chance to meet new people.
Welcome drinks mmmm.
With this in mind, I have to wait until Public Health Agency guidance around social distancing says that its safe to run events like this. The last thing any of us wants to do is risk the health of others.
So, please be patient. Hopefully it won’t be long before we can enjoy getting out “out” again, speak to people we don’t know, and enjoying meals we haven’t had to shop, cook, and clean up after.
As soon as restrictions are lifted I’ll advertise details of the next date. If you have been to one of the pre lock down supper clubs I hope to see you again soon. If you haven’t been to one yet I promise some cracking nights ahead.
I’m currently in mourning as I had hoped to visit Bali this Summer, but COVID 19 crapped all over that plan. Bali is my favourite place on earth, but mercilessly hot and humid at times. Being a pasty, super pale Irish girl, I often need to sit in the shade and enjoy a frosty beverage (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it)
Usually this is an ice cold Bintang (local beer), or coconut water straight from the coconut with a straw.
This is where I should have been. Do you see why I needed a cocktail.
I made this with the Balinese flavours I love in mind. To get these flavours you make a simple syrup. This is the cornerstone of loads of different cocktails, just take equal parts sugar and water and cook together with any other flavours you like.
The simple syrup will live quite happily in a sealed jar in your fridge for a month. It probably won’t last that long. I keep finding myself going all Mad Men and enjoying a pre dinner cocktail (even when dinner is just beans on toast).
Simple ingredients will transport your taste buds.
Ingredients
(for the simple syrup)
100 Grams Sugar
100 ml Water
1 Stalk Lemon grass
1 Lime (sliced)
2-3 Kaffir lime leaves (optional, but definitely takes the flavour to another level)
(for the rest of the cocktail)
Gin
Soda water
Method
Bruise the lemon grass, add to a pot along with the sugar, water, lime leaves and sliced lime
Bring the mix to just before the boil and reduce the heat. Simmer over a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve and allow the syrup to cool
You can make this cocktail as strong or as weak as you like. I usually add equal parts chilled gin and simple syrup and then top up with as much soda water as you like.
Treat yourself and serve it in a fancy glass with a cute garnish (go on, you’re worth it)
This is a total crowd pleaser. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love this (apart from those people who totally hate fish).
When people hear pate, they tend to think it’s going to be complicated. This recipe has only 5 ingredients, and takes 5 minutes to make. It makes a brilliant starter with crusty bread, or I enjoy it on a toasted bagel for lunch. It also makes a good topping for baked potatoes.
Just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes make this super tasty pate
The pate has lots of flavour, but if you want to mix it up a bit you can swap out the parsley and lemon juice for coriander and lime, with some finely chopped chillies.
Ingredients
200 Grams Smoked mackerel
100 Grams Cream cheese
Juice of half a lemon
Small handful of chopped parsley
Ground black pepper
Method
Remove and discard the skin from the fish
Break up the mackerel in a bowl, and flake with a fork
Add the cream cheese, lemon juice, and parsley and mix until the pate is smooth. Taste and add black pepper to taste (you can also add more lemon and parsley if you prefer)
I’ve mentioned before that when I was a kid, my Mum wasn’t a great cook (I love you Mo, but we both know the truth). Dessert in my house was usually shop bought, and when I was really young one of favourites was tinned creamed rice with a big spoonful of jam.
Fast forward God knows how many years, and I taught myself how to cook. I was also lucky enough to go out into the world and try some amazing flavours. So I decided to try and experiment with some of my favourites. Coconut, ginger and lemon grass gives a new twist on this traditional dessert.
I like this chilled and served with mango or pineapple, but it’s also really good warm, and you can enjoy it with whatever fruit you prefer.
I used milk in this recipe, but you can substitute some of this with cream if want to make a really indulgent dessert. If you want to make a vegan version, swap cow’s milk for almond milk. I’ve tried both versions and they’re both delicious.
Coconut and spices bring a new twist to an old classic
Ingredients
400 ml Can Coconut milk
250 Grams Pudding rice
40 Grams Sugar
500 ml Milk
1 Large stalk of lemon grass (kept whole but bruised)
1 Thumb sized piece of ginger
Method
Cut your piece of ginger in half length ways, then smack your lemon grass with the back of a knife (or pot if you want get some frustration out). Bruising the lemongrass helps release the flavour. The ginger and lemon grass are kept big to make it easier to fish out when the rice pudding is cooked
Put all the ingredients in a pot with a lid and heat until just before the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over a low heat stirring regularly. Each type of rice is different, so cook until the rice is soft. (mine took about 30 minutes). Different rices will absorb different amounts of liquid so if you think the mix is looking too dry add a little milk/water
When the rice is cooked you can scoop out the ginger and lemon grass. The rice pudding can be served hot or cold. I like it served with fruit
This might look like a lot of ingredients, but getting yourself a good spice cupboard opens up a world of food possibilities. Find a good Asian supermarket and you can do this much more cheaply than buying them from a big supermarkets.
My love for cheese that you can fry has been well documented on this blog. Add it to a fragrant and well spiced masala sauce and it’s a little slice of vegetarian heaven.
Ingredients
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Tsp Cinnamon
2 Cardamon pods
2 Cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 Tsp Fennel seeds
3-4 cm Piece of ginger (grated)
4 Cloves
1 Tsp Tumeric
1 Tsp Chilli Powder
1 Tsp Ground coriander
1 Tbsp Tomato puree
2 Tbsp Chopped coriander
Knob of butter
250 Grams Paneer ( cut into 2cm cubes)
2 Tbsp oil
Taking time to set out your spices saves time while you’re cooking, and you can tidy as you go.
Method
In a large frying pan add the butter and fry the onion, then add the cinnamon, cardamon pods, cloves and fennel seeds
Cook for 5 minutes before adding the ginger and garlic, and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add the turmeric, tomato puree and chilli and fry for another minute, and 250ml hot water
Bring the sauce to just before the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes
In a non stick frying pan, heat the oil and fry the paneer until browned on all sides
Add the paneer to the sauce and cook for another 10 minutes, allowing it to absorb the flavour.
Top with chopped coriander. Serve with rice or flat breads. This keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days
I first had this as a teenager when a school friend’s Mum made this one night when I was at their house. It was a taste revelation to me. Up until then I had only had corned beef (chipped beef in the US) in sandwiches.
I had the idea to make this when looking in a cupboard I found the strange shaped tin with the stupid little key and strange opening mechanism. Honestly, after all these years, why does corned beef have to be stored in these weird shaped tins. And don’t even start me about the stupid key thing you need to open it, that you cut yourself on every single time. I mean it, if anyone knows why this still happens please tell me.
Cheap and simple ingredients make a really delicious filling
Anyway, rant over. You can make this with ready made pasty if you want this to be super quick. I have included details for anyone who prefers to make their own pastry. It’s a good way to use up left over potatoes, and makes an easy inexpensive meal.
Use a loose bottom pie tin to make it easier to remove the pie.
Ingredients
For the pastry
225 Grams Plain flour
100 Grams Butter (cut into cubes)
Cold water
For the filling
300 Grams Potatoes (cooked)
1 Onion (finely sliced)
340 Gram Tin of corned beef
Salt and pepper
Method
My hand are always really warm, so I’m not best suited to make pastry, this is part of the reason I add the flour and butter to a food processor and pulse until I get a mix that looks like bread crumbs (you can also use the traditional rubbing in method, but generally I’m too lazy for this).
When your mix looks like breadcrumbs, start by adding a little cold water at a time until the mix comes together to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 mins. If you’re stuck for time or just can’t be bothered, it’s totally fine to use shop bought pastry
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees and put a baking sheet in the oven to heat. Grease a 9 inch loose base cake/pie tin and set to one side, ready for your pastry
Remove your pastry from the fridge and let it sit for 5-10 minutes so it isn’t too stiff to roll out. While you wait on this, chop your onion finely, and cube your cooked potatoes (which should be cold), after you have wrestled your corned beef out of the tin and tried really hard not to scream f*ck at it, you should cube this as well
Mix the potatoes, corned beef, and onion together and season with salt and pepper
Put the pastry on a floured surface and cut approx 1/3 off and set to one side (this will be the lid for your pie)
Roll the remaining pastry out as thinly as possible, and make sure it’s big enough to fit your pie tin. Line the tin with the pastry, making sure that you have pushed into the edges
Put your corned beef mix into the lined pie dish, and then roll out the remaining pastry to form a lid. brush the edges of the pastry lining the tin with beaten egg and then place the lid on top. I press down the edged with a fork to make sure it’s sealed
Brush the pie with some more beaten egg (it will help it look pretty when it’s cooked) and add a couple holes to allow steam to escape. Place the completed pie on top of the baking sheet that has been heating in the oven (this help ensure the base if cooked).
