31.1.13

Burger & Lobster


Yesterday I fell in love. 

Imagine the audacity of a restaurant that has only three options on it's menu. Imagine if those options were burger, grilled lobster or lobster rolls. Every dish £20. That is it. 

So very simple, so very stylish, so very Soho.  

Head over for lunchtime if you want to avoid huge queues. (http://www.burgerandlobster.com/)

p.s apologies for the sad looking photo's! 



26.1.13

Tea & Biscuits


I've bought myself a new camera and want to experiment with my blog a little more so here goes... 

We had tea today at 5pm, just like my dad likes, in beautiful tea cups that I bought for our wedding. 

24.1.13

Bone Daddies



Lunch today was Tantanmen courtesy of Bone Daddies, the hip, fast and spectacularly good ramen noodle bar in Soho. Guests sit unashamedly slurping podgy, glossy noodles whilst sipping Japanese saki and enjoying being very 'on trend'. 

The slow simmered pork broth was beautifully rich, not shortcuts with this one, and I enjoyed playing artist by crushing my own garlic and sesame seeds to taste. They even supply hairbands in case your hair interrupts the eating! 

The music is blaring, the favours and intense and the seats are hot property. Do go though, it's worth any wait. 


http://bonedaddiesramen.com/



15.1.13

9.1.13

Baked smoked haddock with gnocchi & greens


This is a recipe from my book, I will post one every week or so. I'll start with one of my favourites.

Smoked haddock has a gutsy character, pushing it to prominence in any dish it chooses to star in. Here, pillows of gnocchi and delicate green vegetables act as supporting roles in a dish that might just become your ‘new fish pie.’

prep time 10 minutes              
cook time 35 minutes

serves 3–4

500g fresh gnocchi
200g baby courgettes, sliced at an angle into 0.5cm rounds, or 2 small courgettes, halved down the middle and chopped into crescents
250g asparagus, cut into 2cm lengths
200ml full-fat crème fraiche
1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
350g smoked haddock, skinned and cut into 2.5cm pieces
4 tablespoons parmesan, freshly grated
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 One piece of advice, get everything ready because once you get going, this can be quite a quick recipe! Make sure you have a large, shallow pot that can go both on the hob and in the oven.
2 Preheat the oven to 200°c/gas mark 6.
3 Fill your pot with water and place on a high heat. Bring to the boil and add the gnocchi, courgettes and asparagus. Cook for 3 minutes, no more, no less, and drain.
4 Return the cooked gnocchi and vegetables to the pot and stir in the crème fraiche and dill. Next, a little more gently, add the pieces of smoked haddock. Combine until all the ingredients are evenly distributed and then give the dish a good season with black pepper and a little salt.
5 Scatter with parmesan and cook, covered, in the oven for 15–20 minutes, until the vegetables have softened but still retain a little bite. That’s it… now you can put your feet up while your pot is happily cooking.

Tip – a word of warning: don’t use half fat crème fraiche as sadly it will split during cooking.


Rose Petals drying for Eva's wedding!


6.1.13

Mien Tay, Battersea



I will always alter my journey to incorporate a Vietnamese restaurant, so it was a welcome surprise to hear that Mien Tay had opened in Battersea,just a stone's throw from where I needed to be.  

Don't expect to be eating in absolute luxury but the food is total heaven. The glazed, chargrilled quail, eaten with our honeyed fingers,  was phenomenal and both the chicken clay pot and lotus root salad were as good as I've tried in London. Don't hesitate to pop in if you happen to be in area. 


2.1.13

Take One Pot, full stop

Happy New Year to one and all.

2013 has an exciting start for me as my very first book is published!! It's been a whole lot of work but a brilliant adventure and I'm so excited to see it in the flesh. 

I'll upload a few recipes when I have a chance but in the meantime here is the front cover in all its glory!


P.S You can buy it on Amazon if you fancied. (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Take-One-Pot-Simple-Recipes/dp/0857830708)