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the pastry is a deep golden brown
I love pork belly. If I go to a restaurant (remember those). I’m really predictable, if pork belly is on the menu that’s what I’m ordering.
If you haven’t tried it before, it’s pretty rich and can be fatty, but it’s also really tasty. I enjoy it, cooked long and slow, and then crisped up in the pan.
Pork belly lends itself particularly to Asian flavours. I like to marinade the pork, usually over night but at least for an hour.
This is really versatile, and freezes well. It’s great served with salad (if you’re following a keto or low carb diet), or sliced in sandwiches with coleslaw. Its also really good sliced and served with noodles. You can crisp it up on a barbecue instead of the pan for a delicious smokey flavour.
Marinade the pork for at least 1 hour
Ingredients
500 Grams Pork belly strips
2 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 Tbsp Sesame oil
2 Tsp Chinese five spice powder
1 Tsp White wine vinegar (or what ever vinegar you have, just not something really strong like malt vinegar)
1 Tbsp Sesame seeds (optional)
Method
Cut the pork belly into 2-3cm thick strips
Add the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and five spice powder, to an oven proof dish and mix.
Coat the pork strips with the marinade. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight (or for an hour at least)
Preheat your oven to 160 degrees, put the covered dish in to cook for 90 minutes,
Remove from the oven. Heat a frying, and add the pork to pan.
Crisp for a few minutes on each side, and then sprinkle with sesame seeds
This is the perfect salad for people who think they don’t like salads.
What makes it so good is the ranch dressing. I’m warning everyone in advance, this isn’t a salad for the diet conscious. Ranch dressing is rich and creamy and makes just about anything taste fantastic. It’s doubles as a dip, and is also fantastic in sandwiches with tortilla chips, chicken wings, or if you’re one of those people who like to dip their pizza, (FYI the Italians are horrified by this and have threatened to take pizza back if the rest of the world doesn’t behave itself. I won’t tell them if you don’t).
The salad hits all the bases, soft chicken, crispy salty bacon, sweet cherry tomatoes, and a rich creamy dressing. You can always use the shop bought ranch dressing if you don’t have time or the ingredients, but do yourself a favour and give it a try. This is great for anyone following low carb or gluten free diet.
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the salad
2 Cooked chicken breasts or chicken thighs (shredded or cut into cubes)
4 Rashers of streaky bacon (cooked until crispy and cut or crumbled into 2cm strips)
2-3 Scallions/spring onions (finely chopped)
Handful of cherry tomatoes (halved)
2 Handfuls of salad leaves
For the dressing
2 Tbsp Mayonaise (I use shop bought)
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
1/2 Tsp dried dill
1 Tsp Chopped parsley (or 1/2 tsp dried parsley)
1/2 Garlic powder
1 Tbsp Lemon juice/ or 1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Milk to loosen the dressing to the consistency you like (for people following a keto diet they can use cream)
In a jar with a lid, add all the dressing ingredients except the milk/cream. Check the flavour and add salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
When you are happy with the seasoning add a little milk/cream to loosen the mixture and shake the jar. Check the consistency, and add more milk/cream if you want a runnier dressing
Combine all your salad ingredients and drizzle with the dressing before serving
The dressing will keep quite happily in a sealed jar in your fridge for 4-5 days
I never thought I would say it, but after weeks stuck at home. I was finally fed up with carbs.
The antidote was a quick and easy salad. I used tinned crab meat because it was what I had, but fresh or frozen would also work.
Like most salads, use what you have or what you like, I added nectarine because it’s what I had, but mango but would be great too. Lemon and tahini are great in dressings. I usually add garlic to this dressing mix, but left it out this time so that it wouldn’t overwhelm the delicate crab flavour. Fresh herbs like parsley or corriander would be great in this salad too.
Mix colours and textures
Ingredients
Serves 2
1 Carrot (grated)
50 Grams Endame beans (frozen)
6 Radishes (sliced)
1/2 Avocado (cubed)
1 Nectarine (cubed)
145 Gran Tin of crab meat
2 Handfuls of rocket or other salad leaves.
For the dressing
1Tbsp Tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp Rapeseed oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Add the tahini, oil, and lemon juice to a bowl. Mix well and season with sat and pepper, loosen with a little water if it’s too thick
Combine all the salad ingredients in large bowl, add the dressing and serve with crusty bread
Most people from Northern Ireland will remember grandparents trying to force dulse on them as a child. If you were lucky enough to escape this and don’t know what dulse is, it’s deep purple seaweed gathered around the coast of Northern Ireland (and other places too). As a child I found it too salty, and the long strands too chewy (I wasn’t a fan).
The reason most grandparents tried to make kids eat it is because it’s amazingly good for you. It’s jam packed full of iodine, calcium, potassium, and all sorts of vitamins and anti oxidants.
I know apart from the health benefits, I’m not really selling dulse as something you can cook with. However, like the big food nerd that I am, I went on a coastal foraging day last year which was amazing, and ended with a fantastic meal cooked by Celia Sponcer (brilliant local chef). She used different seaweeds as seasoning for breads like focaccia and they were delicious, so she inspired me to try this. Dulse provides a saltiness to dishes, but also a deeper flavour that reminds you of the ozone smell you get when you’re at the coast.
Dulse before it has been finely chopped
In Northern Ireland dulse is sold in most greengrocers, but if you aren’t able to get hold of it you can buy it online from a lot of health food retailers or online (because it’s so good for you).
This recipe calls for buttermilk, which i never have, so if you don’t have it use ordinary milk and the juice of half a lemon (the acidity from the buttermilk/lemon juice is needed to cause the chemical reaction that makes the bread rise).
If you can’t find dulse, or aren’t brave enough to try it, this still makes really delicious and healthy bread. If you’re not using dulse replace it with 1 teaspoon of salt. It’s great served with soups, but my favourite way to enjoy this is sliced with cheese.
Enjoy with butter, or cheese and chutney
Ingredients
375 Grams Wholemeal flour
75 Grams Plain flour
1 Level Tsp Bicarbonate Soda
2 Tbsp Dulse (finely chopped)
325-350 ml Buttermilk (or use ordinary milk with the juice of half a lemon added to it)
Method
Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, dulse and baking powder to bowl
Stir in the butter milk/milk and lemon juice mixture until it’s s soft dough
Handle as little as possible, but make the dough into a ball
Turn onto a sheet of baking parchment
With a sharp knife, cut a cross (about one third of the depth of the dough) across the centre of the bread
Bake in an oven pre-heated to 180 degrees for 45 minutes or until the base sounds hollow when you tap it
It’s not totally authentic, but it is totally delicious.
Like everyone else I’m trying to go out as little as possible at the moment. I took a craving for fajitas and didn’t have the chicken I would normally use, or tortillas.
What I did find in the fridge was halloumi, which worked brilliantly. The saltiness of the cheese is yummy with the sweet peppers and onions, with little kick of chilli heat. I didn’t have tortillas, but I substituted these with Carribbean flat breads, I made using a recipe provided by the fantastic Debbie at D Rum Pot. Fusion cooking by accident rather than design.
The fajitas take 5 minutes to prepare, before popping in the oven. You have a delicious meal in less than 30 minutes.
Mmm Melting cheesy goodness
Ingredients
200 Grams Halloumi (cut into 1,1/2 cm strips)
1 Onion (sliced)
1 Red pepper (sliced)
1 Yellow pepper (sliced)
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Smoked paprika (I used the hot version, but if you are using sweet paprika then use a 1/2 teaspoon, and add a 1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder
Method
Add the spices and oil in a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees
Add the chopped vegetables and halloumi, to the oil and spices and mix until coated
Transfer to a baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until the halloumi is golden brown)
Not just for breakfast, delicious any time of day.
I’ll start by apologising in advance to the Balinese people (undoubtedly the loveliest nation in existence). When I visited Bali previously I loved the national dish of Nasi Goreng. This is a dish of fried rice, vegetables and sometimes chicken or fish, topped with a fried egg. I’ve made the vegetarian version. I know what I’ve isn’t 100% authentic but was the best I could do with the ingredients I had. So apologies again to the Balinese nation, but it still tasted really good.
I had dreamt of visiting Bali this year, but since Covid 19 s*it all over that plan, this is my way of recalling happier times.
This is often eaten as a breakfast dish, but can be eaten at any time of the day. The real version would have galangal. I didn’t have this, but used ginger I had in the freezer which worked well.
What makes this really tasty is the Kecap Manis, this is a thick sweet type of soy sauce used widely used in Indonesian cooking.
I’ve shown what I used for one serving, but you can increase the quantities if you’re making this for more people.
dav
Recipe
1 Cup of cold cooked white rice
1/2 Onion (finely sliced)
1 Carrot (grated)
Handful of finely sliced cabbage
1 Clove of garlic (finely sliced)
2 cm Piece of ginger (grated)
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Kecap manis
1 Egg
Method
Heat the oil in a pan, and add the vegetables, cook until softened slightly
Add the garlic, ginger and rice, and continue to fry until thoroughly heated
Stir in the kecap manis, and plate up, and top with a fried egg
I think we can all agree that no one is counting calories at the minute. I’m trying to fill my time and decided to try blondies (the chewy caramely cousin of the brownie).
This is based on a Simply Recipes version, they used white chocolate chips. I didn’t have these, so I improvised my chopping up orange flavoured chocolate (if the manufacturer would like to send me some samples that would be great, just saying)
You can also use chopped nuts or even cubes of apple. These freeze well, but realistically won’t last long enough.
FYI, your kitchen will smell amazing.
Recipe
115 Grams Butter
220 Grams Dark brown sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla extract (option)
1/2 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
125 Grams Plain flour
60 Grams Chocolate (chopped)
1 Egg
Fold in the chopped Chocolate
Method
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, and grease and line a 21cm x 21cm brownie tin with baking parchment
Melt the butter and add to the sugar and vanilla extract and whisk, when the mixture has cooled a little whisk in the egg
Add the flour, salt, and baking powder and mixture thoroughly. Fold in the chocolate, before transferring to a lined baking tin
Bake for 25 minutes, and allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes
I’ve loved moussaka ever since I first tasted it. But it can be very rich, so this version even though it’s still packed with protein is a little lighter.
This is based around a Jamie Oliver recipe and it’s proper comfort food. I added some roast red peppers, as I think it brings a little bit more freshness to it. There’s still enough cheese to make it still taste decadent.
The only draw back is that this is a time consuming recipe. I usually wait to make this at the weekend when I have more time, but it’s worth the time and effort, and tastes so much better than some gloopy supermarket version. This is also a great dish if you have a group of people to cook for.
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
4 Aubergines
4 Roasted red peppers (I used a jar of red peppers to save time)
500 Grams Potatoes
2 Tins Chopped tomatoes
2 Tins Chick peas
1 Sprig Rosemary
1 Small bunch of sage
100 Grams Green lentils, boiled until soft (or 1 can of lentils)
2 Onions, sliced
400 Grams Feta cheese
50 Grams Butter
50 Grams Plain flour
500ml Milk
25 Grams Parmesan (or other strong, hard cheese)
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Cut strips in aubergines with a peeler before slicing for roasting.
Method
Heat your oven to 200 degrees, peel the potatoes and cut into 2cm slices. Rub the potatoes with a little olive oil, place on baking trays and bake until tender and golden brown
Peel strips into the aubergines, and then cut into 2 cm rounds before sprinkling with salt and leaving to drain a colander for an hour
Wipe off any excess moisture and the salt, and sprinkle the aubergines with a little olive oil and place on baking trays and bake in the oven until tender, just as you did with the potatoes
Add 1 Tbsp of oil to a large frying pan and add the onions and herbs to pan. Cook gently until the onions have softened (I keep the herbs on the stem so that they are easier to fish out of the sauce later.
Add the cooked/tinned lentils and chick peas to the pan along with the tinned tomatoes. Simmer over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened, check the season and add salt and pepper if necessary
When the vegetables have finished roasting and the sauce is ready, it’s time to start assembling the dish
Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a large oven proof dish, then top this with a layer of the cooked potatoes and crumble over some of the feta cheese. Top this with another layer of sauce and then add a layer of roasted peppers sprinkle with some of the feta cheese. Top again with the sauce and add the cooked aubergines and any left over feta
To top this you will need to make a white sauce, in a medium sized saucepan, melt your butter over a medium heat, then stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. Continue to stir as you add the milk (if you find that you are getting lumps there is no shame in breaking out a whisk to beat the living daylights of the sauce to get rid of rid of them).
The sauce will start thicken as it heats, so continue stirring and reduce the heat and allow to cook for another 5 minutes or until the sauce no longer tastes “floury”. Add the grated hard cheese and mix well
Top the layers of vegetables and with the white sauce and bake at 200 degrees for 30-40 minutes of until all bubbly, brown and delicious
I couldn’t decide between menus for the next supper club, so I put it to a vote on Facebook. For a week or two the French menu had a strong lead, but got pipped at the post by the Italian menu. So thanks to everyone who voted.
February’s supper club sold out weeks in advance so remember to book early.
Some of the lovely people at our February supper club.
The menu for the 21st March will be
Starter – Gnocchi with Hazelnut Pesto
Main – Chicken Marsala, (Vegetarian Option-Aubergine Parmesan), Italian Salad, Homemade Italian Bread
Dessert – Tiramisu
The ethos behind the Supper Club is simple. Everyone eats the same menu at a communal table, with the chance to meet new people, chat and enjoy a bit of craic.
We greet everyone with a welcome drink in front of an open fire and you’ll enjoy 3 courses for only £25 (with a little treat or two). We’re also BYO.
Crispy potato topping and creamy chicken and vegetable filling
I make no claims that this recipe is anywhere close to being an authentic hot pot. But it was topped with finely sliced potatoes, so in my mind at least this is a hot pot.
Fresh out of the oven
If any one follows this blog regularly, you’ll know I hate food waste. So before I go food shopping. I always have a whiz around the fridge and cupboards to see what I can make rather than letting food spoil. That’s how this recipe came together. This doesn’t stop it being properly delicious comfort food on a frosty day. Chicken and vegetables in a creamy mustard sauce topped with a crispy potato crust, yum! Before you freak out, yes I know there is alot of cream/sour cream, but I was trying to use up left over cream. If you want be a little healthier you could halve the amount of cream and replace it with chicken stock. Just remember to reduce the sauce for a little longer so that it’s not watery.
Creamy filling with lots of vegetables
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 Tbsp cooking oil
4 Large or 6 Small Chicken Thighs (cooked)
1 Onion (finely sliced)
2 Celery Stalks (finely sliced)
150 Grams Sweetcorn
300ml Double Cream
250ml Sour Cream
1 Tsp Grain Mustard
300 Grams Potatoes (finely sliced)
1Tbsp Melted Butter
Salt and Pepper
Potato topping, brushed with butter and ready for the oven.
Method
Heat oil in a large frying pan, and fry onion and celery until soft
Add the chicken and sweetcorn and heat through
Add the cream, sour cream, and mustard to the pan, cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce thickens a little
Check the seasoning and transfer to an oven proof dish
Evenly lay the finely sliced potatoes on top of the chicken mixture
Brush the potatoes with melted butter and sprinkle salt and pepper
Bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown.
I’ve always steered away from cooking fish. The honest reason is that I was never really sure how to. Growing up, my dear sainted mother was an awful cook (sorry Mo, but you are). She would cook fish until it had no flavour and was like a piece of cardboard.
I’m lucky enough to live on an island with amazing sea food, which it turns out we mostly export. I’m convinced the reason for this is that most of us don’t know how easy it is to cook, so we avoid it.
Workbenches at the cookery school.
As a birthday present, I was given a voucher for Belfast Cookery School. They have a fantastic range of classes, but I decided to up my fish skills.
The class cost £60 for 3-4 hours, and is in central Belfast with about 10-12 people in each class. Staff are friendly and welcoming and the class includes a welcome drink and tea/coffee throughout the class.
Demonstration of how to fillet flat fish.
Once settled in, Ian our chef expertly demonstrated how to fillet and skin both flat fish (brill), and round fish (salmon). He also gave members of the class a chance to try this as well.
Salt and chilli squid, with aoli and chilli jam
I love squid/calimari in restaurants, but they always looked a bit like aliens in the fish market, (I’ll admit I was intimidated). We were shown how to prepare squid, and make one of my all time favourite seafood dishes, salt and chilli squid. Which once you know how to deal with squid, is surprisingly straight forward.
Brill cooked with capers and beurre noisette.
We all got to sample some of the demonstrated dishes, the brill cooked in a beurre noisette (browned butter), and salmon with caponatta (slow roasted red pepper, onion, tomato and garlic).
Salmon with caponatta.
After trying all these we were shown the the dishes we would be cooking by ourselves. First was mussels cooked with fennel, cream and white wine. Again, super delicious and pretty straight forward once you know what to do.
Mussels with cream and fennel
The second dish was cod topped with herbed breadcrumbs, served on top of a shellfish ragu (fancy name for a stew), topped with a Dublin Bay prawn. It turns out they aren’t prawns at all, but micro lobster, 90% of which are shipped abroad.
Cod cooked with herb crumb, served with a shellfish ragu.
The whole class was excellent, and I have now faced my fear of fish. I may even break out my newly gained fish skills at a future supper club. Everything we ate and cooked was beyond delicious and I left unable to eat another bite and in serious danger of slipping into a food coma. I’ll definately go back to the school, but they are currently so popular they’re booked up months in advance. It’s definitely worth the wait, so check them out.
Sorry this event is now sold out – We still have places available at our 21st March Supper Club
Christmas is over, January is the longest month ever, and it seems like a long time until anything good is going to happen again. The Supper Club costs £25 per person, for 3 delicious courses, as well as a welcome drink and some extra treats, (drinks are BYO). Details of how to book are shown below, and all payments are protected by PayPal.
February Supper Club
Welcome drink, and 3 courses meal (plus a couple of treats)
£25.00
Why not come along to the Sunnyside Supper Club, and try something new
This month’s theme will be Greek food. Our ethos of the supper club is simple, good food, great craic and the chance to meet new people. Mainly because we were sick of the sight of all the people we already knew.
Previous supper club guests have been a mix of couples, solo diners, and friends who wanted to try something different. We get an eclectic mix of people from the very young at heart 60s, through to foodies in their 20s
October’s Supper Club.
Everyone eats at a communal table, and shares the menu shown below. We’ll meet you in front of a roaring fire with a welcome drink, and we’re BYO. Details of how to book via PayPal are shown below.
February Supper Club
Book now to secure your place at February's Supper Club
£25.00
1st February 2020, Supper Club Menu
Starter – Greek meze (small sharing plates of dips, salads and flat breads).
Main Course – Beef stifado, (vegetarian option moussaka), herbed rice, and roast vegetables
Dessert – Flourless orange and almond cake, poached oranges, Greek yoghurt or ice cream.
Let us know in advance if you are gluten intolerant, or vegan and we can be sure to have something delicious for you.
Christmas eve is a strange day, and kids especially are over excited and bored. A bit of Christmas baking keeps them occupied. Even if you don’t have kids, it’s a nice way to get into the Christmas spirit, and your house will smell fabulous.
Snickerdoodles, the crack cocaine of cookies.
Many years ago I lived in Germany, where I was introduced to the crack cocaine of all Christmas baking, the snickerdoodle.
These are soft, chewy, buttery little cookies that are rolled in sugar and cinnamon before going to the oven. While in the oven the sugar and cinnamon melts and crisp up around the already delicious cookie.
I sincerely apologise in advance for any weight gained as a result of these cookies. I know there is a lot of butter and sugar, but it is Christmas after all ( these are delicious at any time of year though, and work really well as a base for a scoop of vanilla ice cream too)
Little balls of cookie dough are rolled in cinnamon and sugar before baking.
Please do try them though, they smell absolutely heavenly, and you can always off load the extras (as if), on friends and family. These live very happily in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Ingredients
For the cookies
370 Grams Plain flour
2 Tsp Baking powder
230 Grams Butter
1/2 Tsp Salt
300 Grams Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
For the coating
50 Grams Caster sugar
1 Tbsp Ground cinnamon
Method
Add the flour, salt and baking powder to a bowl
In a separate bowl beat the softened butter, and sugar for 2 minutes or until light and sluff
Add the eggs one at a time, and the vanilla, then add the flour mix gradually.
When all the ingredients have been thoroughly combined, chill in the fridge for an hour to allow the dough to firm up
After an hour take mix out of the fridge, and mix the sugar and cinnamon for the coating together in a small bowl
Make small balls of cookie dough about the size of a walnut. Roll in the sugar mix
Ball of cookie dough about to be rolled sugar and cinnamon.
Place the balls if cookie dough on baking parchment on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. Make sure to give them plenty of room to spread od else they stick together
Remove from the oven and allow to sit on the baking sheet for another 10 minutes
Unctuous chocolate, orange, and ginger deliciousness
I know what you’re thinking, it sounds weird, but the only the reason this is called a salami is because it looks a bit like until it’s sliced.
Chocolate salami before it’s sliced.
These are traditional in Italy and Portugal around Christmas , and are usually filled with delicious festive ingredients like fruit, nuts, cookies, and booze. I had looked at different recipes, but ended up just adding the ingredients that I like.
This is seriously rich, so a thin slice with a cup of coffee is heaven. Its also great with ice cream if you want a lighter dessert at Christmas. This will live in the fridge for up to week, but probably won’t last that long.
Ingredients
250 Grams Dark Chocolate
250 Grams Ginger nuts
100 Grams Butter
150 Grams Caster sugar
100 Grams Dates
100 Grams Nuts (I used a mixture of what I had in the cupboard)
2 Eggs
2 Tbsps Cointreau orange liqueur (optional)
Zest of 1 orange
2 Tbsps Icing Sugar (for coating the salami)
Method
Break the chocolate into a bowl, and melt in the microwave, or over a pot of simmering water
In a separate bowl with an electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together until its light and fluffy
Add the eggs, one at a time to the butter and sugar mix. Don’t worry if this looks curdled, it will soon look OK
Mix in the melted chocolate to the butter mixture.
Crush the ginger snaps in a plastic bag, until they are in small bits, but not dust. Chop the nuts and dates roughly, and grate the zest of the orange
Combine all the ingredients, and mix well, ensuring everything is well coated with the chocolate mixture
Keep the mixture in its bowl and refrigerate for around 30 minutes until it firm’s up
Chocolate mix
Take the mixture out of the fridge, lay a double sheet of clung film on a counter
Empty the mixture onto the cling film and with your hands, mould into a sausage shape
Cover with the cling film and role on the counter until its smooth
Roll on the counter until cylinder is smooth
Chill in the fridge over night (or for at least 6 hours)
On a chopping board or plate sprinkle half the icing sugar. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar over the chocolate and pat until coated.
Pat with Icing Sugar until the log looks like a salami
I wrap mine in baking parchment and keep in the fridge, cutting myself some every time I pass the fridge
I love shortbread, but I had horrendous flashbacks of trying make it in Home Economics class in school. It was a nightmare to roll out, stuck to the counter top, and was impossible to cut out and transfer to the tin neatly.
All this changed, when I discovered this recipe from the amazing women who run the The Edible Flower, in Ballyinahinch. This recipe is incredibly easy, doesn’t need to be rolled out, and is easy to cut into neat fingers for serving. These also make lovely little gifts if you fancy them up in a nice bag, or tin.
Who doesn’t love someone who turns up with a sweet treat.
Ingredients
315 Grams Butter
350 Grams Self raising flour
120 Grams Caster sugar (plus a little extra to dust the finished shortbread with)
120 Grams Corn flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tsps Cinnamon (optional)
If you’re a complete neat freak you can use a ruler to make sure all your shortbread is cut to the same size. As you can see, mine aren’t quite perfect.
Method
Preheat your oven to 140 degrees
Melt the butter in a pam over a low heat, or in a microwave in short bursts
Weigh out all your other ingredients in a bowl and add the melted butter
Mix until it is a soft dough, making sure there are no floury bits
Press the dough into a 20cm x 30cm Swiss roll tin. You can smooth the top with a palette knife if you want it completely smooth, but don’t worry if you don’t
Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes. Once cooked, cut into fingers, while still warm. Sprinkle lightly with a little caster sugar
Makes 28 large or 56 small fingers of shortbread. This shortbread freezes really well, and also makes really nice gifts for people
Our February supper club featuring Greek cuisine has sold out.
Now we’re wondering what you would like to see at the 21st March supper club.
Supper club is an intimate dining experience with around 8 guests, sharing a communal table.
We can’t decide if we should go for a French or Italian theme for our menu, so we’re asking you to help us decide.
French Menu
Starter – French onion soup, with French bread and Gruyere crouton
Main – Coq au vin (Veg option, Mediterranean vegetable gallete), potatoes dauphinois, green beans
Dessert –Tarte au chocolat
Italian Menu
Starter –Gnocchi with hazelnut pesto
Main – Chicken Marsala, (Veg option aubergine parmesan), Italian bread, mixed salad
Dessert – Tiramisu
You can vote for your favourite menu by leaving a comment or taking part in our Facebook poll. If there are other food themes you’d like us to maybe try out on future supper clubs let us know.
Supper clubs are a great way to enjoy good food, meet some new people and have a bit of craic. Cost is £25 per person for 3 courses and some little extras, including a welcome drink, drinks are BYO.
Supper Club
Try something new in the new year!
£25.00
Previous Supper Club Night
Each night consists of a 3 course meal (plus a couple of little treats), all served at a communal table, with the chance to meet and chat to new and interesting people. All guests are met with a welcome drink, and then it’s BYO, and costs £25 per person
Hagia Sophia, originally built as a Christian Church by the Emporer Constantine, it was later rededicated as a mosque. Grand Bazaar – this place has everything, the only problem will be carrying it all home.Grand Bazaar – a historic setting selling everything from traditional rugs to electronics
A little bit of history
Istanbul wasn’t super high on my list of places to visit. But, I was lucky enough to meet and have dinner a few months ago, with the super lovely Angie Ibarra, an experienced travel blogger, https://travelmoments.net During a great night with maybe too much wine I asked her, up to that point where was the favourite place she had visited. Her immediate answer was Istanbul. Since then, loads of people have told me the same thing, you have to go.
I’m a total history nerd, (I’m not even sorry) and Istanbul has oodles of it. Dating back nearly 3000 years, the city has been seat to the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Istanbul is unique in that it is split between two continents (half the city sits in Asia, the other in Europe, and the two halves are separated by the river Bosphorus). Being in such a sweet spot, Istanbul has been a meeting point of countless cultures. The city has trading links with Egypt and China going back two millennia and is still a major trading hub. Sites such as the Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia, and Blue Mosque are within walking distance of each other. The first two could easily take a day each, if you wanted to take your time.
A city split across two continents
This prime location has also meant it has changed hands various times. The Roman emperor Constantine when he converted to Christianity set up the city as his “new Rome”, and you can still see examples of Roman architecture and engineering throughout the city. Istanbul then became centre of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and seat of the new Byzantine empire.
Galata Tower, take the funicular railroad to visit the bohemian Galata district.
The 15th century saw the rise of the Ottoman empire. Ahead of it’s time in relation to architecture, medicine and the arts, Istanbul continued to be a thriving multicultural metropolis.
The Blue Mosque, decorated with thousands of beautiful hand painted tiles.
Modern times
I was really impressed by the modern Istanbul, but given political tensions in the area there was a heavy security presence in popular areas. When out shopping in one of the modern shopping areas near Taksim Square (think Oxford Street in London), I was a bit alarmed when I saw police unloading riot shields (being from Belfast, this usually doesn’t bode well). However I was pleasantly surprised, when the demonstration that started was a large, pretty energetic and good natured Feminist rally. Turkey is a secular state, but the country is still mainly Muslim and quite traditional.
Lots of bars serve hookah pipes, you can share between friends with flavoured tabacco.
Depending on how much time you have, try to visit different neighbourhoods like Galata, or take the ferry across the Bosphorus to Kadikoy. Each has a different personality and great places to shop and eat.
The Sultanahmet District has great seafood restaurants
Istanbul is still a cultural melting pot and draws in people from outside. I met people from Azerbaijan, Morocco and Armenia who for various reasons have decided to live there. By my second day I kept seeing guys with hairbands and surgical dressings taped to the back of their heads. Totally perplexed as to the reason, the penny finally dropped. Apparently Istanbul is the place to go for guys wanting hair transplants at a fraction of the price they’d pay in Europe.
Waiters are usually good fun and are keen to get you stay, this one set off fireworks for my birthday!
The city has a good cheap public transport network, and it’s worth investing in the IstanbulKart (a multi use card that can be topped up in various location). You’ll see astonishing places, and meet great people. In the interests of good travel karma if you have credit left, and aren’t planning on returning very soon, be nice and pass it on to a local or fellow traveller, same goes for your museum card. Give Istanbul a try, you’ll love it.
Anyone one who follows this blog will probably have guessed that I usually don’t do dainty.
But trapped in the house on a rainy Saturday afternoon, I decided to rustle up something different . Macarons are cute little almond meringue cookies, and can have a variety of fillings including butter cream or jam. I have used chocolate ganache, which sounds fancy but is basically just cream and chocolate.
If you’ve seen macarons for sale they can come in a variety of rainbow colours, and can be eye wateringly expensive. This is a bit of a rip off considering that while they might be a bit fiddly they’re not especially difficult to make. They also make great gifts.
Always handy for gifts.
Ingredients
For the mcarons
210 Grams Icing sugar
95 Grams Ground almonds
3 Egg whites (at room temperature)
50 Grams Caster sugar
1/2 Tsp Vanilla paste
Food colouring (this is optional, but it does help them look nice. I would recommend using gel or powdered food colouring)
For the ganache
100 Grams Dark chocolate
150 Grams Double cream
Method
Add the icing sugar and ground almonds to a food processor and whizz for a couple of minutes
Sieve the sugar and almonds into a bowl, and discard any bits of almond that don’t go through the sieve
In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk until they form soft peaks Gradually add the caster sugar, vanilla and food colouring until you have stiff peaks (you’ve probably saw on cooking shows when the cook holds the bowl over their head and nothing moves)
Start to fold in the sugar and almond mix with a spatula or large metal spoon in small batches
When fully combined, transfer the batter into a piping bag
On a sheet of baking paper, mark out circles about 3cm each. Put a dot of the batter on the four corners of a baking sheet and lay the baking paper on top (this will help it stay in place)
Pipe a blob of the batter on the pre drawn circles until you have used up all the mix. I ended up using 2 baking trays
Once you have piped all the mcarons, lift the trays a couple of inches and tap it down on the counter to get out any air bubbles. If you have any little tails of batter sticking up after piping, wet you finger and flatten them (it will stop them burning)
Allow the macarons to sit out for 30 minutes, this helps them set and forms a skin
Bake in an oven preheated to 150 degrees for 17 minutes, cool before filling
To make the ganache, break the chocolate into small bits and put in a microwave bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave (blast for 30 seconds at a time, be sure not to burn)
When the chocolate is melted, add the cream and stir until properly combined, allow to cool
When the ganache is cool, take a palette knife and spread the filling on the underside of a macaron the sandwich with another. Continue until all the macaron halves have been sandwiched together
Sorry this event is now sold out. We still have places available at our 21st March Supper Club, and we’d love to see you
Ever wondered what to buy some of the people in your life. Is it better to have experiences in life rather than clutter. Why not buy someone a cracking night out.
Well December will be busy and stressful, January will be crap due to the whole shi**y weather and being broke thing. Wouldn’t it be nice to start February with a slap up meal and the chance to share dinner with a few new people who might be a bit of craic?
Who doesn’t love an open fire when it’s cold outside.
February’s supper club will be on the 1st of the month. We’re going Greek!
It may be baltic outside, but the food inside will hopefully transport you to sunnier climes. Greek food has great fresh flavours, and is tasty while still being fairly heathly.
We’ll have the fire lit and a drink to welcome you when you arrive. (We’re BYO)
Everyone eats the same 3 course meal (plus a couple of treats) at a communal table. So you have the chance to meet your fellow diners, and have a bit of craic. We also welcome for vegetarian/vegans, just let us know in advance so we can be sure we have something delicious for you. This menu is also mainly gluten free (and we can adapt things if you have problems with gluten, just let us know before hand).
October’s Supper Club
Menu
Starter
Greek meze – Small sharing plates, think Greek tapas
Main Course
Beef stifado (vegetarian option, moussaka)
Spanakorizo (herbed rice)
Roast vegetables
Dessert
Flourless orange and almond cake, poached oranges, Greek yoghurt
This is a little teaser of the dessert for this week’s Supper Club. I like to test recipes before hand and this is a chocoholics dream.
I’m a total fan girl of Eric Lanlard (Cake Boy), his recipes are amazing. I wanted to try this for a while and eventually had a free day to try it. It’s not especially difficult, but it does take a while as you have to wait for the different layers to set.
I made mine in little jam jars. This is a really rich dessert, so you can make smaller versions in shot glasses if you don’t have an especially sweet tooth.
Top with some grated chocolate for a final flourish
Makes 4-6 jam jars, more if you’re using smaller glasses
Ingredients
Dark chocolate layer
75 Grams Dark chocolate
1 Tsp Caster sugar
2 Eggs (separated)
Milk chocolate layer
75 Grams Milk chocolate
1/2 Tsp Caster sugar
2 Eggs (separated)
White chocolate layer
2 Egg yolks
2 Tbsp Caster sugar
150 Gram White chocolate
250ml Double cream
Method
Melt the dark chocolate and sugar in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat
Separate the eggs, and whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until they reach the stiff peak stage
Quickly stir the egg yolks into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture
Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until fully combined. Pour into glasses making sure there is an equal amount in each glass. Put into the fridge to set for 2 hours
For the milk chocolate layer, break into small pieces and melt along the sugar in a heat proof bowl over a simmering water. Remove from the heat once melted.
Separate the eggs, whisk the egg whites to the stiff peak stage.
Add the egg yolks to the chocolate and mix well
Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Top up the glasses that already have the dark chocolate and put back in the fridge to set
For the white chocolate layer, add the sugar and egg yolks to a heat proof bowl and heat over a pan of barely simmering water, whisk for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and continue whisking until the mix looks light and creamy
In a separate heat proof bowl, break up the chocolate and melt over a pan of simmering water.
In another bowl (yes I should have mentioned that you’ll have a lot of washing up, but it totally worth it), whip the cream with an electric whisk until it forms soft peaks
Add the melted chocolate to the egg and sugar mix and combine well
Fold the mix into the whipped cream, and then add to the glasses. Chill for another 3-4 hours
I would recommend not serving this pregnant women, or very young children.
I’ll admit I was late to the party when it came to Bia Rebel. A small ramen bar, 5 minutes from me on Belfast’s Ormeau Road. I was afraid it might be one of those places that opens to alot of hype but can’t sustain it. But this place is a little gem, and has had glowing reviews for food critics like Jay Rayner.
The place is tiny, but has become a local sensation. They’re best known large steaming bowls of noodles and vegetables, with different options for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans.
I didn’t have time to sit in, but seating is limited, so I ordered my food to go. Noodles bowls are the things people travel miles for, but I was food bullied by a friend who raved about their Bimimbap. She wasn’t wrong! This is a Korean dish of slow cooked pork rice and vegetables. It was amazing, the pork was well flavoured sweet and tender. The vegetables and herbs were fresh and delicious and offset the gentle heat of the dish. Honestly, it took take away Asian food to a whole other level.
Unfortunately for my waistband, I think I’m going to become a regular.
Sticky delicious caramel, soft juicy pear, and a light sponge with a gentle hum of ginger.
It’s that time of year, frosty mornings, long dark nights and cravings for comfort food.
This cake is perfect with custard as a dessert, or just enjoy a slice along with a cup of tea or coffee.
Use pears that are not too soft and mushy, so they will stay in tact during baking.
Yummy as a tea time treat.
Ingredients
For the caramel
1 Orange (juice, keep the zest for the sponge)
60 Grams Butter
330 Grams Brown sugar
For the cake
4 Pears
1 Tsp Ground ginger
3 Eggs
375 Grams Plain flour
2 1/2 Tsp Baking powder
220 Grams Sugar
250 ml Vegetable oil
125 ml Milk
Method
Add the sugar, butter, and orange juice to a pan. Bring to boil, ans simmer for 2-3 minutes until caramel begins to thicken. Allow to cool slightly
Add the sugar, oil, orange zest, eggs to a bowl and with an electric whisk until throughly combined
Then add the flour, baking powder, and groung ginger gradually. Half way through adding the other ingredients add the milk.
Whisk until the batter is thoroughly combined
Peel and core the pears, cut into thick slices or quarters . Arrange in the bottom of a well greased 9 inch spring form cake tin
Cover the pears with the caramel, then add the cake batter on top.
Bake in an oven preheated to 220 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 180 degree and bake for a further 55 minutes, or until a skewer comes cleanly out of cake.
Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin
I hate food waste. So when I see stuff has been hanging about the fridge for a couple days I try to find a way to use it up.
I had some lardons left from another dish I had made. I also had some feta cheese and vegetables. I decided to make a fritatta, which is great to slice up and use from breakfast or brunch, and makes a great lunch box filler.
Fritatta packed full of green veggies, salty bacon and feta cheese.
Ingredients
8 Eggs
100 Grams Feta cheese
100 Grams Lardons (cut up streaky bacon would also work)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
100 Grams Kale (cooked)
100 Grams Frozen peas (thawed)
1 Tbsp Chopped parsley (optional)
Salt and pepper
Method
Heat a large pan, and add the lardons
Fry until crispy, and then remove from the pan
Add the onion to the pan, cook over a low heat until soft
The kale, parsley and peas, and crumble the Feta cheese into the oan
In a separate bowl, crack 8 eggs and beat, before adding to the frying pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and mix all the ingredients well
Transfer to a 8 inch x 12 inch baking tin. Bake for 15-20 minutes in an oven pre heated to 200 degrees. Cook until just firm and allow to set in the tin
Well the October Supper Club was a brilliant night (even if I say so myself). We had a lovely range of people from their 20s to their very young at heart 60s. The food was good, the craic was better, and there were a few people feeling a little delicate the next morning.
I’m not a fan of platitudes like strangers are friends you just haven’t met yet. But really, don’t you get fed up meeting the same people! However since it’s Northern Ireland (the largest small village in Europe) we still had two guests who had never met before, but were able to work out that their family members worked together!
Try something different, meet a couple of new people and have a slap up meal.
Amuse bouche at the last supper club.
If you haven’t been to a supper club before, the concept is simple. Everyone eats the same 3 course menu, (plus a couple of treats), at a communal table. We’ll greet you with a welcome drink and a roaring fire, and you’re welcome to bring you’re own beer or wine. (We’re more than happy to look after vegetarians/vegans, or people with food allergies, but please let us know on advance. This way we can make sure we have something delicious for you)
Menu – November Supper Club
Starter
Feta, pecan, and pomegranate salad
Main Course
Porchetta (crispy roast loin of pork, with apple and fennel stuffing ), roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables.
Dessert
Triple chocolate verrine, and shortbread
November Supper Club
Cost per person is £25
£25.00
Come along, kick back, eat some good food and meet some new people.
Ts & Cs Sorry but refunds can’t be made for cancellations made within 24 hours of the event.
Plump juicy fruit loaf with a hint of orange and spice. Yummy with butter, and is also amazing toasted.
Halloween is a big thing in Ireland. Before all the commercialised plastic jack o laterns, fake cobwebs and Americanised trick or treating, Holloween was an ancient Celtic festival. According to legend Halloween was the night your ancestors souls returned to earth. Mischief and mishaps could occur, and there is also sorts of folklore that changes depending on where you go in the country.
Barm back (bairin breac in Irish, and apologies to all Irish speakers if I’ve misspelled this) was traditionally eaten at this time. This roughly translates as speckled loaf. The loaf is speckled with raisins and sultanas plump from being soaked in tea. There are stories that people would include different items and if you got it in your slice of the bread that would be your fortune for the year. These included things like if you got a ring you would get married, a dried pea meant you would stay single, and piece of cloth foretold poverty. There are various recipes, some use yeast, this one doesn’t and is much more straightforward. I used ordinary tea in this recipe, but you can also use teas like Earl Grey, or fruit teas. Some people include treacle, but I don’t like it so I left it out. The grated orange zest isn’t traditional but it’s what I like.
Ingredients
275 Grams Raisins
100 Grams Sultana
50 Grams Mixed peel (some supermarkets sell mixed fruit, so you can just total up to 425 Grams and use this instead)
300ml Black tea
200 Grams Brown sugar
225 Grams Self raising flour
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1 egg
Grated zest of 1 orange
Line your baking tin with parchment paper, or else grease the tin well
Method
The night before you make the barm brack, make 300ml of black tea. I just added a tea bag to hot water for a couple of minutes, don’t let it stew for too long or it will get bitter. You don’t need to leave this overnight, but try to leave it at least 3-4 hours
In a bowl, add the sugar, flour, spices and orange zest and combine. Add an egg and then add the tea and soaked fruit and mix well.
Transfer to a round 8 inch baking tin and bake in an oven pre-heated to 180 degrees for 90 mins. Because there is quite a lot sugar in this loaf, it goes quite dark. This is how it’s meant to be, but about half way through I cover the top with some tin foil to stop it taking on too much colour before it’s fully cooked.
Tell me whats not to like about bread still warm from the oven, and smeared with butter.
One of my favourite places to visit in Northern Ireland is Newcastle Co. Down. There are lots of things to love, breathtaking scenery, amusement arcades, seaweed baths, a lovely promenade, and the world class Tollymore forest Park. I visited recently and tried to find a little bakery that used to sell the most amazing date and walnut wheaten bread. Sadly the shop is gone but the visit inspired me to come up with a version of it which isn’t half bad.
The perfect mix of sweet and savoury.
This bread is great just sliced and slavered in butter/jam. It’s also savoury enough to taste great when topped with cheese, or along side soup. You can also devide the bread mix into eight to make little wheaten rolls.
Ingredients
275 Grams Plain flour
200 Grams Wholemeal flour
175 Grams Dates (chopped)
75 Grams Walnuts (chopped)
50 Grams Butter (melted)
1 Egg
1 Tsp Baking soda
1/4 Tsp Salt
250ml Buttermilk (I didn’t have buttermilk, so you can improvise as I did. I used normal milk and added 1 Tbsp of lemon juice and left it to sit for 10 minutes)
Simple round loaf with a cross cut across the centre
Method
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees
Add the flours, walnuts, dates, salt and baking soda to a bowl and combine
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, add the egg, and melted butter. Add the milk a little at a time until you have quiet a moist dough.I like to use my hands to mix the ingredients, but you can also use a wooden spoon.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and shape into a circle, around 14-16cm in diameter
Put the loaf onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut a cross across the loaf, about a third of the depth of the loaf
Bake for 45 minutes, check the loaf is ready by tapping the bottom to makes it sounds hollow
I made this as the main course for the October Supper Club, and had clean plates all round. This is proper Winter is coming, comfort food. Beef, cooked long and slow in dark velvety beer to make a rich unctuous gravy.
Serve up with some buttered greens, I made dauphinoise potatoes but mashed potatoes works well too.
If this wasn’t delicious enough, light tasty cheese scones bake on top, giving a crunchy top. Plenty of winter vegetables add to the rich savouryness of it all. This also freezes really well.
The lovely folks at NORN IRON Brew Co. gave me some of their amazing beers, and I used their Temple Imperial Porter, but if this isn’t available other dark stouts will do.
Serves 6
Ingredients
500ml Porter, stout or other dark beer
100 Grams Smoked Bacon
750 Grams Chuck beef
2 Carrots
1 Leek
2 Stalks of celery
1 Tbsp Tomato Puree
250ml Beef stock
4 Stalks of Thyme (or 1 Tsp of dried thyme)
Salt and pepper
For the scones
200 Grams Self-raising flour
50 Grams Butter
100 Grams Mature Cheddar Cheese (grated)
50-75ml Milk
1/2 Tsp Garlic powder
Method
Cut the bacon into small strips and fry in a large dry pan until crispy. Remove the bacon and set to one side
Cut the beef into 2-3 cm chunks and brown in the same pan used to fry the bacon, remove from the pan
Cut the vegetables into chunks and add to the pan, cook for 5 minutes, add the tomato puree and cook for a further 5 minutes
Add the meat back to the pan, add the the stock and beer to the pan and stir to make sure all the tasty crispy bits get stirred into the sauce
Cover with a lid and simmer for 90 minutes
Remove the lid and check the seasoning, allow to simmer for another 30 minutes without the lid to allow the sauce to thicken, then allow to cook
For the scones, cut the butter into small cubes, and rub into the flour
Add the garlic powder, and grated cheese and stir until we’ll distributed
Add the milk a little at a time, until the mix comes together and is moist but not too sticky
Turn onto a floured surface, and cut into 6 equal sized pieces (don’t handle too much or the scones will be tough)
Place the scones on top of the beef mixture. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 180 degrees for 30 minutes until crispy and golden
Fudgy brownie, topped with chewy marshmallow and then a layer of crunchy rice crispies coated in peanut butter and chocolate.
Anyone who follows this blog has probably worked out that I try to make reasonably healthy recipes. However, I think there is always room for some filth in your life. A good basic brownie is hard to beat, and there are endless variations you can make. I like food with different textures, so when I saw a version of this from Yammies Noshery, I had to try to make them. Apart from the fact these taste like a little square of heaven, they’re also gluten free. So you can treat your intolerant loved ones to something other than a coconut macaroon. These are great for Halloween parties or judge because you feel like a bit of filth.
Ingredients
For the brownies
260 Grams White sugar
180 Mil Vegetable oil
4 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla bean paste
200 Grams Cocoa powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
60 Grams Chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
For the topping
180 Gram Bag of mini marshmallows
250 Grams Chocolate
160 Grams Peanut butter
75 Grams Butter
400 Grams Rice crispies
These little nuggets of deliciousness melt and toast up to add another layer of flavour
Method
Line a 9 x 13 inch baking tin, and preheat your oven to 180 degrees
For the brownies, add the oil and sugar together and mix until we’ll combined. Whisk in the eggs, and vanilla, then add the cocoa powder and salt and mix until combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips, and pour into your lined baking tin. Bake of 17 minutes (if you prefer a more cakey brownie leave them in the oven for another couple of minutes)
Take the brownies out of the oven and sprinkle the top with mini marshmallows, and return to the oven for another 8 minutes
The marshmallows should have melted and be looking slightly toasted around the edged
Allow to cool before adding the next topping (I didn’t wait and it was a nightmare to spread)
For the crunch topping, put the chocolate, butter, and peanut butter in a large microwave proof dish.
Microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir, taking care that the mix doesn’t burn
When melted, add the rice crispies and mix until they are fully coated
Spread the mix over the cooled marshmallow topped brownies and allow to set before slicing into small squares (these are seriously rich, and can always have another one if you can manage it)
Allow the marshmallows to cool be trying to spread the crunch topping
Autumn is my favourite time of year, not just because of the colours and dark nights. What I really love are the fantastic fruit and vegetables that come into their own.
Sweet and juicy Victoria plums
I love warming, stick to your ribs comfort food at this time of year. I’ve had some really bland apple crumbles, so for a while I experimented with different versions and this is my favourite. I’ve used cinnamon, but cardamom also works really well.
Crunchy crumble and jammy fruity base.
I also added chopped dates, which adds a lovely toffee back note. The crumble has oats and nuts to add flavour and texture. It comes out of the oven with a crunchy topping and gooey jammy fruit base. I like mine with custard, but it also works well with ice cream.
Ingredients
600 Grams Plums (stones removed)
75 Grams Dates (finely chopped)
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
100 Grams Brown Sugar
200 Grams Plain flour
100 Grams Porridge oats
50 Grams Almonds (chopped)
100 Grams Butter (cut into cubes)
Method
Cut the plums in half and remove the stones
Put the plums in an oven proof dish, and mix with the cinnamon and chopped dates
For the crumble, you can add the flour, and butter to a food processor and mix. I couldn’t be bothered with the faff of getting the food processor out and then cleaning it. Instead I added the ingredients to a bowl and rubbed the flour and butter together
When the flour, and butter are combined, add the sugar, oats and nuts and mix well
Sprinkle the crumble over the fruit. Put the dish in an oven preheated to 180 degrees. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until brown and delicious
I did the thing I normally do when I go to a farmer’s market. I bought way too much random stuff because I thought it looked good. I got it home and then had to think what I was going to do with it.
Note to self, stop buying too much stuff at the market.
This is a scrummy mix of colours and textures. Delicious Autumn vegetables in a creamy sauce, with a little bit of heat from smoked paprika, topped with crunchy, cheesy garlic bread.
Who doesn’t like garlic bread (weirdos, that’s who). You can use any combination of vegetables you like, pumpkin, butternut squash, or green beans also work well.
Crunchy Cheesy Perfection
I tried this recipe on one of my oldest friends. I was nervous because she owns a steak restaurant and is a confirmed carnivore and got two enthusiastic thumbs up (still sorry I forgot to send you home with a doggy bag Mags, but here is the recipe as promised). Go get your comfort food on.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Olive oil
250 Grams Brussels sprouts
150 Grams Cavelo Nero (or Kale)
1 Pepper
1 Onion
175 Grams Mushrooms
2 Courgettes
400 Grams Cream cheese
250ml Vegetable stock
1/2 Tsp Smoked paprika
Handful of parsley
25 Grams Butter
2 Cloves of garlic
50 Grams Cheddar Cheese
1 Baguette
Method
Cut the bottoms of the Brussels sprouts and halve. Remove the stalks from the cavelo nero and slice. Cook the sprouts and cavelo nero in the vegetable stock for 5 minutes, until just tender
Slice the courgettes, onions, mushrooms and pepper, and fry in the olive oil in a large frying pan for about 5 minutes until soft
Add the sprouts, cavelo nero and vegetable stock to the frying pan. Sprinkle the smoked paprika over the vegetables, and add finely chopped parsley and cream cheese
Mix until thoroughly combined
Crush or mince the garlic and combine with butter
Slice the baguette into 2cm slices, and spread with the garlic butter
Put the vegetable mix into an oven proof dish and top with the slices of buttered baguette
Top with grated cheese and bake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees, for 30 minutes until golden brown
Throwback from last year’s visit. This time of year makes me wish I was back there.
When a friend heard I was going to Hong Kong, she said “you’ll love it, it’s like New York on crack”. She wasn’t wrong. We arrived after a 12 hour flight in sweltering heat and humidity, to be told that our hotel room wouldn’t be ready for another 7 hours! Exhausted and unable to cope with the heat we trawled around Kowloon for a couple of hours before we decided go back and embarrass the hotel clerk into giving us a room by hanging about a tiny lobby sweating profusely and looking like a pair of extras from night of the living dead. Hey Presto, we got a room within 10 minutes, (sometimes looking like a sweaty mess just pays off).
Night Market in Hong Kong
After a much needed power nap and shower we left to explore Hong Kong properly. If you’ve ever watched Blade Runner this is what night time Hong Kong will remind you of. Lots of neon and hustle and bustle.
Luxury shopping is a big thing and its seems there is Patek Phillipe or Rolex shop on every street. Hong Kong is what’s referred to as an Alpha+ city, due to it’s financial influence and has more ultra high net worth individuals living there than any city in the world. Unfortunately I’m not among these ranks, but the city has something for every budget. The Temple Street night market and ladies market are good choices, but be prepared to haggle.
I was obsessed with puffer fish as a kid, but how are you meant to get this home?
Hong Kong has some of the most expensive real estate in the world, and outstrips even Manhattan. The average family apartment is smaller than a domestic garage. For this reason a lot of residents choose to eat out in the mind boggling array of cheap restaurants and street food outlets. I’m pretty adventurous in my eating but there were a few thing I said no to. Tripe (the spongy lining of a cow’s stomach) is a big thing that I had to pass on. However among the best food I ate was at a dicey looking whole in the wall near my hotel. After a long day sight seeing I just wanted something quick and sitting on little stools that look they came from a kindergarten I got huge bowl of soup with wantons for about £2. The woman who brought it gestured at me to try the condiments with it (chilli sauce and another sauce that smelt awful but worked when it was in the soup), my napkin was a roll of toilet paper! it was fabulous.
Hong Kong is diverse and densely populated, to get everyone one where they need to go, the city has one of the best public transport systems I’ve ever seen. As soon as you arrive, invest in an Octopus Card. These can be used to pay for everything from ferries, some taxis, trains, buses, and paying for purchases in convenience stores at metro stations, and you can top them up at any metro station. I know it sounds like I’m geeking out, but the public transport was amazing, cheap, fast and clean.
Exciting as the city is fantastic, but sometimes the heat and the crowds can be exhausting. When you need to recharge you batteries seek out a little oasis of calm like the Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery.
The gardens are in the Diamond Hill district and covers 3.5 hectares, in a city with so many people this place provided some much needed chill out space away from the frenetic energy of the rest of central Hong Kong. The gardens are landscaped in line specif rules and methods, and no tree, rock, or plant is there by accident.
View of the tea room in Nan Lian Gardens
The Chi Lin Nunnery located within the gardens, is a series of elegant wooden structures made up of temples, and prayer halls lining courtyards with expertly pruned bonsai gardens and calming pools. Despite being slap bang in one of the world’s hubs of cut throat capitalism, it has a really gentle vibe, and is beyond beautiful.
If you can spare the time I’d recommend spending a day vising the garden and nunnery. If you do there are a couple of different options if want to eat or drink. The tea house is beautiful but is expensive even by Hong Kong standards. The staff are lovely and will take time to explain the different teas, and show you how to brew it correctly. We spent much more than expected here, but in fairness it was our mistake for not reading the tea menu correctly (be careful). A much better option is to go for the set lunch at the garden’s restaurant. Like with the Po Lin monastery, it’s a set vegan lunch made up of several dishes. One of which was monkey head fungus, I know what your thinking (doesn’t sound too appetizing), but it turned out to be delicious. The best food I had in Hong Kong was at these temple restaurants. Go visit these places and try the food, or just enjoy a little bit of chill before going back out into the world.
I love a cocktail. Usually I’ll pick something that’s fruity and not too strong. But sometimes you want something a bit more grown up.
These are fragrant and refreshing but they are strong, so enjoy responsibly (or not).
These need a simple syrup. You can buy this but it’s basically equal amounts of water and sugar heated together until the sugar dissolves and it becomes a syrup. This takes a couple of minutes to do and is a fraction of the price of syrup you can buy. Once the syrup is made allow it to cool and transfer to a jar with a lid. It keeps for ages.
This cocktail works best when everything is really cold i.e. your gin and simple syrup should be chilled. I pop the cocktail glass in the freezer about 5 minutes before I plan to serve these.
Ingredients
50ml Gin (or Vodka if that’s your thing)
25 ml Simple syrup
Juice of 1 lime
4 Basil leaves
2 Mint leaves
Method
Some of you may have those fancy cocktail kits with shakers and muddlers etc.
I don’t, so in a small jug I add the mint, lime juice and basil and “muddle”. What this means is that you bash or bruise the leaves so they release their natural oils and flavouring. I used the end of a wooden spoon
Add the gin and simple syrup, you can decide if you are the shaken (like James Bond) , or stirred like me because I didn’t have a cocktail shaker
It doesn’t matter which you choose, it will still taste fabulous. Transfer to a chilled glass, making sure to not to include the bashed leaves
